Another great book in this middle grade series.
This is the best in the series. There is a great mystery adventur at the heart. Amazing characters. Brilliant storytelling.

My 10 year old was delighted to get the opportunity to read the most recent installment of this series following Hal and his Uncle to Australia in another train mystery adventure. Many thanks to Netgalley and MacMillan Children’s Books for the ARC

M.G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman are an incredibly impressive duo when it comes to producing middle grade novels. The previous instalment in this series was incredibly disappointing for me personally so I’m glad that they managed to hook me back in with this book. I think one of my favourite parts of these books is how high the stakes are, nothing is dumbed down just because it’s advertised for younger readers, the authors just tell it how it is which makes me such an entertaining read.

What could make a mystery more exciting? A MYSTERY ON A TRAIN! From the moment I opened the book to the last page I was hooked. The characters are really well thought out and the way they interact is very cohesive. I’d definitely recommend this to all the children in my class.

Anyone who knows me or reads my blog frequently will know how much I love the Adventures on Trains series by M.G. Leonard and Sam Sedgeman. They are always a great combination of whodunit, travel and train knowledge underpinned by the awesome illustrations of Elisa Paganelli which really brings the series alive.

They definitely work really hard to get these books out, as they average two releases a year and Sabotage on the Solar Express is the fifth release out in February 2022. What astounds me is that although the premise is the same – a mystery/adventure on a train – they are all so different and have different feels to them and this book is no exception.

Hal and his Uncle Nat have been invited to Australia for the unveiling of a brand new train that was designed as part of a competition. The competition was created by a super tech giant – August Reza – who Hal and Nat had met before on the Californian Comet in Book 2.

Alongside August is his daughter Marianne who didn’t exactly leave things on good terms with Hal the last time they saw each other.

Hal is reluctant to get too close but Marianne seems quite eager to recruit Hal in helping her investigate as she senses something not quite right and witnessed a strange scene where a mysterious hotel porter left an even more mysterious gift outside her father’s room with no name or explanation.

Hal is sceptical at first, but cautiously becomes friends with Marianne once again, as they go on the maiden journey of the brand new train – The Solar Express – alongside a whole host of characters including the designer, politician, business magnate and some other seemingly unconnected characters.

Although an air of mystery surrounds, they begin their wonderful journey across Australia but it’s not long before they discover that someone doesn’t want this maiden journey to be a success and this someone may be someone on board!

WOW! So this instalment of the series, although set in Australia, definitely has a touch of Hollywood! With a strong cinematic theme, this is a rip roaring, fast paced, action packed, danger movie that will leave you on the edge of your seat. When I sit down to read, I will often look for a natural lull in the story to have a little break, get up and walk around, and I can tell your now there was not an opportunity here! The action comes thick and fast from one sequence to another to the point where all of a sudden you’re at the end of the book and Hal is revealing the saboteur! (So make sure you keep hold of the clues because the ending will sneak up on you in no time!)

As ever, the story is littered with clues, of which I did pick up on most of them, so was mightily impressed when I realised I had guessed the solution. I love this because, for me, a true ‘whodunit’ is one that the reader can solve the mystery before the ending too. Many (still amazingly epic) crime and mystery books don’t give the readers the opportunity to have all the clues to hand, or reveal key things right at the last minute to not give readers time to put it all together so I appreciate the efforts Leonard and Sedgeman go to to give readers that experience.

Similar to ‘The Murder on the Safari Star’ (Book 3) there is a strong environmental and sustainability theme running through the book which is great because it adds a different layer to the mystery as it gets you thinking about sustainable energy, pollution and also how business, money and power can often trump environmental factors when making decisions.

And as ever, you get a real sense of the place Hal is journeying through. It would be scandalous to rail across Australia and not see Uluru, but they also took the time to involve some of the aboriginal beliefs and representation within the story.

I can’t not mention Elisa Paganelli’s wonderful illustrations that brings such a wonderful added element to the whole series but more so in this book as I did notice one of the clues in one of her drawings!

So for ‘A Lady Vanishes’ meets ‘Speed’ meets ‘Scooby-Doo’ (complete with ‘I would have gotten away with it too if it wasn’t for you pesky kids’ moment) adding in a good old fashioned mystery to solve then this is the book for you.

Another fantastic addition to the adventures on trains series! This time Hal and his Uncle Nat travel to the Australian outback on the Solar Express. It’s not long before sabotage is discovered leaving Hal in prime position to solve another mind boggling mystery!

I absolutely love this series and have reviewed every book so far on my blog. Every book has the feel of a Poirot murder mystery and I like the format of the novels as I know exactly what I am going to get when I pick one up - a highly entertaining, brilliantly plotted mystery. The writing is seamlessly professional and the blend of trains and mystery is a genius combination. I'll keep reading as long as these books are published - it really is Poirot for kids,

How can you not love this series. Trains and mysteries not my usual combination but find myself looking up the trains when I finish a book in the series

I really love this series and think as a child I would have devoured them like I have done as an adult!

We follow Hal and Uncle Nat on another adventure that sees them venture to Australia. As we come to soon realise there is sabotage afoot and it is down to Hal and Nat and some of the friends they have recently made (along with some characters from previous books) to try and save the train and their lives.

The authors do a perfect job of keeping the reader fully engaged whilst also learning something (I did myself!) and I couldn't put this book down. The illustrations are some of the best I have ever seen and capture the characters and storyline perfectly.

Highly recommended.

Another fast-paced (perhaps even more so on a runaway train) from the adventures on trains series! I really liked the premise for this one and loved the eco message woven throughout as well as all the STEM information (which felt very realistic even if it's not scientifically accurate - I have no idea but I'm assuming it's been simplified). The characters are fabulous as always and the dialogue feels so genuine and real. Just adore these books and looking forward to seeing what Hal and Uncle Nat get up to next!

As per usual this train book is a rip roaring adventure that gets the reader engaged from the first word. Nat and Hal are off on a new train adventure and this time these is a sabotage afoot. A fantastic bok which keeps children (and adults) on the edge of their seats and wanting to read on.

Strong young character, a sense of understanding about how to treat the sacred sites in Austraila and an explosion or two. What more could you want!

This is the series that just keeps on giving. I can not wait for the next book. Superb illustraions too.

They've done it yet again! M.G.Leonard, Sam Sedgeman and Elisa Paganelli have made the most amazing take on the action genre. After the masterpiece which is 'Danger at Dead Man's Pass' I didn't know how Hal and Uncle Nat (after recent revelations about his back story too) would manage to surprise me but yes they did. As usual, the variety of vibrant characters surrounding our protagonists absolutely made the story. I particularly loved Kenny and Karlene. The attention to little details in this book, as usual, made me smile - chapter titles of great action films were a lovely touch. I enjoyed this book immensely (and paused half-way through to wait for the audiobook) and can't wait for the Arctic Assassin - hoping for a return of Arctic Fox.

Another wonderful addition to this captivating series! I love the duo of Hal and his uncle Nat and their adventures across the globe. In Sabotage on the Solar Express we go Australia and have the great honour to travel on the Solar Express' maiden voyage, but everything does not go to plan and Hal has to the saboteur lurking on board before disaster strikes.

There as so many wonderful aspects to this series, and I really appreciate that they can be read as stand-alone stories or be read in any order. They are some of my favourites to recommend as a bookseller and are always well received by customers!

The way I love this series. It is just PERFECT. This latest instalment is no different. Despite the gimmick of solving crimes on (or around) train journeys, this is not yet old hat - far from it, in fact.

Hal and Nate continue to be excellent lead characters. It's also lovely to see how their relationship has evolved and how much Nate trusts Hal, both as a person but also as a detective. Hal is brilliantly smart, and continues to show how his talent for noticing things is the key to solving the crime - normally aided by his excellent drawing skills! And it really is hard to talk about these books without mentioning the fantastic illustrations by Elisa Paganelli - they help set the scene. Also, Hal's habit of drawing everyone is very helpful in keeping all the characters straight ;)

This mystery had a nice amount of fun science to it, which I really enjoyed. While the science is a small stretch at the moment (especially at the invention of a kid) it's also not unrealistic for this to have evolved that way, and I would love to see something like this be possible in the future. It was a nice moment to have the consideration of climate change in the book. Boaz is really a fantastic character too, I loved him, and his family :D

We also got a revisit from a past character in Marianne (well, and August, but I'm not counting him!) and it was great to see the relationship between her and Hal as a result of the events of the second book.

And there's already a hint of another book, yay! Honestly, I could happily keep reading new books in this series forever. 5 stars!

Another brilliant adventure for Hal and Uncle Nat! This one is so exciting and rattles along at breakneck speed, much like the Solar Express. Cleverly plotted and with great characters, I have recommended this series to many young readers and they, like me, are hooked. Can't wait for the next instalment!

This series is so addictive. i really love Hal and his uncle Nat. I really enjoy the next mystery.
When i brought this book i read it in one sitting.
They are going on an Australian adventure to see a new train! But as you guessed a mystery has occurred for them to solve.
Time is against them and the train is on the run........

WOW! This series started off excellent and is somehow managing to top that with every instalment. Sabotage on the Solar Express is the most exciting, rip-roaring adventure yet. Hal and his Uncle Nat are once again invited on the train journey of a lifetime - this time the inaugural run of the Solar Express, a brand new train sponsored by the tech entrepreneur August Reza, who we first met in Kidnap on the California Comet. The book zips along at a brilliant pace from the beginning chapters and soon we have all the elements that we have come to expect from this fantastic series - a cast of suspicious characters, some friends for Hal to share the mystery with, and a problem - and this time round the problem is bigger than ever before, and could just mean the end of the line for Hal, his Uncle and everyone on board!

The book is jam packed with exciting action, intrigue and, double-crossing adults. The stakes and the danger that the characters are in just keep on rising. One of the best things about the Adventures on Trains series is that the friends Hal makes along the way are never there just as sounding boards and in this respect, Sabotage on the Solar Express is no different - Marianne and Boaz are fabulous characters who bring their own skills and courage to help Hal and save the day.

The most exhilarating book in the series yet, you'll read this with your heart in your mouth. Just brilliant.

Perfection as always. I race out to buy every new trains books because you just know you are in safe hands with MG Leonard and Sam Sedgeman. Hal is just such a brilliant protagonist and I could follow him on his train adventures for many years to come. Sabotage on the Solar Express is reminiscent of some great action movies, like SPEED, but with a great trains twist. I read this whilst also delving into Sam Sedgeman's Epic Adventures, which i also recommend wholeheartedly.

I have read all the Adventures on Trains books so far and love them but I think this one is the best yet! As well as the the usual geographical information, details about the train and the excitement of a mystery to solve, which are true of all the books in the series, there was a lot of science which was explained in a way that readers could understand. However, the main difference between this and the others, and the one which I think that a lot of children in my class will love, is the threat to life that featured quite early on the book and continued until almost the end. This is what made it so thrilling and exciting.

What a page turner; I couldn't put it down!

Love this brilliant series of adventures all set on trains and I think this is the best one yet!

This is the fifth in the series and Hal and his Uncle Nat are invited as special guests aboard the Solar Express in Australia: a train powered entirely by hydrogen cells and the winning entry from Reza's Rocket competition. The winner is a young boy, not much older than Hal, who has a flair for science and engineering. From the start it is clear that not everyone likes the design and even before the train departs from the station, you get the sense the journey is doomed.

This story was set over a much shorter period of time than the other books and is constant action. The suspects aboard the train were all introduced early, but you got to know them as the journey progressed - there was the clever inclusion of a journalist and film maker on the trip meaning their interviews were a subtle but important way of learning backstories and views of the new technology.

The science and engineering aspect of this book were fascinating and there was much to be learnt from the young designer Boaz. There were lots of aspects of the book that any child who loves science could research more about and the setting of the Australian outback was the perfect reason for the eco-friendly fuel.

An excellent book; highly recommended!