There can be few series of children’s books which create as much excitement – either with their target audience, or with adult readers – than the Adventures on Trains titles. Successfully combining complex whodunnits with the romance of the ever-popular mode of transport, it hardly seems any time at all since I read the first story, on the recommendation of a very dear friend of mine who spoke very highly of it.

And yet, here we are now on Book 5 which – incredibly – again surpassed my expectations and again is a totally different read from the stories preceding it. Focussing this time on the wicked and inexplicable sabotage of the maiden journey of a new and environmentally friendlier form of travel, we find our young hero Hal and his Uncle Nat at the heart of the action and in the greatest peril.

All initially appears well with our old friends when we first meet them, newly arrived in Australia and having the time of their lives now that they have recovered from their jetlag. Travelling across the vast country to join the Solar Express, Hal recollects his first meeting with billionaire August Reza and his daughter, Marianne, and wonders whether or not she will be part of the party onboard. Before embarking though, Hal’s query is answered when he reacquaints himself with Marianne, who tells him about a mysterious and very generous gift her father has received only to have her concerns dismissed by an uninterested Hal.

Something of enormous interest to him though is the design of the new train, with its innovative and green power system, and Hal is extremely excited to meet its inventor and ask questions ahead of the trip. Returning to their hotel afterwards, Hal and Marianne watch a journalist and cameraman setting up to cover the following day’s press conference and spy some of the other passengers who will be accompanying them.

When the big day arrives, August Reza’s speech to his gathered audience setting out his vision is well received, and with huge excitement the train sets out on its journey. Before too long though, it becomes clear that all is not as it should be onboard and that someone has set about sabotaging the Solar Express. Will Hal, Uncle Nat and their fellow passengers be able to solve the mystery of what has happened? Is it linked to Mr Reza’s curious gift? And just what will happen to all onboard if the damage to the train cannot be reversed in time?

Although Hal and Uncle Nat have been at the centre of the action in all of their adventures, here they are as much the victims of the crime committed as the other passengers and with their lives in jeopardy together with everyone else’s, the need to solve the puzzle of who the saboteur is is far more personal than in their previous cases. As before, Hal’s gift for recording what goes on around him in his sketchbook is integral to the plot and for many readers, the perfect blend of text and the accompanying illustrations of Hal’s, beautifully brought to life by Elisa Paganelli, is a match made in heaven.

For anyone who is not yet a fan – and if you are not, then where have you been? – familiarity with the other titles is not necessary to thoroughly enjoy this one. Yes, August and Marianne Reza are familiar to many of us from Book 2 – Kidnap on the California Comet – but all of the necessary details from that story are skilfully woven into this book so that it works perfectly well as a standalone.

With many fans of this series in my current Year 5 class (including my lovely TA), all of whom were extremely envious when I told them I was having a sneaky advance read, this is a book with broad appeal – perfect not just for ferroequinologists everywhere, but for anyone and everyone of Year 4 age upwards who loves adventure, mystery and a damned good story. The good news for all of us is Book 6 – The Arctic Railway Assassin – is due in October this year, just in time to be popped into a great many Christmas stockings.

As always, the very hugest of thanks go to MacMillan Children’s Books and Net Galley for my virtual early read, ahead of publication on 17th February.

With high-speed, heart-pounding danger; high-tech, environmentally-friendly science; and MacGyver-style engineering, the fifth instalment of the Adventures on Trains series is everything we hoped for and more.

We join Hal and his Uncle Nat on a three week adventure in Australia. Hal takes advantage of the stunning landscape to fill his sketchbook with every incredible detail. The pair have been invited by August Reza (from Kidnap on the California Comet) to be some of the first passengers on The Solar Express – winner of a futuristic train competition with a hydrogen-solar powered hybrid engine. Joining August is his daughter Marianne. Hal has mixed feelings about seeing Marianne again but at least the journey won’t be boring with her around!

The brains behind The Solar Express is Boaz Tudawali, a 14-year-old Aboriginal boy. He is determined to create the cleanest machine on the planet. His respect for the Aboriginal people and the Australian land is central to everything he does. If this trial run of his revolutionary train is a success, rail travel will be changed forever.

At first it seems they’re setting off on a train journey with no crime to solve. That soon changes as Hal discovers details others miss and the mystery becomes clear. Suddenly, what started as a special day out speeds towards a serious life or death situation. Hal, Uncle Nat and the others are in real danger if they don’t find the answers in time!

This story had me turning page after page, unable to put it down. I have no doubt that if Hal’s parents had any idea what was really happening on The Solar Express, they would never let him travel with Uncle Nat again! I can’t wait to share this book with all the Adventures on Trains fans in my life. The dream team of Sam Sedgman, MG Leonard and illustrator Elisa Paganelli have created a wonderful cast of characters and a fast-paced, thought-provoking mystery full of unending twists and turns that will leave readers guessing right until the final reveal.

Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Books & NetGalleyUK for this exciting book!

*Since writing this review, my son has arrived home and pinched my iPad. He’s already lost in the adventure and I don’t think we’ll hear from him until bedtime! We’ve also just received a review copy of Sam Sedgman’s upcoming book, Epic Adventures: Explore the World in 12 Amazing Train Journeys, from NetGalleyUK so there’s no question what we’ll be reading next!

And they’ve done it again! M G Leonard and Sam Sedgman are absolute writing machines! I think I say this each time but this was my favourite so far. I enjoyed the slightly different style of mystery and found it very hard to put down. May of my class will be so excited when this book comes out - this series is very popular!

We loved the previous books in this series and this book is just as good. The narrative is exciting without being frightening . We would highly recommend this book for 6 - 60 yr olds.

Hal and his uncle Nat are back in Sabotage on the Solar Express and I was absolutely thrilled when my NetGalley approval came through, allowing me to read an early copy. The Adventures on Trains series is one of those that I always get excited about and never have to read the blurb to know that I'm going to enjoy it, and I wasn't wrong: I devoured the book in less than 24 hours!
Sabotage on the Solar Express is set in Australia as Hal and Nat have been invited to be part of the launch of the Solar Express, the train that won a global competition to build a futuristic train run by tech entrepreneur and millionaire August Reza. We first met August and is daughter, Marianne on The California Comet and Hal isn't thrilled to see her again, as they didn't leave things on the best terms when they parted ways in America. However, Marianne is convinced that something feels wrong about the trip and this is backed-up when an elaborate and expensive model of the Rocket is delivered to August but nobody seems to know who it is from. Marianne is determined and eventually convinces Hal to help her discover exactly what is happening. The day of the maiden voyage dawns and everybody is excited a raring to go. After the press conference, the guests, including Boaz (the teenage designer of the train), the Rezas, and Hal and Nat, board the Express but the journey is barely under way when they discover that the train has been sabotaged! Suddenly, Hal and Marianne have to discover who has done this as well as try to stop the train before disaster strikes. Can they do it or is everybody on board in jeopardy?

Part of what I love about this series is the setting: both the different countries visited as well as the trains. I love to read the descriptions of the landscapes but am especially enamoured by the images created of the trains (and Elisa Paginelli's illustrations only help to enhance this). The book makes me want to take a journey on a similar train; to enjoy long lunches with unmissable views of wonderful landscapes and to wake-up in a completely different place - the dangerous situations Hal and Nat find themselves I would be happy not to encounter but they definitely make the books incredibly exciting! On a cold, dull January day, it was wonderful to be able to imagine I was zooming through Australia, with the sun beating in through the windows!

Hal and Nat make a perfect duo and I love the relationship that has built between them; there is a mutual respect between them that is based on trust and the fact that Hal is a child isn't an issue. In Sabotage on the Solar Express, I feel that Hal takes more of a lead than Nat and I like the slight change here. Hal's notebook and illustrations remain key in his ability to discover what is going on and tie in the book's illustrations perfectly.

I have to say that I think Sabotage on the Solar Express has to be the most gripping of the series so far and I found it impossible to put the book down (I was going to go for a run this afternoon but was far too gripped on the plot to even contemplate getting changed, let alone leave the house!). The plot moves quickly, especially once they board the train and I still hadn't guessed who the saboteur was when Hal came to make his announcement! I don't want to give anything away so I won't say anything more but ... wow! Hold onto your seat with this book as you are in for one heck of a journey!

Sabotage on the Solar Express pulls into book stores on the 17th February so why not pre-order your copy so you can jump on board as soon as it is released? I promise, it's a journey you won't forget!

I really love this series and this one was really good fun. I loved the setting, Australia is a beautiful country and the descriptions really did well in conveying the vastness of it. As always I love Hal and his Uncle, their relationship is so sweet and I really like that Hal has complete trust in him even though he is a grown up ;)

Solid 5 stars, cannot wait to have my physical copy in my hands.