Good morning!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Today, I’m doing something a little unusual… I’m dedicating a blog post to a whole series. A WHOLE SERIES that I utterly adored! This is one of the best series I think I’ve read in recent times – each of them I’ve absolutely bossed through… and I think I’ve read all of them (but the first one) this year! That tells you how incredible they are!

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Book 1: The Highland Falcon Thief

Proper fun this! What happens aboard a famous train making its final voyage when things start going missing? Well it’s down to the kids to solve the mystery! With gorgeous descriptions, brilliant characters and an interesting plot, this book was a lot of fun. It was a perfect length too! I can’t wait for the rest of the books in this series!

Book 2: Kidnap on the California Comet

I think it’s apt that I finished this on a metro! These are such great adventures filled with mystery, intrigue and gorgeous train journeys (that definitely make me wanna go on more trains!). I love Harrison – he’s so smart! I didn’t see the twist coming and I’m an adult, so I bet for kids this is a real fun thing! I loved the illustrations throughout (you can’t beat an illustration in my eyes!). Can’t wait to get the next one read now!

Book 3: Murder on the Safari Star

Blooming loved this! Very clever and I definitely had a list of suspects as long as a giraffe’s tongue! A safari train journey sounds so much fun… but I’d maybe hold on the murder and smuggling. A brilliant adventure in this series (sad I’ve left the next at home!). Hal is so clever and I’m glad he always finds a friend to help him out!

Book 4: Danger at Dead Man’s Pass

This series continues to be fun and interesting… didn’t see where a lot of this was going! It was great to have a slight change of pace with the train journey too! I love Nat and Hal – I think they’re brilliant characters! I loved using some of my (long forgotten) GCSE German to follow the conversations in this! Absolutely blown away by Uncle Nat’s revelation… but love to think where this is going to take these stories. Honestly, I implore anyone to read these and not love them!

Book 5: Sabotage on the Solar Express

Gosh, this is a total page turner! This is full to the brim of brilliant science, some things that go bang and some familiar faces. I thoroughly loved this! Being back with characters I know and love, with an interesting train journey and of course a mystery to solve… you can’t go wrong! This definitely is one of my faves in the series. I loved Hal’s message about children being brilliant! I can’t wait to read the next!

Book 6: The Arctic Railway Assassin

Well, this was consumed in a matter of hours (with a horror film in the middle). Absolutely loved this. So much reminded me of my brother because stories are never set in Kiruna!! Fabulous story, absolutely brilliant and gripping as ever! When’s the next adventure? Gutted to find out that there isn’t another adventure – this has been filled with mysteries, questions, theories, new friends, old faces and some firmly loved characters!! Very sad to say goodbye to the series!

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I can not endorse this series enough for a KS2 class – probably Y4 up. These would all make amazing read alouds, or some wonderful inspiration for writing!

A massive well done to MG Leonard and Sam Sedgman for this series – a proper victory and I am SO SAD it is over!!

S x