ADVENTURES ON TRAINS
A series of first class adventures on trains. Join Harrison Beck and his Uncle Nat as they travel on amazing trains around the world solving crimes. These stories can be read in any order and are written by M. G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman, and illustrated by Elisa Paganelli.
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“I have a station announcement: their collaboration is a chuffing triumph. Fans of Agatha Christie, or, more recently, Robin Stevens and Katherine Woodfine, should adore this mystery which makes a steam trail all of its own.”
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THE HIGHLAND FALCON THIEF
Book OnE
A breathless train journey full of deceptions, puzzles and clues to solve.
Harrison Beck reluctantly joins his travel-writer Uncle Nat for the last journey of the royal steam train, The Highland Falcon. But as the train makes its way to Scotland, a priceless brooch goes missing, and things get interesting. As suspicions and accusations run high among the passengers, Harrison investigates, uncovering a few surprises along the way. Can he solve the mystery of the jewel thief and catch the culprit before they reach the end of the line?
Hear whispers in the dining car, find notes in the library, and unknown passengers among the luggage, as you help Harrison solve the mystery aboard one of the world's grandest trains.
AWARDS
WINNER of the 2020 Children’s Fiction Book of the Year - British Book Awards
WINNER of the 2020 Books Are My Bag readers awards for Children’s Fiction
WINNER of the 2022 FCBG award for Young Readers
WINNER of the 2020 Woman & Home Magazine Book Award for Best Children’s Adventure Story.
WINNER of the best children's book for 10-12 year-olds, Belgium's Young Jury Prize 2022
WINNER of Switzerland’s prestigious Prix Enfantaisie 2022
International Editions
Spanish, Catalan, Italian, Czech, Romania, Netherlands, France, Sweden, Japan, Russia, Greece, China, Turkey, Korea, Polish, Albania, Israel, Fari, Denmark, Taiwan, USA.
Kidnap on the california comet
book two
After the excitement of his adventures aboard the Highland Falcon Thief, Harrison Beck can't wait for the opportunity to go on another amazing train journey. So when his Uncle Nat invites him aboard the California Comet, the iconic three-day train journey from Chicago to San Francisco, he leaps at the chance to travel. But when the daughter of billionaire entrepreneur August Reza goes missing en route, Hal finds himself with another mystery to solve. Can he uncover the kidnapper before the journey's end?
By Elisa Paganelli
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SCHOOL RESOURCES
If you’re teaching a KS2 topic on North America, Kidnap on the California Comet provides lots of great jumping-off points. Mrs P - a primary school teacher - has created tasks for each chapter in her BLOG.
“A slick and super satisfying sequel with kidnap, card tricks, and the coolest train carriage ever!”
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“What a total joy these train books are - and they keep getting better! Highly Recommended.”
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Murder on the Safari Star
book three
Uncle Nat is taking Hal on the journey of a lifetime – on a Safari Train from Pretoria to Victoria Falls. Drawing Africa's amazing wild animals from on board a spectacular steam train described as a luxury hotel on wheels, should be enough excitement for anyone. But something suspicious is happening on board the Safari Star and when a passenger is found mysteriously killed inside a locked compartment, it's up to Hal, along with his new friend Winston and his pet Mongoose, Chipo, to solve the murder mystery.
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Danger at Dead Man's Pass
book FOUR
A mysterious letter from an old friend asks Hal and Uncle Nat to help investigate a spooky supernatural mystery. Legend has it the Kratzensteins, a family of rich and powerful railway tycoons, are cursed, but there is no such thing as a curse, is there . . .?
Hal and Nat take the night train to Berlin and go undercover. From a creaking old house at the foot of the Harz mountains, they take the Kratzenstein family's funeral train to the peak of the Brocken Mountain. Can Hal uncover the secrets of the Brocken railway and the family curse before disaster strikes?
by Eliza Paganelli
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DOWNLOAD an activity pack that can be used at home or in the classroom, by teachers, librarians or homeschoolers.
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Sabotage on the Solar Express
book FIVE
Billionaire train enthusiast August Reza has invited Harrison Beck and Uncle Nat to travel on the maiden voyage of the winning design of his Reza’s Rocket competition. Australian child genius Boaz won with his hybrid locomotive, driven by hydrogen fuel cells and solar power. But during the journey from Alice Springs to Darwin, someone onboard sabotages the train, hurtling passengers into a heart-stopping thrill-ride across the Australian Outback. Can Hal find the saboteur and stop the runaway train before disaster strikes?
by Eliza Paganelli
activities
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The Arctic railway Assassin
book SIX
Harrison Beck and Uncle Nat climb aboard the night train to Narvik, travelling to the Arctic Circle to see the northern lights for Christmas. But as their train leaves Stockholm, Hal and Uncle Nat realize they're being followed by a sinister figure, and Hal's powers of observation are tested when Uncle Nat's past comes back to haunt him. Journeying into the never-ending night of the arctic winter, our railway detectives must outsmart an assassin in their most chilling adventure yet, in which nothing is as it seems.
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BY ELISA PAGANELLI