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. He wasnt posh enough for this train.The curtain of the window twitched, startling him. You currently have JavaScript disabled in your web browser, please enable JavaScript to view our website as intended. Leonard and Sam Sedgman. Come onwe must be quick. He blinked as it opened a fraction, and the top part of a facedark hair and green eyespeeped out at him and then disappeared. However, picking up this book brought all these memories back. I am already excited to pick up book four Danger at Dead Mans Pass when it released in September this year and read about Hal and Nat investigating a spooky supernatural mystery and an ancient family curse in Germany perfect for Spooky Season! http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/w/index.php?title=The_Highland_Falcon_Thief_by_M_G_Leonard_and_Sam_Sedgman&oldid=156874. Sponsored. It's up to Hal, his keen observation, and his skill as a budding sketch artist to uncover the real jewel thief, clear his friend's name, and return the diamond necklace before The Highland Falcon makes its last stop. No way! Hal couldnt wait to tell his best friend, Ben, about this. Leonard is the internationally bestselling author of the 'Battle of the Beetles' trilogy and the non-fiction companion, 'The Beetle Collector's Handbook'. Come onlets look her right in the face.The proud engine was a burnished claret, its roof a brilliant white. Privacy Policy. 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. Harrison Beck and his Uncle Nat are enjoying the final journey of the Highland Falcon, Britain's most famous steam train. Eh?With coal?Precisely. Can Hal find the saboteur and stop the runaway train before disaster strikes? Harrison Beck reluctantly joins his travel-writer Uncle Nat for the last journey of the royal steam train, The Highland Falcon. Whenever a grown-up said something was good for you, that meant it was dull, or disgusting, or both.Youd only be stuck in a hospital waiting room, and thats no place for you to end your summer holiday. She patted his hand. THE HIGHLAND FALCON THIEF (Adventures on Trains, 1) by Elisa Paganelli (Author) (940) In The Highland Falcon Thief: Adventures on Trains #1, a middle-grade series starter from M. G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman, a young boy is swept up in an investigation to uncover the perpetrator of a jewel theft. She leaves you hanging onto her every word for that last bit of information which will solve the puzzle of the Highland Falcons thief. I first thought this book will be good and incredible which is the same thing I thought when I read the book! Fast-paced and packed with illustrations and clues, Adventures on Trains is a stop you won't want to miss! $261.00 + $1.75 shipping. Steven Pickles skin looked like uncooked sausage meat. Harrison Beck reluctantly joins his travel-writer Uncle Nat for the last journey of the royal steam train, The Highland Falcon. The bottom half of the carriage was varnished wood, the top half, sparkling rectangles of glass held in place by gold rods that arched up and over the train. Harrison finds himself in the middle of the operation with his friend Lenny who is the train drivers daughter and a stowaway. See the floral motif around the royal crest? Written by: M. G. Leonard, Sam SedgmanNarrated by: Jot DaviesSeries: Adventures on TrainsLength: 6 hrs and 47 mins. When Hal reluctantly accompanies his Uncle Nat on the final journey of the Highland Falcon, an iconic royal steam train, he is anticipating a dull, uneventful trip - but Lenny, the train drivers daughter, is a huge rail enthusiast and has stowed away, determined not to miss the experience of a lifetime. Realising the thief must be on the train, Hal and Lenny decide to investigate, piecing together clues to try to identify the culprit. . WINNER of the 2020 Books Are My Bag readers awards for Childrens Fiction. Can Hal find the saboteur and stop the runaway train before disaster strikes? My one quibble is with the illustrations, as while they're very charming, they are not wholly accurate to the tale - for example, dogs described as samoyeds in the text look like a completely different breed, and outfits are illustrated differently to how they are described. I reccomend this book to 9-10 year olds. Also aboard the train are a varied cast of characters including Mr. and Mrs. Pickle (owners of a major train company), movie star Sierra Knight, Baron Wolfgang Essenbach, and Lady Elizabeth Lansbury and her man-servant Rowan Buck. GeekDad: GeekDad Daily Deal: MowRo RM24 Robot Lawn Mower. Unfortunately, the plot was very predictable and I had figured out who was behind the kidnapping by chapter two (impressively, my husband instantly and correctly guessed who was behind the crime from just my vague description of the plot, without even reading the book) but this assumes an adult perspective and I doubt that many readers from the books middle-grade target audience would figure it out nearly as quickly, if at all. Eleven-year-old Harrison (Hal) Beck is being sent away for a few days with his Uncle Nathaniel, a well-respected travel writer, and steam train enthusiast. Hal glimpsed the headline JEWEL THIEF STRIKES AGAIN as a woman in a suit snatched one from the vendor, flipping it under her armpit to read on the train. Ive written about the Highland Falcon before, which is why Ive been invited back. He stared along the length of the train to the plumes of dove-gray smoke dancing about the engines funnel. Hal supposed she must be his wife. Are you well?Yes, Mom replied, her eyes darting to Hal. High Plains, region in the United States, comprising the southern portion of the Great Plains, or, in its most specific sense, the northern portion of the Llano Estacado ("Staked Plain"). Board the California Comet and help Harrison Beck to solve another heart-stopping mystery in the secondAdventures on Trains story, Kidnap on the California Comet. I loved this book and am now reading the rest of the series. They said dogs were expensive and a big responsibility. There are also two other books carried on from this story, they are called The Californian Comet (which is about a kidnapping) and the Safari star (which is about a murder, although it isnt too gruesome and the pictures in these books are only drawn so they dont have any real life pictures in them) and these stories are based in North and South America (although this book is based in the UK). I wanted to stay and help Dad take care of Mom.Uncle Nat put his hand on Hals shoulder and leaned down. It was a fast moving story, with lots of information about steam trains, but I thought it was a little lacking in suspense. The Highland Falcon Thief reads very much like a middle-grade Agatha Christie with all our suspects cooped up together within the confines of the train. You wont see another train this color.Hal stared at it. Bursting with intrigue and excitement, it is ideal for confident young readers who enjoy traditional, wholesome adventure tales. Im grateful to be given the opportunity to say a proper goodbye to this train. To the engine! As they marched along the platform, Uncle Nat threw out his hand. 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. This is an okay book which reveals clues as the story moves on. The Highland Falcon Thiefis published by Pan Macmillan in the UK and America. Kidnap on the California Comet was a fun story filled with magic tricks, professional rivalries, and food descriptions that made me feel hungry every other chapter! Hal and his Uncle Nat are riding aboard the luxurious but now slightly run-down Safari Star where they can witness Africas amazing wildlife right from their windows, but one of their fellow passengers, millionaire Mervyn Crosby is more interested in shooting the animals than in simply observing them. He was thin, had neatly trimmed straight hair, and wore thick-framed tortoiseshell glasses. Dads blue duffle coat drowned her, but she was so pregnant that her bump bulged out the front. Here, they board the California Comet (inspired by the real California Zephyr) in Chicago ready for a cross-country trip through the Rockies to San Francisco. Overall, a charming and (at times) affecting romp through beetle land." Hal held out the white card with his name on it. Leonard and Sam Sedgman (Out now) Now for something far more down-to-Earth. His insides felt hollow. Were lucky were nobodies. Theyve spent days putting up decorations in Crewe. The Highland Falcon Thief. The Beetle Series by M G Leonard some of the authors' previous work. It jumped up and licked his face.Heel! shouted the dog handler, and the dogs scrabbled back to him. The two new friends have great fun exploring the train and observing the passengers, including an eccentric Countess with her five boisterous dogs, a glamorous film star and guests of honour, the royal prince and his wife. Beautifully illustrated by Elisa Paganelli. Its for admiring the scenery. Uncle Nat is taking Hal on the journey of a lifetime on a Safari Train from Pretoria to Victoria Falls. Go to resources M.G. GeekDad: Geek Daily Deals April 14 2021: Big Sale on Best Learning Electronic Teaching Toys Up To 49% Off Today! Clifftoppers: The Arrowhead Moor Adventure. There are lots of interesting characters on board, including a prince and princess (William and Kate? She is a beetle expert and lives in Brighton with her husband and two sons. Harrison Beck reluctantly joins his travel-writer Uncle Nat for the last journey of the royal steam train, The Highland Falcon. Weve time, dont we?If youre quick, sir.Well be back in two winks of a moles eye. Uncle Nat put a hand on Hals back and steered him away from the dining car. Nevertheless, I'll be recommending it to my regular borrowers. WINNER of the 2020 Woman & Home Magazine Book Award for Best Childrens Adventure Story. Can he uncover the kidnapper before the journey's end? You can read a tease of Sabotage on the Solar Express at the end of Danger at Dead Mans Pass. Max Barclay, Coleoptera Collections Manager, Natural History Museum, London, In this middle-grade series starter, a young boy aboard the last journey of the royal train, Macmillan Code of Ethics for Business Partners. You really engage with Hal as a main character and the plotting was well thought out and executed. Look at that veranda. His uncle pointed the tip of his umbrella at a platform extending from the observation car. As a bit of a train fan I really enjoyed how the novel balanced telling an engaging tale alongside accurate and interesting facts about steam engines and rail travel. 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. As suspicions and accusations run high among the passengers, Harrison investigates, uncovering a few surprises along the way. Adventures on Trains is a major mystery series from bestselling authors M.G. Last summer, I thoroughly enjoyed The Highland Falcon Thief.This was book one in a new middle-grade series titled Adventures on Trains and written by M.G. As suspicions and accusations run high among the passengers, Harrison investigates, uncovering a few surprises along the way. A description of the Authors book will go in here as a hover state. Two bulging-breasted pigeons strutted toward him, pecking at the floor.Colin Beck kicked out his leg. I was also thrilled to see that two more as yet untitled books are in the pipeline for 2022, set in Australia and Norway respectively. Can Hal uncover the secrets of the Brocken railway and the family curse before disaster strikes? He felt the engraving of Saint Christopher, staff in hand, child on shoulders. Can he solve the mystery of the jewel thief and catch the culprit before they reach the end of the line? T. This page was last edited on 12 August 2020, at 12:36. If youre teaching a KS2 topic on North America, Kidnap on the California Comet provides lots of great jumping-off points. Such a good book! What happens on a grand tour, Uncle Nat? There's Steven Pickles, a multi-millionaire railway owner with no concept of 'politeness' or 'an indoor voice'. What a treat to see you.Always a pleasure, young Nathaniel. Ernest White smiled. This book is always very popular in our library so I decided to give it a try. There are plenty of exciting moments, dramatic action scenes, and curious characters that will keep young readers enthralled and turning the pages long after their lights are supposed to be out. Illustrated in black-and-white throughout by Elisa Paganelli.A mysterious letter from an old friend asks Hal and Uncle Nat to help investigate a spooky supernatural mystery. The second of these middle-grade books is The Highland Falcon Thief by M.G. He saw his father put a protective arm around his mother. Now, Harrison, before getting under steam, I always pay a visit to the locothats short for locomotive. He raised the point of his umbrella. The Boundless by Kenneth Oppel another thrilling train adventure for similarly-aged readers. They knew Id want to say goodbye to her. Im trying to convince my reluctant eleven-year-old reader to give it a try in order to see how quickly he can solve the case! Pullman carriagesthe height of luxury.Hal had never seen an adult so in love with a train before, and he found himself smiling as his uncle enthusiastically spouted facts about it.Uncle Nat stopped dead, and Hal bumped into his back. The Highland Falcon Thief was a fun adventure of a novel with an interesting mystery, unusual setting, and a great cast of characters. While there are some creative liberties taken (there are a couple of times in the book where the train stops to refill its coal and water tanks, even though there are no coal or water tanks operational along the East Coast main line any more), the authors have clearly tried to be as accurate as possible when depicting the workings of steam locomotives. Board the California Comet and help Harrison Beck to solve another heart-stopping mystery in the second Adventures on Trains story, Kidnap on the California Comet, from bestselling authors M.G. First stop is The Highland Falcon Thief, a breathless train journey full of deceptions, puzzles and clues to solve. 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. Thoroughly enjoyed reading this and look forward to the next of the series. First stop is The Highland Falcon Thief, a breat hless train journey full of deceptions, puzzles and clues to solve. His shoulders rolled forward, and his navy plaid shirt was tucked into his brown-belted chinos, underlining his overhanging belly.Uncle Nat turned to Hal, his eyes twinkling. First stop,The Highland Falcon Thief,a breathless train journey full of deceptions, puzzles and clues to solve. The compelling tale is complemented throughout by wonderful black-and-white drawings, which bring the characters and vintage steam train to life. While giving more than a nod to Christie's Orient Express, . He put down his pen.Mom, I dont want to go with Uncle Nat. Every birthday and Christmas, he begged for one, but his parents always refused. Leonard and Sam Sedgman. But during the journey, they discover the train has been sabotaged, hurtling passengers into a heart-stopping, action-packed, thrill ride across the Australian Outback.