Harrison Beck and his Uncle Nat are on the journey of a lifetime aboard the Safari Star - a luxurious steam train that will take them from Pretoria to the stunning Victoria Falls. Close encounters with the amazing animals and landscapes of Southern Africa are adventure enough, but things get mysterious when a passenger is found dead inside a locked compartment. Is it just a terrible accident or is something more suspicious afoot? It's up to train detective Hal and his new friend Winston to find out.
Murder on the Safari Star is the third instalment of M.G Leonard and Sam Sedgman's Adventures on Trains series, following the roaring success of the Highland Falcon Thief and Kidnap on the California Comet. As a huge fan of the previous two novels I was eager to delve into the latest offering and luckily it did not disappoint.
This time Hal and his Uncle Nat are exploring the South African savannahs, desperate to see the Big 5 out in their natural habitat. As usual, they are joined by fellow travelling explorers on board the steam train, a motley crew including a young boy named Winston and his pet mongoose, who soon become Hal's favourite companions. Just like in the previous books, their holiday is soon cut short as mystery reveals itself when one of their fellow passengers is found dead inside their room. Determined to find the truth, our young detective, Hal, steps up to try and find the culprit before the train reaches it's final destination.
Once more, M.G Leonard and Sam Sedgman have done their research and delivered a believable whodunnit mystery set in beautiful surroundings. The mystery of the murder itself reminded me of something from a Jonathan Creek episode, with no obvious explanation for how the murder took place. Again, there are a number of potential suspects introduced from the very first pages, and as expected, I suspected each and every one of them until the final reveal. I am yet to guess a suspect correctly as the twist and turns that the authors provide always lead me to the wrong conclusions!
Hal and Uncle Nat's enthusiasm for detective work has developed over the course of the series and Hal's confidence with his decisions and relationship with Uncle Nat has grown believably since book one. Hal now has full support of Uncle Nat in his amateur sleuth shenanigans and it was great to see Uncle Nat providing Hal with opportunities to find evidence and meet with witnesses throughout their adventure.
Murder on the Safari Star is another fantastic train crime adventure. This series is now a firm favourite of mine, and one which I have introduced many children in school to with great enthusiasm. Just like the rest of the series, this instalment can be read completely separately without prior knowledge or in order as your next Adventures on Trains fix.
A brilliant crime adventure filled with twists and turns and suspects in every carriage!
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