The Arctic Railway Assassin (Adventures on Trains, 6)

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This fast-paced adventure story sees Hal and his Uncle Nathaniel Bradshaw involved in some dangerous detective work on board a train through some snowy landscapes. The story starts with Hal’s Uncle sending a request for Tea when Hal comes across to join him on his journey to the Arctic to see the Northern Lights. Hal has always wanted to see the northern lights, but the request for tea leads Hal to believe that his Uncle is feeling a bit stressed or worried. It scarcely seems possible that the sixth book in this amazing series is here and yet it is. Having followed Hal’s adventures since Book 1, the news that this is the last in that series has come as a bit of a nasty surprise to me but having read this I can tell you that this is, like the titles that precede it, an incredible adventure that will not leave fans disappointed and a brilliantly written ending to the stories which have thrilled so many. I revealed Paddy Donnelly’s incredible cover for the fourth and final book in The Twitchers Quartet at the Cheltenham Festival this weekend. Behold the beauty of Feather, the winter adventure for my birdwatching detectives.

This time the mystery involves an assassin, a weapon of unimaginable power, and a threat to the life of Harrison and and his Uncle Nat. In Danger at Dead Man’s Pass (book 4 in the Adventures on Trains series), we learned about Uncle Nat’s mysterious past. In this new adventure, his Cold War connections lead the pair into very real danger. This extra layer to the story is incredibly intriguing – I want to know more about Uncle Nat’s life before the train mysteries began! It’s been such a joy to watch Hal grow since Book 1. A talented artist from the off, he has honed not only his drawing skills over the course of the six books but also his powers of observation and from this his ability to make connections and inferences from what he sees. In the company of his beloved Uncle Nat, Hal has had space to grow and – although he loves his immediate family enormously – being treated as an equal, rather than as a child, has seen him bloom in ability and in confidence.This week I attended The Week Junior Book Awards. The Ice Children audio production was shortlisted for the Best Audiobook and although it didn’t win, we impressed the judges enough for them to award it one of only two Highly Commended badges given out that evening. I was overjoyed. I’m very proud of that Audible production. This time Hal and his uncle are heading to the Arctic circle to see the Northern lights. As usual, they are caught up in a case and discover an assassin on the train. The setting and story arc will be familiar to readers of the other books. Harrison and his Uncle Nat go on a train holiday together, in this case to see the Northern Lights, and they end up embroiled in a mystery involving the train passengers that’s to be solved. A high-speed train journey worth catching . . .The best yet' - The Times on Murder on the Safari Star

There's also another family member involved. I loved how much their arrival let the book show how much Hal has grown in confidence since < a href = https://sifaelizabethreads.wordpress.... HIGHLAND FALCON THIEF, and how much Nat trusts and respects Hal's judgement. Hal is older than at the start, and has been through a lot, and it was nice for that to be realistically portrayed. The adults are still doing their best to protect Hal, as is the duty of care any adult has to a minor, but he's never belittled or babied. They've all grown across six books.But the mystery of Morti's disappearance continues with them. There is someone on board that wants something and they suspect Hal and Nat have it. Every two years the library holds a festival of literary events for families and young people, bringing authors and illustrators from all over the world to Castle Blutenburg, the home of the library, and then taking them out on tour to meet readers all over Bavaria.