Kidnap on the California Comet (Adventures on Trains #2)

by M. G. Leonard, Sam Sedgman, Elisa Paganelli (Illustrator)

Overview

In this second book of the middle-grade Adventures on Trains series, amateur sleuth Hal Beck travels to the U.S. with his uncle to ride a famous train—the California Comet—and stumbles on a new mystery to solve, in M.G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman's Kidnap on the California Comet...

After his adventure on the Highland Falcon, amateur sleuth Hal Beck is excited to embark on another journey with his journalist uncle. This time, they're set to ride the historic California Comet from Chicago to San Francisco.

Hal mostly keeps to himself on the trip, feeling homesick and out of place in America. But he soon finds himself drawn into another mystery when the young daughter of a billionaire tech entrepreneur goes missing!

Along with new friends—spunky 13-year-old Mason and his younger sister, Hadley—Hal races against the clock to find the missing girl before the California Comet reaches its final destination.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250802712
Publisher:	Square Fish
Publication date:	02/22/2022
Series:	Adventures on Trains Series , #2
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	867,454
Product dimensions:	6.31(w) x 7.84(h) x 0.74(d)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

M. G. Leonard has made up stories since she was a girl, but back then, adults called them lies or tall tales. As a grown-up, her books have been translated into over forty languages and won many awards. Her works include the Adventures on Trains series and Twitch. She lives in Brighton, England, with her husband, two sons, a cat, a dog, and a tank of exotic beetles.

Sam Sedgman is an award-winning, bestselling novelist, and lifelong crime fiction enthusiast. His books include the Adventures on Trains series and Epic Adventures: Explore the World in 12 Amazing Train Journeys. He lives in London, where he once ran a company devising murder mystery treasure hunts. He grew up with a railway line at the bottom of his garden and has been fascinated by trains ever since.

Elisa Paganelli was born in Modena Italy and lives in the UK. She is the illustrator of the Adventures on Trains series.

Elisa Paganelli was born in Modena Italy and lives in the UK. She is the illustrator of the Adventures on Trains series.

Editorial Reviews

A 2022 Edgar Award Nominee for Best Juvenile

Praise for The Highland Falcon Thief:

"M. G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman bring the classic mystery on a train bang up to date with a carriage-load of wit and suspense." —Ross Welford, author of Time Travelling With a Hamster

"A thrill-ride of a mystery, guaranteed to be one of the most fun, atmospheric page turners of 2020." —Lauren St. John, author of Kat Wolfe Investigates

"A runaway romp of a read." —Piers Torday, author of The Lost Magician

"A fabulous fast-paced ride, packed with clues, illustrations and intrigue." —Bookseller

"Illustrated with lively black-and-white drawings, this well-constructed, fast-paced mystery is the first volume in the Adventures on Trains series." —Booklist

Praise for Beetle Boy:

"Debut novelist Leonard gives readers a rare glimpse into the world of insects, mixing adventure, mystery, and science to create a story that's much more than just a novel about bugs. Even the most squeamish will be charmed." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Leonard unravels the madcap plot in sporadic bursts of frenzied action and humor. Overall, a charming and (at times) affecting romp through beetle land." —Kirkus Reviews

"Fans of madcap adventures and anthropomorphised sidekicks will enjoy this fast-paced series opener." —Booklist

"Engaging . . . The story moves quickly, and the characters are both wacky and entertaining." —School Library Journal

"If I didn't already devote most of my waking hours to beetles, reading this book would make me want to . . ." —Max Barclay, Coleoptera Collections Manager, Natural History Museum, London

From the Publisher

01/01/2021

Gr 5 Up—Hal Beck returns for another rollicking train adventure, this time set in the United States. Hal's uncle Nat has been asked to travel across America on the California Comet in order to cover an important press conference held by entrepreneur August Reza. Hal and Uncle Nat encounter a curious cast of characters as they board and travel the Comet. There's Uncle Nat's charming rival, Zola D'Ormond; August Reza and his equally eccentric daughter, Marianne; the mimic Mason and his younger sister Hadley; and shy Ryan with his boisterous, sports-obsessed father Gene. The plot kicks into high gear when Marianne is kidnapped. Can amateur detective Hal solve the mystery before they reach the end of the line? This smartly woven story is complex enough to capture the interest of young adults but written with approachable language suitable for a middle grade audience. The mystery is crafted in the vein of an Agatha Christie novel, with clues laid out for readers so they may solve the caper before detective Hal figures it out. VERDICT A suspenseful mystery ideal for readers transitioning from middle grade to young adult titles.—Tiffany Davis, Hudson Valley Community College, NY

School Library Journal