The Highland Falcon Thief ~ M.G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman

I have spent a lot of time on trains, they are my primary means of transport. For those outside the U.K, the trains have been a point of contention for the last couple of years. Trains are constantly delayed, cancelled or disrupted whilst the price of rail fare keeps going up. To put it lightly, I’m not the biggest fan of trains at the moment. So, I went into this book with more than a pinch of bitterness about trains and still, found myself really enjoying this wonderful adventure.

The Highland Falcon Thief is middle-grade fiction that tells the story of Harrison (Hal) Beck’s adventure on the farewell voyage of the Highland Falcon, a royal steam train. Hal’s Uncle Nat is a travel writer and specialises in trains and agrees to bring Hal with him whilst Hal’s parents are in the hospital for the birth of his baby sister. The four-day journey is made much more exciting by there being a jewel thief on the train. 

I will admit that it took me much more effort than it should have done to actually sit down and start this book and debated on giving up without trying if it weren’t for a friend that highly recommended it. I was very glad I persevered and started. Once I had read the first few pages, it didn’t take me long to finish at all because I just needed to know whodunnit. If it wasn’t for work and sleep, I probably would’ve read this in one sitting.

The characters Leonard and Sedgman wrote were so well described that I could see them in my mind’s eye very easily. The collection of characters aboard the train were fun and reminiscent of the characters aboard Agatha Christie’s Orient Express. The whole book had subtle and some not-so-subtle nods to The Murder on the Orient Express and I loved it. 

From the moment I met some of the characters, I knew who I wanted the thief to be and the authors did a wonderful job of pointing fingers and leaving red herrings throughout the mystery. I will admit that it was nice to read a fun whodunnit that didn’t leave me guessing right to the very last minute. Sometimes, it is nice to read something a little predictable. The mystery of the thief wasn’t what kept me reading, it was how they were going to solve it.

This novel is illustrated and the drawings really add to the descriptions that are already there. Unfortunately, I was reading a proof copy which meant that not all the illustrations were there, but having flicked through the published copy, I can say that they are wonderful.

I really enjoyed The Highland Falcon Thief and just wish that the trains that I get regularly were as beautiful and magical as the description of this steam locomotive. I give The Highland Falcon Thief four and a half stars.

C🌙