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kba76's review
4.0
The Highland Falcon Thief is an adventure that will thrill younger readers.
Our main character, Hal, is taken on board the Highland Falcon for its last journey. He is under the protective care of his uncle Nat, and though the ride itself would be entertaining it is made more memorable by the fact that there is a stowaway and someone on board is stealing valuable items of jewellery.
With the help of the stowaway, the daughter of the driver, Hal does his best to work out the identity of the Highland Falcon Thief. There's a number of possibilities, and our junior detectives have their work cut out for them.
Naturally, things work out okay in the end. There was a rather unexpected twist to the story of the thief, and I'm not entirely sure anyone could have stomached the finer details of the plan. That aside, Hal was a likeable character who you wanted to see succeed. There's moments of daring and panic, and yet everything turns out nicely.
Our main character, Hal, is taken on board the Highland Falcon for its last journey. He is under the protective care of his uncle Nat, and though the ride itself would be entertaining it is made more memorable by the fact that there is a stowaway and someone on board is stealing valuable items of jewellery.
With the help of the stowaway, the daughter of the driver, Hal does his best to work out the identity of the Highland Falcon Thief. There's a number of possibilities, and our junior detectives have their work cut out for them.
Naturally, things work out okay in the end. There was a rather unexpected twist to the story of the thief, and I'm not entirely sure anyone could have stomached the finer details of the plan. That aside, Hal was a likeable character who you wanted to see succeed. There's moments of daring and panic, and yet everything turns out nicely.
chel00's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This was super cute middle grade and I love the adventure and mystery all the way through.
marga1995's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
amelieboucher's review
5.0
Such an amazing mystery! Fans of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express will love this fun middle grade adventure.
I love stories set on trains. There is something about the mode of transportation that fascinates me, and I think it's the perfect setting for a great mystery. The limited range of suspects, the fact that everyone is stuck together and cannot escape... I live for these adventures. So it is no surprise that I absolutely loved this one. The atmosphere was perfect. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, trying to figure out who could have committed the crimes.
The story was perfectly crafted. I doubted every person on the train at least once, including characters that I thought could not have done it. The big reveal at the end took me completely by surprise, and I gasped on several occasions because of the information we found out. I loved the final scene, where Hal, our main character, reveals how he figured everything out. It felt very Hercule Poirot-esque, and I loved every second of it.
I had such a great time reading this book and I cannot wait to pick up the sequel!
I love stories set on trains. There is something about the mode of transportation that fascinates me, and I think it's the perfect setting for a great mystery. The limited range of suspects, the fact that everyone is stuck together and cannot escape... I live for these adventures. So it is no surprise that I absolutely loved this one. The atmosphere was perfect. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, trying to figure out who could have committed the crimes.
The story was perfectly crafted. I doubted every person on the train at least once, including characters that I thought could not have done it. The big reveal at the end took me completely by surprise, and I gasped on several occasions because of the information we found out. I loved the final scene, where Hal, our main character, reveals how he figured everything out. It felt very Hercule Poirot-esque, and I loved every second of it.
I had such a great time reading this book and I cannot wait to pick up the sequel!
miriames2's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
evi_reads's review
4.0
this was a ton of fun! turns out i really do love a good fun mystery, even if i partially guess what happened. the illustrations were fantastic, the characters were all very distinct, and the descriptions of the train and stations and landscapes made me miss travelling through England and Scotland desperately. highly recommend!