Leonard cannot write a bad book!
He perfectly encapsulates the magic and fun it is to be a child on a big adventure.
A fab addition to the series.

This was a generally good read but still not at the standard of the first two IMO. I do really enjoy this series still though. Great characters and good storylines.

This series continues to be perfection in middle grade book format, need i say more? Every time i read one, i want to go on train trips around the world and/or solve crimes! Definitely recommend that you read this and share with other middle grade fans! <3

Choo, choo, we’re off again! I’m delighted there’s a fourth adventure for Hal and Uncle Nat because every entry in this series gets stronger. I wasn’t sure how they could top a murder in Murder on the Safari Star but I loved the spooky, unnerving direction that this book takes – giving this a distinctly different approach (whereas some detective books become quite formulaic by book 4). This series doesn’t have to be read in order but I feel it helps as the characters continue to develop. I’m being careful not to reveal spoilers but I really enjoyed the changing dynamic for Hal and Nat, particularly Hal’s concerns about Nat’s past.

I have to credit Elisa Paganelli as well for her wonderful illustrations once again. I love the drawings where the characters are named as they match the descriptions excellently and continue to lift the words off the page.

While I wait in anticipation for book 5 (Sabotage on the Solar Express) as well as Sam’s Epic Adventures book about trains next year, I really enjoyed getting to find out how this book came about once I’d finished the story. You’ve convinced me to try a sleeper train! It was great seeing how Maya and Sam went on this journey and which events made it into the book.

They’ve done it again! This is another glorious read, with stunning backdrops and another train journey, this time to Germany. Hal and Uncle Nat are asked to take on a case. Can they solve the murder and mysterious goings on in the family Essenbach and Kratzenstein? Hal has to pretend to be a family member to infiltrate and see what he can discover. Add in a family train, a huge castle, a ghost, a witch, dubious cousins and some very suspicious people - they all add up to a fabulous story!

This is a brilliant addition to the series, and keeps it as one of my favourite series for this age group. I love how you now have some back story on Uncle Nat, it's giving the story as a whole much more depth and I can't wait for more.

The Adventures on trains series is a brilliant series. Thoroughly engaging and exciting. A great introduction to the genre. Perfect for KS2 children.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Books for the e-copy to review.
Having been a huge fan of the Adventures on Trains series since reading The Highland Falcon Thief, I was eager to read this, the fourth in the series. Once again we join Hal and his Uncle Nat, only this time they have been invited to solve a mystery rather than discovering one aboard a train. They are tasked with investigating a deadly family curse and much of the story takes place in an old house at the foot of the Hartz mountains. Whilst the mysteries encountered do not all take place on board a train, the story is still filled with intrigue and we begin to learn a little bit more about Uncle Nat. Superbly illustrated by Elisa Paganelli, Danger at Dead Man's Pass is a great read.
I'll be eagerly awaiting climbing aboard the Solar Express in the next instalment of this fantastic series.

This is the fourth in instalment in a highly enjoyable series. Each time, the general premise is the same: Hal and his uncle go somewhere on a train and solve crime. However, the genius of this series is in the originality of the way the crimes are committed, the excellent cast of suspects to choose from and (my personal favourite) the feeling of being swept off on a spectacular train journey to discover yet another fascinating corner of the world.

As previously stated, with 4 books published and at least 2 more given release dates, originality is key to the series' longevity. This book, more so than the previous ones, felt like the authors were changing up the formula slightly. For me, some of these adjustments worked better than others.

The descriptions of travel in these books are always exquisite and once again, I felt like I could just fall into the pages and be at St Pancras Station or hiking to the Brocken peak. I love the precision used to explain the features of the many different types of train. We were spoilt for choice in this book with sleeper trains, the Metro, personal steam engines on branch lines and even model trains.

As always the crime and the way it was solved were seemless perfection. Though, unlike previous books where I only worked it out at the last moment, this time I honed in on the culprit straight away. Perhaps, the fact that parts of this story reminded me of another famous whodunit helped here.

Areas that didn't work so well for me were it felt like we got a lot less time with Uncle Nat. He is definitely my favourite character in the series, so basically any time he's not on page is sad! However, whilst in other stories he may not have always been physically present (to allow Hal to do some dangerous solo or peer sleuthing), this time he felt very distant for a lot of the novel.

We also got less drawing from Hal. There is a plot reason for this and he does manage to find some time to scribble, but his unique ability to solve the crime through drawing felt less utilised than in previous books.

Finally, I missed the epic train journey. In contrast to the other stories, the crime had already occurred before the train journey began. Whilst Hal and Nat did travel to reach the crime scene and trains were still a key component of the story, I did miss the element of a crime occurring on a train and needing to be solved before it reaches its final destination.

Overall, though not my favourite in the series, it was a very enjoyable adventure.

What an adventure!! I have followed the series from the beginning and shared each one with the children in my class (who have equally loved them) so this book was eagerly anticipated.
It didn’t disappoint! A thrilling train ride from start to finish with many twists and turns along the way, it will have children guessing until the very end!

Trust me, nobody is more surprised than me that this book got 3 stars. I honestly can not believe that an installment in this series actually got less than 4 stars and that makes me so sad. I know that you do kind of have to suspend disbelief with these books but I think this one just took it way too far. At first it was really confusing trying to get my head around all of the characters and how they were all connected and then after the 100 page mark the plot just got a little bit too ridiculous for me. I am still excited to carry on with the next book in this series and I do still class this as one of my favourite series of all time, this just wasn't my favourite installment.

Hal is coming towards the Easter Holidays when his Uncle Nat appears with a letter from an old friend asking for assistance in a family matter.

Travelling to Paris via the Eurostar, Hal and Nat find out that a bizarre death in the family has occurred and Hal and Nat are recruited to investigate the mystery surrounding a family curse which seems to be blamed for the strange death.

Posing as long distance relatives, Hal and Nat infiltrate the family estate in the mountains of Germany in order to find out the truth of the family curse and the bizarre death. But going undercover requires absolute trust between those in the know, and Hal has a feeling that Uncle Nat is concealing something important from him.

As you get to the fourth in a series, I think it gets harder to compare them as people instinctively ask you to rank them! I absolutely loved this instalment but I describe it as having a different feel to the others.

Although this book featured trains and travel, the large majority of the mystery took place in the stationary setting of the mountain Castle that housed the family. Much more of the investigation and the action happened on location as opposed to the travelling train which was a difference to the previous three stories.

I felt that the isolated setting actually added to the spooky, haunting themes of the book which increased the suspense hugely throughout. But also the location of the huge castle with secrets of its own, also played a great change in setting to Hal’s previous investigations.

I think one of the reasons I loved this one so much was again the Agatha Christie esque themes within including the whole idea that not everyone is who they say they are which is a frequent theme in Christie’s solutions. Also the long list of suspects all with differing motives makes it a real humdinger to solve but all the clues are there to help you as a reader guess the solution before the big reveal!

I also love now that we are getting further into the series, that links are starting to be made between books as well which add little nuggets of surprise while also existing as four standalone books that can be read in isolation.

As ever, the one element that really brings the book alive are the illustrations by Elisa Paganelli. As ever, as Hal is an artist, Paganelli draws the crime scenes as if she was Hal which help unravel quite complex scenes or maps to add greater understanding to the young sleuth reading. This, I’ve always thought, was a stroke of genius in the series, not only as it puts the reader right in the thick of it but also allows Leonard and Sedgeman to create more complex plots without having to dumb it down to aid understanding.

Lastly, my favourite thing about this book is how we start to learn more about uncle Nat, his past and his life, which up until this point has been quite scarce. I loved the surprises and the twists and turns with his story arc and can’t wait to see how that fits into the rest of the series.

As a series that I have recommended greatly at school and created many avid fans, I can’t recommend enough to any amateur sleuth who loves a mystery with a spot of travel!

Happy journey! Or as they say in German (I hope – trusting google translate here) Gute Reise!

Another incredible adventure and set of clues to solve. Not so much teamwork this time, but a complex family tree to to understand and provide a host of helpful accomplices. Witches, trains, goats, and a possible murder. Read it you will not regret it and a good follow up to the previous books.

Birdwatcher! This one innocuous word took my breath away in the midst of what I'd probably say is the best Adventure on Train yet. I was constantly baffled by the huge family of the Kratchensteins - despite the very helpful family tree - and I loved the dark, witchy element from Faust (made me feel slightly grown up).

Without giving any spoilers, this book added so much depth to the previous three books. It completely changes how I read the others. This book was absolutely brilliant and left me needing more, not just wanting.

My school class have been queuing up to read this book ever since I put my own copy on the shelf. We have a class of absolute chuffer nutters now!

A high speed train journey of a series, this is book 4. Check out the blurb and my review as well as other praise from prominent and famous children's authors and press. This book is great for 9 year olds to 11 year olds.

All Aboard For Your Journey To Germany! It Will Be An Unexpected Journey Of A Life Time!

Firstly, that exciting cover is totally attention grabbing. There is much to enthrall within the book too. It is packed full of characters and mysterious things going on, including a curse. The mysteries don't stop there, with such sensational intrigue at a creaky house, that has just the right amount of spookiness, with its private train line. The thought of a private line to a rather unusual large house is sure to capture children's imaginations and thrill them. It's just so cool!

There's lots to unravel within the book that will entertain 9 years to 11 year old children, which it is pitched at perfectly for.
There's a family which is out of the ordinary - the Kratzensteins to get to know, including working out their curse, which sends readers on a thrilling action-packed mystery to get their teeth into and solve.

Reach the end of your journey and find some facts about where you've been.
So, I highly recommend this thrilling train journey that chuffs on with speed and much excitement that will get the adrenaline pumping so much, children will be so curious as to how it can all possibly end and then want some more!

Whilst I enjoyed this book for me this is the weakest of the series. This I think is because the relationship between Harrison and his Uncle Nathaniel does not seem as strong. I miss the interactions they have in previous books and did not enjoy the lack of solving the case together.

I did enjoy the atmosphere and the use of Dead Mans Pass and the curse.

Harrison does again meet a group of children who become integral to the story and the investigation. These again are likeable but did not seem as fleshed out to me as those in previous books.

Don't get me wrong though, this book was very enjoyable and I would recommend anyone start this series. I will be purchasing the next one and counting down to the next adventure of trains.

An absolutely incredible adventure as always from the wonder-duo that is M. G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman. There really is no better pairing in children's fiction and I hope they write book after book in this excellent series. One of my top three MG series of all time, hands down.

Me and my son absolutely love these books we can not wait to read these when they come out.
We loved reading this book and working out the mystery. The pictures are always amazing and each adventure just gets better.
We are looking forward to where the next adventure will take us.

This is an increasingly rare kind of book - appealing to readers across a wide range of ages. Readers of earlier stories in the series will be delighted that the regular characters are present and correct! Similarly, readers who like to second guess the outcome will enjoy the sprinkling of clues. A twelve year old grandson, an eager reader of the earlier books, thinks this is the best yet. Who am I to contradict this expert view….

The fourth instalment in the phenomenal Adventures on Trains series sees Hal and Uncle Nat investigating a spooky supernatural mystery – and maybe a family curse? An old friend contacts Uncle Nat to enlist his help finding out whether the legend that has cursed the Kratzensteins is true. Nat and Hal head undercover and try to uncover the secrets of the Brocken railway before it’s too late!

I have loved every second of the first three Adventures on Trains mysteries and the fourth was absolutely no exception. The tone of this story is a little darker and spookier than the other three and that suits this mystery perfectly! As usual the pace is perfect and many clues kept me guessing throughout. I’m desperate to try and solve one of these before Hal and Nat, but I guess that’s half the fun – trying to work it out and then being so completely outsmarted in the end! There was a huge sense of danger in this story, more so than the other three and I felt this perfectly suited this investigation of a curse.

I enjoyed that there was more of a purpose to this story as Hal and Nat go undercover and have to play at being son and father. Their notoriety as detectives has started to follow them and this only added to the suspense and my looking for clues throughout the story. Hal’s determination and drive continues to make him desperate to solve mysteries and he has become keen to work out some of the secrets surrounding Uncle Nat. I particularly liked finding out more about Nat and hope his past will continue to unravel through the next story. A whole cast of Kratzensteins filled the story and there was exactly the sort of relationships and dynamics you’d expect in a mystery story involving a family curse.

An enthralling mystery that you won’t be able to put down! 5 out of 5 stars for the 4th instalment of Adventures on Trains.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s books for providing an e-book review copy.