Well, I don't know about anyone else I really want to go on a fancy train journey. Although I'd prefer not to meet any murderers along the way. This particular train sounds just right because whilst I don't like the cold the idea of a Christmas market somewhere snowy and the Northern Lights as well would sell it to me.

Uncle Nat is taking Hal on the train from Sweden to the Aurora Sky Station, Abisko, Finland to see the Northern Lights. But first he has to take a plane to Sweden as uncle Nat is there to go to a special dinner with a friend, Morti, who is receiving a Nobel prize and she's asked Nat to go to the ceremony with her. He picks Hal up still wearing his dinner suit. But Hal is worried about the Yorkshire Gold Tea in his rucksack as requested by Uncle Nat, he only requests it when he's worried about something!
Hal meets Morti and finds out about a bit of a mystery surrounding her former husband who had been arrested two years before by secret service police and she'd destroyed all of his work. And yet all of a sudden mysterious things had started happening to her. However, they had plenty of time to talk as she was joining them on the train.
At time for bed Nat realises that his phone and the room key are both missing from his jacket pocket. Hal hears a noise inside the room as Nat goes back to get a spare key and Hal follows him. Did he hear something? However, next morning Morti has left the hotel but left a set of keys for Uncle Nat so they can use her cabin. More mysterious!
Nat and Hal visit the Christmas market, where Hal spies a Sami girl in traditional dress. Then a pickpocket tries to steal Nat's wallet, but Hal slaps her hand and she drops it and runs. The Sami girl is watching them. Later Hal feel they are being followed.
Hal is completing his usual drawings all the time, he is particularly fascinated by the train stations which are cavernous and like art galleries! Whilst waiting for the Narvik train he draws an orchestral group, one of the players sees and introduces herself. They are on the same train as they are due to play in Abisko.
When they are able to board the train is about to leave when a strange looking woman in a puffy ski jacket and bobble hat with carrier bags in her hands runs for the train. While they are unpacking Nat looks at Hal's drawings - and his face drops - a man in the orchestra drawing looks familiar but it can't be, can it - he's supposed to be dead. The Shadow, can it be?
Nat is worried and says he will remain in the cabin just in case. Hal is supposed to get some food. But then he opens the door to be faced with a very familiar woman - his mum! She explains she had a premonition she would never see him again and so got on the next plane and just caught the train, the lady in the puffy coat! She'd been trying to contact Nat but of course his phone was missing.
From here they continue their journey, but what is happening. Who is the man? Lars they decide is the man in Hal's drawing - he looks like The Shadow but he's not.
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.

This is every bit as good as any of the other books. It stands alone so you don't need to have read the other stories.

What a fantastic series to read as a child although I am an adult and have loved them just as much!

This is my favourite book of them all (and I loved them all!) - it felt a little bit more grown up than the others and I couldn't put it down.

I'm not sure if this is the last in the series but what a fantastic ending to a triumphant series. The illustrations as absolutely superb and fit in perfectly within the storyline.

Beautiful.

Bloody love this series. I'm so sad it's done for now but what an ending. Incredible. I adore Hal and his Uncle and will miss them dearly.

I have loved this series of books. This one, however, takes it to a whole new level of fast-paced, gripping action. I cannot wait for my preorder so I can get it into the hands of our pupils.
Happy Publication Day @MGLnrd @samuelsedgman @elisaupsidedown
Thanks @NetGalley_UK!

The collaboration between MGLeonard and Sam Sedgman to write this series was absolutely genius. This latest book holds all the same intrigue and master storytelling as the previous ones. This is one of the books that however many copies there are on the shelf it's never enough as the kids just devour them.
Storytelling at it's absolute best.

I do like this series and this another great adventure set on a train. In this book the action level is set to high with a killer code and assassins on the loose, desperate to find it. It is an easy, engaging read, but for me fell slightly flat by not really giving the reader a chance to solve the mystery first from clues in the story. This is part of the fun and i don’t always work it out before Hal. With this instalment you didn’t really get that opportunity, although there were some nice twists and turns as the plot unfolded. Definitely worth reading.

For me, this series continues to get better and better and I'm loving all the different places we get to explore with it! I'll be honest, when I read the first book I just felt kind of eh about it, but I was curious enough to keep picking up the other books as I have a colleague who loves the series and I do love a good mystery. I feel like this series keeps evolving and keeps getting better in that the mysteries become more complex as the series goes on and also a little bit more dangerous! There's certainly more and more tension as the series goes on and I think this one and the previous one may be my favourites as I sped through them so quickly due to all the intrigue!

This time is perhaps the most high stakes mystery yet, I think! It's also quite different to the others as it's not so much a mystery but more of them trying to capture and track down an assassin! Don't get me wrong, there is a mystery element as they try to figure out who the assassin is and where the kill code is, I just felt it wasn't the main focus like it has been for most of the others!

This time around, Hal and his uncle are also joined by his mother who came along for the ride after having a bad feeling! I do feel like this kind of cramped Hal's style a little bit, with her telling him it was bedtime and such but it didn't prove to be quite the obstacle I had thought and she was surprisingly chill with him going off and doing things! Interestingly, Hal does branch out on his own a little bit in this one, as he ventures off with Katarina at the crucial moment, although Uncle Nat does get his heroic moment and is perhaps the most badass we've ever seen him in this series!

As always, the illustrations are brilliant and there's plenty of action, adventure and twists and turns throughout the book. I flew through this, intrigued to see what would happen next and trying to fit the pieces together! I loved the descriptions of Stockholm and the various places Hal and his Uncle visited although while that one station sounded brilliant...I could do without the spiders.

While trains do feature in this one, there isn't as much time spent on them as there has been in previous books which isn't at all a bad thing! I do love how the continue to play an integral role and you can see how the railway developed differently in different countries, I'm also a big fan of the facts thrown in. Except for, as I said, the spiders! I've also always wanted to go to the Arctic Circle so I particularly enjoyed all of the descriptions etc in this installment!

As is usual when it comes to this series, we get more characters introduced and this time it's Katarina! I love how she joined in and was right there with Hal, I also loved how capable she was as well! The thing I loved the most about this book, however, was the introduction of Katarina's people, the Sami. I had no idea they existed and I really enjoyed reading about them and their culture!

That's one of the things I do love about this series and what kept me reading it despite my initial feelings about the first book! Not only do you get to see and explore other countries throughout this series but you also get to learn quite a bit about said countries and the cultures of the people that live there!

I'm so pleased this series has continued on, and I'm looking forward to the next book to see what happens next and where we'll be taken to!

This book series continues to be the series I wish I'd had as a kid.

I love all the characters in this series, Hal and his uncle Nate are a great team and with his mother who adds a nice touch to the story and of course Katerina, we have a dynamic group of heroes the save the day once again.

The setting is of course a train, however the descriptions of the places they go, people they see and where they are are always written so brilliantly, you barely need the wonderful illustrations this book comes with, however this book is enriched and brought to life by the artwork throughout.

Even as an adult I was gripped by this tale, the last thirty pages leaving me on the edge of my seat and making an incredible showdown between them and the villain. Hal and Katerina are a great team and I just loved every minute of reading this.

Probably my favourite series and I can't wait for the next adventure.

I have loved this series since reading the Highland Falcon Thief and have recommended the series to so many children! The sixth book in the series is the best so far! Packed with action, adventure and assassins! My class all have loved reading it after going to an event with the authors and I have had many a playground chat with some serious super fans about how exciting the story and the illustrations are.

Thankyou to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an e-arc of this book. I absolutely love this series and this newest installment did not disappoint. It was fast paced and i finished it in one sitting. I liked the addition of Harissons mum and liked having her on this adventure.

Another great tale from these master story tellers. My sons and class cannot get enough of them. Now we have read this, we are on the edge of the sofa waiting for the next instalment.
It cannot come fast enough.

Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book ahead of publication in exchange for an honest review

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.
Hal is an artist and he draws what he sees around him and the illustrations by Elisa Paganelli are amazing and really compliment the story. Hal has been growing in confidence throughout the series and this book sees his character really develop as he starts to understand peoples behaviours and motivations. He starts to anticipate things.
Sedgman and Leonard are a great writing duo, and while this story feels like it could be the final adventure, I really hope they continue working together as the stories are great.

🚇❄️The Arctic Railway Assassin - Sam Sedgman & M.G. Leonard ❄️🚇

Believe me when I say that I have been looking forward to reading this book since the day I found out about it’s publication. I am a massive fan of the Adventures on Trains series (I rave about them at any given opportunity - just ask them children I work with!!), so I could hardly believe my luck when I was approved for an advanced copy - thanks NetGalley!

This sixth instalment of the series sees Hal travelling to Stockholm to meet up with Uncle Nat for a pre-Christmas treat to see the Northern Lights and the Ice Hotel. Their journey plans are somewhat thwarted by the disappearance of Uncle Nat’s friend, Morti, the surprise arrival of Hal’s mum, and the small matter of a Kill Code to retrieve! Can Hal, his mum and Uncle Nat outwit the enemy in this action-packed, thrilling, chilling, adventure tale?

I absolutely loved this book; I could not put it down! I’ve been setting my alarm earlier each morning this week so that I could get a couple of chapters in before I start my day! Getting up at crazy-o-clock to read a book… well, I think that speaks volumes! I’m so sad that this is the last in the series, but excited to see what Sam Sedgman and M.G. Leonard come up with next.

Another brilliant instalment in the Adventures on Trains series.
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.
I really enjoyed this book, full of excitement and action and, as usual, the illustrations are amazing and add so much to the story.
Have already pre-ordered my copy of the book
A great read.

I love the adventures on trains series and this book is as exciting and fact filled as all the others. Hal and Uncle Nat head off to the Arctic and as usual, get drawn into solving a crime on board the train. The characters on the train are all interesting and well worth being the focus of Hal's artistic skills. I love how the drawings add to the story and are so detailed. I can't wait for the next adventure!

What an exciting adventure! The characters continue to enchant and it was lovely to see Mum come out of the house and become a person in her own right. The plot twists and turns and there’s enough uncertainty to make it fun. The landscape descriptions surprised me in their detail and how they really created an atmosphere. I felt I could really be on the train looking out at the lilac sky.

So good I found myself looking for train tickets

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.

It is not on a train that we first meet Hal, but an aeroplane – flying towards the Swedish capital, Stockholm. Entertaining himself by practising his drawing skills, Hal records the likenesses of some of his fellow passengers in his sketchbook and takes the opportunity to observe them closely as he does so before packing everything away when the plane comes in to land. After being met at the airport by Uncle Nat, the pair of them travel to their hotel and Hal is a little disappointed when Nat tells him that his friend Morti will be accompanying them on their journey north into the Arctic Circle to see the Northern Lights.

When Nat tells Hal that Morti has just won the Nobel prize for her ground-breaking work, Hal’s curiosity is piqued. Meeting her in the bar of the hotel, he listens as she tells him about a series of odd things that have happened to her over the previous two months and decides to investigate to try to get to the bottom of things. But the following morning, before he has the chance to do so, Morti leaves early, explaining in a note that something has come up and including the keys to her cabin where Nat and Hal are to stay.

After some time exploring Stockholm and sketching more of what he sees, Hal heads to the railway station with Nat to catch their sleeper train and falls into conversation with a woman called Birgitta – a member of the Dynamic Dozen, the world’s smallest symphony orchestra who will also be heading north – after capturing the band’s likenesses. Once on board, Hal shows his drawing to Nat who is shocked when he recognises one of their fellow passengers from his colourful past. As the train travels towards the constant night of the Arctic winter, things on board take a terrible turn. What is Nat’s connection to the man in the picture and can he and Hal both escape an encounter with the Arctic Railway Assassin?

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.

As with the other books in the series, this works very well as a standalone read but there is such enormous pleasure to be gained from all of the titles that I really would recommend starting your reading from the beginning. Throughout the series, the stories have been greatly complemented by the artistic skills of Elisa Paganelli, whose maps and illustrations are a joy to behold, and this title is no exception.

Perfect for Year 4 readers upwards, this is a title that I know is much anticipated by not just many children but many adults too who have also been hooked by these wonderful stories. Publishing 13th October, my enormous thanks, as ever, go to Net Galley and publisher MacMillan Children’s Books for my virtual advance read.

A great book in the Adventures on Trains series where once again Hal and his Uncle Nat have to solve a mstery whilst on a train journey. This time it is not one but 2 deadly assassins and they are caight in the crossfire on the train to the Arctic to see the northern lights. I enjoy the relationship between Hal and his Uncle and this time Hal's mum is in the story which adds another dimension to the family relationships. Hal's talent for observation and art again helps them to solve the mystery of where and what the item is that the assassins are after. A total page turner and the illustrations are beautiful .

Hal and his Uncle Nat are back for their sixth adventure, and this time they are heading to the Arctic just before Christmas aboard a night train to see the Northern Lights.
Hal meets up with his uncle in Stockholm where Nat has seen his friend, Morti, receive her Nobel Prize. However, it quickly becomes apparent that things aren't quite right when Morti explains that her possessions keep disappearing. When she explains that her prize winning discovery of sound vibrations that can cure cancer, can also be used to kill a person instantly, Hal and Nat agree to help her out. However, the next morning, she has left a note to say that she has had to go and will meet them at her cabin. Uncle Nat and Hal continue with their journey but, as their train leaves Stockholm, they realise that they are being followed. As they near the Arctic Circle, it's up to Hal and Uncle Nat to discover who is following them and why. And with the possibility that Uncle Nat's past has come back to haunt him, it's up to Hal to step-up and take the lead.

I am a big fan of the Adventures on Trains series, so I was thrilled when an early copy appeared on NetGalley. I couldn't resist jumping back on board with Hal and Nat to become completely engrossed in another adventure. As Hal gets older, it's great to see him playing a more independent role in the investigations, but I loved the contrast between his maturity and his treatment by people such as the airline attendant - I can imagine a lot of 13 year olds will sympathise with him.

Once again, woven into the mystery are the descriptions of the country they are travelling through and I always look forward to reading these as they really help to set the scene for me. As ever, Hal's illustrations prove pivotal to the investigations and I always love to spend time studying the detail in each one. Hat's off to Elisa Paganelli for these - they make the best accompaniment to the story; as does the map at the beginning. I do love a book map.

News of me reading The Arctic Railway Assassin spread round school on Friday and there was much excitement at the thought of another book for the children to get stuck in to. The only problem they had is that they are going to have to wait until the 13th October to read it!.

This book was such a page turner I ended up reading it in one session, which makes it the 2nd book of this series that I read in one go because of how fast paced it is and how much of a fabulous story weaving team Sam Sedgman and MG Leonard are! Like usual you suspect the wrong people at first, and I was convinced that some things that were important to the plot were totally irrelevant.
The story is based in Switzerland and also features Hal's mum! There is the inevitable random friendship with another child on the train, but I think Hal may have finally met his match with this one.
The story has lots of twists and turns, and keeps you guessing until the last page. I have heard a rumour that this is the last book, and I can see why that rumour is going round after reading the book, but I hope there will be more books! Hal and Nat need more adventures on trains.
As for the assassin that the title speaks of, they were written perfectly! A fantastic book, and I am so glad Netgalley chose to let me read it early!