Book review: Murder on the Safari Star is a chuffing great read

The illustrations are captivating and will keep readers interested throughout.

There is plenty to love in this thrilling adventure book set in Southern Africa.

From steam trains to child detectives, this book is a read that will have you up past your bedtime in order to finish it and find out "who did it".

While it is the third in a series of books by bestselling authors M G Leonard and Sam Sedgman, you don't have to have read the others in the series first.

It works just as well as a standalone book as it does part of the series, although you might find it hard not to quickly order the next in the series once you read the sneak peek of it at the end of this book.

This book features the same main characters readers might have previously met in the first two books of the Adventures On Trains series, The Highland Falcon Thief and Kidnap on the California Comet.

The main character is Harrison Beck, known to his friends as Hal, and his uncle Nat, a travel writer who loves trains and takes Hal with him on some of the best train trips around the globe.

Each time the pair set foot on a train, they seem to come across a mystery to be solved, as fascinating as the landscape around them as they travel along the train tracks.

While the first two books feature thefts and kidnappings, the stakes are upped in this book, when a passenger is found dead inside a locked compartment on the train. Accident or murder? Hal and Nat set out to find out, taking the reader along with them on a thrilling ride as they investigate, learning about the animals and country around them as they do.

Elisa Paganelli's gorgeous artwork graces many of the pages, and really adds another level to the reading experience. While the storyline makes you want to race through to the finish to find out who did it, you will want to spend time exploring the beautiful illustrations that bring the characters and train itself to life.

Our junior reviewer liked Hal, who he has read about before in previous books in the series, but also enjoyed meeting the new characters in this book, with Winston being a particular favourite.

Enter for your chance to win a copy of this book.

The descriptions of Africa were perfect and made you really want to go exploring on your own train trips, he says.

This is the perfect book to give as a gift, but also to keep on your own bookshelf to read again and again as it is a timeless classic you will enjoy revisiting many times.

WIN: To be in to win your own copy of this great book, thanks to Margie and the gorgeous girls at Stratford Paper Plus, simply email editor@stratfordpress.co.nz with your name and contact phone number. Remember to put Murder on the Safari Express in the subject line of your email. Alternatively, call us on 06 969 4024 and leave your details with us. Make sure you are following us on Facebook for another chance to enter as well. Giveaway closes at noon, Wednesday, October 6 and the winner will be contacted soon after.