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shonaberu's review
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
booksare42's review against another edition
5.0
What an absolutely fantastic middle-grade mystery adventure! This was my first five star read of the year and this book is definitely going to play a starring role in my year-end wrap-ups this year.
In Murder on the Safari Star, Hal and Uncle Nat are taking the Safari Star from Pretoria to Victoria Falls. Hal, who is still buzzing from his crime solving on The Highland Falcon and the California Comet, is secretly hoping there will be a crime for him to solve. When he sees the owner of the train acting suspiciously, he’s convinced that something nefarious is going on on the Safari Star and he’s determined to figure it out. Later on in the journey, when a passenger is found dead in their locked compartment, Hal is even more determined to figure out what’s going on.
Hal is such a fantastic character. I love how his enthusiasm and knowledge of trains has grown throughout the series. Even though he has some mature moments, especially when solving crimes, he also has a lot of impulsive moments that remind the reader that he’s twelve. I love how he’s grown throughout the series and how he’s getting better at knowing when he should get Uncle Nat, or another adult, involved with his crime solving. I also enjoyed reading about Uncle Nat in this series, I thought he did a good job balancing the role of responsible adult while also trusting Hal.
As far as the side characters go, Murder on the Safari Star did not disappoint. All of the Adventures on Trains books have had an interesting assortment of passengers on them who all had moments that made them a bit suspicious. The characters that stood out the most to me were Winston, Chipo, and Mr. Crosby. Winston and Chipo (a mongoose) helped Hal solve the crime. I thought they made a great team and I loved how Winston taught Hal about wildlife and conservation along the way. Chipo is currently the front runner for the best animal character of the year and I especially loved the illustrations that she was in. Mr. Crosby was a thoroughly unlikable character, he was loud, rude, and obnoxious and he caused a lot of drama on the Safari Star. There were also some fantastic female characters in this book and I loved the moment at the end where some of them came together with a business plan.
The mystery aspect of Murder on the Safari Star did not disappoint. There were quite a few twists and turns that kept me on my toes. Lots of characters had motive and I loved the interview process after the murder took place. While I was able to piece parts of the mystery together, there were some aspects that left me guessing until the very end.
The other thing I want to talk about is wildlife and conservation. This book had some fantastic messages about conservation, protecting endangered species, and poaching. There was a lot of talk about the black horn rhino and how critically endangered it is. I love it when middle-grade books have important messages like this because it gets kids aware and they can learn a ton.
I also want to mention how much I love the illustrations in this book. Elisa Paganelli is a fantastic illustrator and her artwork made the story come to life. I love seeing Hal’s drawings on the page and it’s one of the many things that make this series standout.
Overall, this was a fantastic read and I cannot wait to see what Hal and Uncle Nat get up to next.
lemonpip's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Gun violence, and Murder
katrinaeames's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
dinnureads's review against another edition
5.0
The mysteries have escalated. We started with a jewel thief and then got a kidnapping and now it was a murder mystery. It was a really interesting mystery and I did not see the answer before the characters did. The African backdrop was exquisite and vibrant. I enjoyed every second of reading this book.
rebekkavanh's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
laurensworldofbooks's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-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
4.0
adrzeck's review against another edition
3.0
Murder's afoot as Hal spends some time growing and learning how to be Sherlock Da Vinci. Has some nice Agatha Christie vibes here as we head to Africa. As always I love how the authors describe where the reader can go to learn more about the trains they're talking about or how the reader can try and take the trip themselves. Again excellent voice narration.
missbibliography's review against another edition
3.0
Hal is back on a train with his uncle, this time riding through Southern Africa, where he gets to go on safari and encounter all sorts of animals (and people, including a rude, abrasive media magnate). When a murder happens on board (although everyone thinks its an accident), Hal feels compelled to jump in and investigate.
This was a pretty good read, it fell in line with the other novels in the adventures on trains series pretty well. I enjoyed reading it even if it felt a little bit expected, and I suspect any middle grader who likes a good murder mystery will enjoy this book too!
This was a pretty good read, it fell in line with the other novels in the adventures on trains series pretty well. I enjoyed reading it even if it felt a little bit expected, and I suspect any middle grader who likes a good murder mystery will enjoy this book too!