"A train-set murder mystery with a thrilling, magical difference"
Laila Rifaat’s new Egypt-inspired fantasy adventure has all the appeal of the first in this series, in fact, incorporating murder on a train, it’s possibly even more thrilling and intriguing.
Fresh from warding off an attack by wicked magician Dorian Darke, twelve-year-old Aliya Sultan is enduring the boredom of school holidays and longing for term to start again at the magical Infinitum Time-Travel Academy. She misses her friends and is fed up being supervised by two dour sphinxes (just some of the wonderful characters populating this novel).
When a chance arises to take a trip on the legendary time-travelling luxury train the Silver Express, she grabs it, especially as her best friends from the Academy will be on board too. The train is supposed to be ultra safe, but Aliya quickly realises there’s someone or something on board with evil intentions. She’s finding it difficult to convince her friends, then kindly old Professor Fayruz is poisoned. Can Aliya and her friends identify the criminals before more terrible things happen?
The plot is as tricky and almost as dark as anything by Agatha Christie, and she didn’t have the added treats of magic, flying carpets and time travel. Aliya’s world is vividly realised, her friends a thoroughly entertaining mix of characters and the plot steams along nicely. If you haven’t read book one, the opening chapter brings you quickly up to speed. Hop aboard for adventure!
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