Shadows on the Train. (A Dinah Galloway Mystery). Melanie Jackson. Victoria, BC: Orca, 2007. 204 pp., pbk., $8.95. ISBN 978-1-55143-660-9. Grades 4-6 / Ages 9-11. Review by Wendy Williams. ***½ /4

excerpt:

"Dad...was the Knave of Hearts, the unreliable one, the scoundrel. Dad must've sensed that, with his drinking, he'd one day disappear and take our hearts with him. And he did."

Girl detective Dinah Galloway is back and feistier than ever. Those readers who are familiar with this energetic, tactless, smart and sassy 12 2/3-year-old will be cheered to hear that she is in top voice. She is also notable for the adventures in which she becomes involved, this time, on a train. Many of Diana's contemporaries have never been on a train, or even considered that a train ride might be fun. Well, Diana certainly makes this train ride fun, exciting and even a bit dangerous, as she journeys from Vancouver to Toronto with her family. This is no ordinary journey as it becomes clear that Ardle, a small-time criminal who had been involved with Diana's father, was up to something fishy. When Diana is unexpectedly given the opportunity to examine the bag containing her late father's effects, the moment is not only emotional but also part of the mystery that is unfolding around her. "The luggage compartment of the train...First Mrs. Chewby, then Talbot, then Pantelli. All vanished. May be this wasn't the Gold and Blue [train] at all. Maybe it was the Black Hole."

Highly Recommended.

Wendy Williams, a teacher-librarian in Calgary, AB, always welcomes recommendations for good reads from students. Way behind with her book club reading, she hoped to make inroads over the past summer.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

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Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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