Review: Peril on the Atlantic

Peril on the Atlantic is a mesmerising mystery that kept me utterly entranced as I set sail with Alice and her friends aboard the Queen Mary.

It’s July 1936, and 12-year-old Alice’s dreams are coming true as she swaps her boarding school for a voyage across the Atlantic aboard the Queen Mary liner as it sails to New York.  She is accompanying her father who works aboard the ship, so she hopes to spend her days exploring and finding adventures to write about in her adventures scrapbook.  However, she is left feeling disappointed when her father restricts her to a small part of the ship.  Whilst he is busy focussing on the ship winning the prestigious Blue Riband race for the fastest time crossing the Atlantic, Alice is encouraged to read library books and complete her embroidery.

Hoping that her father will be too busy to notice, Alice decides to break his rule and explore the ship.  She finds herself in the first-class swimming pool just before opening, but has to hide when she hears someone coming.  Alice overhears an argument involving a missing package which results in someone being badly injured …

So begins an intriguing mystery as Alice, alongside her new friends Sonny, Charlie and Miriam, work together to discover the identity of the culprit.  As time runs out, they uncover tantalising clues that lead them ever closer to solving the mystery:  a mystery involving dangerous enemies, sabotage and secrets.  There is an entwined puzzle weaving its way through the main mystery whose trail I absolutely loved following especially as it led to some wonderfully unexpected revelations.  This feels like a wonderfully intricate puzzle to solve and I loved how the pieces were slowly brought together by the brilliantly determined young sleuths.

I loved the setting aboard the Queen Mary, which was a real cruise liner, and the descriptions of life on board for both the passengers and the crew, including the mention of Fred Astaire.  I think it makes a perfect setting for a mystery as there is nowhere to escape to whilst in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, yet time to act is limited as the ship races towards its destination which builds excitement and tension.

Alice is an incredibly likeable young girl.  She has been following the adventures of others whilst at boarding school, and longs for her own adventure which she soon finds.  She is kind-hearted, courageous and astute and is not afraid to break a few rules.  She clearly adores her father, but doesn’t get to spend as much time with him as she would like to as he is determined to win the Blue Riband race.  She is also worried that he is keeping secrets from her which she is determined to uncover.  She forms a wonderfully close friendship with Sonny, Charlie and Miriam and together they make a great sleuthing team. 

I have adored all of A.M Howell’s historical mysteries and this one is no exception.  I’m so glad it’s the start of a new series as I’m really looking forward to boarding the next adventure.  I really enjoyed learning about her inspiration behind writing this story.

Sail into an exciting, enthralling mystery, perfect for young adventurers of 9+.

Thank you for Fritha Lindqvist and Usborne for a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.