First published 1986
Two boys accidentally overhear strangers planning a murder. They know someone will die unless they act fast. The boys rush to warn the authorities, but every adult dismisses their story as childish fantasy. Police officers wave them away. Teachers shake their heads. Parents tell them to stop making things up. Time runs out as the killers move forward with their plan. The boys realize they must stop the murder themselves. Their desperate mission becomes a high-speed chase that begins at Liverpool Street station and races across the flat landscape of the Fens. The train carries them deeper into danger as they pursue killers who now know the boys can identify them. What started as an overheard conversation becomes a fight for survival.
Genres: adventure, suspense, mystery, crime, thriller, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: chase, desperate-mission, fight-for-survival
Setting: Liverpool Street Station, The Fens
Period: 20th-Century
158 pages · Paperback · Puffin