Murder on the Canadian by Eric Wilson (Tom and Liz Austen Series Book 1)

This is a children's book. I think the category would be "juvenile", not quite Young Adult (YA), though Goodreads does tag it as YA. I personally would suggest grades 5 - 6. (Indigo's website suggests ages 9 to 12 years old). It is also considered Crime, Mystery Thriller, Canadian, Middle Grade, Thriller.

Trigger Warning: 

This book includes panic, thrills, murder, weapons, danger, betrayal, and life-threatening danger. 

"A bomb. Yes, Tom was sure it must be a bomb."

In the first book of the Tom and Liz Austen Mysteries series, we meet Tom. He is travelling on the famous passenger train, The Canadian, to visit his grandparents in British Columbia.

Little does he know he is about to find himself in the middle of a murder plot. Awoken one night by a woman's agonising screams, Tom rushes to see what has happened just a few sleeping cars away.

As Tom investigates the odd assortment of characters travelling with him in Car 165, he learns there is more than meets the eye with a few of them. The more he pokes around, the closer he gets to the truth, but at what cost?

The Review

I reread this book for this blog. And I have to say I still think it is a great book for kids. Obviously, as an adult, I recognise that certain things probably aren't accurate and are definitely embellished for "the plot". But as a kid, I certainly didn't feel that way. I think we all want to think we can solve crimes and kick butt. I mean, that's definitely why I watch shows like Dateline and 20/20 and any other murder investigation shows. It's why we gravitate to unsolved mysteries and conspiracy theories, because somewhere deep down, we want answers and we think we can find them. And I think that's what a child can get out of these books - the same way a generation before got that from The Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew. 

There are some mature themes in this book, which is why I always encourage parents to read the book also, and to talk with their children. And try and gage before hand if your child is ready for the themes discussed. Some children won't be ready, no matter how old they are, while others will eat these books up.

SPOILER ALERT

Obviously, there are some "liberties" taken. Hopefully, no adult would let a kid pick up a knife (the assumed murder weapon) and let him just hold on to it. I would also hope that if a murder happened on a moving train, there would be a lot more police investigation than one RCMP officer asking questions before the train takes off again. 

But all that being said, I think we all want that in a story, so what if it's not 100% accurate? I want to feel like I can solve crimes too! I think any child interested in mysteries would identify with Tom (and Liz later on), and feel like they too could be a super sleuth! 

I originally read this book in school. I re-read it by "borrowing" it from Kindle Unlimited. 

Rating and Recommendation

As an adult, I probably wouldn't give this book five stars. But remembering how much I liked it as a child, I think five stars is a good bet. I enjoyed it as an adult, I loved it as a kid. It may be a little dated but, I think it is very wholesome in a way and I think it is a great way for Canadian children to find out more about Canadian geography and places.   

One review on Goodreads particularly struck me. They commented on how inspiring Eric Wilson was and how thrilled they was to find a 40th Anniversary Edition of the book at her local bookstore. But she only gave the book two stars and compared it to Popeye's candy sticks from childhood, nostalgic but ultimately disappointing. Now I am not going to say this person was wrong, but. . . if one can't enjoy a fine cigarette of the Popeye variety, can we really trust their opinion on books?

But all joking aside, I think that an older child would enjoy this series. 

I did not own this book. This was not one of the original books I purchased as a kid. But after years of really wanting to get back to reading Eric Wilson books and finishing off the series. I bought the Eric Wilson Canadian Mysteries Vol 1, Vol 2 and Vol 3 set. (Which you may have seen on my Instagram!)

Conclusion

This is another great Canadian book I was introduced to in school. Though we didn't read this specific one in class, I became obsessed with Tom and Liz Austen Mysteries. To this day, I remember the pure joy I felt opening up a Christmas bag and realising my father had bought me more Eric Wilson books. Back when I was young, it was much harder to buy books than it is today, and I was in tears because I was so happy. Mr Wilson had visited our school, and it only added to my obsession and inspiration.  Naturally, I wanted them all. But settled for just a few, and then the surprise of a lifetime. At 34, it is still one of the best gifts I have ever received. 

So am I biased? Yes. 

But as a kid, I can remember how fascinated I was to see places in Canada being featured in books! That was such a new concept to little old me from a small town in the middle of nowhere. He mentioned Ottawa! He mentioned Alberta! He mentioned the brand new Super Mall in Edmonton! It was mind-blowing. The fact that all these were real places I could actually go see really sparked my interest not only in his books, but in Canadian geography as well. 

While I always credit Harry Potter for sparking my love of reading, Eric Wilson and his books would be a close second.  

You can find Murder on the Canadian in its respective mediums below: 

 

* Book cover image retrieved from GoodReads. All rights belong to the author and/or publisher. 
* All the "stickers" in this blog were provided by Bookish (presented by NetGalley).
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