Cheatwell Games Christmas Express Game

Product Information

main point is that the themes of domestic abuse and sexual violence, while important to discuss, were too much for this novel. before reading it seems like a bit of festive crime fiction, so the heavy topics would throw people off. setting it at christmas time was unnecessary. didn’t like the detective honestly. took way too long to get into the murder and detective part (about half way through the book) because there were too many other things the book was trying to do. made it slow and too long, repeats itself a lot, and there’s a lot of telling not showing which created some strange dialogue. The light-hearted tone, cheerful banter, festive puzzles and the cover all suggest a Christmassy comfort read and the frequently darker content completely jars with that feel. The content simply doesn't match the tone.

I'm being harsh. This was still a 3 star read if you can tolerate the discussion of darker social issues. I think I'm more annoyed than I would otherwise be because I LOVE this sort of set up and I WANTED it to get it right. We do have something of a more nuanced character in Roz and I expect we will be hearing more from her in the years to come. I absolutely loved it! Such a clever and pacy read with a glorious nod to classic Christie’ JO JAKEMAN I lived with this - it was never hugely intrusive, but the thing that finalised my mixed feelings about the book was the ending. There's an interesting twist at the end - but the reaction to that twist is to totally lose any sense of justice being done. It just felt wrong. Land at a Station and you can move again, or land on a bridge and take a shortcut. Or play 3 of a kind and move directly to the next station… there are many ways to be first to the North Pole Station.That was the magic of trains. The world seemed to pass you by while you were still, yet somehow you got to where you wanted to go. If only life were like that.” The return of The Santa Steam Express will see families welcomed on-board the festively decorated 1970’s carriages by none other than Santa himself – plus his merry helpers, on one of three departures each day (09:30, 11:45, 14:00) for a 1 hour 15 magical steam journey around London. Children will enjoy a drink and festive sweet treat on arrival and will receive their very own gift from Santa as he passes through the carriages – making precious memories as he goes. I'm going to make this short. This looked like exactly the kind of wintry read I love but I never connected to the characters (unusual for me even when they're unlikable). None of these folks were given enough depth and they were a bit too much of the current moment. Additionally, while the reader knows there's a murder from the outset, the actuality of it is far too far into the story (and then the subsequent ones) for me not to call shenanigans, especially in a book of this length. So much rigamarole in the lead-up and it just got to the point that I just didn't care any longer. That's the worst thing that can happen with a book. An engrossing and heart-warming mystery. Like a glorious Christmas chocolate – beautiful on the outside with a richly dark centre. Perfect to curl up with on cold winter nights’ MARION TODD

Premier Dining includes a full English breakfast and four course dinner freshly prepared on board and silver served at your seat. Item link List Item 1

I say this in a somewhat jesting way, but I mean this warning with seriousness. What is presented here in the title, the cover art, and the publisher’s summary is a fun holiday mystery. In actuality, this is a very upsetting book about the devastating effects of sexual assault and rape on survivors and includes multiple graphic and unsettling first person accounts of rape, as well as a lot of horror show pregnancy and delivery content as well that I would absolutely not recommend reading while pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant. Throughout your journey, you may tangle with the caribou and other magical happenings, as you have the original story of THE POLAR EXPRESS™ told to you by the singing Chefs. Don’t forget to have a bite of your cookie and a sip of authentic hot chocolate before meeting the main man himself Santa Claus.

The setting is somewhat less exotic than the Orient Express - here it's the sleeper train from London to Fort William - but there's the same opportunity for a tight band of suspects and there's the convenience of a train that gets derailed in a snowstorm, isolating the suspects and the detective - in this case a newly retired Met detective inspector, heading up to Scotland because her daughter's about to give birth. Climb aboard the Christmas Express and join this jolly journey through a winter wonderland as you race to be the first to get to the North Pole. This is the perfect Christmas book. Get it for yourself to read when the nights are cold and dark and give it as a present. To everyone!’ MARTYN WAITES Make lots of mistakes, Rosalind. Make them frequently. And do not give up who you are to be someone else, or someone you think you should be. It never works. Find your strengths and use them. You have many. No one can figure things out like you can. No one stands up for victims like you do.”Travel to Levisham Station, where you will see a dazzling light show, as our heritage steam engine prepares for the return journey. Having said that, it's good that the author is trying to create positive representation, even if it is done in a clunky and expositional way. I'm definitely going to grow up to be a crone! It is possible to write amazing older characters (for example) without them constantly turning to face the camera and announcing with a wink how they are flouting societies expectations. Keep the characters, but with less of the sermonising.