Something is amiss at the Paradise Heights Miniature Railway. And this suits Fleck Parker just fine – she’s on the hunt for a new puzzle to solve. Expensive equipment and supplies have disappeared and nobody knows why. Who could possibly wish harm on a community group delivering Sunday afternoon fun on a fleet of jolly little engines?
Fleck is frenetic as ever as she feeds a hungry baby, placates a cranky toddler, executes an (almost) on-time school run and investigates crime – all without losing her Wordle streak. Meanwhile, her best friend, Trixie, is scrambling to manage the Many Hands Society Craft Shop, where volatile volunteers are becoming a real problem.
Fleck has never met a puzzle she didn’t want to solve, and this one is just the ticket. Nobody suspects the cheerful mum asking questions at the railway as she tries to untangle the conundrum. But idyllic bushland and miniature villages hide a sinister mystery, darker and more complex than anyone imagined. Will Fleck’s attempts to derail the thief land her on the wrong side of the tracks?
Review
Kate Solly’s The Paradise Height series is shaping up to be the sort of cosy mystery that I love. Like its predecessor, The Paradise Heights Miniature Railway Bust-Up has a loveable cast of characters, led by the plucky, intelligent Fleck; a mystery that seems simple on the outset but turns out to have some dark shades and real stakes; and compassionate explorations of neurodivergence.
I adore Fleck Parker as a lead character, and she has a lovely character development arc in this book. Fleck’s ADHD was introduced and explored in the first book, and this time we get to see both how it contributes to Fleck’s strengths as well as how it makes her life hard sometimes. Layer some trauma on top of that, and Fleck’s due for some reflection and healing. On that note, I really appreciated that we got to see the psychological aftermath of the first book’s showdown. It would have been strange if Fleck, a person with no crime-fighting experience, dusted herself off and simply kept going after facing a serious threat to her life.
The case that the book revolves around seems low stakes at first: someone may be stealing from Paradise Heights Miniature Railway. As Fleck uncovers more motives and secrets though, it became more complex and compelling. No spoilers here, except to say I really enjoyed how the big reveal felt less like a twist I didn’t see coming and more of ‘ohhhh that makes so much sense’. I also like that the villain seems nonthreatening, even a tad silly, at first; once their true nature is revealed, it is a good reflection of real-life situations where a person who seems charming in public may be dangerous in private.
Despite the danger and darkness Fleck came up against, it is ultimately a hopeful, comforting read. Fleck’s circle largely consists of people who are accepting of different bodies, brains, and cultures. Who wouldn’t want to have that and occasionally solve mysteries?
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the review copy.
Review by Priscilla
Has Novel Feelings entertained you, or taught you something? Show your support with a once-off donation by buying us a coffee. All proceeds go towards making the show stronger and more sustainable for the future.