Relating this story in the words of Shona Cameron who is thirteen, Jane Duncan has successfully captured the excitement which a thirteen year-old would feel in relating her own adventure. When Shona's watch is stolen while she and her two younger brothers are on a train bound for their aunt's home in the highlands of Scotland, the event does not seem mysterious to the children. However, soon the minor theft is linked with more important robberies and three strange men the children had encountered. While playing Vikings and roaming the beaches, the energetic, imaginative children become more and more involved with the criminals, and-- somewhat miraculously-- in the end lead to the capture. Although the story itself is not unusual, it is well told, and will make good reading for aspiring young detectives.