The Signal in the Sea Caves

When a sepia postcard turns up in the coastguard’s cottage—Battery Twelve pictured with a lantern lit on “the night the light went out”—twelve-year-old Tom and eleven-year-old Meg know something’s off. Then, at low tide, a shuttered lantern blinks in a precise three-blink loop from the sea caves. Someone is signalling.

With Bramble the border collie’s paw-point, Mr Quarles’s Morse know-how, and Mrs Pennington’s immaculate command of railway procedure, the Lantern Lane League follow a paper-trail of ledgers, timetables and greasy chains to a polished antiques dealer running a clever scheme: “losing” lighthouse lenses and laundering them by train. Time and tide won’t wait; neither will the ten-o-five.

Steam hiss, salt air and an honest clock’s tick power this warm, clue-forward mystery. Kids can reason out the solution; adults will enjoy the period texture and clever use of community allies. Perfect for fans of Famous Five vibes with a fresh, thoughtful twist.

Who it’s for

• Independent readers 8–12

• Family and classroom read-alouds (KS2)

• Fans of classic-feeling mysteries, lighthouses, trains and dogs

• Listeners who like gentle, well-paced audiobooks

Why it stands out

• Fair-play mystery: Every clue is on the page; no last-minute cheats.

• Time-boxed tension: Tide windows and train departures keep pages turning without unsafe jeopardy.

• Capable adults, capable kids: Children lead; grown-ups matter (politeness as a superpower).

• Authentic 1950s UK flavour: Steam trains, wireless, ledgers, chalk cliffs—clear, modern-readable prose.

• Series promise: A recurring cast and seaside world readers will want to revisit.

Content & age guidance

• Peril: non-graphic; supervised by nearby adults; dog never harmed

• Themes: teamwork, truth over polish, doing the right thing

• Language: British English; period terms explained in context

This is written in narrator form so that it can be used in read-along style.