Bridget Vanderpuff and the Ghost Train

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Author(s)

Martin Stewart

Publisher

Penguin Workshop

Genre(s)

Age Range

Release Date

January 28, 2025

ISBN

978-0593754108

Buy This Book

Follow the brilliant Bridget Vanderpuff on a thrilling new adventure as she investigates the mystery of the ghost train haunting her town—perfect for fans of Katherine Arden and Beth Lincoln!

Belle-on-Sea is getting ready for the Night of the Hungry Ghosts, the most frightfully fun time of the year. Mr. Vanderpuff's bake will be the centerpiece of the whole parade, but he needs a new creation and he's totally stumped. To make matters worse, salty old seadog Captain Lufty and his Hat Rat, Barry, have warned that something is coming to Belle-on-Sea. Something terrible…

After a ghost train is seen rattling into town, people start to go missing—first the librarian, then the mayor. Bridget and Tom begin tracking the train's tracks, delighted to be in the thick of another mystery.

Then the unthinkable happens: the ghost train takes Mr. Vanderpuff! Someone—or something—is out to destroy Belle-on-Sea. But they've forgotten one important detail… This is Bridget's town.

Editor review

1 review

Ghost Train

March 17, 2025 (Updated: June 24, 2026)

Overall rating

4.5

Plot

4.0

Characters

5.0

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

5.0

What I liked: Bridget Vanderpuff and her best friend Tom are up to their sleuthing ways again, this time on the hunt to discover what is behind a ghost train that is kidnapping and shutting down the town of Belle by the Sea. Bridget is just as delightful in this second book, and with her hair, one has to wonder how much she can store inside it. I love how strong her new dad is as he continues to attempt to teach his newly adopted daughter how to bake, and most times, it is at the risk of his own life.
What I wanted more of: I wanted to know why all of Bridget's bakes went so wrong. In the first book, I am sure, because she knows nothing about baking, but by the second book, she had a few lessons and does incredibly well telling when a bake goes in the oven. I do enjoy that the author takes these baking disasters and makes them work in Bridget's favor as weapons to take down the evil characters.
Final Verdict: Bridget Vanderpuff and the Ghost Train builds on book one with more footnote antidotes to add to the comedy. You also get more info on why Miss Acrid was so terrible in book one, and there are a few fun recipes at the back of the book for your little inspired bakers to try.