Il segreto del viadotto

by Roy Brown

For over a century the Bensons, nearly all railway folk, had occupied the tall house close to the viaduct. Now only Phil Benson and his grandfather lived there.

Grandad was fond of reminiscing about the old Bensons, and sometimes mentioned Ebenezer Benson — the genius who had been a great engineer, yet had become a miser and died in obscurity. Phil wondered what had happened to his hidden money, and why he had never built his revolutionary locomotive. Had this anything to do with Jamie Benson, the boy who once carved his initials on the viaduct in 1843?

Phil soon guessed that Grandad told only part of the truth. What was in the attic? Why did Grandad make secretive visits there at night? Bit by bit Phil and his new friend, Andy, set out to unravel the secrets surrounding the Benson past. But as soon as they solved one problem, new mysteries arose which took them, again and again, to the viaduct, the wasteland and the Cave. Others arrived who were also determined to find a lost fortune. Soon there were spies to outwit, and the ugly challenge of the Eccles gang.

Fortunately, Phil and Andy had the help of Molly, and Mr. Felix, the railway enthusiast. And then, before uncovering the astonishing truth, came Phil's strange compelling dreams and the discovery of a thin, black penny...

159 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1967

About the author

Roy Frederick Brown, born in Vancouver B.C., was deputy headmaster of the Helen Allison School for Autistic Children, Gravesend, Kent, from 1969-75.

"Among major children's writers of the 1970s, Roy Brown was one particularly open to his times, in tune with their issues and concerns and, while the readability and human interest of his stories guarantee a wide readership, the settings indicate a conscious desire to offer the non-academic urban child a means of identification. The years brought development in technique but not deviation from city backgrounds and characters at risk or disadvantage in modern society." [source: Peggy Heeks in Twentieth Century Children's Writers (Macmillan, 1978).

Reviews

[S.P. Moss · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read "The Viaduct" half a century ago, and recently bought a second-hand copy. I enjoyed it every bit as I did back then.

The story has all the elements I still love - a family mystery from the past, secrets and adventure, exploring deserted places, building dens and dodging spies, friendship and growing up. Although I was never into railways and trains (although my dad and brother were), the story gripped me both now and then.

I was surprised by the quality of the writing and the breadth of language used, as well as the depth and subtlety of psychology in the characterisation and the dream sequences, for example. And it's not Enid Blyton: this is a tough, authentic story that doesn't shy away from life's hardships.

I don't know what else Roy Brown wrote, but if he is still around, I'd like him to know that this book made such an impact on me as a child that I sought it out to re-read decades "down the line". Thank you!

[William Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An early young reading book by the respected children's author and special needs teacher. Over brimming with empathy, local and period (1970s largely rundown East London by the river) detail and a fair amount of mystery and suspense. I think this and The River are Roy Brown's best works. Marvelous illustrations complement the text. Highly recommended.