'Readers are going to fall in love with this brilliant series' — A. F. Steadman, bestselling author of Skandar

Swashbuckling action adventure meets time travel in the fourth title in this epic series by bestselling award-winner M. G. Leonard. Perfect for 8- to 12-year-old fans of Adventures on Trains. Supports the key stage 2 curriculum. Illustrated throughout in black and white by Manuel Šumberac.

Sim, Jeopardy, and Nelson time travel back to 1587, the tense year leading up to the Spanish Armada. They quickly find themselves in dangerous territory aboard Sir Francis Drake's ship the Elizabeth Bonaventure, when the ship sets sail for Drake's notorious three-day raid on Cádiz. Trapped, Sim and his friends must navigate explosive sea battles and evade a mysterious masked mercenary, before they can attempt to return to London and their original mission to search for Sim's father.

The Attack of the Sea Dogs can be read as a stand-alone novel, or enjoyed as part of the thrilling Time Keys series written by M. G. Leonard. Follow Sim, Jeopardy and Nelson's adventures in Ancient Egypt, Hunt for the Golden Scarab, Viking Norway in The Legend of Viking Thunder and Ancient Rome in The Impossible Gladiator.


Praise for the Time Keys series:

‘Classic and fresh – a breathtaking adventure’ - Eoin Colfer, author of Artemis Fowl

‘Fabulous, fast-paced and thrilling’ - Jonathan Stroud, author of the Lockwood & Co. series

‘A thrilling time-travel adventure’ - The Guardian

‘Fast, dramatic, exciting’ - Hannah Gold

‘Thrilling adventure packed with history, mystery and action’ - The Week Junior

A thrilling time-travel adventure for 8+ -- Imogen Russell Williams on Hunt for the Golden Scarab * The Guardian *
A note-perfect, time-travelling blockbuster - richly imagined, genuinely fresh . . . A perfect book to open doors for reluctant readers. -- Jack Meggitt-Phillips, author of The Beast and the Bethany on Hunt for Golden Scarab
A beautiful concept and a spellbinding, seat-of-the-pants adventure, Hunt for the Golden Scarab is fabulous, fast paced and thrilling. More please! * Jonathan Stroud on Hunt for the Golden Scarab *
Classic and fresh - a breathtaking adventure -- Eoin Colfer on Hunt for the Golden Scarab
Fast, dramatic, exciting -- Hannah Gold on Hunt for the Golden Scarab
Utterly transporting, meticulously researched and a complete triumph of imagination. History, time travel and mystery combine in this epic new adventure from one of our best writers . . . I know so many readers are going to fall in love with this new brilliant series. -- A. F. Steadman, bestselling author of the Skandar series on Hunt for the Golden Scarab
It’s a total belter! Loads of action… I absolutely loved it. -- Rob Biddulph on Hunt for the Golden Scarab
M.G. Leonard’s epic new Time Keys series is a time-travelling wonder! Leonard was inspired to write this breathtaking series from her own lifelong passion for music and she certainly hits all the right notes with this all-action opener, fabulously illustrated by Croatian artist Manuel Sumberac. -- Pam Norfolk, Praise for the series * Lancashire Post *
Tremendous fun! A gripping and rollicking adventure -- Liz Hyder, author of The Twelve on Hunt for the Golden Scarab
A captivating time travel adventure – music, magic, martial arts and Ancient Egypt -- Rashmi Sirdeshpande on Hunt for the Golden Scarab
Absolutely brilliant page-turner. Atmospheric, entertaining and packed to the brim with fascinating facts . . . Loved it -- Lauren St John on Hunt for the Golden Scarab
A swashbuckling tale of time travel and derring-do * Daily Telegraph *
This thrilling adventure is packed with history, mystery and action * The Week Junior - Book of the Week on Hunt for the Golden Scarab *
An absolutely incredible story -- Natasha Harding on Hunt for the Golden Scarab * The Sun *
Leonard never fails to provide engaging adventures with just the right level of peril; and well-drawn bad guys -- Praise for the series * Irish Examiner *

M.G. Leonard has made up stories since she was a little girl but back then people called them fibs or tall tales, so she didn’t think to write them down. After a successful career in the music industry and the arts, she finally dared to put pen to paper. Her inventive stories about beetles, birds and trains are hugely popular. Her books have been translated into over forty languages and won many awards. In this, her most ambitious series yet, M. G. Leonard combines her passion for music, love of history, and instinct for adventure, to bring readers the Time Keys books.

Manuel Šumberac is a Croatian-based illustrator and animator. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb where he was drawn towards the fascinating world of illustration. His work has been published and recognized in numerous book illustrations and covers, including The Dalemark Quartet, Orphans of the Tide, The Night Before Christmas and Steampunk Frankenstein, among many others. Manuel creates his illustrations using digital techniques combined with traditional media.