Naeli once loved her life with her parents in India. Her mother is an accomplished musician and her Papa an attentive father. But after he must return to England to see his own sick father, he never returned.

Five years later, Naeri loses her mother and she becomes an orphan. Allowed to remain in their luxurious home with her mother’s kudos, Naeli grieves them both, not sure of her future.

An envelope arrives with tickets to England and money for the journey. But who sent them? Did her Papa still love her after all?

With the help of a friend from India, then an English boy called Jack she meets on the long three month sailing to England, she plans to unravel the mystery of her Papa’s betrayal.

From the London docks, to a pie-shop kitchen to a boys boarding school, Naeli follows the clues. Both she and Jack end up on a train ride to nowhere to the last clue of all. Her Papa’s family home in Northumberland. The most important thing linking her past and present is her treasured violin. But why is it so important to her family?

A good old fashioned English / Orphan story that becomes so much more as a young girl searches for her father. Naeri and reader alike wonder what happened five years before when he never returned to Naeli and her mother in India.

Unravelling this mystery makes a riveting read. An unfathomable betrayal is soon revealed, bringing even more danger to the brave young characters.

Both Mystery and Music lovers will enjoy Naeli and the Secret Song, along with fans of The Secret Garden, The Unadoptables and other Orphan tales.

A captivating read.

Author – Jasbinder Bilan

Age – 9+

Find another read from Jasbinder Bilan here

(2025, Chicken House Books, Family, Secret, Mystery, Courage, Friendship, Music, Historical, Crime, Adventure, 1870’s, India, London, England, Victorian, Pie Shop, Violin, Northumberland, Train Travel, Clues)