The accidental stowaway
(Book)

When Patch runs up the gangway of steamship, RMS Glorious, she isn't planning to hang around. But if she leaves her hiding place the constable who is chasing her will ruin her reputation: sitting tight is worth the risk. Too late, she realises the ship is setting sail! Patch has become an accidental stowaway. Luckily, Patch's unconventional past has made her pretty fearless when it comes to fending for herself, and besides there are friends in high and low places to be made onboard. But hiding away becomes less and less easy: her new friends urgently need her help and a there's a mystery that needs solving, all before they reach New York.

"Twelve-year-old Patch hasn't found a real home yet, despite being passed like a package from one distant relative to the next. When she runs up the gangway of the massive steamship RMS Glorious, she isn't planning to hang around. But it's too late--the ship is setting sail! Patch has become an accidental stowaway. Luckily, she's fearless and resourceful and finds friends on board in both high and low places. But hiding from the stowaway-hunting chief steward becomes harder and harder. And to make matters worse, Patch's new friends urgently need her help: it turns out that some passengers are not what they seem, and there's a mystery that needs solving before they reach New York. Can Patch protect her friends and stop some dastardly criminals? And will she find a home at last, or will the excitement of life on the move keep calling her name? The elegant allure of Titanic-era steamships meets madcap escapades as our intrepid heroine finds adventure on every deck." --