The Excursion Train (The Railway Detective #2)

Title: The Excursion Train (The Railway Detective #2)

Author: Edward Marston

Published in: 2005

Date read: 27th September 2011

Score: 4/5

Genre: Historical fiction, Detective, Crime

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"The Excursion Train" by Edward Marston is the first novel in his popular Railway Detective series, published in 2004. Set in 1851 during the height of the Victorian railway boom, it introduces Detective Inspector Robert Colbeck of Scotland Yard, a man often referred to as "the Railway Detective" due to his specialisation in crimes occurring on the burgeoning railway network.

The story opens dramatically with a horrific incident on the line: a seemingly unstoppable train, with its driver murdered and its throttle jammed open, hurtling towards a packed excursion train full of passengers bound for the Great Exhibition in London. Only quick thinking and immense bravery from a railway official avert a catastrophic collision, but the incident is clearly no accident.

Inspector Colbeck is called in to investigate this highly unusual and deeply disturbing case. He is a meticulous and intelligent detective, often ahead of his time in his use of forensic observation and logical deduction. He works alongside his loyal and somewhat more conventional sergeant, Victor Leeming.

Their investigation quickly uncovers a complex web of deceit, industrial rivalry, and personal vendettas within the booming railway industry. The case leads them into the Cutthroat world of railway magnates, engineers, and speculators, all vying for power and wealth during a period of rapid technological advancement and fierce competition.

Colbeck and Leeming face a daunting task. They must contend with:

• The intricate mechanics of the railway itself: Understanding how such a deliberate act of sabotage could have been carried out on a moving train.
• The motives of powerful individuals: Unraveling who would benefit from such a disaster and who had the means to orchestrate it.
• The prejudices of the era: Overcoming resistance from those who view the railways with suspicion or disdain.

The "excursion train" itself becomes a symbol of the Victorian age's progress and vulnerability. The very marvel of modern engineering becomes the stage for a chilling act of terror.

The novel is a meticulously researched historical mystery, filled with authentic details of 19th-century railway operations, social classes, and the investigative methods of early detective work. Colbeck's pursuit of the truth leads him through railway workshops, grand London houses, and the dangerous underbelly of the rapidly industrializing nation. The climax involves Colbeck unmasking the cunning perpetrator in a tense revelation, bringing a ruthless murderer to justice and securing the safety of the new railway age.

Comments:
Thoroughly entertaining, an excellent story.

Books that we've read by Edward Marston (7):
The Railway Detective (2004), The Excursion Train (The Railway Detective #2) (2005), The Railway Viaduct (The Railway Detective, #3) (2006), The Iron Horse (The Railway Detective #4) (2007), Murder on the Brighton Express (The Railway Detective, #5) (2007), The Silver Locomotive Mystery (The Railway Detective #6) (2009), Railway to the Grave (The Railway Detective #7) (2010)