The Blackpool Highflyer: A Jim Stringer Mystery (Jim Stringer Mysteries) [Paperback]

Andrew Martin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2, 2007 | Series: Jim Stringer Mysteries

It is the summer of 1905 and Jim Stringer is copiloting a special train filled with overheated excursionists headed to Blackpool, the seaside resort on the English coast. At the moment when the train picks up speed, a huge rock comes into view farther down the tracks; it lies directly in their path. Full stop of the engine; full steam ahead with the mystery.

As he did in The Necropolis Railway, Stringer doffs his railway hat and dons his detective’s derby, assisted once more by "the wife" and her brilliant detecting skills. Capturing the world of railway stations and locomotives during the Edwardian Age, The Blackpool Highflyer carries readers to a place where dark shadows lurk behind innocence and the solution to the mystery waits at the end of the line.

(20070601)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Set in 1905, Martin's second Jim Stringer mystery (after 2004's The Necropolis Railway) starts slowly but builds a head of steam like the monster locomotive Jim stokes for "Lanky," the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway. A passenger dies when a huge grindstone on the tracks derails a train on an excursion to seaside Blackpool. Jim begins to suspect class warfare when a young socialist distributes tracts in Jim's hometown of Halifax, urging workers to shun holidays organized by mill owners. A fallen tree on another rail line further suggests conspiracy, as does the disappearance of smartly dressed Clive, the engine driver on Jim's next run. Lanky management's paltry £5 reward hardly seems likely to garner much information, so newlywed Jim turns to comely Lydia, a mill clerk he simply calls "the wife," for much needed help. Getting used to Jim's chatty Cockney narration takes time, but as the suspense rises, readers will be captivated.

From Booklist

Second in the series starring Edwardian-era steam locomotives (the first was The Necropolis Railway, 2007), this has all the virtues of the first: strong background on early-twentieth-century British railroading and a suitably dark and dank atmosphere. These characteristics, however, are less compelling the second time around (except to die-hard railroad fans), as the atmosphere and pacing become somewhat overplayed and relentless. This time out, the young series hero, Jim Stringer, copilots one of the huge locomotives called Highflyers on excursion trips (in 1905) to the Blackpool seaside and music halls. The first run is disrupted by a grindstone on the tracks, causing a derailment and one woman's death; Stringer later learns that the same accident occurred on another line the same day. The tension builds as Jim must find whoever is staging the accidents before more people are killed. Martin's descriptions of old music-hall acts add some zest to the tale. This still has the makings of a strong series, if Martin can master the trick of varying the mood and tempo enough to hold his readers. Fletcher, Connie

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Product Details

• Paperback: 360 pages
• Publisher: Mariner Books; 1 edition (July 2, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0156030691
• ISBN-13: 978-0156030694
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 6.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #979,988 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Second in a Series, and Much Better than the First, June 29, 2007

By 

RhodeIsland 1969 (New Jersey) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Blackpool Highflyer: A Jim Stringer Mystery (Jim Stringer Mysteries) (Paperback)

A literary and atmospheric mystery set in 1905 England, this novel fleshes out the character of Jim Stringer and puts him on a quest to discover the identity of the saboteur of the Blackpool train. The mystery itself is not the most interesting part of the book; it is the rich descriptions, the amazing characters, and the humanity of Jim that make this a great read.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Immersive background, June 15, 2009

By 

tertius3 (MI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Blackpool Highflyer: A Jim Stringer Mystery (Jim Stringer Mysteries) (Paperback)

I'll never understand some of the Briticisms, but they help provide the splendid sense of immersion in 1905 that Martin offers. Those were days when boys were "engine mad," especially about the fast Highflyer passenger locomotives on which Jim Stringer is a fireman. Some of that excitement comes through, but mostly the story features ambiance. The mystery is thin--but not the one you expected after the first few chapters. There's little suspense, no thrills aside from railway speed. The story has a golden slowness like treacle.

A leisurely tour through the texture of performing, weaving, and railway people of the time, noting odd happenings along the way that take hundreds of pages to add up to something potentially sinister. Jim is an inquisitive sort of bloke, which involves him in amateur sleuthing as the story moves along, little incidents happen, and each chapter may add a new clue or a way of looking at previous events. Do you have the patience for this style of slow plot development? Martin's garrulity cleverly misdirects your attention; even the obvious crime and the suspects are not what they seem.

There's more about English lower class life in the Edwardian age than there is of deliberate sleuthing, if that's your cuppa. Jim's mind has a peculiar talent that helps him see the criminal in ordinary happenings, like train derailments that fit a pattern he is first to notice--however incredulous I remained that he is on to anything at all. Jim's wife takes in a lodger, an eccentric railway ticket seller, and we see much about the domestic, social, work, and holiday lives of several of the people, just passing time...it seems.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Highflyer didn't fly, March 28, 2009

By 

Les "Everywoman" (Boston, Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Blackpool Highflyer: A Jim Stringer Mystery (Jim Stringer Mysteries) (Paperback)

I obtained this mystery with great eagerness given that I'm a big fan of stories set in turn-of-the-century England. I was prepared to be immersed in the times and captured by a compelling mystery. Unfortunately I was disappointed. I thought the character development was very thin; characters were unidimensional and cardboard thin. Each character was either obviously good and decent or corrupt and despicable. A couple of attempts at revelations about particular characters and plot twists fell flat and were easily predicted. I would give this book a pass if you are looking for a mystery that respects your intelligence.