Customer Reviews

Murder on the Brighton Express (Magna (Large Print))

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The Railway Detective series by Edward Marston is one of the best historical detective series I have come across. Each time I pick up one of these books, I get sucked into the story within the first few pages. The imagery is wonderful and twists and turns keep the stories fresh.

This time there is an accident where the Brighton Express collides with another train killing the driver and a few of the passengers. The railway concludes that this was just a horrible accident caused but driver error. But Inspector Colbeck finds evidence that there is more to this tragedy than meets the eye.

There are many interesting characters that are introduced and the action that is expected is right there. The ending of this story will surprise you as I did not see this one coming. I really enjoyed transportation back in time and I cannot wait for the next book by Edward Marston.

If you are looking for a gripping read than do yourself a favor and pick this story up!

This book is the 5th in a series of Victorian mysteries centering around the railroads. Inspector Colbeck and his Sargeant Leeming follow a Holmes/Watson partnership as they solve cases for Scotland Yard. Colbeck is a huge fan of the railroad and becomes known as the "Railway Detective" in the press for his work on train derailments, murders, etc. This series is an interesting slice of Victorian life as it centers around the trains and the men who work on them. There is a hint of romance as well. The characters are engaging and the mysteries interesting. You don't have to read them in order in order to enjoy the series.

Edward Marston is just one of the pseudonyms of author Keith Miles. He has had a multitude of occupations, including university lecturer, radio, television, and theatre dramatist, and in addition to writing has worked as an actor, director, and dramatist. He has written a large number of books with historical themes, perhaps the most well known being his Domesday series. These revolve around the census of 1086 and a series of mysteries featuring the Elizabethan theatre as their background.

The railways are still in their infancy and so is the job of Inspector Colbeck an ex-barrister turned policeman with special responsibility for the railways. As the railways start to grow so too does the crime wave that surrounds them. Many people have a fear, or hatred of the railways, in some cases it has cost them their livelihood, in others it is simply a fear of the unknown. Even Colbeck's own sergeant, Victor Leeming has a healthy dislike for the railway. Inspector Colbeck however, knows that they are here to stay, despite certain individual's attempts to jeopardise their continued growth. In this book the derailing of the London to Brighton express brings devastation and carnage on a scale rarely, if ever seen before the advent of the steam train.

As with his Domesday series and mysteries featuring the Elizabethan theatre the author quickly captures the heart of the reader with his concise writing style interesting storyline and likeable characters. If truth be told there is little if anything to dislike about either the storyline or the main characters in the book. The railway is in the main, merely a backdrop with the emphasis being on the mystery.