Customer Reviews

Train Man

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

TRAIN MAN is one of those books that I couldn't put down, and which caused my wife some exasperation. ("Are you reading again?! Which do you love more - me or that book?") Uh, sorry ... what did you say, dear?

This thriller by P.T. Deutermann is really two storylines in one, coming together only at the end. Each has its own protagonist and its own nutcase Bad Guy.

The primary plot has the TRAIN MAN blowing up railroad river bridges in retaliation for a past personal tragedy. The Good Guy on his trail is FBI Acting Assistant Director William "Hush" Hanson, who departs the Machiavellian atmosphere of the FBI's Washington headquarters for the field to run his quarry to ground. However, even out in the sticks, Hush isn't safe from the backstabbing and internecine warfare back at the Big House as spans continue to drop into the water. And what sort of game is Senior Agent Carolyn Lang, Hanson's assigned deputy for the manhunt, playing? Is that a treacherous blade in her belt, or just a friendly nail file?

The other wacko is US Army Colonel Mehle, down from the Pentagon and the National Security Council with explicit, no-nonsense orders to transport some captured Russian torpedoes with nuclear warheads from the Anniston Army Weapons Depot in Alabama to the Army's destruction facility in Tooele, Utah. The warheads need to go Right Now On The Double because they're leaking radiation, and the mode of transport is to be an Army train also taking chemical weapons to Utah for disposal. Top Brass pressure has made Mehle a bullet or two short of a full clip, so when the colonel decides to go along for the ride as the train's Full Throttle commander, Major Tom Matthews, the train's reluctant Security Officer, fears a bumpy ride and an inglorious end to his previously unblemished 20-year career.

Oh, and have I mentioned that the Train Man's targets are the bridges over the lower Mississippi River, that part of the waterway smack in the path between Alabama and Utah? Can you see where this is going?

Both plots are taut, suspenseful and finely paced, and the characters well drawn and believable. The identity of the TRAIN MAN comes as a surprise, though perhaps the revelation occurs too soon. Moreover, the author apparently researched America's rail system extensively, so the technical backdrop against which the action unfolds is very absorbing, especially if the reader has no prior knowledge of the subject. The novel's jacket compares it favorably to THE DAY OF THE JACKAL. I agree. This is quality reading entertainment.

Something that puts me off about authors who use technical 'props' for their novels is innaccuracy: one slip, and it can sour the whole book. Deutermann's research into all the various elements which he ingeniously intertwines must have been exhaustive. You'd think he'd been on the railroads all his life - not to mention having been a State trooper, working for the FBI, while designing bridges in his spare time! The result is utterly convincing - leaving the reader free to be propelled along by the multi-threaded plot, which has quite a few twists. One, in particular, catches you out completely; but there are others, almost as good, which lose nothing in their effectiveness from being less unpredictable. Trainman is just a cracking good read!

From the first chapter, which deals with more detail than anyone should need to know about blowing up a bridge to the last climactic confrontation, this novel literally moves with the speed of a trainwreck. The identity of the terrorism as revenge culprit is well hidden and is not revealed until the final third of the book. The elements of political intrigue within the FBI, gender equity, and animosities between federal agents and local law enforcement personnel are woven together in what is a very interesting and highly entertaining story.

From my one-liner above, it's a tad obvious that I wasn't too crazy about this book. But I have the give the author credit for his knowledge of trains. I now know more about trains than I'd ever want to in this lifetime, but at least it shows Deutermann did his homework.

However this homework is exactly what made the book a yawner for me. Being no big fan of trains, I quickly tired of hearing the details surrounding trains and train operations. Some of it was interesting, but after awhile, it became a little too much.

The characters, were likeable, but not as much as some of the characters in other books by this author. However the dialog was good, as were the personality distinctions and the tight situations that the characters had get themselves out of.

The plot was plausible and in truth, the ingenious ways that the criminal element carried out their misdeeds did add a little spice to the book. There was also a little suspense as you wondered who would win the final battle of wits.

...Seems like if there's a woman and a man working together in novels these days, they have to have a relationship. They did. But the romance seemed a little forced since I don't know if people who find themselves dealing with the issues these characters dealt with would want to have a relationship.

If you have any interest in trains, you'll likely love this book. If you don't, you might still like it because there is a story there, and there is some excitement. But it's not a book I'd recommend primarily because of ...you guessed it...too much info on trains. However, because I've enjoyed other books by this author, I'll be in line with other book lovers if his next book covers a subject that I find of more interest.

The idea of an individual seeking to right a perceived wrong through violent means is something that many writers have used in the past, yet few have done it in as gogent a manner as this writer. The story begins with three dostinct story lines that converge, as the book progresses, into a real page turner. The chacters have depth and become more meaningful as the story is skilfully woven. The witer is from the South and his personal knowedge and lifetime experiences come through well in this work. It is easy to ascertain that he has spent a goodly amount of time in research and this does much to enrich the work. His time in the military has taught him much about beauracracies and the "back-stabbing" and the manipulation of people that is commonplace. The characters are strong and serve to make this book a most satisfying read.

An interesting read because of the subject matter, trains and bridges. We still have the FBI hunting a serial killer, but the bad guy is smart and really doesn't plan to hurt anyone, just the SOB railroads who have done him wrong. Too much time spent on a wacko army officer, detracts from the impact of the story. You'll enjoy the difference.

Something that puts me off about authors who use technical 'props' for their novels is innaccuracy: one slip, and it can sour the whole book. Deutermann's research into all the various elements which he ingeniously intertwines must have been exhaustive. You'd think he'd been on the railroads all his life - not to mention having been a State trooper, working for the FBI, while designing bridges in his spare time! The result is utterly convincing - leaving the reader free to be propelled along by the multi-threaded plot, which has quite a few twists. One, in particular, catches you out completely; but there are others, almost as good, which lose nothing in their effectiveness from being less unpredictable. Trainman is just a cracking good read!

I won't bother providing an overview of the book. You can get that from the jacket or other reviews found on Amazon.

I am a very picky reader and don't like to waste my time with bad literature. With this in mind, I felt this book started very slow and at a couple of points, I nearly put it down. Fortunately, I stuck with it and the suspense and tension in the story built like a freight train moving out of a rail yard. Once the book hit full speed, I didn't want to put it down. I literally hid it under stuff and hunched my shoulders to sneak in a little more reading while at work. When I finished the book, I was disappointed that the story was over.

This was the first Deutermann novel I read, but a day after finishing this one, I went right back to the library to get another. Look for my review of "Hunting Season" in the not-too-distant future.

I think that he got it all together in this novel - twin plots that grow like tropical vines toward each other, likeable and believable characters, a worthy villain, staged in a new/old setting - modern day freight trains, with taut pacing and continual buiding of tension. You will be disappointed when this one ends...is there no more? I especially relished the timing of when he reveals the villain's identity. This novel would be a great plane-trip read.

When a bridge is blown to pieces, the FBI wants a full-blown investigation. Assembling a team of two key players, Hush Hanson, and Carolyn Lang, the FBI wants answers for this act of terror.

As another bridge has exploded, the two will enter into a feud with many different angles. Hidden agenda's, and suspicion of terrorist acts explode, leading Hanson, and Lang on a collision course with the madman behind it all...the Train Man.

The tension is mounting, as a shipment of nuclear waste has been sent by train, forcing the pair to stop the Train Man before a horrible disaster.

"Train Man" is another exciting outing from bestselling author P.T Deuterman, although the book contains too much description on trains, it does sustain a suspenseful, action-packed story line. Fans of action/thrillers will be swept away by the non-stop action, and vivid descriptions...it reads as if you are watching a movie.

If you have not discovered Deuterman, do yourself a favor, READ him.

Nick Gonnella