The Railway Detective by
A.E. Marston
hbk out February 04
Published by Allison Busby
at £17.99
Already acclaimed for three substantial series of historical detective novels (the
Redmayne mysteries, the Nicholas Bracewell series and the Domesday Books) the
prolific Marston has now turned his attention to the mid-19th century and created a
new protagonist. Inspector Robert Colbeck is the 'unrivalled dandy of Scotland Yard'.
He is also a gifted and persistent detective ('during an investigation leisure did not
exist for Robert Colbeck') with a particular enthusiasm for rail travel – perhaps the
latter quality marks this out as a book set a long time ago! The starting point of the
story is a mail train robbery and soon a complicated plot begins to unfold. Far from
merely providing background colour, the new railway system is at the heart of the
story. Colbeck, never without his copy of 'Bradshaw', is equal to the mystery and
earns himself the sobriquet of 'The Railway Detective'. This book is well up to
Marston's usual standard and his fans have every reason to hope that he will soon be
chronicling more adventures of his latest hero.
(
Martin Edwards
- author of the highly acclaimed Harry Devlin Mysteries)
The Railway Detective by
A.E. Marston
