About 20 years ago, Rick Robinson urged me to read Edward Marston’s mysteries. Marston is a prolific writer who has written more than a 100 mysteries in various series. Inspector Colbeck’s Casebook (2014) collected a Baker’s Dozen of short stories featuring Marston’s Inspector Colbeck of Scotland Yard. All the stories in this collection involve trains–frequently someone getting murdered on a train–and Colbeck, and his partner Sergeant Victor Leeming, get called in to investigate.
While I found all the stories in Inspector Colbeck’s Casebook entertaining, I particularly enjoyed “Rain, Steam and Speed” which features Colbeck’s wife–a painter–who provides critical information to solve the case. Colbeck’s wife shows up again in “Puffing Billy” to assist her husband in another baffling crime.
If you’re in the mood for some historical mysteries set in the 1850s, The Railway Detective series delivers clever mysteries and a variety of characters. GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
PREFACE –7
Wetting the Coal: A train worker discovers a body in a coal trolley. — 13
Rain, Steam and Speed: A Turner painting is stolen during a train unloading. — 33
The Railway Church: A church warden’s Sunday routine is disrupted by a crime at St. George the Martyr Church. — 55
A Family Affair: Inspector Colbeck’s father-in-law has his wallet stolen. — 79
The Hat Trick: A newlywed couple searches for the spot of their engagement during a country walk. — 97
Helping Hand . — 119
Songs for a Swedish Nightingale . — 139
Suffer Little Children . — 157
The Missionary . — 175
On Guard . — 195
The Barber of Raven Glass . — 215
Puffing Billy . — 237
The End of the Line — 259
Sounds like it could be good fun.
Todd, I admire Marston’s attention to detail in these historical stories. I’m learning a lot about trains in the 1850s!
I have a few of his books on the shelves, never read him though. I think it’s because he is so prolific. One wonders whether there is any quality in so much quantity. Have you read any of his novels?
Neeru, I have read a number of Marston’s novels. His historical accuracy is solid and his stories are always compelling.
I also like stories set on trains. I guess it’s along the lines of why I liked locked room stories. Thanks.
Patti, Marston also mixes trains and locked rooms to great effect!
Good choice. I know I read some of his short stories, but I could not find it on my lists, so had to buy it. Blame George the Tempter. Besides, we have so many digital credits due to how much Jackie buys, that the $9.99 Kindle price only cost me $2.49.
I read a collection of his short stories from Crippen & Landru published in 2005. That might have had a Railway Detective story, or I might have read one in EQMM.
Jeff, I think I have that Crippen & Landru collection somewhere around here…
Jeff, glad George the Tempter still has his mojo! I accumulated digital credits, too. I rarely pay more than a couple of dollars for a Kindle book.
I grew up on a huge block with a switching yard in the center of it. It sounds awful but there was a wooded barrier and most of the train yard was on the opposite side of the block so our side was very nice. I grew up falling asleep to the click-clacking of trains through the night and nothing quite relaxes me like the sound of a train. On top of that, the idea of train travel has always seemed incredibly romantic to me.
This sounds quite appealing and I’ll look into it but I’ve already started my fall reading just to try and get through my Halloween stack in time for the holiday. Thanks for the tip.
Bryon, I have a fondness for railway mysteries and Marston’s are very entertaining! I grew up in a neighborhood with train tracks just a couple hundred yards away. I grew used to the horns in the middle of the night!
We have that where we stay in Florida too. I like the sound of the horn.
If you’ve ever seen Two For The Road, there’s a great scene after Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney have sex for the first time. She tells him she has a dream that a train drove right through the room. He tells her, “What big ears you have, Mr. Freud.”
She says, “I am NOT frustrated,” and he answers “Tell that to Freud. ”
She then pulls the curtain and a huge train goes roaring by, directly outside the window.
“Okay, you’re not frustrated.”
Jeff! classic train scene!!!