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Has anyone here ever read any Jim Stringer mysteries by a British author named Andrew Martin? A friend tells me that as a trainfan I must read them! (though don't worry, RR Bill, I only read on the train after it is too dark to do anything else)
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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I haven't yet read Martin, but several of my fellow mystery novelists have mentioned him favorably. Here's the description on Amazon.com of his "Murder at Deviation Junction":
"From the author of The Necropolis Railway, The Blackpool Highflyer, and The Lost Luggage Porter comes another thrilling mystery featuring railway detective Jim Stringer. It is winter 1909, and Jim desperately needs his anticipated New Year's promotion in order to pay for a nurse for his ailing son.
"Jumping at any opportunity to impress his supervisor, Jim agrees to investigate a standard assault in a nearby town. But when his train home hits a snowdrift and a body is discovered buried in the snow, Jim finds himself tracking another dangerous killer. Soon he is on a mad chase to find the suspect, trailing him to the furnaces of Ironopolis and across the country on a dangerous ride to the Highlands.
"As pursuer becomes pursued, Jim begins to doubt he will ever get his promotion — or that he will survive this case at all."
Sounds pretty good to me. I'll have to order a couple of his books from Amazon.com.
Posts: 2236 | From: Evanston, Ill. and Ontonagon, Mich. | Registered: Feb 2007
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Yes, I recently read "The Lost Luggage Porter" which was very enjoyable though I do prefer the works of Edward Marston - same era, same types of mystery, only (IMHO) more readable. You might try - if you can find it - "Stories of the Railway" by Victor L Whitechurch. They have just had readings of these on BBC Radio 7 and they were great fun.
Posts: 211 | From: Norfolk England | Registered: Sep 2007
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Thanks for the recs. Any specific book by Edward Marson you recommend, Heatherite? Some of the titles do not seem to be about trains, but I do see one called The Iron Horse!
I could not find anything by Victor L Whitechurch in our library system.
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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Sorry to be slow in responding...the economy, you know...I read the Blackpool Highflyer a couple of months ago. It's Edwardian era England; Jim Springer is an engineer, so the train involvement is from that point of view. The mysery was only so-so, but I was reading it for the train experience. It's a light, quick read. I'd rate it a 7 out of 10.
Posts: 518 | From: Maynard, MA, USA | Registered: Sep 2000
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Unfortunately the Whitechurch novels are no longer easy to come by - perhaps your local library or Abebooks.com (or a similar older book site) might be able to oblige.
Re. Edward Marston, I very much enjoyed "The Railway Viaduct" but as an introduction to the series "The Railway Detective" is the first to feature his detective Robert Colbeck.
As always, one man's meat ... etc.
I've just seen this on Amazon: Dyke Darrel the Railroad Detective - The Crime of the Midnight Express by Frank Pinkerton. Don't know if anyone has read it?
Posts: 211 | From: Norfolk England | Registered: Sep 2007
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I obtained the first book in the series by both Martin (called Teh Necropolis Railway I think) and Marston (The Railway Detective). I began the Martin book & found it way too technical for my tastes, too much train engineering jargon, not enough travel info, also too much about his patronage, I just got bored (I bore quickly with books); though the writing was good, I'm afraid I put it down after a bit. Probably didn't give it enough time, but. . . . maybe I should try another in the series, Necropolis is too creepy anyways!
I've started the Marston book and so far am liking it better. It's set in early Victorian times, which is fine by me too, and there seems to be less train jargon (or, I can grasp what there is better). Writing again is good.
Thank you all for the tips!
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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