The Railway Detective cover art

The Railway Detective

The Railway Detective, Book 1

 Preview

Get 30 days of Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30-day free trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options
Buy Now for £11.99

Buy Now for £11.99

About this listen

The thrilling first case for the railway detective.

London, 1851. With the opening of the Great Exhibition at hand, interest in mounting in the engineering triumphs of the railways, but not everyone feels like celebrating....

In an audacious attack, the London to Birmingham mail train is robbed and derailed, causing many casualties. Planned with military precision, this crime proves a challenge to Detective Inspector Robert Colbeck, who fights to untangle a web of murder, blackmail and destruction.

As Colbeck closes in on the criminal masterminds, events take an unexpected turn when the beautiful Madeleine, daughter of the injured train driver, becomes a pawn in the criminals' game. With time running out, good and evil, new and old, battle against each other. But will the long arm of the law have speed on its side?

Full of historical detail, The Railway Detective is an action-packed dip into murky 1850s London.

©2009 Edward Marston (P)2021 Allison & Busby Ltd Crime Detective Fiction Historical Mystery Police Procedural Traditional Detectives Railroad England Exciting
All stars
Most relevant
I love historical fiction and the sense of period and this book was quite good on changes in mid-Victorian England. It also had a plot that was entertaining. However, I didn't find the narration very convincing and at times irritating. The characterisation was poor and at times, distractingly so. I might look at another book in the series but not if it has the same narrator. I'm sure the narrator is a talented actor, I think he's wrongly chosen for this book.

Entertaining enough to make me want to finish

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Immediately disliked the narration intensely and had to up the speed! As others have said, the story was pretty predictable and some of it felt quite lazily written.

‘Ok’

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Well folks the actual story was quite good so tick in the box there. A lots been written about the reading of. Firstly would like to say, the actual characters and different voices were ok. I knew who was who etc. it's the in-between part I think folk are commenting on. And I have to say it was pretty dire. But I will say as a man who suffers with Tinnitus and hearing problems. That I had no trouble with picking up the words spoken. very clear and precise, but yes a bit pants. But could of been worse.

off the rails

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Ok sort of story spoiled by terrible narration. The voices of the people was not consistent and the delivery I thought was rather slow.

Generally poor

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
its OK, not a bad story sadly spoiled by bad narration. luckily looks like the rest are read by somebody else so might try the next one.

its ok

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews