Murder on the Brighton Express

The Railway Detective #5

by Edward Marston

Librarian's note: There is an Alternate Cover Edition for this edition of this book here.

When the engines finally met, there was a deafening clash and the Brighton Express twisted and buckled, tipping its carriages onto the other line. It was a scene of utter devastation.

October, 1854. As crowds of passengers rush to make the departure of the London to Brighton Express, a man watches from the shadows nearby…

Chaos, fatalities and unbelieveable destruction are the scene soon after when the train derails just outside the Balcombe Tunnel. Could it simply be a case of driver error? Detective Inspector Colbeck thinks not. But digging deep to discover the intended target of the accident takes time, something Colbeck doesn’t have as the killer prepares to strike again.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Historical Mystery, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical, Audiobook

381 pages, Paperback

First published November 6, 2007

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

A pseudonym used by Keith Miles
AKA A.E. Marston

Keith Miles (born 1940) is an English author, who writes under his own name and also historical fiction and mystery novels under the pseudonym Edward Marston. He is known for his mysteries set in the world of Elizabethan theatre. He has also written a series of novels based on events in the Domesday Book, a series of The Railway Detective and a series of The Home Front Detective.


Series contributed to:
. Malice Domestic
. Crime Through Time
. Perfectly Criminal

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compelling read that tackled a couple of topics of interest to me and as relevant today as in 1854 when the tale is set. The first is how events are reported on by the press and their potential bias, and the second is attitudes toward immigrants expressed by people in authority. Much like today, people had their views and held on to them, being unwilling, or unable to try a different perspective.

Regarding the press, the following passage stood out especially: "You spoke to the press, Captain Ridgeon, and that was fatal. They always twist what you tell them." Then, he goes on to belabor his point by saying, "A man in your position should know that a newspaper reporter is a man who swallows nails and shits screws."

Then, regarding immigrants, in the following passage a politician is confronted for his rhetoric against immigrants: "You built up their hate [...] he died because of cruel words you say against all foreigners." However, the politician considers this 'balderdash' and even at the inspector's urging will not accept the consequences of his words or alter his speech in future, stating: "There's no room for sentiments in politics, Inspector. It's a hard world. A politician must have the courage of his convictions. I don't repudiate anything I've said."

There was a lot to think about, especially with what is going on in the world today as a comparison. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, the author develops interesting characters, and I learned about the railways, and attitudes of the people during that time period.

[Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this as much as the others in the series but still a good read! 3.5 Stars!

[Jazzy Lemon · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a train runs off the rails, this seems no accident, but a carefully crafted murder.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 stars

Again if you are looking for a fun light historical cosy mystery this might be the one for you. It is set in 1854 and has a proper high Victorian vibe eventhough not all characters are behaving as you'd think Victorians might.

[Adrian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lunchtime Listen June 2025

As ever with the Railway Detective books, these are a fun listen.

A good story, good characters and an easy listen.

In this episode, a driver, an acquaintance of our hero is blamed for causing a terrible le crash on the London to Brighton line that killed a number of Unfortunately the driver himself was killed , so is unable to defend his own driving. However his friends and Inspector Colbeck know he was a very safe conservative driver, and the guard who survived, swears that they were not going fast and that the driver saw something on the track seconds before they crashed.

Against huge opposition Inspector Colbeck convinces his Superintendent to let him investigate , what he sees as murder.

[Ralph · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author does a wonderful job of recreating both the era and the mindset of the period in which the story is set, though it’s inevitable that some anachronistic comments and attitudes appear from time to time. He also expertly recreates the experience of rail travel in the mid-Nineteenth Century, right down to the poor suspension of the carriages and the fish-plates on the rails. In this fifth installment of “The Railway Detective” series, two detectives from Scotland Yard investigate a derailing of the Brighton Express, an incident which they see as a deliberate act but which others see as nothing but an accident, eager to cast blame on the dead engine driver. The investigation bounces between London and Brighton. Suspects and red herrings abound in the suspenseful tale. Overall, I enjoyed the story very much and will probably look for other books in the series. If I have a quibble with the book, it is in the ending, which is why I give it four and not five stars. No spoilers allowed in my reviews, so suffice it to say that I take very seriously Ronald Knox’s Rules for Detective Stories, most especially the first one.

[Graham Tapper · Rating 5 out of 5]

This time, the Railway Detective is called in to investigate not just a single murder but the derailment of an entire train, but is it simply an unfortunate accident or something more sinister? Certainly the local investigators have already made up their mind: it was a blunder, and the engine driver was to blame. Colbeck isn't so sure, and this brings him into conflict with those who are not used to having their opinions challenged.

Colbeck persists, assisted by the estimable Sgt Leeming, and it soon becomes clear that someone on the train had enemies, indeed, more than one person. But, are either the target or is it someone else entirely? Certainly there are those who appear to have something to hide.

Marston's books flow smoothly and expertly. He is the master of the dangling come-on that forces you to read just another page. He is highly descriptive and I challenge any reader not to have a clear picture in their mind when reading him.

Highly recommended.

[Sara Marsden · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bit of a convoluted mystery but what annoyed me most is his tendency to speak about women of a middle class status with respect and any lower class women as if they were just objects (and his obsession with breasts is just tiring. He compared them to water balloons at one point). I genuinely think my 6 year old nephew could write about women in a more convincing way

[Craig Turnbull · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favourite Colbeck mystery. I have read a fair few of these now, and this one would go near to the bottom if I was to rate them

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good read, I felt the same frustration as inspector colbeck felt as he wasn't making any head way with the investigation, but went on to be a good read,

Ending felt very rushed though

[Wesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great mystery by Marston as per, and another hit for the Railway Detective series.

[Sian Wadey · Rating 2 out of 5]

My Mum recommended the Railway Detective books to me. They were a bit different and set in the 1800s. I quite enjoy historical novels, especially with a murder mystery twist.
Murder on the Brighton Express begins from the point of view of the driver of the fated Brighton Express just before it crashes with a goods locomotive. From this we follow DI Colbeck and DS Leeming as they solve what appears to be just a tragic accident.
To begin with I really enjoyed reading about long ago Brighton. Edward Marston spent a great deal of time describing the train station and the pavilion and it was easy to imagine what it would have been like.
The main problem I have with this book is that everything seems a bit one dimensional. The characters didn't really leap off of the page and the story itself was a bit flat. It took me a long time to read for the length of the actual book and I wasn't exactly gripped.
On the other hand there were sparks. I enjoyed reading about Rev. Ezra Follis and his going on, as well as Dick Chiffney and his girlfriend Josie Murlow. Those sections seemed to come to life much more than any of the police force. Maybe if I'd started with book one I would feel more for the characters, but all in all they were rather forgetful.
I'm afraid Edward Marston isn't on my wish list and I won't be reading anything of his any time soon. Maybe I'll revisit him in the future.

[Maria Thermann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although overall a very entertaining read, this Railway Detective mystery is not one of Marston's finest. In fact, I was not just surprised but rather annoyed to find that in the final few chapters Marston denies the reader the solving of his intellectual murder puzzle by suddenly introducing a villain - and another victim - the reader had never come across before.

Therefore, readers couldn't possibly deduce who the murderer was or what the motive for the horrendous deeds perpetrated throughout the book could be. If I submitted a short story or novel containing such an essential error to a writing competition, the judges would simply throw it out and not consider it, no matter how well written it might be!

This is an amateurish approach to crime writing - one that readers would expect to see from first-time novelists but not from a seasoned author with some 40 years+ experience like Edward Marston.

I closed this book with intense irritation, despite having enjoyed reading of Railway Detective Colbeck's romantic entanglements with the lovely artist Madeleine and Sergeant Leeming's nearly fatal sexual collision with one buxom lady of the night.

I'm awarding two stars only - purely on account of Inspector Colbeck's boyish charm and Sergeant Leeming's touching devotion to his family.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Railway Detective mystery! I really liked the mystery of this one because Colbeck has to hunt down someone who caused a railway crash, but he has to do it when there is doubt about whether there was an actual crime at all. I really liked the ins and outs of the mystery, as well as the other little mysteries (like what was going on with the Pastor). Poor Leeming got hit over the head again (I'm slightly worried about his brain) and we got to see more of Madeline Andrews.

I will say that as much as I like to see more of Madeline, I think Colbeck uses the flimiest excuses to involve her in his cases. Sometimes I see his reasons, like when he has a distressed female witness who would probably talk more to a sympathetic female face than a police inspector, but this time it was mostly to see someone's reaction to a beautiful woman. Also there was a lot of description about a woman's body throughout this book, but considering Leeming gets the same sort of description for his face, I'm willing to overlook it. 

4 stars for the actual mystery. 

[Malcolm · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is skulduggery afoot on the Brighton Express; it has mysteriously leapt from the tracks, collided with an oncoming train causing many deaths and much damage. Enter Robert Colbeck, hero of these engaging police procedurals, with his trusty Sergeant Victor Lemming – who distrusts the railway as much as Colbeck is a neophiliac. All the components are here: a perplexing accident that may or may not be an accident (Colbeck thinks yes, but the inspector of accidents disagrees) with several fatalities and more possible causes and targets. On top of this, there is a healthy set of rivalries in Brighton (where much of the narrative is centred) including a moral crusader of a preacher, a xenophobic politician, an unpopular railway official and more.

Yet, somehow this one does not come together, with last minute characters who turn out to be crucial, red herrings that feel forced and clumsy metaphor linking railways to the investigative process. Enjoyable but alas not very satisfying.

[Amy Paget · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great summer read. A superb detective story set in Brighton in 1854. All the elements are there -- the iron-fisted superintendent, the master detective and his acolyte...and the beautiful, talented, and independent girlfriend. This is the 5th book in the series...so I know what I will be reading on vacation! The settings are very well drawn. The railroad lore is sound and the insights into British life at various levels is fascinating. You'll be VERY surprised as to who is the REAL victim at the end of this book.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of these railway detective books I have read and although not a bad book I did find it pedestrian to a degree to the point that I won't desperately seek out another...however it wasn't so bad that I will avoid them at all costs if I see another at a charity shop.
It was just OK really...it is what it is...a detective novel set in the days of steam..nothing earth shattering but readable.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this may be the best of the Railway Detective books that I have read so far. Good plot twists and characters, what more could you want?

[Cindy B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this tale. Growing to like the author more. Recommended.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fifth instalment of the Railway Detective series yet again delivers a strong mystery to be solved – with Detective Inspector Robert Colbeck and Detective Sergeant Victor Leeming pitted against the Railway Inspectorate in a small twist when compared to his previous battles with the local constabulary.

The novel begins in 1854 with the driver and fireman of the Brighton Express – a steam locomotive from London to the seaside resort – with us reintroduced to Frank Pike, a character from the first book of the series, The Railway Detective.

Pike prepares for his first job on the Express and sets out a cautionary approach to the privilege. Yet, despite his best endeavours, the train is de-railed, killing and injuring many passengers, and Colbeck and Leeming are called upon by the London & Brighton Railway company to investigate.

As Colbeck fights to persuade the assigned representative of the Railway Inspectorate that a crime has been committed, we are introduced to a small line-up of suspects, and a shorter list of targets. It becomes a race against time for the Metropolitan Police to find the attempted assassin before they strike again.

The book is delivered with pace and gives the reader plenty evidence, testimony and characters to suss out. Amid the story is a brief dive into the political issues of the period – in this case, the Corn Laws and immigration – via the local Member of Parliament and his adversaries, as well as the intersection of state and religion. This does not take away from the book and continues to provide some colour to each of the characters against the Victorian Britain backdrop, building upon the relationship and more commonly demonstrating the professionalism of Colbeck as opposed to Leeming.

The story does, however, disappoint in the mystery, or lack thereof, in the argument between Colbeck and the Railway Inspectorate – that is, has a crime been committed? The Railway Inspectorate is of the view that Pike was speeding while Colbeck and Leeming believe the line was tampered with. To some extent, this matter is clarified for the reader in the first chapter, with Pike’s reaction to seeing something ahead, before the debate begins between the characters.

The use of Madeleine as an instrument of clue-gathering is also a disappointment and distressing. When compared to prior novels, which highlight Madeleine’s ability to extract information from victims and witnesses that Colbeck and Leeming are unable to, in Murder on the Brighton Express, her role is diminished to that of ‘looking pretty’ for Colbeck to see how a suspect reacts.

In addition to other unnecessary metaphors, the book cannot be marked highly for its portrayal of women. Aside from Madeleine, the only other female characters are referenced as love interests of men in the wife of Leeming, the adulterous passenger of the train, a prostitute, and others who become apparent later.

Nevertheless, if looking for a good crime mystery, Marston again provides a well-constructed novel that does keep the reader guessing right the way through, with a cast of likeable and dislikeable characters.

While the sub-plot does continue to build upon events in prior books, this novel would also be enjoyable as a standalone for any lover of a classic crime/murder mystery novel, particularly if you like a historical setting.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Friday in October 1854 the Brighton Express leaves London driven by Frank Pike, one of the most safety conscious drivers on the LB&SCR, but the train never arrives in Brighton as the train derails and crashes with an oncoming Ballast Train. Pike is killed, along with eleven other passengers and many seriously wounded. Inspector Robert Colbeck suspects that a the train may have been a derailed as the result of sabotage of the track but this puts him directly at odds with Capt Ridgeon the Inspector General of Railways who is determined to blame the crash on driver error.

Colbeck and Leeming divide their time between London and Brighton following certain people who were regular travellers on the Friday Brighton Express train and who may have been a target for the track saboteur, along with any ex-employees of the railway company who may have held a grudge and been prepared to carry out the damage. Several stand out characters emerge as possible targets, in particular Horace Bardwell a former managing director of the LB&SCR, Giles Thornhill an MP for Brighton and The Revd Ezra Follis, the vicar of St. Dunstan's. Follis being a known as an outspoken political opponent of Thornhill. Both men have made enemies and could easily be the intended victim but it becomes clear that Colbeck and Leeming are searching for two people, one the brains and one the brawn behind the plot. Their investigation takes them to both the wealthy and the poverty stricken areas of London and Brighton giving the plot the advantage of various locations as well as an interesting collection of characters all of whom were developed enough for the reader to have a response towards them and be engaged with them.

Historically this was an informative and relevant novel particularly in relation to the social uprisings in 1848 across Europe when Britain became the place where many refugees sought sanctuary and became successful in their new lives and clearly highlights the political discrimination and hostility felt towards them by Thornhill and his supporters and despite the almost 200 year distance seems to be a shockingly familiar position in the modern world:

“…Many people fled to this country for safety?
"Some of them came to Brighton and liked it so much that they seuled here. These are frightened refugees whom we should welcome with open arms,' said Follis with passion. 'All that Mr Thornhill can do is to stir up hatred against them. He has two main arguments. The first is that they are simply not British - an accident of Fate over which they have no control
- and the second is that they've prospered in their new country. Foreigners, he argues, are taking opportunities that rightly belong to people who were born here.' Judging by the report, his speech was almost inflammatory.'
It arose from a twisted patriotism, Inspector, and more or less incited people to join in a witch hunt…”

This is the best Railway Detective novel in the series so far. Firmly located on and around the railway (unlike the last one that focused more on horse racing) this was a great read and has put the series firmly back on track again for me. (No pun intended).

[Damaged Goods · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite a spirited attempt at capturing the Victorian age, the writing's just not right. The sentence structure is thoroughly modern, and the dialogue doesn't ring true at any point. This makes it an easier read, although clearly not a better read, but that doesn't make up for the lost atmosphere. Historical fiction is difficult to get right, granted; this didn't get it right.

Further, the grotesque descriptions of the villainess - clearly more loathed by the author than her violent associates - were deeply unpleasant; other characters were overweight, but Marston saved his disgust for her, in a way that made it hard to feel affection for the novel.

The poor ending (spoiler: it is impossible to guess the killer because he is not referenced in any way until the finale; there are at least clues to enable the reader to work out the victim and motive, but this is still an unforgivable lapse in a whodunnit) is another letdown. Not on, guv'nor.

All that to one side, it does feel like an adventure. It's individual, pacey, twisty - not bad qualities in detective fiction. Short of the mark, but not without any merit.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Murder on the Brighton Express - 2.5/5 (rounded to 3 for GR)
By Edward Marston

When I bought this book up I didn’t realise it was the fifth in a series. Sometimes when a series is well established it’s nice to start further in as the characters and background plots are much more developed and interesting - so I decided to give it a go.

I thought the first 60-100 pages were fantastic, however it only went downhill from there. I really liked how the incident happened right at the start of the book which made me want to read it - if it had taken ages for the incident to occur, I doubt I would have finished this book.

As I read towards the middle of the book - I felt an awful lot was padding, something to get the page count up! When we are finally introduced to the last villain - I was disappointed. I felt like he had been chucked in as an after thought, something to tie up the loose ends.

Not a book series I will try to finish.

[Steven Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

October 1854. As an autumnal evening draws to a close, crowds of passengers rush onto the soon to depart London to Brighton Express. A man watches from shadows nearby, grimly satisfied when the train pulls out the station . . . Chaos, fatalities and unbelievable destruction are the scene soon after when the train derails on the last leg of its journey. What led to such devastation, and could it simply be a case of driver error? Detective Inspector Colbeck, dubbed the railway detective thinks not. But digging deep to discover the target of the accident takes time, something Colbeck doesn t have as the killer prepares to strike again . .The fifth in this on going series on the career of Inspector Colbeck. There are very many different clues for Colbeck and Lemming to get through in this case.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detective Inspector Robert Colbert aka The Railway Detective investigates the derailment of the London to Brighton Express in October 1854. Is it simply driver error, or something more sinister?

The resulting story is a deliciously tangled web of death and destruction.

Edward Marston is a renowned author of historical mysteries, of which there are probably more of the Railway Detective than any other. Which is good, because this series has rapidly become one of my favourites.

The characters are well rounded and feel very real.

"Murder on the Brighton Express" is both well written and well researched. The result is a read that simply rockets along. much like the Brighton Express.

Highly recommended for fans of railway stories, Victorian stories, and detective stories.

[Scilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an 1854 British railway story. The Brighton Express has a bad accident, going off the tracks, and then hitting the oncoming train. The driver of the train is one of several who died, and the train company is saying it was his error. However, the fire man at the front with him says he was driving very carefully. The railway detective, Detective Inspector Colbeck at Scotland Yard is convinced the fire man is correct. Someone was trying to kill a particular man, and Colbeck and his Sergeant Victor Leeming must find out who was the man to die as well as who who actually engineered the derailing as well as who hired him. There were three men who were disliked for various reasons on the train that day, but finding the culprit takes time!

I really enjoy this series.

[Helene Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review - I love this series even more reading them directly one after the other. I think it allows you to really get into the heads of the characters. I enjoyed this mystery because it gripped me right to the end. I was a little disappointed with who the over-arching villain was however as I didn't feel there was enough build-up to it. I love the relationship between Colbeck and Leeming, as well as between the pair and Superintendent Tallis, as they constantly seem to rub up against each other, but you can see there is also some mutual respect there. This mystery was unusual in the series as, just about all of the way through, many people didn't believe there was a crime at all, which put new obstacles in the way of the investigators. Definitely worth a read if you love historical mysteries and even cosy crime!

Genre? - Historical / Mystery

Characters? - Robert Colbeck / Victor Leeming / Madeline Andrews / Caleb Andrews / Superintendent Tallis / Captain Ridgeon / Ezra Follis

Setting? - London & Epsom (England)

Series? - Railway Detective #5

Recommend? – Yes

Rating - 17/20

[Feri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I kinda had this "Agatha Christie" vibes when I picked up this book. It reminded me of her book, Murder on the Orient Express. Maybe because the title and book/story setting were similar. But their writting styles and the storylines are wayyy different from each other so I think it's because both stories are set on an express train.

Overall, I did enjoyed reading it. It's not a 5-star for me but I love it still. I'm fully aware this is not the first book but I think you can read it as a stand-alone. I'm genuinely curious about what happens next. But I'm still not sure if I want to buy the other books in the series though.

[Robert Hepple · Rating 4 out of 5]

First published in 2008, 'Murder on the Brighton Express' is the 5th in the popular 'Railway Detective' series set mainly in and around mid 19th century London. The plot here involves the malicious derailment of the London to Brighton Express, and the consequent deaths. Much of the tale therefore takes place either in London or Brighton. This story is not a who-dunnit, since way too many key characters are sprung on you for you too work it out yourself. But it is fast-paced, full of nice period detail and some great (if occasionally two-dimensional) characters. Enjoy.

[Chrystyna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Murder on the Brighton Express by Edward Marston - OK

Another lighter read and another outing for Detective Inspector Colbeck and Sergeant Leeming.

This time they are called in to investigate when the Brighton Express is derailed. The Railway's Investigator thinks it was a tragic accident but Colbeck is unconvinced. Was it an accident, vandalism or something more calculated?

The usual mix of incident and adventure before the case is solved. Nice easy read, although I'm not sure how many more of this series I shall bother with.

#review