Fear on the Phantom Special

The Railway Detective #17

by Edward Marston

Dark deeds for the Railway Detective to investigate

Halloween, 1861. A special train with two carriages steams across the Lake District at night on its way to a place notorious for its record of supernatural incidents. Most of those on board have been fortified by alcohol so the mood is boisterous. Without warning the lamp goes out in the last compartment of the second carriage, plunging it into darkness. When the train reaches the end of the line, the passengers pour out on to the station platform. There are almost sixty of them in all, laughing and jostling, but the prevailing excitement is shattered by a cry for help – someone is missing.

Inspector Colbeck and Sergeant Leeming are called in to investigate this peculiar occurrence. With some believing the missing man is the victim of a ghost said to haunt the site and no discernible trace of the man anywhere to be seen, this will prove to be a puzzling case indeed for the Railway Detective.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Mystery, Crime, Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction, Novels

313 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 24, 2019

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

[Paromjit · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first read of these old style Victorian Railway Detectives historical mystery series by Edward Marston. It is Halloween in 1861 and a special two carriage train is making its way across the Lake District at night, the destination is notorious, famed for its reputation for supernatural occurrences. The passengers are buoyant, well lubricated with alcohol that has fuelled the noisy high spirits on board. A fire on the tracks forces the train to stop and the last compartment on the second carriage is plunged into darkness when the lights go out. When the excited passengers disembark, it soon becomes apparent there is a passenger missing. Are supernatural forces at play? Two Scotland Yard detectives, Inspector Robert Colbeck and Sergeant Leeming arrive from London to investigate the disappearance of Alex Piper. Is there a connection with a 10 year old mystery of another disappearance? An entertaining if uneven read, ideal reading for this time of the year. Many thanks to Allison and Busby for an ARC.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

thanks to netgalley and the publishers for a free copy in return for an open and honest review


this the latest in the series to me has been the weakest and dull it had a few highlights but hoping this isn't the end of the line for the railway detective series. the novel wasn't up to the authors usual standards for this series and that was disappointing to me as read most of the previous novels in the series. felt the ending seemed a bit rushed as well

[Gerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspector Robert Colbeck and Sergeant Victor Leeming embark on one of their more unusual cases as they set off for Kendal, for a change, with the blessing of a more amiable than usual Superintendent Tallis.

It is Hallowe'en 1861 and Alex Piper has arranged a late night railway excursion to Hither Wood, a wood that is supposedly haunted by an unidentified phantom and where one of the local residents went missing some years earlier. Piper set out to show the people that there was no truth in the rumour that abounded about the wood but when a fire further down the line stops the train, Piper runs ahead to investigate ... but he is never seen again.

Colbeck and Leeming arrive in town at the request of Lord Culverhouse to try to find out exactly what has happened and immediately they discover tales of love intrigue, petty jealousies and family squabbles all of which confuse the issue as to what has happened to Piper and previously to Gregor Hayes, the first person who went missing in the wood.

While the detectives investigate, back home in London, Colbeck's wife, Madelaine is also involved in an investigation of her own as her father, former railwayman Caleb Andrews, has seemingly had property stolen from his house. Andrews is a cantankerous old devil and is determined to find the offender and get him punished but Madelaine takes over, in a more refined way, to pursue the investigation.

There is danger all around for Colbeck and Leeming as they interrogate all the suspects, and there are many, but in the end, as also happens with Madelaine's investigation, everything turns out fine aa the perpetrators of the crimes are revealed.

'Fear on the Phantom Special' keeps up the fine reputation of the Railway Detective series.

[Julian Worker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very readable story of 350 pages. The murderer(s) are not obvious at all. At various times I suspected most of the leading characters but none of them were the ones who dunnit! There is a slightly weird ending which to my mind needs some explanation and I hope there's a sequel explaining the ending. The only quibble is the method deployed to murder a character, which I think would have been heard by someone, but maybe not.
This is recommended and I especially like how there are two mysteries in one, one being investigated by Colbeck in the Lake District and another by his wife in London of a less serious nature.

[Sue Plant · Rating 4 out of 5]

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this quaint book

this book reminded me a little bit of Hercule Poirot...and i feel if you like those books then you will love this one

an old fashioned style book about a missing person who had the idea of a train ride on the phantom special and who disappeared after the train was stopped and he was seen running into a fire...

the village police are baffled but their noses are put as the lord of the manor called in for two london police officer
and from there the fun and games abound...

can this case be linked to another disappearance...

there are a lot of characters in this book but once they are sorted in your head its a lovely little story from a different time

[Thebooktrail · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've had a lovely weekend reading a few cosy crime books I've had put to one side for ages. This arrived this week but it went straight to the top of the pile as I've read most of the others in the series and really enjoy them.

They're cosy, they're slow paced and set in the world of the old fashioned railways but do you know something?The stories are always good and I just love spending time with the characters. The stories are set in and around the UK where the railways grew up and there's some really interesting railway heritage to learn about along the way.

This is apt for Halloween since it's set on a Phantom Special - a special train journey someone has booked to take them into the heart of the most haunted forest in the Lake District. Train gets very close but there's something on the line. The organiser gets off to investigate and is never seen again.

I quite fancy going on such a train journey! it sounds perfect for this time of year and when you learn about the haunted forest and the stories and legends there, it sounded an epic ride that's for sure. The story in the present day soon merges with that in the past and stories of folklore, faeiries and strange noises in the middle of the night spooked me but then we were soon in the cosy front room of one of the detectives so that was ok. The mix of train locations and cosy homely settings makes this series and this novel in particular a nice read.

I do love these characters! Quite a cast in this one but for me it's the Colbeck and co who make me smile.

It was a enjoyable way to spend a chilly afternoon with old friends.

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was sent to me to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

This book is a victorian novel about a detective and his side kick who go to the Lake District to solve a missing person mystery.
I'm not sure what I expected from this novel - I think I expected more of a spooky read than it was. I think the title mislead me somewhat.
It was a good story but lacked mystery and suspense that would of made it far more enjoyable.

[Charlotte Pawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set at Halloween 1861 a special train has been hired to go to local haunted woods a supernatural place with ghosts. The train is stopped by a fire on the tracks when Alex Piper goes to investigate he is not seen again. Inspector Colbeck and Sergeant Leeming are called from Scotland Yard by the local Lord Lieutenant (Alex’s Uncle) as they have expertise with railway mysteries. They are many suspects as Alex rubbed a lot of people up the wrong way. When they come across another suspicious disappearance 10 years previous in the same woods are they linked. This is a good old fashioned mystery set in the Lake District at a time people believed in ghosts and phantoms. You follow the solid work of the police in checking backgrounds and suspects and pulling aside the smokescreen to uncover the real truth. Throughout is a small case of a missing medal taken from the inspector’s father-in-law. Father and daughter believe they can solve this following in the Inspectors footsteps. This mystery is well worth pursuing to the very end.
I was given an ARC of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in 1861, wealthy Alexander Piper has organised a Halloween party with a difference - a trip on a special train to a wood where supernatural happenings have been noted. Suddenly the train stops and Piper disembarks to find a fire blazing down the track. He rushes off to investigate but vanishes into the night. Piper’s wealthy uncle Lord Culverhouse calls in the railway detective, Inspector Colbeck, to find out what has happened to his nephew.

This was a pleasant mystery with a variety of suspects and potential motives to be untangled. There wasn’t as much as usual about the railway itself, which was a bit of a shame, as I find the historical details to be a strength of this series. Instead, Marston focuses more on the attitudes of the aristocracy and their abuses of power. Still, it was an easy and enjoyable read in a likeable series.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5★

[Shannon McDermott · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this so quickly because I absolutely have to know what happened when it comes to detective books but it was so slow and uninteresting. I didn’t warm to any of the characters particularly and the ending was dull.

[Rabspur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Number seventeen in the Railway Detective series, as per all the previous books another good read this time Colbeck and his sidekick DS Leeming find themselves investigating two murders, easy read and recommended.

[Tiffany McCall · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was sent an eArc of this book by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I enjoyed reading this book. It was a nice whodunit mystery. However what I didn't enjoy were all the perspectives in the book. I believe most of them were unnecessary including the "mystery" the father in law had. It didn't add anything to the story & the multiple perspectives were jarring. I however did not guess the big twist of the story but it felt rushed. Some of the characters were well developed but others were just flat. I enjoyed the plot of the book but I wish it had been carried out better. I recommend this book if you are looking for a whodunit mystery with a surprise twist.

[Brian Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detective Inspector Robert Colbeck of Scotland Yard has earned the nickname of The Railway Detective because he has solved several major crimes connected with the railways of Victorian England.

In this story he is called to the English countryside to investigate the mysterious disappearance of Alexander Piper on Hallowe'en. Piper vanished into a wall of fire which suddenly appeared in front of his train, which was dubbed the Phantom Special. Colbeck and his loyal sergeant Victor Lemming travel to England's Lake District to solve the mystery. Piper's a troublemaker with many enemies, but is protected from any consequences of his bad acts: he's he nephew of Lord Culverhouse, a powerful local aristocrat. Colbeck and Lemming chase down clues and interview many people from a collection of interesting characters. There's plenty of false starts, diversions and red herrings, before the culprit is unmasked, in a subdued but fatal conclusion.

The story is told against a background of the natural beauty of the Lake District and its people. Readers get a view of life in rural England in Victorian times. Unlike some other Victorian mysteries (e.g. Anne Perry), the social commentary is thin. There's some commentary about the debates over building the railways into the countryside. One of the characters, a poet, is an avid opponent of their construction. The gentry does not escape getting an unflattering portrayal: it's not too much disclosure to reveal that Lord Culverhouse cannot be left alone with young women.

This is the 17th in a series (plus a collection of short stories) and has numerous recurring characters from previous books. While it helps to have read a prior book to be acquainted with the backstories this one can be read as a standalone without difficulty.

Marston is a good storyteller. This is a fast-moving story that is enjoyable and entertaining. Recommended

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are several cases being investigated concurrently in this latest Inspector Colbeck book.
Inspector Colbeck and Sergeant Leeming are summoned to the Lake District by a local nobleman to investigate the crimes. Firstly, there is the mysterious disappearance of Alexander Piper, nephew of Lord Culverhouse. Secondly, there is the disappearance of the blacksmith, Gregor Hayes. Then, back in London, Colbeck's father-in-law had his prized medal stolen and this incident is investigated by Colbeck's wife, Madeline, and her friend, Lydia Quayle.
Up in the Lake District, Colbeck and Leeming are investigating two disappearances and are seemingly being led up the proverbial garden path. There are several potential suspects, all of whom have at least one good reason for wanting Alex Piper out of their lives. The only people who appear above reproach are his parents, Archdeacon Piper and his wife Emma and the young woman Alex is soon to marry, Melissa Haslam.
Eventually, after several attempts to obtain the truth from the various suspects, Colbeck and Leeming confront the perpetrator. As in the case of Caleb Andrews' medal theft, the person I least suspected turned out to be the one who committed the crimes.
I like Edward Marston's characters. He makes them seem like normal people, capable of making mistakes, before coming to the right conclusion.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good overall but not as good as other entries in this series. My main complaint is that Superintendent Tallis is hardly in this book at all. Thankfully there’s not much of Victor bemoaning not being with his family. After 11 years and 17 books we’ve got the point now that he doesn’t like going out of London.

The mystery itself is pretty good and there’s the usual 4 or 5 suspects to choose from. I’ll admit I was surprised at who it was but am thankful that is wasn’t someone who popped out of nowhere in the last chapter although his assistant did just that.

The other plot concerns Caleb Andrews whose character I quite like. It was a good little side plot but I was disappointed at how it ended. I’d also hoped for a little furthering of constable Hinton and Lydia Quale.

There was no real wrap up to the main story at the end with the detectives and the superintendent which disappointed me. As others have said the ending felt rather rushed. Also I’m not sure what the point of the “black cloaked runner” is who is mentioned a few times throughout but never explained.

Overall 3 out of 5 stars.

[Johnny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the “railway-related” mystery in Fear on the Phantom Special is only tangentially related to railway operations, it is a welcome addition to the “Railway Detective Series.” Edward Marston is a prolific modern writer with this series of 19 novels and counting, set in the days of steam locomotives, as well as the “Home Front Detective Series” of at least eight (8) novels set in WWI, the “Bow Street Rivals Series” of five novels set in Georgian England, the 11 book “Domesday Series” placed in the time of William the Conqueror, the six (6) books of the “Restoration Series” representing the era of Charles II with its protagonist, Christopher Redmayne, the 16 volumes set in Elizabethan England and associated with protagonist Nicholas Bracewell, and the five (5) “Captain Rawson” books for the adventurers of a rakish adventurer/spy during the War of Spanish Succession. That quick survey demonstrates not only the wide variety of historical mysteries available from this author but his dedication to history.

Fear on the Phantom Special begins with a disappearance under strange circumstances, a Halloween excursion to a haunted clearing in the woods where the train is blocked by a bonfire along the way. One doesn’t know whether the subsequent mystery is more of a missing person or a murder as the plot shows the missing person as having a bushel of enemies. Inspector Robert Colbeck and his conundrum-unraveling comrade, Victor Leeming, have their work cut out for them since the small town seems to be a target-rich environment for suspects. Couple this with Colbeck’s conviction that the disappearance has some ties to a ten-year-old unsolved disappearance case (though no one else seems to think it is relevant) and there are numerous avenues to explore. Add in the alleged supernatural elements and Leeming’s willingness to give in to supernatural uneasiness, and you have a recipe for a very entertaining book.

As with any mystery (and Marston is better at accomplishing this than some), the reader does well to remember that those suspects who seem the most helpful may also be the most self-serving. In Fear on the Phantom Special, there are many helpful suspects, as well as many who seem defiant, haughty, and obstreperous. As much as we might like the latter to be the guilty party(ies), experienced mystery readers know that this is rarely the case. To be honest, I zeroed in on one of the helpful suspects right away with a hedge on a suspect who is discarded early on (seemingly prematurely). I was wrong on both counts and very delighted to have been fooled by Marston’s artistry.

One of the great advantages of reading historical fiction is observing how differences in cultural assumptions and social roles may complicate criminal investigations which would be more straightforward in today’s world. The undue interference of a petty aristocrat or the underestimation of a female character/suspect could easily derail an investigation. Even in this novel, considerations of romantic reactionaries opposed to the advancement of technology has its impact on the investigation.

There is also a side mystery dealing with Colbeck’s wife and father-in-law. Although I appreciate its inclusion for the sake of continuity in the series, it wasn’t really a very satisfying “side quest.” The solution was rather obvious, though I had the wrong spouse in mind as the culprit.

Best yet, even though Colbeck and Leeming are able to solve the fundamental problems of the case, there is an intriguing scene which undermines their satisfied complacency in the final pages. I like that open-ended aspect (even though I was obviously wrong in my assumptions about this phenomenon’s identity). Such minor twists have a tendency to add to my pleasure. Fear on the Phantom Special may not be the best of the “Railway Detective Series,” but it’s still in a high percentile.

[Helen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fear on the Phantom Special did not read up to the usual Edward Marston standards. There is a LOT of filler in this one; the story is very thin, the middle drags, and everything could have been resolved in a lot fewer pages.

The plot: Alex Piper disappears in a ball of flame in the first few pages, after chartering a train with his friends for a fun-filled Halloween excursion. Could something supernatural have caused his death? Well, it’s up to Robert Colbeck, the celebrated “Railway Detective” (on his seventeenth case), to put that idea aside and find the real culprit, aided by his faithful sidekick Sergeant Victor Leeming. Who can be guaranteed to spend the whole book complaining. That’s nothing new.

There aren't any new tricks in Fear on the Phantom Special. Mr. Marston follows his usual formula of setting a scene, bringing his wife, Madeline, Madeline’s father, Caleb Andrews and his constable in, and having his boss, Superintendent Tallis, go on about it all. There’s nothing earth-shattering about the characters or the situations in this book. But this time strange things do happen at Halloween. For once, Superintendent Tallis is actually civil; he’s been on a long leave of absence. But the new, happy Superintendent is probably not sticking around.

Alex liked his pranks – did he cause his own disappearance? Is this an elaborate hoax? Although the missing man had a lot of enemies. There’s even an ex-girlfriend.

There’s always a secondary story in these books, and this one involves Madeline’s father and a missing medal. In fact, this particular plot just bogged down everything, and her annoying father just became more and more annoying as the story progressed. I could do with a lot less of him.

There are a lot of possible suspects, and an inquiry into the disappearance 10 years before of the town’s blacksmith – which Colbeck begins to suspect is connected to the present case. The killer is quite a surprise, but Colbeck did mention that that would probably be the case. But then, men who are after all kinds of women leave a lot of trouble in their wake.

Finally, I guess since the story is set at Halloween, Marston throws in a black-clad figure running around, which seems entirely superfluous and silly. If it was meant to confuse, it doesn’t.

Hopefully, we're back to a tighter, more focused story in the next book. I'll be looking forward to that.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for a copy of this book, in exchange for this review.

[Anne Szlachcic · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the latest book by the Author in his Railway Detective series - having read the first two books I was looking forward to this one .
However I was slightly disappointed …….. where was the usual flow to the storyline , where were the well developed characters ?
That being said the premise of the book was good - Alex Piper disappears in a ball of flame , after chartering a train with friends for a Halloween excursion . What caused his death ?- it is up to Railway Detective , Robert Colbeck , aided by his faithful sidekick Sergeant Victor Leeming to search for the truth .
As usual their were other side stories to distract from the main event (which I don't always find necessary to the stroyline ).
Strange things happen on Halloween , perhaps they are Supernatural in nature , perhaps the whole event is an elaborate hoax - is Alex really dead ?
It will take all of Robert and Victor's ingenuity to solve the case .

I hope that the Author manages to bring more life to his characters in his next book - which I will be pleased to read .

I was given an ARC of this book by Netgalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[M.K. Aston · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another nice little mystery from Edward Marston, this time set in the Lake District. As ever, the railway is a factor in the tale and I must say I enjoy the way the author makes it an important ingredient in each story.

Marsden isn't an author to saturate his readers in detail, rather keeping this aspect of his narrative fairly lean and yet providing just enough description of say a location or a character to enable the reader's imagination to fill in the rest. It makes for an uncluttered narrative and helps the pace of the piece and with each chapter split into numerous little scenes, it's a little like watching a film.

I'm a big fan of these Railway Detective novels and have read several now and while this one introduces an element of the supernatural - phantoms roaming the fells and hills of Cumbria - I was left mildly disappointed with it all. The mystery itself was interesting and the characters fine but I did feel the resolution came about a tad swiftly. Not that it ended in a Scooby-Doo kind of way but I think I was expecting just a little more.

On the plus side, it certainly kept me guessing until the last possible moment!

[GBL · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another classic mystery in the Railway Detective series has Colbeck and Leeming in the Lake District searching for a missing local man, who disappeared on a Halloween Night excursion.

The Halloween train was taking a party of thrill seekers on a ghostly journey to a haunted wood when the train is halted by a fire on the line. Alex Piper, a local gentleman, who has organised the outing runs towards the fire and disappears. The disappearance brings the Railway Detective and his assistant to investigate. As they question the people in the area, it becomes clear that Piper was disliked by many and there are several suspects who wanted rid of him. As ever, the crime is solved successfully with the solution of two linked murders.

The story is basic and the characters are relatively straightforward but Marston always creates an interesting story and solution to the puzzle. I felt the ending here seemed rushed with little attention given to the reaction and results from the identification of the murderer and the confirmation of Alexander Piper’s death.

[Trick Wiley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was given to me from Net Galley,who I am so glad that they do this! I have been doing reviews for them for almost a year now and I really enjoy doing this because it has given me a chance to read new books before they have ever been published! This story I found out is a series which I didn't know,see, learned something new right there. I enjoyed this time in history where the stories take place investigating crimes with the help of his friend,his so called "side kick". The characters are some what interesting but kinda of boring where I thought that they would be more interesting due to the type of crime and status of people involved. I did read the whole book as promised but struggled with some of it where I was not being able to build my interest. Some of it was pretty intriguing,not all bad. Was surprised in some areas but not very many. It may be fantastic to others but it really wasn't for me. I thought at first I would read more of the series but have changed my mind after reading this one! Thank you again for the opportunity to read this book!! I will put three stars it's in between two and three to be on the fair side I will do three!

[BreeAnn (She Just Loves Books) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was really hard for me to connect with. I have never read a book by this author and I think his writing, just wasn't my style. I think the story was interesting, everything just felt very disjointed. One paragraph would be a scene with a certain character, and then the next paragraph would be a scene with some other character, and I had a hard time following it.
It's 1861 and a Ghost Ride on a train has been organized for a group of friends. The train never makes it to its destination, as a fire is on the tracks up ahead and the train must stop. One young man runs into the flames and disappears. The railway detective and his investigative teammate must work to find the answer to this mystery.
Where has the boy gone? What happened to him? What it a paranormal incident?

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series and I loved this instalment even if I think it's not the best one in this series as it's a bit slow paced at times.
The historical background is well researched as usual, the cast of characters well written and interesting and the mystery is solid, full of twists and turns and suspects.
What I really liked was the atmosphere, a bit bleak and sometimes creepy, and the description of the town, full of secrets and underground tensions.
Even if there's a lot of backstory this novel can't be read as a stand-alone and it'd be better to start from the beginning.
I look forward to reading the next instalment in this series.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

[Steven Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Halloween 1861. A special train with two carriages steams across the Lake District at night on its way to a place notorious for its record of supernatural incidents. Most of those on board have been fortified by alcohol so the mood is boisterous. Lighting inside the carriages is poor and without warning, the lamp goes out in the last compartment of the second carriage, plunging it into darkness. When the special reaches the end of its journey, the passengers pour out on to the station platform. There are almost sixty of them in all, laughing and jostling. The prevailing excitement is shattered by a cry - a dead body has been discovered in the seats. This will prove to be a very puzzling new case for the Railway Detective.
Read preview >

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read every book in this series and they have all been fantastic. I do not know what happened with this book but it was awful. While the identity of the culprit was a surprise the story of the case just plodded along and was much too long. In addition, the side story with Madeline’s father and the lost medal could easily have been left out completely. With each successive book her father becomes more and more annoying. Also missing in this story was the assistance that Madeline invariably gives her husband in solving cases. There was virtually no interaction between them in the entire book. I have high hopes for a better effort next time!

[Julie Rhinehart · Rating 5 out of 5]

On Halloween a fateful train excursion takes place and Alex Piper disappears into a wall of fire. What happened to him? Did the Phantom that haunts the woods get him? As two detectives from Scotland Yard, Inspector Robert Colbeck and Sergeant Leeming, look into his disappearance you are drawn into a masterfully written mystery along with another 10 year old mystery they stumble upon while solving what happened to Alex. I found this to be an enjoyable read even in spots where it was a little slower. It kept me guessing until the very end.

Thank you NetGalley and Edward Marston for this edition and hearing my honest review. Looking forward to reading more with you
#partner

[Helen Birkbeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a few stories in which Victor's pining for his family and Andrews' stupidity were getting a bit annoying, this returns to the high level of the earlier books and provides a mystery that really kept me guessing to the very end, set in an area I love very much, the Lake District.

All the characters are believable and well drawn, although Caleb must surely be a narcissist! i know there are other railway detective series that give more technical details (I have tried a few!), but for a fairly light read with good characters, interesting plots and a period background I don't think Marston can be beaten.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

With this seventeenth instalment of the Railway detective series, there is now a definite formula to the books. Two parallel stories one concerning the investigation of Inspector Colbeck and Sergeant Leeming and the other usually involving Colbeck's wife Madeline. This is in no way a criticism - the series is enjoyable with familiar characters and I feel they are quite a light escapist read.
In this story Colbeck and Leeming are dispatched to Cumbria to investigate the disappearance of a man off an excursion train around Halloween. In a separate story Madeline with the assistance of her friend, help her father find the culprit responsible for stealing a treasured medal.
The story moves on at a good pace and I didn't see the guilty parties before the reveal.

[Robert Hepple · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published in 2019, 'Fear on the Phantom Special' is another in the 'Railway Detective' series of murder/mystery stories set in mid-19th century England and featuring DI Robert Colbeck of Scotland Yard. This tale sees him investigating a disappearance on a railway journey in the Lake District, where the investigation is hampered by the number of people trying to blame the event on supernatural causes. As usual, a side-plot of a minor mystery involving Colbeck's wife and father-in-law runs concurrently with the main plot. As usual, a flimsy main plot is made enjoyable by some excellent characterisations.