The train

by Roger Wheatley

The stalled train is their world. The heat is monstrous, and one currency, water. But who has control? The only witness, a dingo watching from the saltbush, curious, solitary for now. And the way out? A journey across the endless plain through the shimmering heatwaves. And what awaits anyone brave enough to attempt it?

The Train is a story of survival, perseverance, and human endeavour. It explores the best and worst of our behaviour and asks the question, which person would I be?

What reviewers have said:

"The Train is a suspenseful masterpiece that will stay with you after you are finished reading it."

"The survival strategies are extraordinary. The plot is intense, and the action is brutal."

"Australia's harsh and beautiful desert is the perfect setting for this visceral thriller."

305 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 21, 2020

About the author

Roger lives in Ngunnawal country, in Australia's capital, Canberra, with his wife, a dog who thinks he's a cat, and a cat who thinks she pays the mortgage. His sons have left the nest.

He left school at sixteen to work on a cattle station in Australia's wild north, followed by a range of jobs that mostly involved blisters and bad language.

Education came later in life and was followed by new experiences, including work with Australia's foreign aid program, and time spent working in Papua New Guinea.

His stories tend to be built around the places which have struck a chord along the way, often smaller, isolated settings, harbouring interesting and colourful characters who he loves to bring to life in his stories.

Reviews

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a dystopian, post-apocalyptic story (I think) not my usual reading fare but I was aiming for something different, and got it. It is the story of the survival, or not, of the passengers and crew of a train that stops suddenly and unaccountably in the Australian outback. It’s not a pleasant place to be stranded. It soon dawns on everyone that help will not be coming in the immediate future, so how do they react?

What I liked about the book was that it explored the lengths people will go to in order to survive. What I didn’t like about the book was that it explored the lengths people will go to in order to survive! I think you can work out what that means. The harsh environment is a huge factor in the story, the heat is relentless. Food and water is limited, and the outback’s cleaners - dingoes, are ever present, drawn by the smell of rotting meat. For those who don’t know, dingoes are wild native dogs, some are solitary and some hunt in packs!

What I found odd was that there was no sense of time or place. I deduced where the train was stranded and I deduced it was the Indian Pacific which runs between Sydney and Perth but non-Australians may be thinking it is up north (it’s not). Another odd thing is that until about 90% into the book people are not referred to by name, rather by what they do - the matron, the captain, the miner, the soldier etc. we also don’t get much of a sense of why everything stopped working. Towards the end there is a vague reference to...something but no detail. I would have preferred more clarity about the cause and the outcome of it all. The story itself was good but the lack of clarity makes it a three star read for me. Thanks to BookSirens for providing a copy to review. My opinions are my own.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating exploration of the human psyche - Australia's harsh and beautiful desert is the perfect setting for this visceral thriller. Thoroughly enjoyed!

[Mrs LIR Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I chose to read this book because I have recently taken a train trip across Australia.
The portrayal of the different class wagons' passengers struck a chord with me. I, my spouse and 2 friends would have been one of the older 'Platinum' characters (those that struggle against a physical stinger youth).
The train stops in the middle of the country (nowhere) and then the story develops seen through the eyes of different people. Only a few are given names and the others are described by their past roles.
This is the story of selfishness versus group resilience. Those that try and get help and their many tribulations, those that endure the situation, those that give up and those that lose their humanity.
I was engrossed in the story, rooted for some of the people, cried for others, wanted to anhilate some and kept hoping....
I do not want to spoil the book for others... these is an excellent story please read it.

And yes once Covid is under control I would love to take another train trip across Australia. The desert is gorgeous and frightening and best seen from a working train, with oodles of water.

I received a free copy of this book and my review is voluntary. Thank you Linda.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading a book from a new author is often like buying a new pair of shoes. At first you are drawn to something in particular (style, appearance, recommendations, etc.), and then you take a leap of faith and decide to try it. In the beginning you are not sure, as it has taken you outside your comfort zone. Perhaps it feels "different" or creates brief moments of doubt, but the more you get used to it, the more comfortable it feels. This is the way I felt reading this book. I have never read a story by Mr. Wheatley and I was somewhat overwhelmed by the numerous characters and a setting I was completely unfamiliar with (trains, the Australian outback, etc.). However, the more I read, the more invested I became in the story.

This book took me back almost 35 years, to a time when I read Lord of the Flies in high school. There are many parallels between the two novels, and this definitely enhanced the experience for me. I also enjoyed the similarities between the survival of the dingoes and the humans they encountered. This post-apocalyptic story of survival drew me in and kept me on the edge of my seat. I am looking forward to reading more from Mr. Wheatley in the near future.

* I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Clive · Rating 5 out of 5]

A vivid read! Immediately plunges you into an untenable situation - trapped on an immobile train in one of the least hospitable places on the planet. The situation is tenuous and the sense of doom is palpable. As things begin to slide, the desert takes on the dual role of adversary and dreamscape, across which the protagonists must travel in search of salvation and an answer to the mystery of what has happened to the outside world. To describe my favourite scenes would spoil them. Just read it!

[Stephen Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book captured my interest from the start and held it throughout despite the inevitability of some aspects of the unfolding story.

I enjoyed the way the context in which the story is taking place and the situation that the protagonists are in is slowly revealed and how the central characters also slowly develop. There is throughout the book, a good mix of what is made known and what remains unknown i.e. to be revealed as the story progresses. In other words whilst I had a reasonable sense of what was going on my curiosity as to how things would play out was maintained through to the end.

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love dystopian fiction, however usually something that's not too far out there. This hit the mark! Great character development. Fast paced, twists and turns, this was a quick read. I really enjoyed the authors writing, clear and concise. Very atmospheric without getting mired down in too much detail. I don't know if this is the type of genre this author usually writes, but I'd be interested in reading more from this author.

Thanks to BookSirens for an advanced copy of this book for an honest review.

[RobLovesBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strangely uninteresting/bland and boring. The Miner and the woman on the bike (Sue?) were the only 2 characters I cared about. Tattoo and the Gang :super fukking annoying. Dingoes chewing up the dead......59 pages of that got tiring. Southern Cross: Mentioned 16 times. The railway hand cart thing that seem to traverse 100's of miles and back in a week. The transition with characters and the story multiple times in one chapter was confusing. The Virus:(yawn). No drama.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gruesome, post-apocalyptic fun, with goodies, baddies and a dingo. A great page turner. Wheatley’s best yet!

[Julia Maxwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story about the human will to survive under unbearable conditions. The human psyche is explored from it’s compassionate best to it’s horrific and greedy worst. The story starts with a train full of passengers stopping dead in the remote Australian outback without explanation. Multiple storylines evolve for the passengers as they struggle against the harsh elements and wildlife to live. The suspense builds with the reader wanting to know what has caused this disaster and if anyone will survive.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Tam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a compelling read, that I found I did not want to put down! Great, multi-faceted characters. Very interesting plot. Vivid descriptions Suspenseful and thrilling. I felt every emotion. Kept me intrigued from the first page to the last. Simply a GREAT read!

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

[Luke Ingram · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book which grabs you right from the start. Wheatly has a unique style and I find all his books are hard to put down. Highly recommend The Train.

[Samantha Fink · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars*

Thanks to BOOKSIRENS for an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is truly one of a kind. The synopsis was very intriguing, yet I didn’t really expect much when heading into this book. Thankfully, I turned out pleasantly surprised.

I loved the author’s choice of constantly changing perspectives. Normally, I would think it to confusing, but for this book it really worked. It made it a lot more entertaining and engaging. We even switched from 3rd person to 1st person and back again, which I don’t see very often. We even saw perspectives from the animals in the environment, which was a very interesting choice, but it really added to the story.

The author did a good job of describing the environment and how it effected the characters. In fact, there was a good description of most things in the book, including characters looks, personality and background. We also had a good variety of relationships. However, I didn’t really like the sex scene towards the end. It wasn’t needed and felt like it was added just to add it. There had really been no previous relationship between characters. Don’t particularly like when authors do that.

There was a good amount of action and progression of plot, but it was a bit slow. Not extreme but noticeable. I also liked that we started off right into the action. There wasn’t all the boring build up to what we already knew was going to happen if we had read the synopsis. Good choice on the author’s part.

We could also feel the stakes of what was happening to the characters. I wouldn’t say I was too connected with the characters but that could just be me. Overall, a nice, well thought out book.


FYI: This book is 18+. There is a detailed sex scene (which I skipped) and there is constant use of profanity. There is also a good amount of violence and gore.

[Shahira8826 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher BookSirens for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. It has been published in September 2020.

"The Train" by Roger Wheatley is undoubtedly the best horror novel I've had the pleasure to stumble upon this year.
It should be advertised as such, not as a thriller.
I was hooked since the very first page and until the very end I couldn't put it down.
It reminded me a bit of Jack London's "White Fang", a bit of Joe Lansdale's "The Drive-In" and of course of William Golding's "Lord of the Flies", but at the same time, Roger Wheatley's "The Train" is quite different from any of its predecessors. It has its own, unique flavour.
The premise is surprisingly original in a subgenre - apocalyptic horror - in which so many authors tend to repeat rather than innovate. When the end of the world as we know it arrives, the passengers on an Australian train are left stranded in the middle of the desert, with a limited supply of food and water and several days of walk between them and the closest human settlement.
The plot is simple and brilliant: it follows the huge cast of characters in their fight for survival against hunger, thirst, and the implacably harsh setting they've been thrown into.
The characters are awesome, all of them, even the minor ones who only appear in a scene or two (and even the non-human ones). They have strikingly complex and diverse personalities (yes, even the dingoes). The thing that amazed me the most while I was reading was, these people (and animals) do incredible things, yet their behaviour appears perfectly believable under the extraordinary circumstances they find themselves in. And did I mention that they're unforgettable? I feel like the Captain, the Matron, the twins, Ticky, Tattoo, and everybody else will stay with me long after finishing the book.
But what really made me fall in love with this novel was the writing style. I'm not usually a fan of the omniscient narrator, but I think it suited this particular story perfectly. Even the choice of keeping most of the characters unnamed until near the end of the book, which sounds a bit odd when one puts it like that, made perfect sense in the story.
The accurate, precise vocabulary brilliantly complemented the hard, dry, sharp pace of the narration.
The only small fault I can find in this novel is the misuse of commas (overabundant in places, missing in others) and dialogue punctuation (the beginning of direct speech was properly signaled, but any interruption and subsequent reprise weren't, which was a bit disconcerting). Also, there were quite a few typos (it's instead of its, heal instead of heel, waive instead of wave, Tricky instead of Ticky...), repeated or missing words and occasionally the asterisk and the space separating different sections were left out, which meant switching from one scene to the next seamlessly. A bit confusing.
But overall, nothing that could seriously impact the pleasure of reading this.
I'll be sure to catch up with Roger Wheatley's previous novels and to keep an eye out for the next ones.
And for any Hollywood blockbuster this masterpiece might be adapted into.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[VT Dorchester · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this as part of the 24in48 Readathon, I steamed through it in under five fours. This is an end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it thriller, set nicely in outback Australia, with a number of location details that I enjoyed. It is set for the most part around a stranded train in the desert, which appealed to me too. There are dingoes that grow increasingly bold about approaching the passengers. There appears to have been an EMP. EMP-end-of-the-worlds are fun. For the most part, I found this to be a fun story. There is a quite high body count, and this book does not hesitate to describe some grisly and gore-y events, which some readers may not like, but I found in keeping with the mood and setting.

There are unfortunately a few other things that ended up detracting from the overall fun plot and setting for me.

The women characters are treated a bit strangely/differently than perhaps a female writer would have treated them. (There's a lesbian woman who sort of considers a relationship with a man, a bisexual woman who has brief sex with a man in the only sex in the book, a woman who is one of the main villains of the story, and a woman who is (discreetly) raped, which subsequently threats to become a bit of a fridging incident.) This is not then, likely to become a favourite book for people of a certain brand of feminist outlook. (There are no LGBTQ+ men as far as I can recall, which seems a bit weirdly unbalanced.)

The writing style was in general well paced but sometimes a bit confusing - many times characters are designated by their occupation or role, and some share occupations - there was one passage in particular where I became confused and thought I was reading about one character, only to discover that no, this bit was actually about that other character. Also the viewpoint shifts were sometimes a bit confusing.

I found one (lack of) decision early on as the characters cooperate to survive in their new situation a bit implausible. (They've got a nurse and a soldier, why wouldn't they they have thunk to dug a latrine early on?)

Also I felt that this book was padded a little bit, and could of been written with fifteen or twenty pages less, only perhaps the author was on a mission to exceed 300 pages. As a writer, I sympathize, but as a reader I mildly object.

Early on I thought there was some political point that was going to be made about rich versus poor, or old versus young, or urban versus rural skills, but any particular message felt largely abandoned, although the young in general are not characterized particularly advantageously, with a few exceptions. For that matter, many of 'the old' are simply discarded as victims. The political/social viewpoint of the author felt a bit... lost.

In summary, I was dissapointed by a few elements I found problematic through this novel, but I enjoyed it for it's thriller energy and setting.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to leave this otherwise uncompensated and honest review.

[Jane Verco · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Train” is very different to my usual selection, having chosen it for it’s Australian roots. A train journey in the Australian desert, coming to an abrupt stop – and very quickly it becomes apparent that the precious commodity, water, becomes the overarching priority, and we watch as personalities divide into class-driven factions and stake their claim on this lifeline. Several storylines evolve following the plans and actions of various groups as they endeavour to find solutions to their problems.
While the essence of the book was intriguing and often thought provoking, I often struggled with the thread of the book as the author chose to only label the characters according to their past or current position, which made it very difficult at times to follow the story as it jumped from one scene to another. It wasn’t until towards the end of the book that a little more clarity is given to some of these characters. It’s a book you need to read in long stints to be able to hold the thread, it was sometimes necessary to go back and re-read a few pages when I had to put it down. Also, the diversion from general punctuation also made reading the book quite irritating until you got used to the strange style of writing conversation.
That being said, the storyline was compelling and scarily believable. You couldn’t help but be drawn to wondering what you would do if you found yourself in the same situation.
Thank you to Booksirens for a free copy of this book in return for my voluntary review.

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 3 out of 5]

ReOh baby after a traveling train breaks down in the middle of the Australian desert at first they wait for the next train that will be passing later that day. When it doesn’t come in time passes on some elderly people can’t take the heat and find a resting place in the desert. Some rise to the occasion, some give up and some go for help. Eventually everyone discovers life will never be the same again.

I was very excited to get this book, as I read another book by this author called Out Of The Ruins that I loved. Unfortunately lightning did not strike twice I really don’t think it is the fault of the author as I have read some really good reviews about this book. I just couldn’t get into it. I love books about survival and people rising to the occasion when the chips are down in this book at all that and more in the whole time a dingo is watching from a far. I had to make myself continue the book. The weird thing is is the closer it got to the end the more interested I was in the book. I just didn’t like the first 2/3 of the book and I can’t really say why. Maybe because it was the same old same old Day after day. The heat, the flies and they all needed water. Should they leave should I stay? You may love this book, but I cannot recommend it as I just couldn’t get into it and didn’t find the beginning grab my attention at all. I was given this book for free on Books sirens and I’m giving this review voluntarily.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my usual read at all but I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Where do I begin? A train has stopped in the Australian outback, in the middle of nowhere, for no rational reason. The passengers & crew are initially at a complete loss as to what to do but gradually a self-generated hierarchy & a sense of routine emerge.

However, food & water are in short supply &, due to a lack of power, will not last long. This is where the various forms of the human psyche manifest themselves. The fight for survival. Think Lord of the Flies meets the Mad Max reboot. Add in the omnipresent scavengers, dingoes, & a malevolent atmosphere of foreboding & you have the story.

Very few characters have names, they are role specific - the captain, the matron the miner - & this compounds the dystopian nature of the writing. The book meanders, great description of the train’s plight & the destructive power of the natural world, but I felt as though it didn’t really go anywhere.

There is a conclusion, of sorts, but it left me dissatisfied. Perhaps it’s because this is not my usual genre? Read it & decide for yourself.

[DocGill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book which starts promising, as a passenger train breaks down in the middle of Australia with no explanation. This lack of information continues until the very last part of the book and it would have been useful to know its context much earlier. It's gritty, shocking and sometimes arguable too much so e.g. it's coverage of dingoes and their role in this. Unfortunately, there is also a lack of finesse about this book, from it's spelling and grammatical errors, to the attempt to dehumanize people by only referring to them by nicknames, e.g. Matron, twin, miner, Tattoo. It didn't work for me, and resulted in having characters too shallow to have any real sympathy with. It also has a strange structure, with the layout meaning it's difficult to tell when characters are talking and when the are not. Overall, it's a raw, but strong story which has some interesting lessons for society - and old story, or a brand new one, depending on which way you look at it.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[dona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating, disturbing, timely, un-put-downable!

Wheat takes us to the dry, blazing Outback of Australia where a passenger train stops unexpectedly in the middle of nowhere. Each day is as hot as an inferno. Water is meted out and eventually killed for

and food is dwindling at an alarming rate.

A hierarchy develops among the passengers clearly not agreed to by everyone. The elderly are dying and it is clear no one is coming for them, they are on their own and must forage for water and supplies.

Days blend one into the next and tempers are rising.

All of this is watched over by an enterprising lone dingo waiting for a false move to satisfy his hunger.

This book haunted me and many events filled my dreams. I couldn’t put the book down.

Thank you to Book Sirens for the advanced digital copy in exchange for honest feedback.

[Heather Logsdon · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE TRAIN hooked me from first page. I consider myself a planner, but so much unrealized reliance on technology made me aware I need to prep more and better! Such a scary situation. I felt confused, sad, desperate, and frustrated at the whole situation. A great read that I didn’t want to put down and couldn’t wait to pick back up. Hard decisions rolled around my head as I read. At times, I was confused who the speaker was as it transitioned from one to another. I’d like to have learned more about the ending and why everything happened, but this fast-paced book is highly recommended reading!! Some parts still haunt me! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. The story gives clarity about the essentials of life: water, food, shelter, other people, and good attitude. Love this book!

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Train by Roger Wheatley is a dystopian story set in Australia.This is a survival story of passengers in a train that stopped abruptly in middle of nowhere.

The book explores people's psyche and the lengths they would go for survival. All the characters are referred by their profession like captain,miner rather than their names which I thought was quite helpful as there were many characters.

The only complaint I have is there is no sense of place or time where the train is stranded. Although the story can go without those explict details, I just found it rather odd. I also didn't get as to why the train stopped completely although there is a very vague mention of it. There were few grammatical errors like missing commas and punctuation quotes.

But overall it is a very engaging book .

I recieved an advance Review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Carol Stefanik · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very intense book. An excellent read, there is not a ton of character development. Lots of characters and occasionally it gets a little cluttered but the action keeps the whole thing moving. Parts of the plot line you can figure out immediately. Other bits and pieces are surprising which is nice because this is your typical apocalyptic storyline so the surprises keep you coming back for more. Makes me wonder why so many of these storylines come out of Australia but they keep doing it well. Comes to a logical and complete ending without needing to tie everything up with a bow.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Train is a suspenseful masterpiece that will stay with you after you are finished reading it. Wheatley did a fantastic job delving into the human psyche of what happens now. Also, I cannot state enough how the environment itself felt like a whole character. The parallels between the humans and the dingo were also very potent.

If you're looking for a good October read, look no further. This book does depict the worst parts of humanity, be warned.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

[Inger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book from this author. He is pretty good. It kept my attention and is well written. Very interesting characters and plot. It does have a lot of the “F” word in it. It also has some sexual content but nothing too graphic. It totally shows how humans can devolve at the “drop of a hat” when things go wrong. But it also shows some who remain true to their convictions in times of trouble. This book is not a happily ever after book but it will be interesting. I recommend it for 18 and up. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Bookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gripping story about a train that suddenly stops in the middle of an Australian desert and how the passengers cope. It was an engrossing story that flowed perfectly. I loved the characters-they were well developed and real. What was interesting also was the story of the dingos, something I didn’t expect but added a story unto its own.
I enjoyed the book immensely and would read something else from this author.

I received an advance copy of this book for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real page turner. Loved this book. Couldn't put it down. Great plot and pacing that keeps you reading right to the end of the ride. A train stops for no particular reason in the middle of the Australian desert. It soon become apparent no help is coming. And as the passengers start running out of food and water - people's base characters - good and bad - rise to the surface. A battle between order and anarchy. Between our better angels and our worser demons. Played out in the Australian desert.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read a lot of dystopian end of the world books and this would have to be one of the best. I loved that I was on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading and wasn’t able to see how the book would end ( I hate obvious endings). I enjoyed the style of writing, similar to The Road by Cormac McCarthy , as it broke the rules of traditional writing. I will be looking for more books from this author.

[David Massengale · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC on Booksirens.com and want to thank them and the author for the opportunity to read it and provide a review. I enjoyed how the story jumped right into the situation the characters found themselves in and how they were forced to deal with their circumstances before knowing what had happened, and for some of them, never knowing. As the situation deteriorated and different groups and factions started to form, the reader was challenged with differentiating between who were the heroes and villians. Much of that was dictated by whose perspective you were seeing things from and who was providing the narration. The story also causes the reader to question how they would react in a similar situation, would they choose to seek what is best for the greater good or would it be survival of the fittest?

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome Book!

From page one I couldn’t put it down. I loved how the characters weren’t identified by their names but rather by an identifiable characteristic. Roger Wheatley was able to describe what was happening to the characters at different places at the same time stream-lined.
Great book!