Murder at Deviation Junction

Jim Stringer #4

by Andrew Martin

From the author of The Necropolis Railway, The Blackpool Highflyer, and The Lost Luggage Porter comes another thrilling mystery featuring railway detective Jim Stringer. It is winter 1909, and Jim desperately needs his anticipated New Year’s promotion in order to pay for a nurse for his ailing son.
Jumping at any opportunity to impress his supervisor, Jim agrees to investigate a standard assault in a nearby town. But when his train home hits a snowdrift and a body is discovered buried in the snow, Jim finds himself tracking another dangerous killer. Soon he is on a mad chase to find the suspect, trailing him to the furnaces of Ironopolis and across the country on a dangerous ride to the Highlands. As pursuer becomes pursued, Jim begins to doubt he will ever get his promotion— or that he will survive this case at all.

Genres: Crime, Mystery, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Railways, Historical Mystery, Historical

Audio CD

First published June 7, 2007

About the author

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

Andrew Martin (born 6 July 1962) is an English novelist and journalist.

Martin was brought up in Yorkshire, studied at the University of Oxford and qualified as a barrister. He has since worked as a freelance journalist for a number of publications while writing novels, starting with Bilton, a comic novel about journalists, and The Bobby Dazzlers, a comic novel set in the North of England, for which he was named Spectator Young Writer of the Year. His series of detective novels about Jim Stringer, a railwayman reassigned to the North Eastern Railway Police in Edwardian England, includes The Necropolis Railway, The Blackpool Highflyer, The Lost Luggage Porter, Murder at Deviation Junction and Death on a Branch Line. He has also written the non-fiction book; How to Get Things Really Flat: A Man's Guide to Ironing, Dusting and Other Household Arts.

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is December 1909 and Jim Stringer has been a railway detective based in York for three years in which time he has been generally charged with tracking fare dodgers and lost baggage swindlers. On a fruitless return trip back to York from Middlesbrough (via Whitby) where he had been pursuing a football midfielder who had assaulted an opposition player, the train that he was on hits a snowdrift in the frozen Cleveland Hills. In the process of clearing the line a body is discovered in an unused siding. Being the first detective on the scene Stringer decides to investigate despite it being off his patch geographically and in conflict with his bullying boss. Stringer is up for promotion but his faltering career could hinge on whether or not he can solve the murder, but he soon finds himself fighting not for his job but also for his life. The trail leads to a group of men who previously travelled the Whitby line in the exclusive confines of their own Club class carriage and takes Stringer to London's Fleet Street and the Highlands of Scotland.

Despite being set in 1909 Jim Stringer seems to be beset by numerous modern afflictions: a social-climbing wife, career uncertainties, financial worries and daydreams about elastic boots, (you will just have to read the book to learn more about that one).

This is the fourth book in the series and as with the previous releases the crime seems secondary to Martin's real interest the Edwardian railway, in fact the diversions to both London and the Highlands seemed little more than an excuse to explore distant rail services. But on the whole the writing is tight and engaging and the series is a decent enough escapism.

[Tish · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover is my favorite part of this book! It may have more to do with current events in my life than with the writing, but I found the book to be rather tedious and slow. I really do like the cover, however.

[Colin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andrew Martin’s Jim Stringer - Steam Detective series gets better with each book in the series. Murder at Deviation Junction is number four and is a gripping, immersive and wholly enjoyable historical murder mystery. As with the previous books, the actual detection element, while a satisfying hook on which to hang the story, plays second fiddle to adventure, peril and period detail. In this latest instalment, the discovery of the body of a photographer from a popular railway magazine in a sidings tool shed during a snowstorm sets in train a harum-scarum sequence of events that takes our hero from the ironworks and mines of the Cleveland coast to London and the Scottish Highlands in search of an eccentric and psychopathic Scotsman who Stringer believes holds the key to the mystery. As with previous books in the series, the Edwardian period detail (particularly when it comes to ordinary working men’s lives) is highly effective and evocative and the snowy landscapes of Yorkshire and Scotland are very well realised. Stringer is a fascinating main character: downbeat, occasionally sullen, a loving husband and father, good with his fists when necessary and much cleverer than he realises.

[Al · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jim Stringer stumbles into another murderous situation, and triumphs once again. I love these books, not so much for the quality of the plotting, but because they are wonderfully evocative of early 1900s England and its railroads. Martin has a great ear for the dialogue of the day, and Stringer and his family are wonderful people. You have to admire Stringer, too; nothing fazes him as he follows the trail wherever it leads. Along the way we see some great scenery and meet lots of interesting people.
The book flags for a brief time a while Martin has his character explain some of the complicated machinations which underlie the plot (but without those explanations, we never could figure them out), but the narrative engine picks up speed on the downgrade and we finish at full speed.

[Hilary Mol · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those books I finished reading because I'd already invested time slogging through the first umpteen chapters. It wasn't until 3/4 of the way through the book that I was able to get into the story. The last few chapters were great. I wish I could say the same for the rest of the book.

[Johnny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whatever Railway Detective James (Jim) Stringer lacks in cleverness, he makes up for in dogged persistence. Murder at Deviation Junction is no exception to the rule. The cleverest aspect of the entire plot is when he uses a thief to catch a murderer by gaining evidence from a “fence.” Otherwise, he doesn’t read character well, walks blindly into traps or ambushes, and has trouble figuring out ways to circumvent his incompetent superior’s unreasonable demands.

Alas, Stringer is present when a body is recovered under a heavy snowfall. Said deceased individual seems to have hanged himself, but that’s only (as so often in a mystery) the easy way to close the case. Stringer refuses to quit working on the case because he is certain that something is wrong. Yet, he finds himself risking not only his pending promotion but his entire job in order to follow the tenuous and conflicting leads he is following.

Unlike the earlier books in the series, there is (what feels to me like) a non sequitur in the plot. The murderer has an opportunity to flee from the country with reasonable assurance that no one will be the wiser. Yet, said murderer is so committed to wiping the slate perfectly clean (so that even those who are bribed don’t get a chance to change their minds) that he ends up having to make things worse. I can’t say anything more without causing several spoilers, but at some part in the book, you’ll wonder why a certain character didn’t just hot foot it and get out of the jurisdiction she/he was in and into a country with no extradition agreement. Today, that would be easier said than done, but I think extradition was rather “iffy” and inconsistent in the early 20th century (although the country to which the offender was planning to flee in the book would have likely granted extradition to Britain from the middle of the 19th century forward), so it isn’t perfect.

As usual, Stringer’s background as a railway fireman serves him well in his detecting duties along the rails. He knows equipment, procedures, timetables, signals, and, in one scene, even how to perform his old work as a fireman in order to save his life (Oh, was that a spoiler?). I may complain about Stringer’s actual “detecting” process, but that doesn’t stop me from reading all the novels in the series.

[Geoff Dickinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book of the Jim Stringer series that I have read. I read the back cover and noted that it was set in the Cleveland Hills, an area of Yorkshire that I know well. The "Deviation Junction" of the title does not exist although I understand from other reviews that it is based loosely on Carlin How.

I decided that it was one to read and although I do not normally like historical fiction this story was made enjoyable by the fact that the author, like me, is a railway enthusiast and brings the Edwardian railway scene to life.

The story eventually moves to the Far North of Scotland and the hero's journey there has echoes of "The 39 Steps".

The plot is not too complex so the book is easy to read over a few evenings.

I shall read more of this author.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I would probably have rated this as a 3.5 stars if that were possible but as it isn't I gave it four stars! I have read a couple of later titles in this series. I enjoyed the story but more than that I enjoyed the setting and the characters. The author includes some interesting period detail that I would think requires a huge amount of research. For me it flagged a bit towards the end. I knew he was going to live to fight another day so ended up skimming over the last few chapters. I'm a fan of trains and the railways but I'm no train buff so much of the mechanical detail linked to engines and rolling stock went over my head. However it wouldn't put me off reading another in the series.

[Sheena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Giving this a four star and don't quite know why I enjoyed it so much. The previous one I read the 'Lost luggage porter' I thought was enjoyable enough but thin. This has snow, Christmas and the Teesside area where I grew up all my favourites as well as being set in one of my preferred eras so no doubt this played a big part. I also read it on the train to London which must have factored in. Not going to go out of my way to read the series but if I fall across one when needing an easy read might just encounter Jim Stringer again.

[Bryan D · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the atmosphere and the writing, the mystery of the crime was interesting to a point but then I found it a tad confusing with a sprinkling of did I care with a side helping of eh when I got to the end of it. I still like the Jim Stringer books but not as much as Jelly and Ice-cream.

[Gillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another thrilling Jim Stringer book. The plot might be thin at times but between the social history, accurate details of steam trains, running of the railways and the setting in the northeast it is thrilling to read and be taken back to the 1900s.

[Avid Series Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Murder at Deviation Junction by Andrew Martin is the 4th book of the Jim Stringer series set in December 1909 England and Scotland. Jim Stringer is passionate about railways, trained as a fireman, now he's a Railway Detective. His wife hen-pecks him to get promoted; the exam is coming up. Jim goes out on a routine assignment, but discovers evidence of a murder. He doesn't leave it be; teams up with a Railway Rover reporter to uncover clues. He identifies the victim in a photograph of wealthy men who rode a custom-fitted luxury rail car, and sets out to track down the rest of the group. Harsh winter weather slows the trains, and hampers his efforts, but he persists, even when ordered to stop by his boss. Eventually Jim and the reporter find themselves prisoners in Scotland, at the whim of eccentrics whose actions and motives Jim hasn't figured out yet. Jim needs all his courage and strength to escape a double-cross, trekking rugged Highland country in a snowstorm. Not only does he want to survive, but to be home for Christmas with his wife and son. An enjoyable read, enriched with historical detail, especially of the railways and countryside they traversed.

[Jennifer Petkus · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beginning of Murder at Deviation Junction by Andrew Martin for some reason reminded me of a Hayao Miyazaki movie, which doesn’t make sense because the acclaimed Japanese anime director’s movies and the story of a English train detective solving a murder would seem to have little in common. But anyone familiar with Miyazaki knows his love of the Victorian steam age in his movies such as Howl’s Moving Castle and Castle in the Sky, which are filled with belching fire metal monstrosities.

Deviation Junction begins with railway detective Jim Stringer arriving in the metal foundries of Ironopolis, where blast furnaces also belch fire and giant ladles pour molten iron, and Martin writes vividly of Stringer’s ultimately fruitless pursuit of his suspect through an industrial hell that made me think of Miyaki and Katsuhiro Otomo’s steampunk fantasy Steamboy.

That scene immediately gave me a fantastic feel for the sense of the promise and dangers of industrialization that made Britain a superpower, but I think it’s effect on me was helped by Martin’s choice of referring to Middlesbrough in North Yorkshire as Ironopolis, which increased the Miyazaki/steampunk feeling. Ironopolis was Middlesbrough’s nickname and still I think the name of the football club and it has a very science fiction ring.

Another reason the book had such an effect on me is the time period, 1909. I have little knowledge of the Edwardian period, being more familiar with Victorian England or the later ’20s and ’30s of P.G. Wodehouse. And so it was interesting to read a book where I continually felt out of my depth, especially with all the talk of strange locomotives like the Gateshead Infant and technical references like 4-4-0 (referring to the number and type of wheels on an engine). And any book set in this period has a built in dread, especially now that I know his other books are moving us ever closer to World War I.

But soon the book settles into a more practical murder mystery when the body of a railway photographer is found near a marshalling yard after Stringer’s train is blocked by a snowdrift. It’s questionable whether the case is really within his remit, but Stringer has conflicting interests. He’s eager for a promotion that will help see his family better able to care for his sickly son and he’s better served by following the rules and the chain of command and obeying his immediate superior, who sent him to arrest the subject he sought at the foundry. But solving a murder would also look impressive, so he follows the clues by developing the film from a camera that was missing from the photographer’s body that Stringer later finds.

From his investigations, he learns that the photographer was interested in a special railway car specially engaged by some businessmen and many of the people on that train have ended up dead or missing. Stringer’s investigations are also aided by a railway journalist who knew the dead photographer and was on the same train blocked by the snowdrift.

The book has an early climax with a wild pursuit to Scotland where the pursuer Stringer turns out to be the object of the game. You know it’s a early climax because you can feel how many pages are left in the book so don’t be surprised when there’s more to come.

One of the interesting aspects about this detective is that he doesn’t really want to be a detective, having lost his job as a railway something (I’m sorry, I can’t remember what his title was, maybe fireman). It’s pretty obvious that he’d go back to being a railway fireman or engineer if he could. That doesn’t prevent Stringer from doing his job, however. He’s a dogged detective, not a great one, which becomes pretty obvious when the tables are turned, although ultimately his assessment of a crucial person’s character proves correct.

It’s also nice to read about a more or less happily married detective. I found his wife to be a little annoying but I have heard her described as his brilliant wife in reviews of Martin’s earlier Stringer novels. But it’s clear his love for his wife and son.

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Murder at Deviation Junction is the fourth of the Jim Stringer novels. Set in 1909, Jim Stringer is still in the railway police, and still wishing that he was back working the engines.
A body is found close to the railway line near Saltburn, an apparent suicide - but Jim suspects something more. He also believes that journalist Stephen Bowman knows more than he is saying. The dead man, Paul Peters, was a press photographer, a colleague of Bowman's. Just before he died he had been interested in taking pictures of a Club Train. A Club Train was a sort of chartered train, a group of (wealthy) people who all made the same journey regularly would club together to charter a fancy train where they didn't have to mix with the hoi-polloi. The specific train Peters was interested in ran from Whitby to Middlesbrough, passing the place where his body was found.
I enjoyed this book,
I was glad to see Jim's wife Lydia back in this one, I missed her in the last. She is a feminist in days when opportunities were just starting up for working-class women like her,

"Lydia had spent the past two years fretting about our futures - mine and hers both. Would she end up at the kitchen sink? That was her leading anxiety. She was a New Woman, forward thinking. There was to be a sex revolution, and you knew it was coming by the speed at which Lydia went at her typewriting."

I enjoyed this book, but I definitely preferred the first half to the second half. I thought the second half became a bit far-fetched. But all-in-all I thought it was a good read.

[Dirck Lint · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm inclined to think that this is the best book of the series to date; both the author and the protagonist seem to really be finding their stride. The latter still stumbles about a little, but he is at last a detective in truth rather than a chip in the flume of Fate. The writing seems to me more substantial, too; the voice from the previous entries is still there, but there's a more certain presentation, and a defter hand at the balancing of period language with modern appreciation for dialogue.

If I have any complaint, it lies in a very minor bait-n-switch in terms of setting, which is at least as much the fault of the writer of the jacket blurb (and, to admit to it, the guy reading the blurb). The dark Satanic mills of song are where the story starts, and there's a fascination to the prospect of the very active setting of an ironworks being the backdrop for more of the action, but this is not the case. It this a small thing to complain of? Oh, yes. So small that "trivial" somewhat elevates it. But what are Goodreads reviews for if not to have out one's whine?

[Martin Hollands · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Jim Stringer "Railway Detective" mystery.

The setting for the story was perfect, both in its accuracy and also its relevance!

I thoroughly enjoyed this story with its historical accuracy, the detailed scene setting and the way in which the characters were developed and have developed (if you know what I mean).

The pace of the story is good and it maintains interest throughout. There is no need to be a railway enthusiast to enjoy this, however if you are you will be delighted at the accuracy Andrew Martin delivers.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story (and indeed the whole series - so far) and will undoubtedly read more of them as they are published.

[Scilla · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jim Stringer has failed to arrest a man for assault, but his train home uncovers a body in a snowdrift and Jim begins investigating. He tracks down a stolen camera and get a picture developed of the men of the Whitsby-Middlesbrough Travelling Club as they were on their special club car. Further investigation determines that several of these men were either missing or confirmed dead under suspicious circumstances. In spite of his superior telling him to leave it alone, he continues the investigation almost to his own death.

[Alex · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't like this. The plot is flimsy. As for the style, the blurbs insist on recalling Dickens but this is silly. There is hardly a Dickensian genius at depiction of character. Again according to blurbs, this book is said to be funny. Any humor escaped my notice. Moreover, is there a reason why, with the exception of the hero's spouse, there are no females? Or is this meant to evoke the ambiance of the Edwardian period? All in all, the book is disappointing. Disappointing enough that, given said blurbs, I feel I ought to give the author another try. But not soon.

[Catherine Mustread · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series. Combines transportation and history, brings 1909 England and old trains to life. Finished -- came together quite well. When will #5 be available? Boston Globe Review 012509
http://www.boston.com/ae/books/articl...

[Liz V. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I almost did not read this book, having reserved it at the library before reading The Lost Luggage Porter, but deciding to give the author another chance. A mistake on my part as the protagonist is a loose cannon in all senses, so that the plot descends into a mire of missed opportunities and abuses of the law.

[Heather Fitt · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first book from this author that I have read, and to be honest, I doubt I will read another one. It was almost painful to get through. I was definitely not on the edge of my seat. The plot was a bit flimsy, and I didn't find the detailed descriptions of the many trains ridden by the main character particularly interesting.

[Keith Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent murder mystery set amongst a snow bound North East as Christmas approaches, our hero detective Jim Stringer unravels a plot that takes him from Middlesbrough and Whitby to Fleet Street and the Scottish Highlands. A bygone world is brought vividly to life and after many twists and turns, the mysterious affair is satisfactorily resolved. A real page turner, highly recommended.

[Amicus (David Barnett) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have enjoyed all these novels about the railway detective, Jim Stringer, his wife Lydia and the dangerous adventures he experiences.

There is one piece of period detail which I feel the author has got wrong, though. I am sure there were no ten shilling and pound notes in circulation pre 1914.

[Johanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's OK. Full of geeky period detail about trains and Edwardian England but as a detective Jim Stringer is pretty hopeless! Crime solved by happenstance and circumstance not by him. It is a beach or holiday read really not one to get your brain ticking over

[Ipswichblade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good read in the steam detective series

[Nicki · Rating 2 out of 5]

This should be a 2.5 star really as I quite liked it although it did feel a bit slow in places.

[mezzogal]

unclear what the point was.

[Duncan Maccoll · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can just smell the steam, can't you?

[Chris Gillies · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another creditable entry in the Jim Stringer series, although it goes somewhat off the story rails at a few points it's still a good ripping yarn!

[Joshua Friesen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love train adventures.