Trainman

by P.T. Deutermann

Only six major rail bridges cross the Mississippi River and connect one half of our country to the other. When one of them collapses as a freight train is crossing, the FBI sends agents Hush Hanson and Carolyn Lang to investigate. Hush and Carolyn suspect a bomb, but there are no clues to suggest who planted it.Meanwhile, at an Alabama army depot, a military train carrying a deadly cargo begins its journey west. This train must cross the Mississippi before its cargo becomes unstable - and then another bridge goes down.

As more bridges go down and the plight of the doomsday train intensifies, it becomes ever more obvious that Hanson is being set up to take a fall as part of some bureaucratic political intrigue within the FBI.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Crime, Suspense, Action

354 pages, Hardcover

First published October 28, 1999

About the author

P. T. Deutermann is a retired Navy captain and has served in the joint Chiefs of Staff as an arms control specialist. He is the author of eighteen novels, and lives in North Carolina. His World War II adventure novel Pacific Glory won the W. Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction, administered by the American Library Association; his other World War II novels are Ghosts of Bungo Suido and Sentinels of Fire. His most recent novel is Cold Frame, a contemporary thriller set in Washington, D.C.

Reviews

[Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of Deutermann’s best books. It’s amazing that he can create such clever plots and describe the unusual story situations with such detail.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

The very first sentence of this book struck me as being poorly constructed. It wasn't really-- I just had to laugh. It described the river as being boundless in the darkness. The very idea of a river without boundaries struck me as absurd, even though the author meant that a person could not see its boundaries because of the dark. So, I had a bone to pick from the very beginning and struggled through the first chapter or so, picking on everything the author wrote. (I was visiting with my brother and was mocking it verbally to him as I would read a page or two)...

The story was about a clever maniac blowing up train bridges and snagging up railroad traffic at the "boundless" Mississippi river. The author went into way too much detail (for my taste, anyway) in describing the tedious and monotonous work of rigging the first bomb, though the other bomb placement descriptions were better and necessary for some reasons. Finally, we get to the investigative end when--uh oh-- a seemingly unrelated military problem raises its ugly head only to ADD to the problem.

The author's characterization was poor. This author definitely must have worked in a situation where all of his superiors were incompetents that were out to stick it to him. The FBI hero has this problem with his superiors. The military hero has similar problems with his superior, and most higher-ranking military officers are depicted as crazed martinets-- it's almost as if the author wanted us to believe that any officer above the rank of major lives by the reckless and incompetent Spirit of George Armstrong Custer.

The book was ok! However, it didn't make it to my "Pass it on" pile.

[David D'Arcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a bridge is blown to pieces, the FBI wants a full-blown investigation. Assembling a team of two key players, Hush Hanson and Carolyn Lang, the FBI wants answers for this act of terror.
As another bridge explodes, the two enter into a feud from many angles. Hidden agendas and suspicion of terrorist acts explode, leading Hanson and Lang on a collision course with the madman behind it all—the Train Man.

The tension is mounting, as a shipment of nuclear waste has been sent by train, forcing the pair to stop the Train Man before a horrible disaster.

SPOILER ALERT: The sex scenes between Special Agents Hush and Lang are gratuitous and a distraction to the story. There were several different ways to show a developing romantic relationship without the graphic step-by-step, almost voyeuristic sexual description of the two's "mattress gymnastics. After the second time, I skimmed ahead of the storyline until the story started again.

"Train Man" is another exciting outing from bestselling author P.T. Deutermann. Although the book contains too many descriptions of trains, it does sustain a suspenseful, action-packed storyline. The nonstop action and vivid descriptions will sweep away fans of action/thrillers—it reads as if you are watching a movie.
If you have not discovered Deutermann, do yourself a favor and READ him.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A better than average thriller. Of the half dozen or so books I've read from author P.T. Duetermann this one is probably my favorite. This tale starts up somewhat slowly but warms into an interesting thriller towards the middle. All in all, the conclusion was pretty ridiculous. I had to snicker getting through the last 100 pages. At 420 pages paperback this one was easily about 75-100 pages too long. Author Duetermann is a wordy soul. The relationship between the protagonist and side kick made for some interesting reading. Duetermann can bring the reader to the very tip of an intense (or romantic) relationship and jump away too quickly. Three stars out of a possible five stars. It's an okay read if you're between series books from other authors. This one took me about six readings over five days to get through. Never found that passage that pushed me to knock of huge chunks of the book.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting premise about a revenge seeking lone wolf who wants to cripple the rail industry by destroying all their bridges over the Mississippi River. If this book is accurate, there are only 6 over the whole river, which is slightly terrifying. The execution just wasn't there. I couldn't get interested in the main characters or all the political maneuvering going on at the FBI. I think my biggest issue was the shock reveal that the bomber was the Army Corps of Engineers colonel they had been working with the whole time. I understand computers and the internet were in their infancy when the book was written, but it's a bit of a stretch that no one seemed to question the fact that the guy who lost his entire family in a train crash and then lost several court cases to the railroad companies has unlimited access to the bridges. Maybe there should have been a warning bell... The scenes taking down the bridges were well-written and interesting.

[Donna Herrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fine story that gives us a glimpse of the vulnerability of our nation's railroad infrastructure and FBI political culture. Both are scary. I have always been fascinated by railroads. By their centrality to commerce, by the conflict between trucking and railroading, by the massive subsidies by way of land grants given by our government to the railroads and their lasting effects upon business and culture, and by the culture and operations of railroads themselves. One could write a history of the US with railroads as the organizing principle - labor, civil rights, settlement, and national security.

[Richard Balassaitis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of P.T. Duetermann's books on WWII naval themes. When I ran out of those I figured I'd try this one about someone blowing up the railroad bridges across the Mississippi, the FBI trying to solve the case (amid high level internal political intrigue), and the U.S. Army trying to get their "special" train across the river with an unusual cargo .
Another very good read from Mr. Deutermann.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thriller involving a bomber destroying railroad bridges across the Mississippi disrupting the American economy...a story of how FBI byzantine, bureaucratic backstabbing can derail (pun intended) an investigation...about half way through, I realized that this was the 1st P.T. Deutermann I ever read...Decent stuff!!!

[Ted Hinkle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a fan of Deutermann's WWII naval action thrillers, I was delighted to discover The Trainman. This gripping, action-packed adventure is a detailed tale of a vengeful individual and his plot to destroy the train system crossing the Mississippi River. TRAINMAN is a fast-paced page turner that keeps you in suspense to the very end. 4.5 rating

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting plot with many sub plots that kept up a fast pace. Trains and the major bridges crossing the Mississippi River are the backdrop for this wild ride involving the Army, State Police, and the FBI special agents trying to stop a madman.

[Darcee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good story, with twists and turns as two plot lines converge, with a real surprise when the villain is revealed. Interesting world of the train and transportation industry, combined with Washington intelligence and military politics.

[Marseydoats · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of my friends suggested this to me, and while it is a good book, it was a really hard read for me. Too technical. After the identity of the bomber is revealed, it picks up and goes a lot faster.

[Sydney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very intense multi-pronged story that builds up speed as it goes...

[Phyllis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written, full of suspense. Complicated plot woven into exciting ending. I will be reading more books by P.T. Deutermann.

[Wes McCleese · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books of this genre. The setting of some of this book was local to me so I really enjoyed the geographical references. The plot was unique and fascinating. Great read!!

[Bikerider99 · Rating 5 out of 5]

long story...few clues....good read...recommended

[Cody Gregory · Rating 2 out of 5]

4/10
It's just eh, not entertained. when it was supposed to be exciting I was bored. I could not wait for it to be over.

[Marc Kirner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story, but seems very far fetched.

[Toni Osborne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Someone is blowing up bridges across the Mississippi River as trains are crossing them, resulting in casualties and a huge disruption to the US transportation network. In Washington, the FBI scrambles and sends Assistant Director Hush Hanson and agent Carolyn Lang to look into this domestic act of terror. The investigation is almost derailed when friction between management and the two agents occur; one suspects the work of a terrorist group the other the work of a single man- The Train Man.

At the same time, a plain crash leaves the army with a volatile and perilous cargo (nuclear waste) to be shipped West by train. Unfortunately, the train must cross the Mississippi before the cargo becomes unstable. As more bridges go down and the plight of the doomsday train intensifies, it becomes ever more obvious that Hanson and Lang are being set up as the fall guys, a scenario fraught with high political stakes. Will there be time to stop the Train Man and prevent the deadliest of disasters?

The author writes a steamy action prose expertly detailed and highly suspenseful. The two plots are tense and finely paced and the characters well portrayed and believable. On the other hand, the abundance of railway procedures and the endless details given in setting the bombs became too drawn out. If you have an interest in trains you will likely love this book.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a fun ride--a thriller about a man with such a grudge against railroad companies that he aims to destroy all six railroad bridges crossing the Mississippi between St. Louis and New Orleans. As we experience all the complex cat-and-mouse escapades between this unknown man and the law enforcement sleuths on his trail, we learn much about railroads we never thought we wanted to know. Our hero Hush Williams is an Acting Assistant Director of the FBI assigned to lead the interagency task force on the case, teamed up with an ambitious woman for liaison work. Because of the significance of the nation�s railroad traffic (and barge traffic blocked by trains falling in the water), the whole alphabet soup of agencies with a stake in the action creates a nightmare for effective collaboration and communication. This fictional scenario, written before 9/11 happened, nicely illustrates the same need for the Homeland Security restructuring that later took place. All the politics and interagency competition add a level of anguish to the relentless build-up of suspense in the entertaining plot. With perhaps a bit of overkill in the tale, an Army project planning to move some extremely dangerous cargo by train inexorably moves toward an ominous intersection with the central drama surrounding the progressive destruction of bridges.

[Dorothy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh man, this was bad. The writing is uninspired, and the author spends pages and pages on technical descriptions that a) are completely incomprehensible to a layperson and b) don't actually add anything of substance to the book. I would assume that a person with a working knowledge of trains and explosives would understand much more of this book than I did. There really wasn't any way to describe the character's actions in a way that doesn't require an advanced degree in engineering to understand?
In the same vein, the dialogue is extreme stilted. I cannot imagine people actually speaking like this. Paired with the inaccessibility of the technical language, the dialogue made this book entirely impossible to relate to.
I think that this book has an interesting premise that was not executed to the height of its potential, which is why I'm rounding 1.5 stars up to 2. The plot was pretty good (minus the horrible romance that just seemed to be slapped on, with no apparent purpose), and the intricacy of the structure was very promising. I wish I could take a red pen to this book and send it back to the author for further edits.

[Kaye · Rating 2 out of 5]

My experience with this author is that he begins a book with a fascinating premise, and then he talks it to death before the book is over. I get hooked in by the plot, and then the book is weighed down by all the detail.

Mr. Deutermann's newer books are better about this, but his earlier books (including this one) are sprinkled with sexist remarks, some subtle and others blatant. This is not an exact quote because I don't have the book in front of me, but here's an example: "Mr. 'X' strode confidently through the field, Miss 'Y' picking her way through the grass close behind."

I'm a non-militant feminist and I don't seek out non-PC language, but some of the phrasing leaps out at me.

[Katy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really this is two and a half stars. Deutermann always seems to me to spin a great plot, and this one is no exception. Someone is taking out the train bridges across the Mississippi River (there are only six of them) and two FBI agents are detailed to find him/her/them and stop the destruction. Great stuff, right?

Unfortunately, in my opinion Deutermann misses several opportunities to turn his great plot into a great book, and pursues what I think should be lesser tangents. Sadly, he doesn't ask my opinion before he sends his book for publishing. I'm left with too many questions about what happened to some of his characters, and too much information about minor plot points.

[Wynette Mellen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got a good experience of appreciating the skill of the author while not really connecting with the work. The novel really didn't move fast for me and I ended up skipping a lot of the narration. The narration was good, but I just kept getting lost in the play by play action of the guy preparing a bomb on railroad bridge. I get that authors need to keep people real and sometimes that means language that I don't use, it's the same reason why I look at the ratings on the backs of movies to see how much language and sexual content is in the movie.
If you don't like a novel with too much emotion and you have no care of the verbiage of your characters, this is the book for you.

[Booklady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Someone is blowing up the train bridges across the Mississippi River, one by one, heading downstream -- effectively cutting off delivers of basic goods throughout the country. FBI agents are out to find the person and stop him. What made this even more riveting was listening to the audiobook as driving south along the Mississippi River -- approaching each bridge about the time the book had it blow up. Eerie and riveting.

[Clyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little different type of book for me, but a very intriguing story of revenge against big business (the railroads) and the hunt to find the man bent on getting even. The story is intertwined with the army's attempts to transport leaking Russian nuclear weapons to be safely destroyed as well as FBI agents with troubled histories and hidden agendas. The result is an exciting story that drew me in easily.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

The culprit was a surprise to me; but once you knew who it was, it was still a race down the tracks to find out how it would end. The man was blowing up bridges across the Mississippi River. The economic devastation of such an act was not something I had considered before. If it ever happened for real we'd be in a heap of trouble!

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I skipped this initially in my Deutermannn reading but went back and read it. It is not my favorite of his books but it was enjoyable, albeit a little slow in one or two places. The title made me think the book was about trains but trains are merely the subject of the investigation...which has a few twists in it.

[Catherine Woodman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This author is a little bit more hard boiled than is in my sweet spot for murder mystery/thrillers, but he writes well. It is not a series, but rather stand alone books, and in this one there is a plot to wreck mayhem by blowing up trains that cross the Mississippi river. Not much more to it than an elaborate chase scene, but well written

[Chuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

A train bridge over the Mississippi River blows up. How? Who? Why?
The F.B.I. investigates. This book requires the investment of some time
and patience in the beginning but the R.O.I. is significant.