250. & 251. The Railway Detective & A Wicked Way to Burn
The Railway Detective by Edward Marston - the author has a number of series of historical detective novels, with this volume being the first in one of those. Set in the 1850's, it delineates a time when the railways were just beginning to wield some influence over the way people lived their lives, as well as setting things up for the future.
In The Railway Detective, Inspector Colbeck is sent to investigate the robbery of a train carrying gold coins from London to Birmingham - the driver has been terribly injured and the train itself derailed. Colbeck soon realises that the nature of the crime itself tells him much about the men who planned it and when he begins to get too close, the criminals take drastic action.
And it's here that The Railway Detective starts to lose me... naturally, the train driver has a beautiful daughter who Colbeck is immediately smitten with and when her life is jeopardised by the criminals, Colbeck is like a man possessed. Personally, I found that whole side of the plot a little too much to swallow and so I won't be going on with this series, which continues in The Excursion Train.
A Wicked Way to Burn by Margaret Miles - having read a plethora of mystery novels written by Americans but set in England, I was more than ready to pick up this book given that it's actually set in the US. In this case, the US before it was united, while still under British rule.
Local widow Charlotte Willett is fascinated by the tale of a man who spontaneously combusts on a quiet country road leading out of her village, particularly since she had earlier met the man in question. Since he's a rich Boston merchant but his money seems to have disappeared, questions are asked by more than just the locals about what happened to both him and his wealth.
It's an interesting enough story, although much of it seemed designed as a set-up for a continuing series rather than being a strong enough tale to stand on its own. It's an interesting period in which to set something, but there's little tension in the story telling despite the relatively recent shadow of the Salem witch trials over the whole thing. I'm uncertain whether I'll continue with this series, though given that Too Soon For Flowers has only been published in the US, I might not get the chance anyway...
In The Railway Detective, Inspector Colbeck is sent to investigate the robbery of a train carrying gold coins from London to Birmingham - the driver has been terribly injured and the train itself derailed. Colbeck soon realises that the nature of the crime itself tells him much about the men who planned it and when he begins to get too close, the criminals take drastic action.
And it's here that The Railway Detective starts to lose me... naturally, the train driver has a beautiful daughter who Colbeck is immediately smitten with and when her life is jeopardised by the criminals, Colbeck is like a man possessed. Personally, I found that whole side of the plot a little too much to swallow and so I won't be going on with this series, which continues in The Excursion Train.
Local widow Charlotte Willett is fascinated by the tale of a man who spontaneously combusts on a quiet country road leading out of her village, particularly since she had earlier met the man in question. Since he's a rich Boston merchant but his money seems to have disappeared, questions are asked by more than just the locals about what happened to both him and his wealth.
It's an interesting enough story, although much of it seemed designed as a set-up for a continuing series rather than being a strong enough tale to stand on its own. It's an interesting period in which to set something, but there's little tension in the story telling despite the relatively recent shadow of the Salem witch trials over the whole thing. I'm uncertain whether I'll continue with this series, though given that Too Soon For Flowers has only been published in the US, I might not get the chance anyway...
