Historical Railway Fiction At Its Best

If you love trains, you may enjoy a series of mysteries set in Victorian England featuring a character known as the Railway Detective. Since the first book in the series appeared in 2009, almost 20 books featuring dapper and stylish Inspector Robert Colbeck and the more down to earth Sergeant Leeming have appeared. Like the best historical fiction, author Edward Marston captures the atmosphere of Victorian London well, although arguably it’s the steam trains that make the books memorable. In addition to the descriptions of the trains themselves, readers get an insight into how the rail network evolved, the stations and staff that were needed to keep everything running smoothly, and the politics involved. All the books feature a mystery or murder set on a train, in a busy station or on a secluded branch line, and for train enthusiasts, it’s a series not to be missed.