A Christmas Railway Mystery

'A master storyteller' Daily Mail

December, 1860. An army of men is heading to the Swindon Locomotive Works for the morning shift from their nearby terraced houses built by the GWR. Frank Rodman should have been among them, but his new destination is the grave - or it will be, once his missing head is found.

Christmas is fast approaching, and the last thing Inspector Colbeck needs is a complex case, mired in contradictions. As he wrestles with one crime, he is alarmed to hear of another - the abduction of Superintendent Tallis. With Sergeant Leeming by his side, the Railway Detective finds himself in a hectic race to solve a brutal murder and save the superintendent's life before it's too late.

Auteur
Edward Marston has written well over a hundred books, including some non-fiction. He is best known for his hugely successful Railway Detective series and he also writes the Bow Street Rivals series featuring twin detectives set during the Regency; the Home Front Detective novels set during the First World War; and the Ocean Liner mysteries.

Résumé
December 1860. Headed for the morning shift at the Swindon Locomotive works is an army of men pouring out of terraced houses built by the GWR, a miniature town and planned community that aims to provide for its employees from cradle to grave. Unfortunately, boiler smith Frank Rodman is headed for the grave sooner than he'd expected, or he will be once his missing head is found. Colbeck, the Railway Detective, finds his investigation into Rodman's murder mired in contradictions. Was the victim a short-tempered brawler, or a committed Christian and chorister who aimed to better himself? On the trail of Rodman's enemy as the season starts to bite, Colbeck finds little festive cheer in the twists and turns of this peculiar case.