Thursday, September 25, 2025

The Excursion Train by Edward Marston (2005)

 


Series: Railway Detective #2

About the author: Edward Marston is a pseudonym of Keith Miles.

Major characters:

  • Inspector Robert Colbeck, Scotland Yard
  • Sam Horlock, railway policeman
  • Tod Galway, train guard (conductor)
    Caleb Andrews (train driver)
    Madeleine Andrews, his daughter
  • Bill Hignett, "The Bargeman", a prizefighter
  • Isaac Rosen, "Mad Isaac", a prizefighter
  • Jacob Guttridge/Bransby;   public executioner (victim)
  • Louise Guttridge/Bransby, his widow
  • Michael Guttridge/Eames; their son
  • Becky Guttridge/Eames; Michael's wife
  • William Calcraft, public executioner
  • Superintendent Edward Tallis
  • Inspector Robert Colbeck
  • Sergeant Victor Leeming

Locale: London and environs

Synopsis: An excursion train runs from London to the countryside to bring a rowdy crowd to a prizefight between "The Bargeman" (Bill Hignett) and "Mad Isaac" (Isaac Rosen) . After the fans leave the train at the destination, a body is found by railway policeman Sam Horlock in one of the coaches - murdered. Scotland Yard inspector Robert Colbeck, "The Railway Detective", is sent into the investigation. The murdered man is Jacob Guttridge, a public executioner (hangman); who lived incognito with his wife Louise under her maiden name (Bransby). Plenty of people had a motive of retribution, as he had been responsible for hanging quite a few.

Colbeck looks up his friend, train driver Caleb Andrews, for insight into the railway workings; as well as getting closer to his romantic interest, Caleb's daughter Madeleine.

 


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