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.
