Set in 1905, Martin’s second Jim Stringer mystery (after 2004’s The Necropolis Railway
) starts slowly but builds a head of steam like the monster locomotive Jim stokes for “Lanky,” the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway. A passenger dies when a huge grindstone on the tracks derails a train carrying the owner of Hind’s Mill on an excursion to seaside Blackpool. Jim begins to suspect class warfare when a young socialist distributes tracts in Jim’s hometown of Halifax, urging workers to shun holidays organized by mill owners. A fallen tree on another rail line further suggests conspiracy, as does the disappearance of smartly dressed Clive, the engine driver on Jim’s next run. Lanky management’s paltry £5 reward hardly seems likely to garner much information, so newlywed Jim turns to comely Lydia, a mill clerk he simply calls “the wife,” for much needed help. Getting used to Jim’s chatty Cockney narration takes time, but as the suspense rises, readers will be captivated. (July)
