Reviews

Railway to the Grave by Edward Marston

readingelli's review

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Murder, Blood, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

Blackmail

teal_reader's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Always enjoy spending a bit of time in the company of Insp. Colbeck. As ever, a quick read, that doesn’t require too much effort or thought on the part of the reader. 

helenephoebe's review against another edition

4.0

Review - This is the first of this series that I have listened to on audiobook, and I thought that the narrator was very good; it gave Colbeck a voice which was actually virtually as I imagined it. We saw more of Superintendent Tallis in this one, and a more human side to him than that seen in previous books, as he had a personal connection to it. Colbeck and Madeline's relationship was still very much in evidence, but Colbeck spent much of the book debating how to tell Tallis, whose views on marriage were not positive. The relationships between the characters hold these books together, and the murders and the development of the railways were almost sub-plots. Another great mystery from Edward Marston.

Genre? - Historical / Mystery

Characters? - Inspector Robert Colbeck / Sergeant Victor Leeming / Madeline Andrews / Caleb Andrews / Superintendent Tallis / Agnes Reader / Colonel Aubrey Tarleton / Lottie Pearl / Mrs Withers / Bertram Reader / Miriam Tarleton / Adam Tarleton / Lorna Begg / Eve Dole

Setting? - London & South Otterington (England)

Series? - Railway Detective #7

Recommend? – Yes

Rating - 17/20

melanie55's review

funny mysterious relaxing slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

desiree_boom's review

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.5

rabspur's review against another edition

5.0

Another great read about the Railway Detective, whereby Robert Colbeck Investigates a suicide and the murder of the suicidal deaths wife. Fast page turner recommended seven down now on number eight.

micrummey's review

2.0

An easy read where you don't have to think too much. The language can be stilted at times and then we get great swathes of expositional dialogue as various characters explain copious historical facts which didn't sound believable in that would they really speak like that.
In other books of the series Colbreck's fiancee Madeleine becomes involved in the investigation or crime, this time she is literally pushed into a siding to discuss domestic issues with her father as Colbreck and Leeming head for North Yorkshire to investigate a murder and suicide.
Marston gives us plenty of likely suspects and motives but the ending does have a modern day ending to which Colbreck has suddenly developed a 21st century attitude.

lucyp21's review

3.0

This Railway detective novel is about a man who committed suicide and his missing wife, so the main mystery was about the missing wife to try and clear the man's name. This was interesting enough, though it didn't get my attention as much as some others had done.

I did really appreciate including a gay woman in the novels and have her be unapologetic about it even if she didn't get a happy ending.

Tallis was humanised a lot more in this one, which I did appreciate, even if he did get in the way of the actual investigation (but in a reasonable way). 

3.5 stars! 

kathryn08's review

4.0

I enjoy listening to these as audiobooks. I especially enjoyed this one - there were plenty of plot twists and turns that I didn’t see coming and I love the little developments in Detective Inspector Robert Colbeck’s relationship with Madeleine Andrews which are in each of the books.