The Iron Horse cover art

The Iron Horse

The Railway Detective, Book 4

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The Iron Horse

By: Edward Marston
Narrated by: Sam Dastor
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About this listen

 Derby Day at Epsom Downs and a multitude of people crowd to watch the races: dukes and dustmen, bishops and beggars, privileged ladies and prostitutes.

The gamut of Victorian society, though, is also a hotbed for crime and crooks of all kinds. With the country a-flutter in the run-up to this national occasion, events reach fever pitch when a disembodied head is discovered on a passenger train at Crewe; the first in a murky course of events that takes in murder, fraud and race-fixing.

Detective Robert Colbeck and his assistant are assigned to the case and are soon snarled up in a web of skulduggery stretching across the country. Soon, however, they are forced to ask themselves: just what is someone prepared to do in order to win?

©2007 Edward Marston (P)2014 Audible, Inc. Detective Historical Fiction Mystery Suspense Thriller & Suspense Traditional Detectives Fiction Crime

Critic reviews

"A grand romp very much in the tradition of Holmes and Watson... Packed with characters Dickens would have been proud of. Wonderful, well written." ( Time Out)
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I love the gentle story line and setting. Imaginative and interesting, my only criticism really is that the narrator gives every female voice a rather irritating, simpering character which is inappropriate.

enjoyable,easy listening mystery

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An enjoyable yarn with compelling characters and a nice twist at the end, good fun.

Great Fun!

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Having only recently discovered Edward Marston's work, I was delighted to find a few of his books on Audible. This evocative story is wonderfully portrayed by Sam Dastor. It is like listening to a radio play with many actors. Sam has truly brought all of the varied characters to life. More please.

Thoroughly Enjoyable

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I enjoyed this story. My only criticism is the narration of the female characters. They all sounded half witted.

Old fashioned enjoyable crime novel

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I have only recently discovered Marston and I'm already hooked on two of his series.



The Iron Horse is a Holmes and Watson style detective story complete with period sterotypes, but still thoroughly enjoyable.

Looking forward to more

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