Night Train to Jamalpur

Jim Stringer #9

by Andrew Martin

North East India, 1923. On the broiling Night Mail from Calcutta to Jamalpur, a man is shot dead in a first class compartment. Detective Inspector Jim Stringer was sleeping in the next compartment along. Was he the intended target?

Jim should have known that his secondment to the East Indian Railway, with a roving brief to inspect security arrangements, would not be the working holiday he had hoped for. The country seethes with political and racial tension. Aside from the Jamalpur shooting, someone is placing venomous snakes - including giant king cobras - in the first class compartments of the railway.

Jim also has worries on the home front: his daughter has formed a connection with a Maharajah's son, who may in turn have a connection to Jim's incredibly rude colleague, the bristling Major Fisher. Jim must do everything he can to keep his family safe from harm, as he unravels the intrigues that surround him ...

Genres: Crime, Fiction, Mystery, Historical Fiction, India, Historical Mystery, Detective

330 pages, Hardcover

First published October 31, 2013

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Andrew Martin (born 6 July 1962) is an English novelist and journalist.

Martin was brought up in Yorkshire, studied at the University of Oxford and qualified as a barrister. He has since worked as a freelance journalist for a number of publications while writing novels, starting with Bilton, a comic novel about journalists, and The Bobby Dazzlers, a comic novel set in the North of England, for which he was named Spectator Young Writer of the Year. His series of detective novels about Jim Stringer, a railwayman reassigned to the North Eastern Railway Police in Edwardian England, includes The Necropolis Railway, The Blackpool Highflyer, The Lost Luggage Porter, Murder at Deviation Junction and Death on a Branch Line. He has also written the non-fiction book; How to Get Things Really Flat: A Man's Guide to Ironing, Dusting and Other Household Arts.

Reviews

[Gerry]

Jim Stringer, a railway detective, is seconded to the Indian Railway network to investigate cases of corruption within the organisation. But before he is able to begin his investigations he is involved in the death of a fellow passenger on the night train to Jamalpur. He is even suspected of being involved in the death.

Thereafter snakes begin to appear on various trains within the network and several deaths of passengers are a result. Stringer, although not strictly ordered to follow this particular line of investigation, does involve himself in trying to discover what is going on with the snake attacks whilst going about his main task.

He has his wife and daughter with him in India and with the latter becoming involved with an Indian dignitary and the former going about her own thing while he continues to work, relationships get a little fraught. Indeed, it is to my surprise that his wife does not take him to task for continually referring to her, even within her earshot, as 'the wife' (a phrase I must confess I do not like). He, therefore, has to deal with family difficulties while continuing his investigations.

While the ambience is well described and one gets the feel for India and all its problems and glory, the storyline is somewhat muddled and one tends to lose interest at various points throughout the book.

In the end Stringer's family relations are resolved, the investigations turn out successfully but exactly who did what and why is something one is left pondering even after the book has been finished.

[Tausif Hossain]

An interesting plot set in Colonial India involving the Brits, Snakes and Trains. The protagonist Jim is a detective trying to solve many cases which seem to be intertwined. Overall a refreshing read for someone interested in the colonial period and the different social classes at that time. Not a very good mystery book and more often than not, Jim seems to be missing things that are below his nose.

[Richard]

I have always enjoyed the writing of Andrew Martin, ever since the excellent The Necropolis Railway. However, this seems like a book too far and it has been quite a slog to finish this latest account of Jim Stringer's rise as a railway detective.
Thinking about his previous novels the format is very similar here. A large cast of suspects and a range of investigations to get to the bottom of, crimes, a murder to solve. The locations change and there is always a railway connection. Here we are in post war India in 1923 with the politics and relationships being carefully drawn out and adding depth to the story.
Unfortunately not much happens, there is little tension or jeopardy and at times it was a struggle to read the narrative in this early chapters. Too much repetition and social situations. Stringer is a lone worker and the case is seen solely through his eyes and interviews with others. But it remains confusing as the reader does not know what information is key or just flavouring the scene. He never really has anyone to talk through his ideas or review his thinking which would help a reader make better sense otf things.
His wife Lydia has always been an interesting character; some development of her relationships and thinking is made in this novel. Indeed at times I would rather have stayed with her story than continue on her husband's investgative journey. Overall I have enjoyed these books and feel Martin is a clever writer but like one of the trains wonder if this series has run out of steam?

[Sarah]

Couldn't help myself - sunday morning on the sofa in the sunshine and I just read on and finished this. I really like spending time with Jim and his confused world, love the intelligence and his strong feelings about other people. Now there are no more Jim Stringer books to read... I'm not sure if the author intends any more although I don't how he can refrain from giving Jim a swansong 30 years later when the Beeching reports are used to cut the railways and kill off the last of steam.

[Stephen]

enjoyed latest in the jim stringer series this time been posted in 1920's india investigating snakes biting customers in 1st and corruption. felt however ending was rushed though

[Karen Whittaker]

This book disappointed me with its storyline but the descriptions of India, the railway system and the people were very interesting. I read it all but it was put down many times between readings.

[Barbara]

Andrew Martin clearly loves railways and I have no reason to question anything he wrote about them. What I'm not so sure about is whether he loves - or for that matter 'knows' - India. The setting in slightly post-WW1 Calcutta and Darjeeling is very cliched. The same places, the same events and activities seem to appear in every book of that place and time. It felt very 'samey' with a lot of other books that I've read. His fixation with 'Anglo-Indians' made me feel rather uncomfortable - drawing attention to mixed-race railway communities without making them all that relevant to his plot. There are also a few randomly thrown in curse words that just didn't feel right for the character, place or time.

He also has an irritating fixation on brands - he always drinks Becks beer (help me here, Indian readers - is that appropriate to the setting) and refers frequently to cigarette and cigar brands. There's an irritating superficiality about his references to the 'Amritsar massacre' and to the activities of Gandhi.

The greatest criticism must be reserved for the plot. Too many characters, treated too superficially and then when we finally get to the whodunnit (or whodunnits) at least one could never have been predicted as it relies on the contents of a photograph. Personally I think a good mystery needs enough clues to be offered that a reader could solve the case without relying on last minute reveals. Jim Stringer also turns out to be quite an unpleasant chap, ready to ditch his wife for her perceived misbehaviour without giving her any chance to explain herself.

I'll read just about anything set in India, but I wouldn't rush to read this author again.

[Peter Anderson]

Night train to Jamalpur is the ninth book in Andrew Martin‘a Jim Stringer series.

The series started out so well, I quite enjoyed them. Dare I say, a bit of a “boys own” romp; crime mixed with old steam trains, what more could you need🫢😁🫣😵‍💫😬

I’ve included a short quote from the book that will help explain my thesis that Martin has made the Stringer series one or two books too long:

There were some cyclists about, but not the orderly bicycling clerks. The early chaps were weirder. One came out of the gloom on a tricycle with two chairs belted on the back. Then came another, with another two chairs, followed by a pair of tricyclists carrying between them the table corresponding to the chairs. They all turned into Esplanade Row, and the latter two shouted as they co-ordinated, but they did not wake the little sepoys who slept on pavement mattresses, like so many toy soldiers fallen over.

Riveting stuff, don’t you agree?

Well there’s one more book to go and I’ll have read the whole series. What a glutton for punishment you are Pete!

I hope that helps,

Peter

[Chris Gillies]

I've enjoyed the Stringer books, the layout is pretty much the same throughout all the books - much of the book is scene setting, character building, the occasional red herring, but little of use to give you an idea of who the guilty party might be. This book follows that pattern to the extreme, the world of post war India is brilliantly created, some amazingly diverse characters are built, lots of red herrings are scattered throughout. However you only find the guilty party in both lines of investigation at the very very end, with evidence that only becomes apparent in Jim saying how he came to the conclusion of who dunnit. It very much feels rushed and abrupt, which is a shame given that this is the concluding book in the series. I enjoyed it and will miss Jim, maybe there will be more books forget down the line....

[ParisianIrish]

I suppose the most interesting part of this book was getting an insight into colonial life in India. As for the plot, I found parts of this book to be extremely boring and slow-paced. Indeed, for a large part of the book the focus switches to the Police mans personal life where it appears for a while that his wife and perhaps daughter are carrying out a very open and rather illicit affair with a high ranking member of Indian society. This serves as a bit of a distraction to the plot which could have been a very interesting and developed colonial crime. Alas, no, the book moves through various phases at an incredibly slow pace, leaving the reader counting down the pages until he/she finishes.

[Keith Hamilton]

The 9th instalment of the Jim Stringer, Railway Detective series is a worthy addition. The action moves between the dust and heat of Calcutta and the damp and cool of the Darjeeling hills. Andrew Martin is masterful in bringing 1920s India to life, portraying its people, politics and places with great skill and sympathetic understanding. This, coupled with his wide- ranging interest and expertise in all things Railway, make for an entertaining and intricately plotted murder mystery . Trigger warning - this novel involves lots of snakes, which are central to the plot! A great read, thoroughly enjoyable.

[Ian]

It's 1923 and railway detective Jim Stringer is on secondment to a commission investigating corruption on the Indian railways. But someone is killing first class passengers by leaving venomous snakes in carriages, and when an official in the next compartment to Jim on the night train of the title is shot dead it's clear there's something darker going on.

As always with this series the crime element rather takes second place to the period detail. Martin vividly portrays a society changed by the horrors of the First World War but not yet ready to relinquish its colonial possessions.

[Dipendra Mitra]

An interesting book on Indian railways based out of the city of Kolkata, India. I have lived in the city so could easily associate with the streets, names and even more having studied in Darjeeling could further associate. Toy train as we called it - the train from Siliguri to Darjeeling.

A simple plot but well narrated.

In the book the author Andrew Martin uses "Poojah" signifying holidays - yes Poojah or Durga puja is a big festival in Kolkata and it is holiday time - however, it is around autumn (October) and not in April / May (the duration of the events in this book)

[John Watts]

A pleasant undemanding read, strong on background detail. Obvious railway enthusiast who creates an evocative picture of Calcutta, Bengal and Darjeeling in the 1920s. The storyline is okay without ever becoming gripping and sometimes strays away too much into family concerns to be a crime story. Ideal relaxing, 'few chapters before sleep' type of book with the re-assuring understanding that Jim Stringer will always solve the mystery. Perhaps make that 2.5 stars.

[Ipswichblade]

Another great Jim Stringer mystery which seems to be the last written so I hope Andrew Martin brings Jim back at some point. Usual fast paced story albeit I struggled at times to remember which character was which but perhaps that's me getting older!!

[Tracy Jagger]

Sadly, didn’t finish the book. Found it very slow and boring and not at all gripping. Was listening to the audio version and the voice was very monotonous, perhaps I should have read the paper back. My mind was drifting and the story just didn’t get my interest.

[Martin Hollands]

Another of the crime/railway hybrid det3ective stories.

Whilst having enjoyed this book with its mix of Crime railways and journeying through the Raj it probably isn't one of my favourites. It just didn't grab me as some of the others have.

It was fascinating how easily it was possible to visualise the Indian sub-continent in the days of the Raj, made easier no doubt by having watched a TV programme that covered the same part of India during the same period!!!! Nice coincidence that!

I felt that the story came to an end rather abruptly as if the author was limited on the pages he could use and he had to cut it short. having developed the storyline and characters as well as he had this was disappointing.

Don't get the idea that this is a bad book as it is actually rather good, just not his best.

[Colin Lawrence]

Unfortunately Andrew Martin appears to have run out of steam (pun intended) in this latest adventure, if you can call it that, of his detective hero Jim Stringer. A flimsy plot involving snakes on trains and an investigation into some sort of financial corruption coupled with a cursory sub-plot concerning Jim's wife and daughter amounts to a rather dreary read. By the end of the book I really couldn't have cared less who did what to whom and why. The early novels at least had some meat on the bone as far as mystery was concerned. This new book isn't a patch on the earlier material. Having read all the Stringer stories I think that unless Mr Martin can return to form soon, he may just as we'll retire Jim, who seemed to be as bored by relating this turgid tale as I was by reading it.

[Damien G]

A mystery set in pre war India. Jim Stringer makes the error of going to India with his family,though his wife and daughter disagree. Jim is one the best characters in literature,I have read all A Martin's books and watched him evolve and grow. The move to India allows us to see and know of the class prejudice that existed in the Raj. With this book you learn of the prejudices extant in Indian society such as attitudes by Indians on fellow citizens. Those who married British Citizens, who became neither British or Indian. I would recommend this book but suggest new readers start with the first of the series.

[Cliff]

Set in the India of the Raj, this is a tale of Jim Stringer being seconded to an Indian railway to resolve problems with the vast amounts of goods going walkabout. He never seems to do that, but gets involved in other matters. The main interest in the book for me was the descriptions of India and of the racism which was endemic at the time. If anything, this seems to be played down somewhat, possibly in view of modern sensibilities. The author certainly seems to have done his homework on the operations of Indian Railways at the time.

[Sandy]

I really enjoy the Jim Stringer series and hope there will be more. This one is set in India in the 1920's and involves English / Indian politics. Coincidently, I am also reading a Victorian mystery where a minor character has survived the Indian mutiny 50 or 60 years earlier and The Great Game which is the history of the English / Russian power play for Afghanistan and access to India in the 1800's - so I'm feeling quite immersed in English / Indian history at the moment.

[Divyaroop Bhatnagar]

I had expected more from this book. The plot and the setting seemed very interesting. Venomous snakes, Indian Railways, Raj Times - what more could one ask for?

Sadly the book does not live upto expectation. The writing is obscure and overdetailed at times. The plot chugs along like a turgid day in Calcutta. And worst of all, the end is unsatisfying.

[Gary]

Really a 1.5 star from me. I found it dull and pedestrian and I realise that this is like kicking a starving puppy in author terms but it is just not as interesting as his previous books and I'm really glad a friend lent this to me rather than having bought it! I can't recommend it at all but if you come across his earlier works give them a go.

[carelessdestiny]

The best in the series so far - Jim Springer and his family age in a believable way, the plot is complex and varied involving snakes on trains, railway technology and India in the 1920's and the writing is precise and clever.

[Jacques Reynart]

A curious story, set in colonial India and told from the point of view of an English detective inspector. A lot of the detail feels very accurate and there's an interesting cast of characters, but I didn't find the ending very satisfying.

[Nicki]

I read this for my book club. If it wasn't for the history or detail of India I would have given up on it. The book plot was weak and there was too much detail about trains. I lost caring towards the end.

[Fraser Cook]

Grand, keep em coming!

[Steven]

Interesting period and setting lends tremendous potential but the writer did not do it justice. No depth. It felt as though even the writer was tired of writing it.

[Sugar]

Good story and good scene-setting. Could have done with a thorough proof: so many typos. Apparently the reader before me (library copy) thought so too. :)

[Les Wilson]

Sorry Andrew, just not your usual standard.