Stories of the Railway

by Victor L. Whitechurch

Benedict Cumberbatch reads five stories featuring the famous vegetarian railway detective, Thorpe Hazell, as heard on BBC Radio 4. In The Affair of the German Dispatch-Box, Hazell hatches a daring plan to retrieve a highly sensitive government document before it reaches the German Ambassador. In Sir Gilbert Murrell's Picture, when an entire wagon containing valuable paintings disappears from a goods train, Hazell's skill is needed. In The Affair of the Corridor Express, a multimillionaire's son disappears from a moving train. Hazell must find the kidnappers before the boy is lost forever. In The Stolen Necklace, a lady begs Hazell to help when the diamond necklace that she borrowed is stolen from her suitcase. In The Affair of the Birmingham Bank, customers keep drawing money from a Midlands bank, so gold reserves are sent by train. Hazell must guard against train robbery.

Genres: Audiobook, Short Stories, Mystery, Fiction, Classics, Historical, Crime

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1912

About the author

Victor Lorenzo Whitechurch was born in 1868, was educated at Chichester Grammar School and Chichester Theological College and eventually became a canon of the Anglican Church, living and working for many years in the country rather than in towns and cities.

He held various positions as curate before he became vicar of St. Michael's, Blewbury in 1904. In 1913 he became Chaplain to the Bishop of Oxford, and an honorary canon of Christ Church and in 1918 he became Rural Dean of Aylesbury.

He began his writing career with religious works, as befitted his profession, and edited 'The Chronicle of St George' in 1891 before producing his own work 'The Course of Justice' in 1903. He wrote his first quasi-detective novel, also considered as a clerical romance, in 1904 when 'The Canon in Residence' was published and was later adapted for stage and radio.

He also contributed detective stories to the Strand Magazine, the Railway Magazine and Pearson's and Harmsworth's Magazines. Some of his railway stories were published as 'Thrilling Stories of the Railway' in 1912, 15 stories in all, nine of which feature his specialst in railway detection, Thorpe Hazell, a strict vegetarian.

After producing a variety of romantic novels, he returned to thrillers with 'The Templeton Case', 1924, and another collection of short stories on a railway and spy theme, 'The Adventures of Captain Ivan Koravitch' in 1925.

Two quite different books appeared from his pen in 1927, 'The Truth in Christ Jesus' and 'The Crime at Diana's Pool' before he devoted his final years almost solely to detective fiction, writing four further such novels between 1927 and 1932, the last of them 'Murder at the College' written after he had suffered a long and debilitating illness.

Although his thriller output was relatively low, 12 of his 27 books being of the genre, Jacques Barzun and Wendell Hertig Taylor in their splendid 'Catalogue of Crime' wrote of him, "He was the greatest improviser in the genre - all but one of his stories has distinct merit." Ellery Queen and Dorothy L Sayers meanwhile admired his books for their "immaculate plotting and factual accuracy" believing him to be "one of the first writers to submit his manuscripts to Scotland Yard for vetting as to police procedure."

He died in 1933.

Gerry Wolstenholme
May 2010

Reviews

[Bev · Rating 3 out of 5]

My edition of Thrilling Stories of the Railway is an abridged audiobook with Benedict Cumberbatch reading a selection of Victor L. Whitechurch's short stories which feature Thorpe Hazell. Hazell is an eccentric gentleman detective of private means who considers himself primarily a railway enthusiast and collector of first editions. He is also a vegetarian and exercise fiend--often extolling the virtues of both to anyone who will sit still long enough to listen. The five short stories chosen for this audiobook were, I think, a fair sampling and give listeners a good idea of what kind of detective Hazell is. Info on the web would seem to indicate that Whitechurch wanted to make Hazell as different as possible from Sherlock Holmes. I would agree that he's different...but not that different. Holmes has a vast knowledge of various subjects from cigar ash to criminals to various sciences. Hazell has an encyclopedic knowledge of everything to do with railways. Holmes is eccentric in his habits--keeping tobacco in a slipper, sticking bills to his mantle with a knife, sometimes not eating or sleeping while he's on a case. Hazell has his bizarre exercises (whirling his arms about like a windmill--often in public) and his vegetarian lifestyle. The stories are also very Holmes-like because Hazell tends to keep clues to himself and spring the solution on us at the end.

Whitechurch does spin a good tale though and the BBC production dramatized the stories well. Benedict Cumberbatch is also an extraordinarily good reader. He brings each character to life and manages a broad range of accents and inflections to differentiate them. In The Affair of the German Dispatch-Box, Hazell must devise an ingenius plan to retrieve a highly sensitive document which has been stolen from the British government. It has found its way into the hands of the German attache and will be guarded on all sides on a train journey. He'll need to be quick to steal it back before it reaches the German Ambassador. In Sir Gilbert Murrell's Picture, an entire train car containing valuable paintings disappears from a goods train. Not only disappears--but somehow it has been removed from the middle of the train while the train was in motion. Hazell's skills and knowledge is sorely needed. In The Affair of the Corridor Express, it is a multimillionaire's son who disappears from a moving train. Hazell retraces the journey to find the boy before it's too late. In The Stolen Necklace, a lady begs Hazell to help when the diamond necklace that she borrowed is stolen from her suitcase. Her greatest fear is that the man she loves (who is notoriously short of funds) is responsible. She hopes Hazell can prove her wrong when he retrieves the necklace. In The Affair of the Birmingham Bank,rumors have caused a run on a Midlands bank, so cash reserves are sent for by train. Bank officials suspect an old rival to be behind the rumors and Hazell must find a way to keep the funds safe from train robbery.

It is always a treat to listen to Benedict Cumberbatch and these stories made for enjoyable trips to and from work. ★★★ and a half.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.

[Les Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I always say after reading a book of short stories, it is hard and unfair to give an overall mark. Stories vary from 2-5 star to give 3 is unfair to the 5, and 4 too good for the 2. With this book the good far outweighs the poor so feel I owe it to the book to give it the 4*

[Shiloah · Rating 3 out of 5]

10 stars for Benedict Cumberbatch’s reading of this book. The stories were old fashioned and some interesting and some not so much.

[tara bomp · Rating 2 out of 5]

As stories, they're pretty slight, but the author's attention to meticulous (although impossible to actually picture or tell whether it's realistic) detail about the action is an interesting feature. The main character's health system is a bit overdone but also kind of hilarious - you might think of oatmeal and lentils as health foods but Dutch cheese is an odd one - but his fourth "healthiest foods" pick is uh... macaroni???? The writing is heavily indebted to Sherlock Holmes although it lacks Doyle's panache.

contains 2 stories that are anti strikers so it's bad. quite a few stories are really just about the mechanics of the railway and disrupting them a bit with the background basically meaningless. he does provide diagrams for quite a few of these but it's still hard to picture

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A series of short mystery stories that take place on trains. The stories were OK. Very short. But Cumberbatch's narration is wonderful. I mean, he could read the phone book in that sexy baritone of his and make it fascinating, but it's more than that. He is a skilled impressionist, and that comes in handy reading audiobooks. He gives each character a unique voice and accent without making it sound like he's "doing voices." This reminded me a lot of Sherlock Holmes: The Rediscovered Railway and Other Stories.

[P.R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whilst I loved some of these delightful little tales, others were less enthralling and involved too much detail about railways. The eccentric hero is a fascinating, archaic character. The reader must remember that this book was written before the first World War, and as such there are many oddities. What remains charming, however, is the picture of a slow, careful life painted by the author, in which a letter could be sent and received the same day, an emergency on the railway is dealt with astonishingly rapidity and involving great bravery, and people on the whole are courteous to one another.

Three stars, because I gave up after 80% - I may go back and read the rest of the stories at a later date.

[Atram_sinprisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Qué gusto da encontrarse con estos libros tan bien editados y traducidos. Que el misterio clásico me encanta, pero las traducciones anteriores a los 90 a veces hay que cogerlas con pinzas.
Un detective especializado en trenes, horarios, trayectos y ubicaciones de los vagones. Imposible no acordarse de Seicho Matsumoto. El volumen es un recopilatorio de historias cortas, por lo que no hay tiempo para aburrirse ni un segundo. Las tramas son exquisitas, medidas al milímetro y sin una fisura. Ni trucos de chistera ni incongruencias. Se hace corto, me he quedado con ganas de más.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and a half stars is a fair average rating as some stories are better than others.

A nice collection of short stories although "Thrilling " is probably not the right word. Thorpe Hazell is an engaging and interesting, if peculiar, detective with his strange dietary and exercise habits. However I enjoyed the stories with him in them more than the others.

I imagine that any mystery loving train buff would really appreciate the attention to accurate railway detail in these stories.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Five stories with sleuth Thorpe Hazell. Entertaining!

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Sherlock Holmes'esk written in a similar style, but with a more likeable character in Hazel. The stories were more fun than thrilling, but a quick read that was enjoyable.

[Eva · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let's be honest, who read this for the stories??

[Word Queen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I will be an unpopular opinion here but, I prefer the regular book/ebook version to this audiobook version which is hard to say since I love Benedict Cumberbatch.

As for the stories, they aren’t what I’d call “thrilling” but they are enjoyable little Holmes-ish stories.

Thorpe Hazell is unique much like Holmes with quirks and the way he keeps the details of how or by whom the crimes are committed until the end where he seemingly blurts them out with no one else putting the pieces together. These are very short, bite sized stories that are a quick read/listen.

The stories are entertaining with some comical points, a lot of train terminology/function/operation, and some repetitive information about the MC quirks that can be distracting at times.

Now, for the unpopular opinion.
While I enjoyed Cumberbatch’s varied character voices and portrayals, I felt he read these much too fast with maybe too heavy of characterizations at times to the point I had a hard time understanding what was said and following many times. I kept having to restart sections. Some were very distracting to me and hard to make out while others were very nicely done. The rhythm was off in places not just between characters but within the same character sometimes. I got more from the stories when reading them and being able to catch the whole dialogue. Cumberbatch is one of my favorites so this was a hard opinion to have. I did enjoy some of his portrayals but there were a lot I just couldn’t get into/connect with or understand. It wasn’t as great a showcase to me for him or for an audiobook. I plan to give his Holmes audiobook a try still but I can’t say I’d grab another Hazell one right away yet. Execution as a whole just wasn’t there for me. The speed in which he read was probably my biggest turn off here. It felt very rushed for stories that were already extremely short.

Hazell’s exercise routine was also a bit distracting and his solutions didn’t always seem to flow or make sense in some of these. Still, entertaining, again just not a stellar execution of plot. The details on the crimes/perpetrators could have been better to make the plot flow and come to a more seamless conclusion. More character development would’ve been nice for some of the characters he seems to have a background with.

The technical train information was interesting and kinda meh at the same time. A bit confusing and hard to picture/understand unless you’re a train buff. Assuming it’s all accurate, Hazell definitely knows his trains. I’d have liked to see more of his first edition addiction and knowledge showcased. This is definitely a huge difference between him and Holmes. Holmes always knows quite a lot about well, quite a lot whereas Hazell knows a lot a lot…a lot about trains. I did like he is always clarifying he is not a real detective which was an endearing quirk.

The other big turnoff for me…the train whistle. That sucker was loud and obnoxious. It provided more of the “thrilling” aspect to me as it made me jump every time out of pure unexpected loud noise scare. I could do without that thing giving me a heartache twice in each story.

I did really enjoy Hazell’s insistence on keeping the peace, keeping the non criminal characters who blundered out of trouble, and just ensuring it was always a happy, kind ending. Another endearing quirk I really enjoyed and made me like him.

Overall it’s a fun short read/listen just wasn’t my cup of tea…or milk 🙃🥛 (that will make sense once you read these stories. That was probably my favorite little giggle thing in these stories.

Worth checking out if you need something short and fun. If you don’t prefer speed readers or overly distracting voices/portrayals, skip the audio version and just enjoy a handful of short simple stories. Check out both if you want to hear a wide range of voices while still understanding the details.

2 stars just for the speed, rhythm, and distraction of the narration at times. Slower, easier to understand narration would’ve moved to a 3.

[Whistler's Mom · Rating 2 out of 5]

Whitechurch (1868-1933) was a Church of England clergyman and a prolific writer. He wrote religious books, romances, book-length mysteries, and a series of short stories revolving around railways. Trains were an integral part of English life at a time when roads were primitive and cars were toys for rich men. His railway stories were published in popular magazines and in 1912 collected into this book.

Supposedly his stories were admired by Dorothy Sayers and others for their tight plots. Whitechurch is said to be "one of the first writers to submit his manuscripts to Scotland Yard for vetting as to police procedure." Good Lord! Do English writers REALLY sail into Scotland Yard and drop off their manuscripts for editing? ("I say, old chap, have the Commissioner look this over and let me know if anything needs changing. I'll be at my club. Ta-ta.") Imagine trying a stunt like that with J. Edgar Hoover!

Whitechurch's detective is a weirdo named Thorpe Hazell. He's a diet faddist with a strange routine of exercises, frequently performed in public. He's always trying to convince sceptical Victorians of the wisdom of his health care regime. Sedentary carnivores to a man, they think he should be locked up for his own good or (at least) to keep him from being such a bore.

Hazell is a prissy bachelor with a private income who uses his encyclopedic knowledge of English trains to solve crimes. Whitechurch reportedly wanted his detective to be as unlike Sherlock Holmes as possible and he succeeded. Holmes is arrogant and irritating, but never silly or boring.

Like all fans of classic English mysteries, I'm accustomed to plots where the solution hinges on where the 4:45 from Paddington was when the murder was committed. Here, EVERY story revolves around train schedules and the mechanics of railroading. Maybe if you're a die-hard train buff you'll find them fascinating. I think Thorpe Hazell is a doofus and I couldn't get sufficiently interested to try to figure out the esoteric railroad jargon. I was surprised that only the first nine stories feature Thorpe Hazell. God knows, I didn't like him but the stories without him weren't any better.

Of the fifteen stories, there are a few that I found entertaining. "Peter Crane's Cigars" concerns smuggling and Hazell's plan to catch the smuggler and put him out of business is clever. "The Tragedy on the London and Mid-Northern" is about the political plotting of one of the many ex-pat groups in England at the time. London was a magnet for political refugees and troublemakers from all over Europe. In this case, it's the Poles who are determined to execute a murderous official. They have a good plan, but Hazell sees through it.

"The Affair of the Corridor Express" is found in some anthologies. It concerns a rich man's son who's kidnapped from a train. Surprisingly, Hazell packs food and drink when headed out to rescue the boy. I was impressed that this self-absorbed man was concerned for a child who'd been kept in bad conditions. Turns out the food was for HIM. Hazell doesn't mind rescuing people, but he doesn't believe in indulging them.

"How the Bishop Kept his Appointment" is funny. Given that Whitechurch was a man of the cloth himself, his opinion of the clergy is quite negative. Wonder what his superiors in the Church thought about it?

"The Stolen Necklace" and "A Case of Signaling" are both charming, maybe because they involve young lovers. Hazell (although a confirmed bachelor himself) seems mildly sympathetic toward romance.

If you're a train freak, you can buy one of the collections of Whitechurch's work and get all 28 of the the "thrilling" railway stories. I'll pass.

[Rob Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

All Aboard for Adequacy
There's something inherently charming about the concept of Thorpe Hazell, Victor L. Whitechurch's vegetarian railway detective. Benedict Cumberbatch's narration of these five BBC Radio 4 adaptations certainly elevates the material, lending his considerable talents to stories that are, frankly, more quaint than thrilling despite their ambitious title.

The collection spans the expected range of railway-related crimes: stolen diplomatic documents, vanishing train cars, kidnapped heirs, pilfered jewelry, and bank robberies. Whitechurch clearly knew his railways—the period detail is meticulous, and train enthusiasts will appreciate the technical accuracy. The problem is that Hazell himself remains frustratingly opaque. His vegetarianism is mentioned more often than his actual detecting skills are demonstrated, and the solutions to these mysteries often feel more convenient than clever.

"The Affair of the Corridor Express," involving a millionaire's missing son, comes closest to genuine suspense, while "Sir Gilbert Murrell's Picture" offers an intriguing impossible-crime scenario with the disappearing wagon. But too often, the stories rely on fortunate timing and Hazell being in exactly the right place rather than brilliant deduction.

These tales work best as nostalgic period pieces—windows into an era when railway travel was the height of modernity and every journey held the potential for adventure. They're pleasant enough diversions, particularly with Cumberbatch's engaging delivery, but they're unlikely to satisfy readers seeking the intricate plotting of Agatha Christie or the atmospheric tension of Arthur Conan Doyle.

For a lazy afternoon listen while actually on a train? Perfectly adequate. For genuine thrills? You might want to look elsewhere.

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cumberbatch brings the characters to life and makes them bearable. I wouldn't otherwise be interested in these stories by Victor L. Whitechurch. They're a little dry for my taste. I'm aware he's not supposed to be anything like Sherlock Holmes, but Hazell's just not my cup of tea. He's a really flat character.

[Arvind Ramaswamy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got the Audiobook version mainly for Benedict Cumberbatch (am a big Fan). The stories themselves are very simple (I would say nothing "Thrilling" about them), set in the early Steam Engine Train days. Nothing Sherlock Holmes-ish, rather too "Elementary" stories (abridged). But, the 3 Stars are for Benedict Cumberbatch's narration with multiple voice-overs, he just brings ALL the characters to life. Thoroughly enjoyed. If only the stories had been better it would have been a 5 star.

Audible version is recommended as compared to the book edition, if at all you are considering to give it a try.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good Sherlock stories for a family road trip, albeit predictable ones.

[Iletrado · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entretenido. Una lectura ligera que se agradece.

[Frau Blücher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Und wie immer fünf Sterne an den Vorleser. Der dürfte mir wirklich das Berliner Telefonbuch vorlesen... *hachz*

[Sally taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great narration

[Ro · Rating 5 out of 5]

So awesome I loved the audiobook!

[Michelle Kemp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thorpe Hazel is an interesting character

[Hanna Kylin · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's so bad it's good. We get excessive details about what our protagonist eats, mixed with almost no description of plot, scrambled with ridiculous details of importance.

[Neven · Rating 2 out of 5]

🙂

[Jessica-sim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t know if I’d call these “thrilling” but they make a nice snack

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very clever and lots of fun.

[Candy Sparks · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun little easy read.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love his voice and enjoyed these stories of railway crime.

[Jeff Hobbs]

Read so far--

Peter Crane's cigars (aka The ingenious ruse of Mr. Crane)--
The tragedy on the London and Mid-Northern (aka The tragedy of the express)--
The affair of the Corridor Express (aka The kidnapping of Horace)--3
Sir Gilbert Murrell's picture (aka The car that vanished)--3
How the bank was saved (aka The frustration of Kinch)--
*The affair of the German dispatch box --
*How the bishop kept his appointment --
The adventure of the pilot engine --
*The stolen necklace --
The mystery of the boat express --
*How the express was saved --
*A case of signalling --
*Winning the race --
The strikers --
The ruse that succeeded--
***
A warning in red --
*Murder on the Okehampton line --
*How the captain tracked a German spy --

[Jeneé · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would honestly listen to Benedict read me the dictionary. In reality these stories are short and basic. They read to me very much like Sherlock Holmes, which is I'm sure in part why they had Benedict narrate them. He brings a lot of life to stories, that without a good narrator, may seem dull and antiquated. So if you like turn of the century mystery stories narrated by a heavenly voice, do take some time to enjoy this short little gem.