Classic Railway Murders

by Patrick Malahide

All four stories in this collection were written by masters of the art of suspense. Baroness Orczy's "The Mysterious Death on the Underground Railway" presents a murder committed in full view of the passengers, yet no one can identify the killer. In Maurice Leblanc's "The Mysterious Railway Passenger," a notorious villain dupes the police and escapes with ingenuity and audacity. Freeman Wills Crofts's "The Mystery of the Sleeping Car Express" features a murderer who escapes from a moving train while his victims and an innocent bystander are locked in their compartment. In Victor Whitechurch and E. Conway's "A Warning in Red," a man's body found on the tracks could not have been thrown out of the train as supposed by the police. How did it get there?

Genres: Mystery, Short Stories, Audiobook, Fiction, Anthologies

2 pages, Audio Cassette

First published March 16, 2001

Reviews

[Adia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stories involving murder and mayhem on the Railway.

The Mysterious Death on the Underground Railway, by Baroness Orczy. The tale of a woman poisoned in an empty train carriage, narrated by a strange man in a tearoom–apparently a recurrent character in Orczy’s stories called “The Old Man in the Corner”. Rather predictable, but I enjoyed it. 3.5 stars.

The Mystery of the Sleeping Car Express by Freeman Wills Crofts. The best of this collection imo. A deathbed confession sheds light on the terrible and inexplicable tragedy that occurred in a sleeping car many years before. A couple are found shot in a locked train compartment with no weapon to be found; a tale of clever revenge. 5 stars.

The Mysterious Railway Passenger, by Maurice Leblanc.a robbery occurs aboard a train in which Arsene Lupin is, for once, the victim.Lupin finds his wits put to the test as he outsmarts the police and tracks down the true criminal. Fun; 4 stars

A Warning in Red, by Victor Whitechurch & Victor Conway. A brief and somewhat simple plot; the atmosphere is what this story really has going for it. A man is found dead on the line, robbed with his head bashed open. solved by an amateur train enthusiast. 3.5 stars.

Overall: really enjoyable collection. 4.5 stars.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of ho hum. Nothing very compelling but an ok collection to while away a couple of hours.

[☆Ruth☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully read by Patrick Malahide and each one an interesting mini-mystery.

[SapphireFox · Rating 3 out of 5]

01. The Mysterious Death on the Underground Railway by Baroness Orczy = 3-Stars
I already read this story in The Old Man in the Corner but I re-listened to it here as Patrick Malahide does a wonderful job with the characters!

02. The Mysterious Railway Passenger by Maurice Leblanc = 5-Stars
Brilliant cat-and-mouse game featuring Arsène Lupin. Feels like it had a bit of a slow start where you struggle to get into the story & characters, but then flows quickly.

03. A Warning in Red by Victor Whitechurch and E. Conway = 3-Stars Just your typical amateur sleuth short story with incredible voice acting.

04. The Mystery of the Sleeping Car Express by Freeman Wills Crofts = 2-Stars A bit overly technical and descriptive in my opinion.

[Ranjanks · Rating 4 out of 5]

listened to audio book. wonderfully narrated. loved all stories.

[Nasim Kaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to the audio book. Every story kept me guessing until the very end. All 4 were read wonderfully.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, quick read

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adequate short stories with a decent narrator. Probably best for train buffs.

[Anya · Rating 2 out of 5]

4 short stories:
The mysterious death on the underground railway / Baroness Orczy
The mysterious railway passenger / Maurice Leblanc
The mystery of the sleeping car express / Freeman Wills Crofts
A warning in red / Victor Whitechurch

I want to rate the entire work higher for the most entertaining reading of Leblanc's story, but overall they were rather boring despite the excellent narration.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed listening to these four mysteries. Sometimes in collections you get a mixed quality of stories, but all four of these kept me entertained. I especially enjoyed The Mysterious Railway Passenger by Maurice Leblanc. Leblanc's character Arsene Lupin is featured in a number of stories and I might hunt out more of them in future.

[Shellee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Especially loved the Baroness... but all stories were worth while.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four early rail mistories each with its own solution, this is a fun book to listen to.