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Arkham Detective #5
Death on the Arkham Express
Ride the rails with this Cthulhu Mythos mystery!The Arkham Detective is back! A well-earned first-class ticket on the train from New York to Arkham, intended as a pleasurable trip, is sidetracked into a grotesque journey. Commuters’ heads are bashed in by an invisible assailant and the only law on board is . . . You guessed it; our detective from Arkham.
97 pages, Paperback
First published May 22, 2019
About the author
Byron Craft
24 books27 followersIt was decided that the best person to tell you about Byron Craft and “THE ALCHEMIST’S NOTEBOOK” project would be me…Byron Craft.
“THE ALCHEMIST’S NOTEBOOK” was originally a movie that was in preproduction several years ago titled, “The Cry of Cthulhu.” Unfortunately the project, like many good intentions, never came to fruition. My concept was an all new Cthulhu Mythos story to be put on film that would have done H.P. Lovecraft proud. At the time, there had been several poor attempts to place Lovecraft and his dreaded Necronomicon on the big screen. I had a notion to make an exciting, plus mind-boggling, Cthulhu movie that had the look and feel as if Lovecraft had stood behind the camera.
“THE ALCHEMIST’S NOTEBOOK” embodies the same vision in a literary format. I have endeavored to pen this Cthulhu Mythos novel as it may have been done if H.P. Lovecraft were alive in the 21st century. Nevertheless, “THE ALCHEMIST’S NOTEBOOK” consists of three separate narratives that link together a single story, where when one account leaves off, the other continues leading you, the reader, through a terrifying Lovecraftian web of mystery, horror and apocalyptic doom.
I have been known to refer to this work as “THE ALCHEMIST’S NOTEBOOK PROJECT,” because it is the first in a five novel mythos series dealing with mankind’s internal, as well as, outward struggle to control his own destiny while encountering malicious beings from another time and space.
I hope you will enjoy, in addition to being scared stiff, the first of my five part series…“THE ALCHEMIST’S NOTEBOOK.”
Cthulhu Lives!
Byron Craft
Byron@byroncraftbooks.com
“THE ALCHEMIST’S NOTEBOOK” was originally a movie that was in preproduction several years ago titled, “The Cry of Cthulhu.” Unfortunately the project, like many good intentions, never came to fruition. My concept was an all new Cthulhu Mythos story to be put on film that would have done H.P. Lovecraft proud. At the time, there had been several poor attempts to place Lovecraft and his dreaded Necronomicon on the big screen. I had a notion to make an exciting, plus mind-boggling, Cthulhu movie that had the look and feel as if Lovecraft had stood behind the camera.
“THE ALCHEMIST’S NOTEBOOK” embodies the same vision in a literary format. I have endeavored to pen this Cthulhu Mythos novel as it may have been done if H.P. Lovecraft were alive in the 21st century. Nevertheless, “THE ALCHEMIST’S NOTEBOOK” consists of three separate narratives that link together a single story, where when one account leaves off, the other continues leading you, the reader, through a terrifying Lovecraftian web of mystery, horror and apocalyptic doom.
I have been known to refer to this work as “THE ALCHEMIST’S NOTEBOOK PROJECT,” because it is the first in a five novel mythos series dealing with mankind’s internal, as well as, outward struggle to control his own destiny while encountering malicious beings from another time and space.
I hope you will enjoy, in addition to being scared stiff, the first of my five part series…“THE ALCHEMIST’S NOTEBOOK.”
Cthulhu Lives!
Byron Craft
Byron@byroncraftbooks.com
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 30, 2020
A Lovecraftian story written relentlessly in the style of a pulp fiction hard-boiled detective novel straight from the pulps, Death on the Arkham Express is the Cthulhu Mythos as I have never seen it before.
On his way home from New York aboard the Arkham Express, the “Arkham Detective”, as tough a detective as you could find within the pages of any pulp novel, is soon thrown into a violently bloody mystery, which takes passengers and crew one by one till the horrific climax.
Not letting the grass grow under his feet, by page three we have our first murder on the passenger train: “Blood contains iron, and the metallic smell was extremely strong when I entered. The red painted cookery reeked of the odor. A crimson body fluid spray marred the narrow galley layout of gloss white walls. Staring at me was my waiter. His head lay grotesquely upon a stainless-steel counter. The features were twisted and torn and mangled. His dead black eyes conveyed a combination of terror and revulsion…” And this is just a foretaste of the horrors to come.
Bryron Craft manages to sustain the hard-boiled detective style with admirable glee in a tale that I doubt Lovecraft would have ever imagined, whilst sticking pretty damn close to the mythology. Fast-paced, racy, with nary a quarter given to PC niceties, this is an enjoyable jaunt that gives the Cthulhu Mythos a good old Spillane type kicking with the tongue firmly, but somehow respectfully tucked in the cheek, and at only 75 pages far from outlives its spirited welcome.
The great artwork on the cover is by Marko Serafimovic.
On his way home from New York aboard the Arkham Express, the “Arkham Detective”, as tough a detective as you could find within the pages of any pulp novel, is soon thrown into a violently bloody mystery, which takes passengers and crew one by one till the horrific climax.
Not letting the grass grow under his feet, by page three we have our first murder on the passenger train: “Blood contains iron, and the metallic smell was extremely strong when I entered. The red painted cookery reeked of the odor. A crimson body fluid spray marred the narrow galley layout of gloss white walls. Staring at me was my waiter. His head lay grotesquely upon a stainless-steel counter. The features were twisted and torn and mangled. His dead black eyes conveyed a combination of terror and revulsion…” And this is just a foretaste of the horrors to come.
Bryron Craft manages to sustain the hard-boiled detective style with admirable glee in a tale that I doubt Lovecraft would have ever imagined, whilst sticking pretty damn close to the mythology. Fast-paced, racy, with nary a quarter given to PC niceties, this is an enjoyable jaunt that gives the Cthulhu Mythos a good old Spillane type kicking with the tongue firmly, but somehow respectfully tucked in the cheek, and at only 75 pages far from outlives its spirited welcome.
The great artwork on the cover is by Marko Serafimovic.
June 2, 2019
A meaty chunk of mythos mayhem, carried off with Byron Craft’s customary panache, blending 1920s noir detective fiction with unspeakable alien horror.
The Arkham Detective is taking a leisurely trip back from dropping off a suspect, rewarded for good work with a first-class ticket on the luxurious Arkham Express. But wouldn’t ya know it, he barely has time to order a hot corned-beef sandwich before a piercing scream announces a gruesome murder in the dining car’s kitchen.
Craft has the hard-boiled style down pat, and the setting is immaculate, with a beautiful feme fatale, an eccentric writer, a rival detective and a supporting cast of train crew, suspects and more victims, as murder follows murder with the punctuality of a railway timetable. The period detail is impressive, and there’s a nice line in Chandleresque description, plus a quantity of Lovecraftian horror, as this is no ordinary serial killer but something far more dangerous.
Can the Detective unmask the killer, fight off the walking dead and save the world? All aboard the Arkham Express to find out…
The Arkham Detective is taking a leisurely trip back from dropping off a suspect, rewarded for good work with a first-class ticket on the luxurious Arkham Express. But wouldn’t ya know it, he barely has time to order a hot corned-beef sandwich before a piercing scream announces a gruesome murder in the dining car’s kitchen.
Craft has the hard-boiled style down pat, and the setting is immaculate, with a beautiful feme fatale, an eccentric writer, a rival detective and a supporting cast of train crew, suspects and more victims, as murder follows murder with the punctuality of a railway timetable. The period detail is impressive, and there’s a nice line in Chandleresque description, plus a quantity of Lovecraftian horror, as this is no ordinary serial killer but something far more dangerous.
Can the Detective unmask the killer, fight off the walking dead and save the world? All aboard the Arkham Express to find out…
August 25, 2020
This review is going to be short because I want to get on to the next book.
Byron Craft has honed the "Lovecraft Noir" to perfection. In this novel, he borrows the title from Agatha Christie but don't expect an Hercule Poirot shoggoth scurrying about or a Hastings assisting in the background. The Detective has more than "little grey cells" to help him out as he attempts to discover who's killing the people riding the train with Arkham as its final destination.
There are some amazing characters (as well as being weird ones). including a certain smart-mouthed busboy who just may or may not become a permanent member of the cast. Otherwise, the usual cast of characters gradually appear in their respective roles.
This series is enjoyable, funny, and easily readable but don't take my word for it...as that old commercial went: "Try it, you'll like it!"
This is the 5th book I've read in the series (I also got the Collection) and I've already downloaded Book 6.
This novel was an Amazon Prime selection and no remuneration was involved in the writing of this review.
Byron Craft has honed the "Lovecraft Noir" to perfection. In this novel, he borrows the title from Agatha Christie but don't expect an Hercule Poirot shoggoth scurrying about or a Hastings assisting in the background. The Detective has more than "little grey cells" to help him out as he attempts to discover who's killing the people riding the train with Arkham as its final destination.
There are some amazing characters (as well as being weird ones). including a certain smart-mouthed busboy who just may or may not become a permanent member of the cast. Otherwise, the usual cast of characters gradually appear in their respective roles.
This series is enjoyable, funny, and easily readable but don't take my word for it...as that old commercial went: "Try it, you'll like it!"
This is the 5th book I've read in the series (I also got the Collection) and I've already downloaded Book 6.
This novel was an Amazon Prime selection and no remuneration was involved in the writing of this review.
June 29, 2019
THE WORM IS AFOOT, IT IS.....
Hello, this story is a real dandy to read. Very well written and entertaining to read. Good solid main character. Thanks.
Hello, this story is a real dandy to read. Very well written and entertaining to read. Good solid main character. Thanks.
October 27, 2023
Definitely a better book than the last in the series, features more in the way of detective work, but still has quite a fast-paced story. Looking forward to the next one!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews