The Silver Locomotive Mystery

The Railway Detective #6

by Edward Marston

This is the Railway Detective's puzzling new case. An exquisitely designed silver coffee-pot in the shape of a locomotive is on its way to Cardiff in the care of the young, talented silversmith, Hugh Kellow. It has been commissioned by wealthy ironmaster Clifford Tomkins for his acquisitive wife, who wants it to be the envy of all her friends - and enemies. But the coffee-pot is stolen. When a gruesome murder is committed at the Railway Hotel, Winifred Tomkins is distraught. Caring little for the dead silversmith, all she can think about is her missing treasure. Inspector Colbeck and Sergeant Leeming of the Detective Department are summoned to Wales from London by telegraph and they are soon confronted by some additional crimes. The situation is complicated by the arrival of a famous theatre company and by revelations of illicit liaisons among members of the local high society. There is no shortage of suspects and Colbeck has to sift through layers of deceit to find the killer - before it is too late.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Crime, Fiction, Historical Mystery, Historical, Audiobook

313 pages, Hardcover

First published January 7, 2009

About the author

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

A pseudonym used by Keith Miles
AKA A.E. Marston

Keith Miles (born 1940) is an English author, who writes under his own name and also historical fiction and mystery novels under the pseudonym Edward Marston. He is known for his mysteries set in the world of Elizabethan theatre. He has also written a series of novels based on events in the Domesday Book, a series of The Railway Detective and a series of The Home Front Detective.


Series contributed to:
. Malice Domestic
. Crime Through Time
. Perfectly Criminal

Reviews

[Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great mystery with a enough turns and twist to keep you thinking!!

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is Historical Fiction/Mystery/Crime. This is the first book by this author that I've read. At times this was 2 stars. At times it was 3 stars and and times it was 4 stars. So I'll settle for 3.

This was predictable. Things could be seen miles and miles away. Not a deal breaker because the characters were flamboyant even with all the prim and proper behavior.

I have to give an honorable mention to the narrator of the audio, Sam Dastor. He did a great job with this story which is not only a plus in my book but it is so very much appreciated.

[Jackie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Perhaps it’s because this is book number 6 I had trouble getting into the story. The author describes a women not yet 30 as if she should be losing her beauty due to her age which is an annoying habit make authors tend to have a times... otherwise the characters are to over the up

[Clark Hallman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Silver Locomotive Mystery by Edward Marston (2009) – This is the 6th book in the Railway Detective series by Edward Marston. A magnificent, and valuable, silver coffee-pot, modeled after a Firefly Class of 1840 steam locomotive, becomes the property of several thieves in and around the city of Cardiff (Wales) in 1855. Unfortunately, possession of the treasured silver locomotive coffee-pot seems to result in robbery, extortion, and/or murder. Inspector Robert Colbeck (The Railway Detective) and his partner, Sergeant Victor Leeming, are assigned to the case, which tests their detective skills, their physical strength and their determination to solve the case. As usual for books in this Railway Detective series, there are multiple suspects to investigate and very interesting characters that add to the reader’s enjoyment. I liked this book and the other books in this British series very much. I really believe this book deserves a 4.5 rating instead of a 4.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this - I thought I was losing my taste for cosy murder mysteries as the last couple I’ve read (not ones by Edward Marstons) have frustrated me somewhat - but this was a good one. I got a little irritated at times by Mrs Tompkin’s disappointment over the theft of her silver coffeepot, despite the fact that it caused a murder and an assault, both of which were glossed over by her as of little importance with the loss of her coffeepot of prime importance!

But all in all, this was a fun book to listen to, as always, and I especially enjoyed the ending of this one and look forward to continuing with the next!

[Terri Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

If only I could give it a 10 plus!!! This is my favorite of all of the Detective Inspector Robert Colbeck mysteries by Edward Marston set in 1950's England.

So finally (!!!!!) Robert proposes marriage to lady friend Madeleine Andrews after years of holding hands and exchanging kisses on the cheek. Hopefully they will not take 6 more books to get married.

This book starts off with a train trip (of course) for a traveling troupe of actors. Nigel Buckmaster's (don't you just love the names Marston gives some of the characters?) is a fancy theater actor who heads the troop and thinks he is a gift to women. He has as his lady Kate Linnane who is as full of herself as she is gorgeous and talented. They share a first class carriage on the train with Hugh Kellow, a young silversmith sent by his boss to deliver an exquisite silver tea pot shaped as a train. Kellow's boss , Mr. Voke sees him off with many warnings to protect the teapot until it is delivered into the hands of the rich bitch who bought it- Mrs. Tomkins.

Unfortunately, Colbeck and his assistant Sergeant Victor Leeming get called to Wales to investigate when Hugh Kellow is murdered in what appears to be a kinky sex act at the hotel at the train station. He is trussed up to the bed spread eagled with semen in his tightie whities and acid poured down his throat and over his face. The tea pot is stolen.

Colbeck and Leeming love getting to work with their colleague and friend Jeremiah Stockdale who runs the police in Cardiff, Wales.

This story is full of excitement and mystery and Cardiff, Wales is just the British version of Peyton Place! You would not want these people for friends nor to marry any of them. There are stolen carriages, Leeming is (as in every book) thumped on the back of the head by someone creeping up on him, an elegant lady who plays musical beds with rich guys, some creepy rich ladies, trustworthy servants, stolen keys, a suicide, dads and their disgruntled sons, secret weddings, a kidnapping that was just a gal running off to be alone with her brother, another brother and sister who are in love and living as man and wife, and lots of train trips.

As always, Marston provides an authentic taste of Victorian Britain and detectives who solve serious crime without cars, cell phones, or computers. As always Leeming whines if he ever has to spend the night away from his wife Estelle (once the boss Superintendent Tallis told him to stop being so horny and acting like an animal in a previous book).

I liked the part about the theater troupe because I love theater and watching Shakespeare acted out on stage. There is a love triangle among the actors as well.

Highly recommended!

[M.H. Thaung]

This is the first Railway Detective mystery book I've read. It was a quick, easy read and I didn't have a problem with coming in partway through the series.

Detective Colbeck and his assistant Leeming travel from London to Cardiff in order to investigate a murder, as well as the theft of a custom-made silver coffee pot. Needless to say, the investigation isn't straightforward.

The clues (and Colbeck's suspicions) point in various plausible directions until we finally discover whodunnit. The ultimate reveal wasn't much of a surprise, but neither was it telegraphed from the start (imo, of course - other readers may have spotted it immediately).

There's a whole cast of shady characters with possible motivations to commit the crimes. Several of them had unpleasant personalities, and I felt in some cases they approached caricatures.

We visited so many different characters' heads in quick succession that I lost track of who was thinking what. I think this added to my general impression of over-explaininess. At times, it seemed that the author was dragging the reader into a minor character's thoughts merely to ensure we picked up what the author intended.

Overall, an entertaining light read that's not too challenging.

[James Rivett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another jolly outing for Inspector Colbeck as he chugs back and forth between London and Cardiff.
Despite there being more red herrings in the story than in a fisherman's basket, it was not too hard to identify the killer and accomplice.
As always, Marston writes well and brings his characters into vivid detail, but it is the historical detail that stands out. The book appears meticulously researched and placed perfectly in its time. I like the references to Dombey and Son, as it is a favourite Dickens of mine, and lends a clever touch to the realism of the setting. As much as I like the factual detail, I did feel in this book that Marston went too far, showing off his knowledge of the railways and their early days in situations when it was unnecessary.
But, hey, at least the railways were more efficient in 1854!

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Murder mystery set in Victorian Britain. Inspector Colbeck and Sergeant Leeming travel to Cardiff to investigate a mysterious death in the Railway Hotel. A young silversmith has been killed and the elaborate coffee pot he was bringing to its wealthy purchasers has disappeared.

These are pleasant mysteries that I pick up now and then alongside other reading. The dialogue is sometimes stilted, but I enjoy the plots and the setting. The history of the railways is nicely embedded into the narrative, and the main characters are likeable. I worked out the culprit pretty quickly, but enjoyed the book all the same.

[Rabspur · Rating 5 out of 5]

As per the previous five great book on wards for number seven in the series.

[Graham Tapper · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Railway Detective, Inspector Colbeck, has a different challenge on his hands this time. The locomotive in question is an ornament and not an actual engine. In fact, it's a coffee pot! In the shape of a railway engine! Yes, I too am struggling to imagine how that would actually work. How would it stand? How would you hold it to pour from it?

Nevertheless, despite the interesting questions raised, the story surrounds the delivery of the item to a buyer in Wales, from the workshop of the creator in London, and the murder of the courier. The item itself, of course, is also missing.

Since the death and the theft both appear to have occurred in a hotel in Cardiff owned by the local railway company, that seems as good a reason as any to call upon Colbeck's expertise. He and the ever faithful Sergeant Lemming, are dispatched by Superintendent Tallis to solve the case.

But, it turns out that it isn't as simple as it might seem. Not only are they not certain who they are dealing with but the villain is no simpleton and is keen to play the situation to maximum advantage, not the least being to play upon the intended purchaser of the item for every penny they can extract, using the prized coffee pot as a bargaining chip.

But, of course, we know that Colbeck is no fool and, despite being mislead at every turn, he will eventually get his man, or woman, in more ways than one.

Another hugely enjoyable page-turner from Marston. If only his books were easier to find. Now waiting on a copy of "Railway To The Grave".

[Gerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspector Robert Colbeck, along with his assistant, Sergeant Victor Leeming, embark on another case for the Railway Detective. And the tale proves to be just as riveting as the previous ones in this hugely enjoyable series.

A silver locomotive coffee pot is made for a wealthy lady in Cardiff, although why anyone should want a coffee pot in the shape of a locomotive is beyond me, and the silversmith's assistant sets off to deliver it.

However, murder is committed (at The Railway Hotel thus the Railway Detective's involvement) and Colbeck, Leeming plus Jeremiah Stockdale of the Cardiff police, are called in to investigate. Thus begins an investigation that leads mysteriously around South Wales and London with plenty of false trails along the way. Complicating the investigation are all the petty jealousies involved in Cardiff society and the theatre, for a leading actor had met the coffee pot carrier on his way to his destination and becomes an integral part of the case.

But unsurprisingly Colbeck eventually triumphs and brings the culprit to justice, enjoying a little love interest of his own en route.

There's never a dull moment in the Railway Detective books!

[Chris Howland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good book in the Railway Detective series. This time (and for a change!) there is no crime involving a real train, but a silver coffee pot in the shape of a locomotive does a credible job as a stand in.

This series of books is well researched and really well written. While it is better to read them in order - there is a back story arc, this is not essential.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the sixth book in the Railway Detective mystery series set in Victorian Britain featuring Inspector Robert Colbeck and his partner Sergeant Victor Leeming.

A young London silversmith is given the job of delivering a silver coffee pot in the shape of a train locomotive to Cardiff, to the wealthy customers who commissioned it. On the way there he meets the leading principals of an acting troupe. Shortly after arrival in Cardiff a body matching the young silversmith's description is found in a hotel bedroom despite apparently knowing know one in the city. As the silversmith travelled by train to Cardiff and his body was found in a Railway hotel Colbeck and Leeming are called in by the local constabulary to help solve this baffling and dastardly crime.

During their enquiries they meet a varied group of suspects ranging from a pair of self-obsessed actors to the professional mistress of a local business magnate, each are generally well drawn. Each have a liking for silver but otherwise no apparent motive. However, the stand-out character is the opinionated and callous wife of the businessman who had initially commissioned the coffee-pot.

As the case proceeds Colbeck and Leeming shuttle between London and Cardiff as endeavour to track down the killer and his female accomplice. There are several twists along the way but I still managed to work out the accomplice fairly quickly if not the main culprit. Set against the background of the country's burgeoning railway system there is enough information to be interesting but not so much as to overwhelm non-enthusiasts. The story is told at a good quick pace making it any easy read but still manages to be an enthralling whodunit. Despite being the sixth in the series this was the first that I've read and as such feel that it capable of standing on its own rather than relying too heavily on what went before. Something light but still substantial for a long train journey or flight.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pleasant read. It started with a quick pace - a dead body appears at the end of chapter one. However I did find the story increasingly dragged as it went on. The characters were fairly clearly split into those you were supposed to like and those that you weren't, with lots of stereotypes thrown in.

In particular the female characters were written in a way that just seemed to swing between, a patronising benevolent tone and sexist sounding descriptions based on tired tropes. One couple, the man spends various moments thinking about how unattractive and overweight his wife has become after having their five children, how she spends his money and wants her ridiculous coffee pot back. Meanwhile he only tolerates the police sergeant because he was not outed by him when discovered in a brothel during a raid. Yet somehow the book leans toward the negative qualities of the wife.
My favourite line, because of its hilarity to me, is this...."Kate Linnane was approaching thirty but she still had the stunning bloom and beauty of a much younger woman...."
I genuinely snorted with disbelief when I read this description. It immediately reminded me of threads I've come across discussing male authors description of women in their writing and how...unrealistic and out of touch or objectifying it can be.

So largely a very readable story but with a questionable approach to writing characters particularly women.

[Mandy Snel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book as a gift from a friend, who did not know this was the sixth book in the series, and I have to say, the cover gave no indication that it was.
My review therefor might be clouded by me not reading the first 5 books. But after reading this book I will definitely not read any other of this series.

The characters in this book were very flat, seeming to only feel self importance and self pity. The conversations did not feel real at any point, and just seem to be there to let the readers know what was happening. If anyone was described it was only to tell the audience that someone was really beautiful, or really ugly, and both those options were repeated plenty of times in the book.

To understand the story you do not need the other books in the series, but previous events were recollected several times, without obvious need for it. The writer seemed to think the reader is very dumb, and needs lots of repetition. There was plenty of dislike for women in this book, with a few exceptions. Only pretty ladies can be good seems to be the underlying message.

Although this is a case about a silver locomotive, and a railway detective, all that the story has to do with trains is that they travel with them a lot. I expected more, and was sorely disappointed...

two stars, because I did finish the book.

[Malcolm · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is something delightfully satisfying about engaging written, good genre fiction – and Marston is a fine crafter of the form with the ‘Railway Detective’ series continuing to develop with this case of train-related murder and theft in Cardiff. Marston manages to avoid the trap of the excessively prescient detective, allowing mistakes and diversions to send Inspector Colbert and his trusty off-sider Sgt Leeming along erroneous paths as assumptions shape evidence, although plausibly so (he also avoids the trap of implausibility).

The case features blowhard industrialists, distracting femmes fatale, social rivalry, barbed observations, pathos and skulduggery, and a spirited arrest with fisticuffs to resolve the case: part of the joys of genre fiction is knowing what is coming, and Marston works to form. Even so, there is some important character development here: Colbert’s boss, a previously depicted uninspired martinet, has become more sympathetic and less obstructionist, although it feels a little like the Colbert-Leeming pairing is a little too settled – although there may be change afoot, and not that most obviously anticipated by the text. Railway adventures continue….

[ForeverDay · Rating 2 out of 5]

My first 'Railway Detective' so my experience might have been quite different if I had 5 books of connection to the characters.
In general, there was nothing really wrong with this book, it just felt like the stereotype of a detective novel? It was fine, it just didn't stand out.

There were plenty of positives- I didn't see the twist coming and it was pretty well paced.
However, there were a few things I actively didn't like:
-I didn't really connect with any of the characters so I struggled to care about things. When one of the secondary characters committed suicide under significant emotional anguish I just didn't feel any kind of emotional impact? I knew I should theoretically feel terrible at what was going on but I just didn't?
-The villain was a bit of an archetype and unrealistically bad.
-Descriptions of people focused a lot on whether they were attractive or not which is just not my personal preference.
-Trains were shoehorned in, which realistically isn't a big deal, but I just don't think they would've gone back and forth to London half as much if this wasn't titled the railway detective.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This mystery is about a man who gets killed at a railway hotel and a silver locomotive coffee pot gets stolen at the same time. I really enjoyed the twists and turns of this mystery. I started to try and guess what was going on, but it was barely before we found out about the dead body not being the assistant after all . I liked seeing the other policeman following the other little mysteries along the way and I especially liked the development of Colbeck and Madeline's relationship with him proposing like that .

I enjoyed the side characters as well. At first I was a little disappointed that the female side characters seemed to be more unsympathetic than the side male characters (three of them had male counterparts who were just as unpleasant but they were given sympathetic traits) but then it evened out throughout the story either by the female characters treated more sympathetically or the male characters more sympathetically. 

I enjoyed this one but I didn't like the mystery as I did as much as the Brighton Express mystery, however I liked the inclusion of Madeline Andrews far more. 

4 stars! 

[Laura Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow! The twist at the end. I didn't see it coming. I was all ready to give the book four stars based on the ending alone in spite of the stilted writing in many parts. However, after ascertaining that Stephen Voke was innocent of the crime, Robert Colbeck then goes on to deduce what really happened without any evidence or any hint he thought of the truth previously. Ridiculous. It would have been much more realistic if Colbeck had gone back to Cardiff and spoken with Stockdale, finding out about the missing man. Then, he might have had cause to consider the true scheme and the true culprit. The way the book is written, there is absolutely no reason for Colbeck to have made the deduction he did aside from the fact that he's supposedly so brilliant he's clairvoyant.

Nice to see he finally proposed. I was thinking Madeleine was going to have to be content with the status quo for the rest of her days. I also think the way she was inserted into helping with the case was terribly clunky this time around. Why would Colbeck send the woman he loves to face an armed murderer? Weird.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspector Robert Colbeck and Sgt Victor Leeming are called to Cardiff to investigate the murders of a young silversmith and the theft of a silver coffeepot in the shape of a locomotive that he was taking to hand over to a customer.

Edward Marston is a dab hand at historical crime fiction over a wide variety of eras. The Railway Detective series set in the mid 19th century is every bit as good as his other series. The research is impecable.

Marston evokes the time and place beautifully. His characters are well-rounded and interesting. Marston's descriptions of people are both sharp and acidic at times. Of one character he says "He's the kind of man who swallows nails and shits screws".

The plot is exciting an gripping, with enough twists and turns to take your breath away.

Highly recommended.

[Steven Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

1854. As the Cardiff-bound train puffs out of Paddington Station, young Hugh Kellow wraps a protective arm around his large valise. He has been entrusted with a priceless silver coffee pot, designed in the shape of a locomotive, by his elderly silversmith employer. But two of Hugh's fellow passengers are taking an enormous interest in the valise and as the journey progresses, Hugh's tongue is loosened and he tells them all about his priceless cargo. It will be the last mistake he'll make. When a dead body is discovered in a room at the Cardiff Railway Hotel, beside a large empty valise, the great Railway Detective Robert Colbeck and his trusty sergeant Victor Leeming are called in to investigate; but all is not quite as it seems.

[Helen Ennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fabulous silver teapot in the shape of an engine is being transported - by train of course - to Cardiff. On arrival there a dead body is found and the teapot is missing. Various members of Cardiff society are depicted turning out to watch the production of Hamlet being staged by a troupe who arrived on the same train. Detective Inspector Robert Colbeck is called in, along with Sergeant Leeming, to investigate. The story develops nicely with a ransom demanded for the return of the teapot, and various players coming under scrutiny. Meanwhile Colbeck's relationship with Madeleine Andrews develops.

[S.E. Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book which was set in London and South Wales in 1854, with a brief trip to Birmingham, by rail of course. A murder mystery set around a theft. It painted a good picture of the respective cities and towns of that time, which was why I picked it up in the first instance. I only rated it three stars because I did guess the twist quite early. The characterization was good, and I suspect they had been built up over time, so starting at book seven probably dropped my rating a bit. Great book for steam railway buffs

[Robert Hepple · Rating 3 out of 5]

First published in 2009, 'The Silver Locomotive Mystery' is 6th in the Railway Detective series of mysteries featuring Inspector Colbeck of Scotland Yard. The 1850s setting combined with the railways connection adds some flair to these stories, although the connection with railways can be tenuous. As usual with Marston's stories, the characters are what makes the tale work - the 'mystery' element is weak and you probably figure it out long before the professional do, so don't expect too many surprises.

[David Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another exceptional take for the Railway Detective, this time involving the trade of silversmiths.

This book was as endearing and enjoyable as the five that came before it, and we finally had the answer to a question we have been waiting to be asked since the first instalment!

However, I feel as though Victor Leeming going into an undercover situation and being cracked round the back of the head has become a bit of a running joke. Hopefully his head gets a rest in the next volume!

[Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out of the eight Railway Detective books that I have read by Edward Marston, this was by far the best. It was enjoyable from start to finish. While I had an idea part way through that the evidence was not all that it seemed, the way the story progressed made me dismiss my theory. This book is all that one can expect from an excellent historical police procedural murder mystery and with a great ending I would class it as a cosy read.

[Naomi Mouland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series of books. I’m not one for historical crime fiction but must admit that since reading the first one I picked up I have become a fan hunting them all down. I find I get pulled into the story by the easy writing style, elegantly descriptive and always quite fast moving. I struggle to put these books down once I start them. I just wish there were more in the series!

[Pineapple.Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt like this book just lacked something. The characters didn't feel too well developed, the dialogue of the perpetrators of the crime (once they were identified) seemed overly simplistic and expositional. There seemed to be a fair amount of barely-disguised misogyny, with the female characters either fitting negative stereotypes, or being unrealistically fawning and submissive to the male characters.
Not a terrible book, but not great either.

[Henrik Havighorst · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another solid entry in the series. Once again (like most of the titles Ive read by Marston) it drags on a bit at the beginning of the latter half but features a great finale. The antics of the protagonists are the same as ever - but offer a cozy familiarity. The setting ( Cardiff ) feels a tad generic and could have done with some more local coleur. All in all, an entertaining read.