Third Book in the Series - Rated 
Edward Marston is just one of the pseudonyms of author Keith Miles. He has been a university lecturer, radio, television, and theatre dramatist, and in addition to writing has worked as an actor, director, and dramatist. He has written a large number of books with historical themes, perhaps the most well known being his Domesday series. These revolve around the census of 1086 and a series of mysteries featuring the Elizabethan theatre as their background.
Once you have become familiar with an author's work, his character's and style of writing it is sometimes difficult to become attuned to a new character and storyline, but in this case the author seems to have come up with yet another winner, although his Domesday books will always be my own particular favourites..
This is a new venture for the author published in 2006 and following on from The Railway Detective and featuring a new character in the redoubtable Inspector Robert Colbeck. The book is set in a period when the railways were still in their infancy and not everybody liked traveling on them, and in some cases still preferred the horse., treating the railways with a great deal of suspicion.
In this the third book, Inspector Colbeck is faced with his most difficult case yet. A body is recovered from the canal and when Inspector Colbeck and Sergeant Leeming are called to the case it has already been established that the body had been thrown into the canal from a moving train. The first problem that faces the two detectives is that there is no identification on the body. They are at a loss until a young woman comes forward to explain that the man is called Gaston Chabal, an engineer working on a railway project in France.
Inspector Colbeck and his sergeant are amazed when they get little or no co-operation from the French government and of course Colbeck's own Superintendent is not averse to putting a spanner in the works at every opportunity if he thinks that it will bring his blue eyed boy Inspector down a peg or two . . .
Don't be sidetracked--it's worth reading! - Rated 
Edward Marston's Railway Detective, Robert Colbeck, is dedicated to solving major crimes on the British railways. With his previous two books featuring Colbeck, Marston established a police officer/investigator who shows great promise and at the same time historian/novelist Marston treats us to some great railroad lore and knowledge. It's Victorial England (later 19th century) and the country is moving forward, at the speed of the train and the Industrial Revolution. It's an excellent choice of historical periods and subject for Marston who's success as a historical mystery writer took him to much earlier times.
In "The Railway Viaduct," however, Marston seems to have bogged down with his scenario, almost as if he's stretching for a storyline to fit the era. The book opens when witnesses see, passing over the Sankey Viaduct, not only the train, but a body being tossed out of the window, to a sure death far below. Good investigating skills come into play and Colbeck and his assistant Leeming make great gains and the hunt leads them to France where an English company is laying tracks for a major railway there. Marston weaves in some complications which enhance the story and slowly and with great ingenuity Colbeck solves the mystery.
Some elements, however, haven't changed from his first book ("The Railway Detective"), such as his romance with the daughter of a train engineer. She also doubles as a character of convenience in helping the case move forward. But enough already. After three books, Colbeck, claim the prize or move on! Even his nemesis the superintendent begins to be tiresome (why do detectives invariably have "issues" with their bosses--Morse, Dalgliesh, Jury, to name three). And after all these Marston books this reader is about to give up on the stilted, stilted, stilted dialogue. (Put some life and reality into those lines, Sir!)
Still, however, I won't give up. I like historical mysteries and Marston rarely disappoints me (well, except for his dialogue!). If a fourth Railway Detective book is in the making, one hopes that he'll be back on the right track.
Entertaining - Rated
"The Railway Viaduct" is an absorbing mystery that will keep you guessing till the very end...well no it won't. Mainly because once you've got past half way the book puts us in the position of knowing more than lead character Inspector Robert Colbeck.
Indeed my only criticism is that on more than a couple of occasions waiting for Colbeck to catch up with what we already know does become slightly irritating.
Still it is what one might have once called a "ripping yarn". From the opening chapter, and the discovery of the dead body thrown from the train this is a great story with many twists and turns. A great many of the characters (Sergeant Victor Leeming, Madeleine Andrews to name but two) are brilliantly observed and this is a book that grabs you right from the start.
My first encounter with the Railway Dectective...but it won't be my last.
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