Come with me back to a time when railroads were the predominant form of transportation, when telephones were newfangled, when the mail was delivered four times a day, when streetlamps were gaslit, and it was the Age of Steam. Go back to the year 1906 as envisioned by Andrew Martin in his THE LOST LUGGAGE PORTER, and lose yourself in this engrossing tale of the North Eastern Railway and newly appointed railway detective Jim Stringer.

Stringer is now an official detective at the York Station (he was an amateur in the first two books of the series, THE NECROPOLIS RAILWAY and THE BLACKPOOL HIGHFLYER), and early on, we see him laboriously reading the police manual cover to cover, hoping to do well on the job. But he’s in for a surprise, as his boss assigns him to deep undercover work, and there is little in the manual on how to behave like a criminal in order to catch criminals.

Soon, he gets involved with a rough gang intent on stealing weeks’ worth of payroll money stored in a railway safe. Stringer must stop this group, but he finds it difficult, as there is little evidence of official backup on his side, and he is forced to play along at length in order to find an opportunity to apprehend the villains.

Much of the charm in this book comes from the period-correct language, the details of railway operations and the descriptions of a time and lifestyle long since left behind. But of equal charm is the character of Stringer himself. He is often unsure, conscientious and desirous of doing a good job, but well aware of his own fears and weaknesses. Coupled with his forthright wife, Lydia, they make a likable pair that will hopefully soldier on through additions to the series (the next, MURDER AT DEVIATION JUNCTION, is due in the fall).

If you have a fondness for railroads, this is a must-read. But that’s not a requirement. It will appeal to all readers who enjoy period pieces, a smooth writing style and an honest tale of detection and police work. —Mark Rose

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