Frank H. (perryfran) reviewed on 6/7/2020 + 1187 more book reviews

This is the third and final book in Morrell's trilogy featuring Thomas De Quincey, who wrote the notorious Confessions of an English Opium-Eater. I've read the first two books in the trilogy, Murder as a Fine Art and Inspector of the Dead and really enjoyed them both. This one was also very compelling and entertaining. Set against the backdrop of mid-1800s England, the plot is about someone committing the first murder ever on board a moving train. Then after that happens, further damage is done to the railroads' reputation when a bomb is set off in one of London's stations and another train is set on fire resulting in a horrific crash. This sends the stocks of the railroads into a nose dive and fear is widespread about even using the rails which at this point in time is a young industry but is able to cut the time for travel immensely. Another plot point of the novel is the death of the current Czar of Russia and his possible murder by his attending German physician. Was he killed to try to put an end to the Crimean War that is raging at the time? De Quincey and his daughter, Emily, are called on by the Prime Minister and the police to try to help solve these crimes. They happened to be on board the same train where the first murder was committed so they have some expertise from the start. As the story unfolds, it becomes more and more twisted but eventually De Quincey comes to the right conclusions.

Again, Morrell uses some very interesting historical events to make the story more realistic. These include a hydropathy clinic where patients undergo various water treatments to try to alleviate their ills. This was evidently a craze during the time and provided a setting for some of the plot related to the possible murder of the czar. I hated to see this novel end because it is the last in Morrell's trilogy and I will really miss the characters and storylines of these novels. But I do have some of his other novels on my shelves that I hope to read sometime soon.

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