The Necropolis Railway: 04/18/15

The Necropolis Railway by Andrew Martin is the first of a mind boggling eight long series of train themed mysteries set in the turn of the last century's England.

Jim Stringer gets his wish to work on the steam trains. Instead of getting the line he wants, he's assigned the Necropolis Railway — a line that ran from London to a massive cemetery.

While the book's description claims to be a thrilling mystery steeped in railway lore — I never really got to the mystery. Although I like trains, my interest doesn't come close to Stringer's obsessive fasciation.

Then there's Stringer himself. As the new kid on the railway, he's not popular. There's obviously something hinky going on that he's not privy to. Rather the usual bullying or hazing that this sort of story usually requires, Stringer prattles on about how good he is and how good a railway man he'll be someday. He becomes such an unbelievable and unlikable Marty Stu that I had to stop the book.

One star

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