Reviewed by Taylin

TITLE: Death Train

SERIES: The Pinkerton Man #7

AUTHOR: C J Baty

PUBLISHER: Self-Published

LENGTH: 120 Pages

RELEASE DATE: August 9, 2024

BLURB:

Stiles Long and Michael O’Leary were asked to join two agents from the Secret Service to break up a counterfeiting ring. They didn’t usually work with other agents, but since several Secret Service agents had been killed, the president wanted the Pinkertons in on the job.

Reginald McCullough did not want to be anywhere near his uncle, but this was a chance for him to move up in the ranks. His new partner, Rochelle Warrant, was a stranger, but he’d do whatever it took to do a good job. When he entered his uncle’s office in St. Louis, he was shocked to see his old lover, Michael O’Leary there as well.

The assignment would take them on a new Pullman train across several states and cities. Death seemed to be at every turn. Stiles, Michael, Reginald, and Rochelle; all had attempts made on their lives. Every clue seemed to lead to a dead end.

Could Reginald pull Michael away from Stiles? Could they discover who the head of the counterfeit ring was before the end of the line in Santa Barbara, or would they end up just another dead agent riding the Death Train?

REVIEW:

In the world of crime, everyone except the boss is expendable. So, when Stiles and Michael board a cross-country Pullman in a bid to stop a counterfeit ring, death is also a frequent traveler. The question is whether the crime-fighting duo will become one of the tally. And will Reggie, Michael’s ex, reclaim his lover?

Death Train is a fast-paced mystery – number seven of The Pinkerton Man series featuring Stiles and Michael. This author has a knack for producing whodunits that put all the characters on a board while keeping you guessing until the final chapter before the big reveal. It is a fantastic talent – one that kept me engrossed and trying to figure out whodunnit all the way through.

The story is told in the third person from the viewpoints of Stiles and Michael with a pinch of Reginald. The occasional memory is written in the first person. Worldbuilding is concentrated aboard the cross-country Pullman train, as this seems to be the method of distributing counterfeit money. The ambiance aboard the train and the historical era of the story (1912ish) had me imagining scenes from Agatha Christie’s Murder On The Orient Express. There is no ability to google or call anyone on the mobile, which obviously hampers the investigation. Today’s teenagers would never survive the inconvenience!!

Stiles and Michael are seasoned investigators, and I’ve loved these characters from book one of the series. Stiles remains the tough guy, and Michael is his faithful partner in every way that matters. The inclusion of Reggie was an added twist as his status as baddie, goodie, wannabe lover – or person of confused interest, was kept unclear until much later in the story.

Despite me being a seasoned reader of the series and suspecting the odd nuance within the tale, the author continued to keep most secrets under wraps. This intricately crafted crime was not a simple case of cutting the head off the viper and all going away, but that of a possible mole and the baddies wanting to keep their lines of transportation clear of government intervention,

Death Train doesn’t receive full marks because by the end, my brain was working as hard as the investigators, and I still had a couple of ‘why’ questions that I believe I have figured out, but I would have liked the answers in black and white. Then again, the author hasn’t stated that this is the last Pinkerton book, and there was some crossover from book six to book seven on the explanation front, so the same may happen here – I just like everything tied up with a bow and a few whistles. Nevertheless, none of those concerns detract from a super story containing gentlemen and an era I have come to adore.

RATING:

BUY LINKS: 

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