Night Train to Murder (The Ishmael Jones Series, #8) (An Ishmael Jones Mystery)

by Simon R. Green

When a body is discovered in a locked toilet cubicle on the late-night train to Bath, Ishmael Jones is faced with his most puzzling case to date.

When Ishmael Jones and his partner Penny are asked to escort a VIP on the late-night train to Bath, it would appear to be a routine case. The Organisation has acquired intelligence that an attempt is to be made on Sir Dennis Gregson's life as he travels to Bath to take up his new position as Head of the British Psychic Weapons Division. Ishmael's mission is to ensure that Sir Dennis arrives safely.

How could anyone orchestrate a murder in a crowded railway carriage without being noticed and with no obvious means of escape? When a body is discovered in a locked toilet cubicle, Ishmael Jones has just 56 minutes to solve a seemingly impossible crime before the train reaches its destination.

• ISBN10: 0727889176
• ISBN13: 9780727889171
• Publish Date: 29 November 2019
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Canongate Books Ltd
• Imprint: Severn House
• Edition: Main
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 176
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Night Train to Murder is the newest entry in the Ishmael Jones series by Simon R. Green. Released 3rd March 2020 by Severn House, it's 192 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

These books, about a generally altruistic alien trapped on earth since 1963, are genre crossing speculative fiction at its absolute best. This one in particular combines a dizzying array of literal locked door - moving train murder mystery, noir, urban fantasy, humor, and supernatural governmental espionage.

The insanely prolific author is well known to urban fantasy fans for his 200 works over 12(+) series including The Nightside. Despite being the 8th book in the series, it works very well as a standalone and readers new to the series won't have any trouble keeping up with the action. I think this book at least should find a wider readership including fans of classic (yes, even golden age) murder mystery. In true Poirot fashion Ishmael Jones eliminates the suspects one by one to solve the locked door murder of a loathsome government minister he and partner Penny are sent to protect before the moving express train makes it to the station at Bath.

Very entertaining and a quick and humorous read. The author has a definite gift with repartee and I found myself smiling often whilst reading.

Four stars. Well worth a look.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes