Death in a Scarlet Coat - A Lord Francis Powerscourt Investigation

When the engines finally met, there was a deafening clash and the Brighton Express twisted and buckled, tipping its carriages onto the other line. It was a scene of utter devastation.

October, 1854. As crowds of passengers rush to make the departure of the London to Brighton Express, a man watches from the shadows nearby…

Chaos, fatalities and unbelieveable destruction are the scene soon after when the train derails just outside the Balcombe Tunnel. Could it simply be a case of driver error? Detective Inspector Colbeck thinks not. But digging deep to discover the intended target of the accident takes time, something Colbeck doesn’t have as the killer prepares to strike again.

Guy Fawkes Night, 1857. Joel Heygate is the popular stationmaster at Exeter St David’s railway station an impressive figure of a man replete with frock coat and top hat, bushy eyebrows and walrus moustache. But when the charred remains of a body are discovered in the embers of the town’s annual Bonfire Night celebration, everyone is horrified when it becomes clear that they belong to Mr Heygate.

The South Devon Railway contacts Scotland Yard for their assistance, and Superintendant Edward Tallis sends the Railway Detective Inspector Robert Colbeck and his assistant Victor Leeming to Exeter with all due haste. They quickly unearth three suspects, but are they missing something? It is only when Heygate’s diary turns up unexpectedly that the truth becomes clear and a fourth suspect emerges. As Colbeck closes in on the killer, he finds himself in mortal danger - can justice prevail? Or will his beloved Madeleine be robbed of a husband on the very eve of their marriage?

1857. On the LNWR train to London, a criminal is being escorted to his appointment with the hangman. But the wily Jeremy Oxley, conman, thief and murderer, has one last ace up his sleeve a beautiful and ruthless accomplice willing to do anything to save her lover, including cold-blooded murder.

When the Railway Detective Inspector Robert Colbeck learns that Oxley, his arch nemesis, has escaped, black memories of their shared past leave him no choice but to do his duty, whatever the cost. With the faithful Victor Leeming at his side, Colbeck must use all of his skills to track his elusive enemy. But could he have finally met his match?