Very well constructed, and very involving. By the end of the book it is impossible to step back and see things from anyone else's point of view. I almost feel I AM Jim Stringer. Though profoundly glad that I was born when and where I was..... and next year will be 100 years since the start of the first world war so a very apposite time to be reading this - shall no doubt be exploring this further. ( )

Very well constructed, and very involving. By the end of the book it is impossible to step back and see things from anyone else's point of view. I almost feel I AM Jim Stringer. Though profoundly glad that I was born when and where I was..... and next year will be 100 years since the start of the first world war so a very apposite time to be reading this - shall no doubt be exploring this further. ( )

Rather dull, flat story. I was intially intrigued by the concept of a detective story that took in both the WWI battlefield and the home front, unfortunately this book just fails to grab. I've always been interested in the story of the Pals' battalions, which I thought offered a fertile basis for this story, however the characters in this book are basically unlikeable, including the protagonist, who comes across as a dull, plodding prig. Disappointing. ( )

Loved this book,it was a mystery and a bit of history as well,I learned a few things about the first world war that I didn't know about and as I had a great uncle who died on the Somme who was also a member of the Northumberland Fusiliers it brought it home to me what it must have been like for the people serving in this war. ( )

I received this from the Librarything Early Reviewers Programme, and it galvanised me into getting stuck into the series.

In this, the 7th Jim Stringer book, WW1 is in full flow and a North Eastern Railway Battalion is being formed. Stringer signs up, and joins other railway men being trained in Spurn. The first part of the book deals with their training.

They are a mixed bag from Dawson, a porter, to two other railway coppers, Scholes and Flower, as well as Oamer from the ticket office and two underaged lads. They are joined by the Butler brothers, twins Roy and Andy, a pair of brutes ready for grunt work, and Oliver, who is looking out for them.

One of the youngsters, William, is found dead in the water, and suspicion falls on all of the men, none of which has an alibi. This cloud of suspicion hangs over them as they make their way to the front, being sent right up to the frontline. Stringer's railway experience is soon put to good use as he drives the small engines to supply the soldiers with shells and bring back the wounded. Despite being sent to the front, and the danger they are under, an MP, Thackeray, will not let the matter drop.

Similar in tone to the previous books, as Stringer tries to uncover the murderer under difficult circumstances. Martin does capture the time well, both the training and the reality of the front. It was interesting to read about the engines at the front, not something I had ever really heard of. Lydia gives us an insight into the situation back in Blighty, with women taking over the men's jobs, something I would like to have read more about. A good continuation of the series. ( )