This is not the type of book I usually read. True crime, and period true crime at that. However I was intrigued by the location, the Broadstone Terminus. I drive past this building every day on my way to work. Now a bus depot, I often get stopped at the traffic lights beside the still impressively imposing building. I frequently find myself looking up at the building, wondering about it’s past. So when I saw this book, my interest was piqued. Let me start by saying, I have never been so glad that I followed my interests! Set in Dublin in 1856, the chief cashier of the Broadstone railway, George Little, is found murdered in his office. He has been beaten to death, his office seemingly locked from the inside. At first it looks like all the money, gold and silver that he had been tallying had been left undisturbed. But soon it appears otherwise.

The top detective is immediately put on the scene. The people of Dublin are outraged as for all its problems, murder is nearly unheard of. The police turn up dead end after dead end, until they suddenly get the most unexpected break in the case.

This book was like a tour of my home city, traveling back in time, with the most intriguing crime thriller woven through it. I had to keep reminding myself that it was a true story. Morris has to be commended for the depth of his research. The months spent trawling the National Archives, and delving into police reports, court transcripts, newspaper clippings and more, has allowed him to bring a story to life in the most gripping and engaging way. I was transported back in time, through history, and felt like by the end of this book, that I was as vested as the police trying to solve the crime! I have recommended this book to anyone who will listen to me. It is a must read for sure!

This is a meticulously researched historical true life crime story that is full of historical details. It is an absorbing and well-written book that will appeal to those who enjoy reading true crime. The locked room nature of the crime aligns with a classic murder mystery, but this has less drama, more facts and doesn't end neatly as a fiction story would.

I received a copy of this book from Random House UK, Vintage, Harvill Secker via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This was a great read - a retelling if a crime that shook the city of Dublin to its core. At the heart of the story, a locked-room mystery worthy of Holmes - a bloody and brutal murder with a limited cast of characters who could have committed it.

This book was reminiscent of ‘The Suspicions of Mr Whicher’ - and indeed, Mr Whicher himself makes a cameo performance at one point in the book! It’s a confident and interesting retelling of the crime that walks the line between fiction and non- fiction. As readable as a novel, but with the intrigue and primary sources drawn from real life.

Great work!

I struggled to get into this book and personally found it a slow starter. I almost did not finish it but I persevered. The story is set in Dublin at the railway station. George Little, the chief cashier and a man of few words and quite unremarkable other than a very good person, is found murdered one morning. It is confusing for the staff and police as the door was locked from the inside and the key was missing. The Coroner was called in and as in those days the inquest was to be held the following day. As the Coroner was deciding that it was a suicide a Doctor stopped the proceedings to inform them that it was a murder. The police were then involved but so much traffic had gone through the crime scene it was difficult to deal with the lack of clues. The story progresses well but I have to say that it was not really my type of book and I know I probably would not read this type of book again although I do appreciate the research and dedication it takes to write a book like this

Interesting account of a true story. Reads like a newspaper article, and is rather dry, I found that it didn't bring me into the story and keep me wanting to know more.

I received this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The gruesome murder of Cashier, George Little has taken place in Broadstone Railway Terminus in Nov 1856. He he found in his office - with the door locked! who murdered him? how did they escape? why was he murdered? these are all the questions that are asked in the true crime book by Thomas Morris. I have always been a fan of true crime documentaries, but I don't read very much in that genre. When I saw it on Netgally - not only had a never heard of the case but the fact it was in Dublin made me want to check it out!

It is a very in depth look at not only the crime itself, but the social history of Dublin and the Country as a whole at that time. It also focuses on the trail, in fantastic detail and I learned some info about the law system from that period that I was not aware of. Morris also looks into the aftermath of the trail and explores various other topics along the way. It is clear that extensive research went into the writing of this book which made it all the more detailed and intriguing.

a truly fascinating read!

This book is based on a true story and has been meticulously researched, using documents from the time. But it reads like a great murder mystery story and is engrossing. When the chief cashier of the railway is found dead in his office, we are introduced to a true locked room mystery. The author explains the working of the railways at that time and that in itself is fascinating. The Victorian era was the heyday of the railways, and was big business. I won’t go into the investigation to prevent spoilers, but suffice to say, it is a great tale. Thomas Morris captures the times so well.

I was given this ARC to review.

Oh my goodness, a lot of work has gone into the researching this book. The story would be of interest to anyone with an interest in historical crime procedures as it is fascinating for comparison between then and now. There are a lot of people mentioned which can be a little confusing at times but we are taken from just before the murder right through to the end of the judicial process. A very interesting read that requires concentration to make sense of the great detail that is included.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Brilliant locked room murder mystery based on a true story. I requested it because it was set in Ireland and I fancied a mystery, and was completely hooked after a few pages. Highly recommend.

Morris gives us a very vivid reconstruction of the notorious murder of Mr Little in 1856. Clearly the detail and authenticity of the story can be attributed to hundreds of hours spent delving into the, surprisingly comprehensive, archive of data still accessible today.
The Dublin Railway Murder reads more like a novel but is substantially based on documented facts. In November 1856, George Little, a clerk in a Dublin railway station, is found dead in his locked office. Initially, assuming it to be suicide, the Irish police are slow of the mark with their investigation. This delay was further compounded due to murder being rare in Dublin and so there were few detectives available capable of leading an investigation.
Once they got going they carried out extraordinarily extensive investigations and spent months trailing potential suspects. All to no avail. The case seemed to go cold until a woman stepped forward with new information. To say more might risks threatening the drama but, suffice to say, there is plenty more to this extraordinary tale.
Nowadays with DNA and "sealing" of the crime scene it is likely a result might have been obtained within days but, back in 1856, things were definitely vastly more amateur albeit the police worked immensely long hours with the best of intentions.
An informative and enjoyable read that highlights just how far policing has progressed in the last 175 years.

This is so well written and researched. It's perfect for both fiction lovers and for true crime lovers as this actually happened. A Victorian locked-room murder mystery.

The Dublin Railway Murder by Thomas Morris is an interesting and well-researched true crime book.

Although based on a true event in the 1800s, it almost had a novel style feel to it, but with the odd footnote to explain things more. It covers the lead up to the murder, the scene, the police enquiry, the court case and beyond. I certainly learnt much about the crime, English government in Dublin and the law surrounding witnesses.

I received this book from netgalley in return for a honest review.

This could be a really great fiction novel, with the biggest plot twist. Its all true.

if you like a good murder mystery, historical fiction or just a good crime novel this is the book for you. Knowing the time and research that must have gone into this story makes it so much more intreguing to find out who really did it.

The Dublin Railway Murder is well written, well researched and paints a very clear picture of the era and situation. I thought I was going to love it.

I didn't. I got bored and skimmed through it. If you're interested in the politics and history of the place and period, you will get a lot out of this book. I think it was just too much history and not enough 'story' for me.

If you're expecting something on the lines of Kate Summerscale, this isn't it. Summerscale's books immerse you in the characters as much as in the investigation, whereas Morris' work is the opposite.

I still give it 4 stars. It does what it sets out to do extremely well. It just doesn't do what I was hoping for.

‘Justice requires no victim; justice requires and prefers that ninety-nine guilty men should escape, than that a hair of the head of one innocent man should be sacrificed to mistake.’
– Chief Justice Judge Monaghan, 1857

The Dublin Railway Murder by Thomas Morris was published November 11th with Harvill Secker and is described as ‘a thrilling and meticulously researched investigation into a real-life Victorian mystery…a fascinating, in-depth investigation that reads like a mystery novel.' I don’t normally read true-crime books but I was intrigued with this particular one by the title alone. The Dublin Railway Murder is a tale that shocked Irish society and a perplexing case that confounded and horrified all involved.

On a winter’s morning, Thursday 13th November, 1856, George Little took his normal route to work from his home on Waterloo Road in Dublin to Broadstone Railway Station, which was owned by The Midland and Great Western Railway Company. As chief cashier it was Little’s responsibility to handle the ofttimes large quantities of money that crossed his path. He was a respected and trusted employee, meticulous with his work and extremely conscientious with his accurate recording of the accounts. On the day in question there had been a larger delivery of cash to his office than normal mainly due to monies collected at the very busy Mullingar Fair. George Little had recently been concerned for the security of his office space and had it upgraded to allow him work without being paranoid of criminal activity. That particular day he knew he would be working late, so his family had no expectation of him being home for dinner. It was common for George Little to work late so the cleaning staff at the station had learned to let him be.

But the following day, it was noted by his sister that he never came home. She checked in with his work colleagues but no one had recalled seeing him that morning. With his office completely secure and locked from the inside, they had to break in and were faced with a shocking sight. George Little was dead on the floor having been brutally murdered (although initial speculation was that he had cut his own throat!) With no obvious sign of entry by the murderer, the immediate investigation hit a brick wall. Why was so much money still left lying around the office? Did George Little have any enemies? Was greed a factor or was this brutal act of violence a personal act of revenge?

Thomas Morris was fascinated with this Victorian locked-room mystery and set about his research into its findings

‘It’s based entirely on first-hand accounts of the investigation and its aftermath. As well as newspaper reports and trial transcripts, these sources include an astonishing cache of documents from the original case files – comprising the transcripts of police interviews, letters between detectives and government officials, and even surveillance reports filed by the undercover agents who were given the task of discreetly tailing suspects around the city.’
– Thomas Morris

As he read through the documentation it was soon very clear to him that this was an investigation that was marred with flaws and inaccuracies. The DMP (Dublin Metropolitan Police) were unequipped to gather the necessary testimonies and, with a shambolic lead into the investigation, important evidence was carelessly destroyed by the huge numbers of onlookers at the scene. This was a sensational crime in Dublin at the time. The population were unused to hearing of such violent acts and were completely riveted to every single ounce of gossip.

As the police trawled through the offices of the Broadstone station they became more frustrated daily with their lack of progress. Every tip-off was followed up and a number of arrests were made but to no avail. The perpetrator was still at large and the public were afraid.

Thomas Morris’ research took him to the Irish National Archives, where he uncovered a wealth of ‘secret government documents and court transcripts that had lain undisturbed for years.’ He gathered up all this information and created this fascinating account of an investigation that was hampered in so many ways. One of the more outrageous laws of the time was that a woman could not give evidence against her husband in a trial as, once married, she was basically, in her own right, a persona-non-grata. This archaic law was an instrumental turning point in the investigation frustrating all involved and had serious implications on the outcome of a murder trial that drew gasps from both sides of the Atlantic and left a family devoid of a hoped for outcome.

The Dublin Railway Murder is a deep examination of a case that caused much consternation and scandal in the mid 1800s. As time passed it was lost in the archives until Thomas Morris dusted it off and brought it to life with this intense and quite compelling tale. Although a non-fiction book, The Dublin Railway Murder is written in such a manner that it feels like fiction.

‘The rail traffic was gradually wound down with the last train pulling into Broadstone at midnight on the 16th January 1937’ ( Irish History Podcast ) and the station no longer operated, its history long forgotten, until now. In addition to Thomas Morris resurrecting this infamous case, in March of this year it was reported that ‘a €15 million redevelopment of the historic Broadstone depot opposite the Kings Inns in Dublin 7 has been completed by Dublin Bus.’ ( The Irish Times )

The Dublin Railway Murder is more than just a report on a shocking crime, it provides the reader with an incredible insight into the social history and the economy of the time. It is an extraordinary story transporting the reader back in time when Ireland was in recovery from The Great Famine and under English rule. The court scenes come alive and the sense of the claustrophobic and almost circus-like atmosphere is depicted with a great level of authenticity. Definitely a book for all true-crime aficionados, The Dublin Railway Murder, is full of real-life drama, while also highlighting many of the appalling inadequacies of the judicial system at the time.

“The case behind the Dublin Railway Murder has everything – a truly puzzling crime, several suspects arrested and released, a dogged detective in Superintendent Augustus Guy, mysterious witnesses, newspapers fighting to cover every development, (and even a brief appearance from Mr Whicher). No-one loves and knows archives more than Thomas Morris, and for his first narrative non-fiction book Thomas has unearthed a staggeringly good story. It’s a joy.”
– Patrick Walsh at PEW Literary, The Bookseller

Writer and historian Thomas Morris’ latest book, The Dublin Railway Murder, takes the reader back to Victorian Dublin, and into the offices of the West Midland Railway Company. The year is 1856 and, on a cold November morning, Chief Cashier George Little has been round brutally murdered within an apparently sealed room at the company’s Broadstone terminus.

The investigation into the mild-mannered and diligent cashier’s death will take several months, involve five arrests, baffle detectives from two police forces, and grip both the city’s populace and its press. When a local woman comes forward with crucial evidence, the case takes a sharp and unexpected turn – but her own relationship to the murderer may prove to be the investigation’s undoing.

The Dublin Railway Murder is a fascinating account of a perplexing police investigation that has been meticulously researched by Thomas Morris. Told in a narrative style that will be familiar to fans of Kate Summerscale’s The Suspicions of Mr Whicher and Kate Colquhoun’s Mr Briggs’ Hat, Morris’ account contains all of the detail one might expect from a history but with the pace and drive of fiction. The extraordinarily detailed archive of governmental documents that Morris has worked from has allowed him to recreate conversations, court appearances, interviews, and witness statements, and to paint a detailed picture of the Broadstone terminus – and of Dublin society – as it appeared in 1856.

Such attention to detail may frustrate some readers – especially as the narrative follows the police investigation down various dead-ends before really gearing up with the discovery of a revelatory witness and the discovery of items taken from the crime scene – but, personally, I loved the way that the small details of the investigation provided a picture of the imperfect art of detection. Various flaws in the investigation combine with legal complications to show the evolution of policing methodology, whilst the relationship between the police, the press, and the public immediately invites comparisons with the modern reportage of crime today; opening up questions about how both victims and suspects are represented, as well as about the role of the press both in garnering information and spreading unsubstantiated yet salacious rumour.

The investigation also touches, albeit quiet briefly, upon the epidemic of corporate fraud and embezzlement that seemed to be taking place in the 1850s – and how new technologies and vast, networked companies such as the railway firms were at particular risk of this. Morris also examines the tensions between the Dublin police force, seen by many Irish people as representatives of – and spies for – a repressive British state, and the working populace of the city, tying the investigation into many of the wider political and social contexts of the period.

In a final twist, the aftermath of the investigation and subsequent trial also sees the involvement of a popular branch of Victorian ‘science’, with the arrival of phrenologist Frederick Bridges – a man who theorised that murderers could be identified by the shape of their skull. This final section, although quite distinct from the relatively procedural narrative of murder/investigation/trial that comes before it, makes for a strange yet fascinating conclusion to an already perplexing narrative – and demonstrates the extent to which new ‘science’ was beginning, for both better and worse, to influence both policing, legal methodology, and political thought during this period.

Meticulously researched whilst remaining eminently readable, The Dublin Railway Murder is a must read for all fans of historical true crime – fans of Summerscale and Colquhoun’s books should definitely get this one on their Christmas lists, whilst fans of fictional police procedurals looking to make the leap into true crime are also sure to find that the detail of this fascinating yet flawed historical investigation makes for a compelling and thrilling read.

I have a particular interest in crime stories (obsession perhaps) there is no greater pleasure to me than a comfortable armchair, a cup of coffee at my elbow and a crime novel in hand.
I was initially attracted to this novel because of its title, I'm interested in Dublin (and fictional/real life murders). The fact that this book was set in the mid 1800's made it all the more perfect for me as this is an era with which I am fascinated. This is a locked room mystery essentially. Mr. Morris has meticulously researched this true crime story from archives and newspapers, and while it is a true crime story it is paced just like a whodunnit. As the Irish police struggled to find the perpetrator of the murder of George Little detectives from Scotland Yard are drafted in to help too. It is a very well plotted book but one word of warning. If you are reading this on an ereader (a Kindle in my case) then the placement of the illustrations and their captions do reveal the murderer before the story does, so those are best skipped over quickly. All in all though, while I did take a little while to be thorioughly engrossed by the story I still enjoyed it.


Huge thanks to the publishers and to Netgalley as always for giving me the opportunity to read and review.

I found this to be an incredibly interesting book. At the start, we are informed that it is written from a significant number of statements, records, etc, etc so that we know that the story is pretty accurate as to what happened.

The twists and turns make this an absolutely fascinating read.

One thing that did very much annoy me is that in the centre of the kindle version, there are photographs, but also a drawing and name of the man that went on trial……a complete spoiler! So…whatever you do, skip past those pictures quickly and go back at the end!!

My thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Vintage

This book, based on a true story, is very well researched and written. It gives an effective description of the life and times of Victorian Ireland, describing the police procedures and investigations in entertaining detail. There were some areas that were a little long winded but overall it was a fascinating read.
I appreciated that it was written in the style of a crime novel with no spoilers given and I also liked that the story didn't end with the trial but that we found out what happened to the various characters afterwards.

On the face of it, one might assume that a book about a seemingly random murder in Dublin some 160 years ago would be boring. This book would prove that hypothesis to be totally false!

It is a totally fascinating and extremely readable book which certainly kept me wanting to know what was going to happen next. I deliberately avoided looking up the story to find out "who dunnit" and so The Dublin Railway Murder read like a very well crafted police procedural novel.

It is certainly worthwhile putting The Dublin Railway Murder on your "to read list" and quite close to the top. Interesting too the number eminent people appearing in the tale that have eminent relatives today; no spoilers.