I really enjoyed this book and loved the fact it is a true story. It is written in the style of Victorian Ireland and is a great portrayal of the time. It reads very much like a crime novel and drags you into trying to solve the mystery. I loved the descriptive text and explanations of how railways worked in those times.

I could not get into this. It wasn't holding my interest, despite sounding so good. I would pick it up every so often read a few pages and then put it down for weeks at a time. Not for me.

I was drawn to The Dublin Railway Murder purely because it's a true story and (hello) I work as a guard on trains. I promise I wasn't looking for any ideas for theft or murder, I was just intrigued. Honest.

There's A LOT of information, names, dates, times and scenarios held in these pages and I was so worried I'd get bogged down by them. I wasn't, it was fast paced and addictive. There's a lot of ambiguity and some threads are left hanging in the air at the end but I think that adds to the character of the book. Everything doesn't need to be neatly sewn up, we can leave a little to the imagination, even in a true story. The lay out of the novel was brilliant, divided into clear sections and with maps and images which really help visualise the setting. It wasn't quite what I was expecting, it was more.

The Dublin Railway Murder is about the true life story of the brutal murder of a quiet, assuming man who was the head cashier at the Midland Great Western Railway based at the Broadstone terminus in 19th century Dublin. It was a classic locked room whodunnit and was, at first glance, considered to be a suicide until a closer examination of the body gave the true picture of how George Little met his death. What followed was the detailed tale about the difficult evidence gathering and questioning of witnesses carried out by the detectives at a time when the police and the plain clothed officers in particular were eyed with suspicion and mistrust by the majority of Dublin’s citizens concluding with a sensational trial that gripped Ireland.

This wasn’t an easy book to get into. To start with I found the prose a bit dry and hard going but I persevered until I suddenly realised I was nearly halfway through. The meticulous eye to details as the detectives painstakingly gathered their evidence had me gripped and I could almost hear Edward Woodward’s (In Suspicious Circumstances) voice narrating in my head as I read.

I did have one major issue with this book and that was to do with the illustrations contained within its pages or perhaps it would be better to say the placement of the illustrations. Several showed the alleged murderer and gave his name before I had actually got to the part in the book detailing his arrest. It might be that some readers had heard of this crime and knew some of the details beforehand but I hadn’t, so to a certain extent this did spoil the book for me. They could easily have been inserted at the end without affecting the story.

I don’t often choose true crime but what I do read has a tough act to follow – the original and perhaps best of the genre in Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood. I fancied this as a chance to get a glimpse into life in Dublin in the 1850s and it really delivers. It has elements of a locked room mystery and provides an insight into the capabilities (and shortcomings) of the establishment in a period of huge change. The railways were big business at the time, and where there’s money, trouble isn’t too far behind.
The Dublin Railway Murder is a work of proper scholarship by Thomas Morris using primary sources but it’s also a ripsnorter of a story told in a straightforward, readable way. I loved his description of the railway timetable as ruling the terminus with the ‘arbitrary whim of a tyrant, dictating the actions of its subjects while regularly confounding their plans’. I was daunted by the long list of dramatis personae at the beginning but I needn’t have worried – once you start reading, it’s easy to keep track of who’s who in a rich and varied cast.
And who doesn’t like a juicy court case? If you want to read a whodunnit with plenty of twists and turns, this is for you. And the sooner the better – the murder took place on 13 November 1856 so it’s easy to imagine the scene on these damp and murky evenings. Lock your doors!

The Dublin Railway Murder by Thomas Morris is a fascinating account of the brutal murder of an employee of the railway company in Dublin in 1856 and the difficult investigation into it that followed.

Meticulously pieced together from archive material, this true story outlines the course of events leading up to the murder and the subsequent incompetent investigation in an era when evidence was much more difficult to obtain (no CCTV for example) and antiquated legal practices further complicated police investigations.

For those already familiar with Dublin city, it is intriguing to envisage those areas as they were at the time based on the descriptions Morris provides, though the levels of poverty endured by most people was quite sad.

A highly entertaining read!

Cashier George Little handled large amounts of money during the course of his working week, but initially it was thought that no money had gone missing, however, further investigations revealed that in fact, hundreds of pounds had gone, which at least gave police a motive for the murder. However, with literally hundreds of interviews to be carried out, leading to dozens of suspects, this wasn’t going to be a walk in the park.

Thomas Morris brings the Victorian period vividly to life, and in particular the workings of a busy rail terminal, with its hundreds of passengers and staff, and using archived documents he has carried out extensive research, that would appeal to those interested in true crime and social history.

George Little, the chief cashier of the Broadstone railway terminus in Dublin is found brutally murdered in his office. His neck is severed so savagely that he is almost decapitated. The police are called to investigate, but it is 1865 and the techniques at their disposal are severely limited compared to the modern-day.

This is a historical come true crime novel - think victorian Law and Order. A fascinating book more from a historical point of view rather than the actual crime itself. Mr Morris has skillfully brought the past to life to remind us how lucky we are to live in current times even with all its attendant problems rather than 150 years ago. A great book for readers interested in social history and crime detection in the nineteenth century but perhaps not the consumer of serial killer true crime works.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

A true story of an historical murder in Victorian Dublin which Thomas Morris has adeptly turned into a novel and by finding more information about this incident, the story takes on much more depth to it. It is a slow start for the first few chapters however once it gets going you will find that you want to know more. For me it is a highly descriptive read almost like looking at snapshots of the scenes which the author is portraying. He details not only Dublin society of this era and the legal system there but also the railways in general at this point in history and so the story may attract many different readers. Only downside of reading on a Kindle is that the diagrams/pictures within the story, do not always appear as they should.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review.

This is one of the best historical true crime I've ever read. It's gripping, immersive and it made me travel in time.
The author is a talented storyteller and this well researched book was brilliant and gripping.
There're great descriptions of the historical background, the characters are well described and explained, tons of documents.
I loved what I read.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

One morning in November 1856 George Little, the chief cashier of the Broadstone railway terminus in Dublin, was found dead, lying in a pool of blood beneath his desk. His head had been almost severed; a knife lay nearby, but strangely the office door was locked, apparently from the inside. This was a deed almost unheard of - brutality for the peaceful Irish capital: while violent crime was commonplace in Victorian London, the courts of London had not convicted a single murderer in more than thirty years.

Based on a true crime story was enough to get my attention. I like crime stories where all they had to go on was intuition. The author has certainly did his research. There's also a dramatic courtroom scene. We also learn about the social conditions of Dublin and Liverpool. All aspects of the case is explored and no stone is left unturned. There is quite a lot of characters that you could easily get lost in. The pace is steady throughout.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #RandomHouseUK #Vintage and the author #ThomasMorris for my ARC of #TheDublinRailwayMurder in exchange for an honest review.

In this well-constructed and well-researched book Morris has created an outstanding addition to any true crime reader's bookshelf, Drawing on police interviews from the time as well as contemporary newspaper reports, the author draws the reader in by using the devices employed by crime fiction, keeping the reader guessing as to who the villain is.

Morris is also skilled at recreating the atmosphere of the Dublin of 170-odd years ago (not that I remember personally!)

A great read, ideal for readers of true crime, but also for crime fiction readers - there is plenty to keep any reader entertained. Also featuring a cameo appearance from Mr Whicher of Kate Summerscale's book from a decade or so ago.

Interesting real life crime featuring the real life murder of railway station cashier George Little.

Very interestingly looked at with the crime, investigation, suspects and trial.

Not my usual read but enjoyed the writing style and the fiction/fact style of writing.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

A gruesome murder in a locked room at a railway station in Victorian Dublin – this lured me to what I thought would be an exciting whodunnit, but is actually a detailed retelling of newspaper articles, court records and investigation notes of a real crime. Described as "a thrilling and meticulously researched investigation into a real-life Victorian mystery", the narrative is indeed meticulous, but unfortunately I found it far from thrilling.

Said to appeal to readers of The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, there are similarities between the two books but I found Kate Summerscale's writing style far more engaging.

This will be an interesting book for anyone interested in Victorian murder investigations and prosecutions, and I therefore give it 3 stars for the attention to detail and extensive research.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my Advance Review Copy. This is my unbiased opinion about the book.

An extremely well researched true crime investigation which unfortunately failed to thrill. It’s unfair to criticise the fact that I was lost with the number of characters because obviously this was the actual number of characters involved but nevertheless lost I was. One of those occasions fortunately quite rare when you wish you were reading a paper copy so you could more easily refer back.

I was intrigued by the blurb, a typical locked room mystery, a dead body, the key to the room missing, the only window nailed shut, and cash, gold and silver stolen.
George Little, is the chief cashier for the Broadstone Railway Terminus in Dublin in 1856. This book is based upon the in-depth investigations that took place concerning, The Murder, The Investigation, The Suspect and The Trial, using the original documents in the Irish National Archives.
This was not the book I was expecting after reading the blurb. It is well researched, but way too many characters to keep clear in my mind, some chapters were very repetitive, surely, some of the pomposity of questions could have been either abridged or simply removed! The sheer wealth of information made this book very dry to read, I was struggling to keep my eyes open in some chapters.
It didn’t come across as thrilling, it moved at a pedestrian pace, the writing was stilted and I couldn’t warm to the story, although, I wanted to find out who was responsible for the murder, when the jury reached their decision, it felt more like a farce had been re-enacted. Even now, I’m still unsure who the real murderer was, it felt clunky and clumsy.
I want to be kind. Obeying the dictum, if you can’t say anything nice………I liked the cover. There was a lot of research, those who study Victorian documents will enjoy this, but ,not me. Sorry.
Thanks to Netgalley, and the publishers, Random House, Vintage and Harvill Secker, for my advance digital copy, given in exchange for my honest, unbiased opinion. I can only give this a three star rating. I will post reviews later.

Spoiler Free Review Until Specified
As someone living in Ireland the title immediately piqued my interest! I'd never heard about this event before, and who doesn't love a good true crime story?

The book follows the murder case of George Little, a chief cashier at the Midland Great Western Railway and is divided into 4 sections: the murder, the investigation, the suspect, and the trial, with a 5th section concerning a phrenophologist (people who study the skull and believe its shape reveals people's traits). I'm not sure if this last section was necessary as it doesn't really relate to the the murder case, but it was very interesting nonetheless.

Morris remarks that he used primary documents such as interviews and witness statements from the Irish National Archives to relay this story. I'm sure the case was far from straight forward but Morris makes it read easily and linearly. I have a lot of respect for the amount of research put into the book, because not only does he tell the story of the murder case but he also explains background information about the railway company, its employees, contemporary Irish society, the judicial system, the distrust of the police, the geography of towns & cities, emigration, Irish history, and so much more! If youre not from the island, you don't need to worry about not understanding Ireland culturally. I didnt find that Morris got lost in these sections but only presented enough information to provide a basic understanding.

While I did feel that the case was told faithfully, which I cant fault, I did feel like some pieces could have been left out - as a book that is marketed as "gripping" and "thrilling", I found myself nearly falling asleep in places.

((Minor Spoilers))
I learned a lot of interesting things about Ireland, the most stand-out being that women weren't allowed to testify against their husbands! Its not exactly surprising but I still felt shocked after seeing how it could have drasticaly changed the result of the trial.
((End of spoilers))

Lastly, I felt that including images of the suspect before the suspect is revealed to the reader throws off the surprise of the crucial information that is brought to the police, so I would advise anyone reading this book not to read the notes under the photos until after finishing it. It would have been best placed at the end of the book.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book and would like to thank Netgalley and Thomas Morris for supplying this ARC.

Oh this is good!


Compelling real life crime
Fascinating and twisty trial with more surprises than I care to remember
well written
locked room mystery
page turning
I felt I was fully immersed in time and place.

Highly recommended!

many thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for the chance to read an advanced copy of the Dublin Railway Murder.
Intricately detailed book chronicling the murder of George Little, a railway employee based in Dublin. Based on a true story, it reads much like a crime novel, fantastically written throughout.

Based firmly on a true story that took Dublin (and England law and newspapers) by storm the death of George Little in his locked office at the Broadstone railway terminus is a great whodunnit firmly in the line of Dickens and I was thinking as I was reading the excellent 'The Suspicions of Mr Whicher' by Kate Summerscale. Then guess what? Mr Whicher is sent over from the more 'advanced' Metropolitan Police to add his knowledge....however makes no impact on the investigation it seems!
The background has been thoroughly researched and may put off some readers especially those intimately aware of railways stations of the 19th century. But I loved the detail and having also travelled the very train line to Tullamore in Co Offaly that is mentioned at the start. He comments it passes through the "dreariest countryside" of the Midlands including Athlone and Mullingar at which its famous fair adds to the underlying motive for the death, Indeed we still feel the aftermath of the Great Irish Famine and across the land there are empty homes, lost families, emigration and political unrest all of which in some aspects underline the plot. I felt completely immersed in the life of this terminus and the many characters who worked and travelled through it daily.
Solving crimes and the police investigations and trials are covered in detail again making us aware of the problems such legal systems both underpinned by the British Government and the lack of forensics caused for many who may fall foul of the system.
The main characters are superb - I loved the link with Jane Austen through the senile old judge and even an ancestor of past Home Secretary Amber Rudd! It shows how the systems of the law and politics continue to travel down the elites and generations for whom education allowed their career development alongside as shown the many poor and uneducated population living in Dublin at the time.
The main suspect was a delight! Characterisation could not have made him a better target and the twists and turns even later still continued to make us wonder who or what had really happened. I would love a follow up (if only fictional) about those for whom the murder still sought to burden their lives.
Superb read. Totally immersed in the time and even though lots to follow keeps you guessing and wondering (and even writing notes about who might be the killer!)
Dickens would be proud of this - and he gets a mention too!!