Overview

In 1870 London, the body of a postal clerk is found inside a pneumatic railway car, and surgeon Samson Light has been accused. Tommy Jones must abandon his many jobs to pursue the witness who can exonerate his former tutor. Inspector Morgan of St Giles Station seems unusually reluctant to pursue the case, so Samson's barrister, wife, and friends must investigate. Clues lead to the General Post Office, the London Pneumatic Despatch Company, the highest realms of the Foreign Office, and inside Clerkenwell Gaol itself. Why was an ordinary clerk killed and, if it wasn't Samson who did it, who did? This is the third Tommy Jones Mystery, after Murder at Old St. Thomas's and Murder at an Exhibition. All have some interconnected characters but are stand-alone stories.

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Reviews

This series imparts a more balanced view of women in Victorian London, and the author succeeds admirably with her cast of unique female characters, who are much more than docile pawns shuttered by men. Information about medical ailments, surgery, jails, mining, engineering, fulling, carpet manufacture, and London, as well as pneumatic railways and the post office, make clear how deeply the author cares for her subject. I did wonder at Tommy leaving several jobs without notice, and why he didn't ask Perseverance for travel money, but these are small quibbles. Overall, this is a very well written, deeply researched story in which, for this reader, the mystery itself is less compelling than the characters and the wealth of information blended throughout the novel. This third in a cosy mystery series is an excellent addition which alludes to previous cases, but can stand satisfactorily alone, with overlapping characters from previous books. There is an endearing innocence about Tommy, in fact even the bad guys here aren't that bad and the novel ends happily. The secondary story about the illustrator, Jo, and her newfound family doesn't fit at first, but Lane brings all her threads neatly together by the end. A definite for readers interested in Victorian England. - Historical Novel Society Murder on the Pneumatic Railway is the third book in a trilogy written by Lisa M. Lane. I enjoyed the book enough that I am planning to read the previous two books. The books are billed are the Tommy Jones mystery, named after a scrappy young man who is willing to do whatever it takes to see that justice is done. Set in 1870 London, this mystery opens with the discovery of a dead body in London's newest technology, a pneumatic railway. A local physician is accused of the murder, the police seem satisfied, but Tommy knows there must be another story. Lane is a historian, and her notes at the end were impressive. She also includes real historical characters in her books. But she managed to weave the history seamlessly into the story, so it read with the intensity of a murder mystery. The book focused on the lives of women and innovations and dangers in health care. She also incorporated details about the formation of miners' unions in Durham. An excellent read! -- witchyrichie, LibraryThing An entertaining Victorian mystery with its cast of varied and likeable characters. A good addition to this trilogy. --Vesper1931, LibraryThing

Author Information

Lisa M. Lane writes historical mysteries, literary fiction, historical romance, and academic works. After several decades as a college history instructor and online teaching maven, she turned her hand to putting flesh on the bones of the historical past. She lives in San Diego with her husband David, an artist-woodworker, and their cat Sabrina.

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