"Frances Brody's eleventh Kate Shackleton mystery is sure to delight readers of Rhys Bowen and Jacqueline Winspear.

Two murders. A one-way ticket to trouble.

And it's up to Kate to derail the killer.

London, 1929. In the darkness before dawn, a railway porter, unloading a special train from Yorkshire, discovers a man's body, shot and placed in a sack. There are no means of identification to be found and as Scotland Yard hits a dead end, they call on the inimitable Kate Shackleton, a local sleuth, confident her local knowledge and investigative skills will produce results. But it's no easy task.

Suspicion of political intrigue and fears of unrest in the Yorkshire coalfields, impose secrecy on her already difficult task. The murder of a shopkeeper, around the same time, seems too much of a coincidence. The convicted felon was found with blood on his hands, but it's too tidy and Kate becomes convinced the police have the wrong man.

By then it's too late. Kate finds herself in a den of vipers. The real killer is still at large, and having tinkered with Kate's car, nearly causes her to crash. Not only that, but Scotland Yard has turned their back on her. As Kate edges toward the shocking truth, she's going to need all the strength and resourcefulness she can muster to uncover this sinister web of deceit."

For the Agatha Christie cozy fan in all of us.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for this review.

The story begins with the finding of a body wrapped in potato sacks and dumped on the special train that brings rhubarb from Yorkshire to London. Scotland Yard asks Kate to help in the investigation, but to keep it quiet, as there may be political ramifications following a recent coal workers strike in the area where the rhubarb originated.

Kate uses her knowledge of the local areas well as her trusty second-in-command Mr Sykes and her housekeeper Mrs Sugden to investigate both the high- and not-so-high classes.

The mystery is heightened when another murder is found to have happened around the same time, in Thorpefield. Kate's childhood friend, Gertrude Brockman, is married to the deputy to the Lord Lieutenant of the County and lives in Thorpefield. She arranges to stay with the Brockman's for a few days and catch up with her old friend, all the while investigating both murders to see if they are linked.

Soon, Kate finds herself in danger, locked in the basement, smashing her car when it is tampered with, and then being thrown down a flight of stone stairs.

But in the end she succeeds in her quest, somewhat despite Scotland Yard.

March 1928, London. At King's Cross railyway station a porter discovers a body on the Rhubarb Trainn from Leeds. When Scotland Yard fail to identity him Commander Woodhead employs Mrs Kate Shackleton to investigate. With the death of a shopkeeper, Mrs Helen Farrar, at the same time in the local area, Kate wonders if this is just a coincidence or part of her investigation.
An enjoyable and well-written mystery. Though I liked the story I didn't quite love it or the main characters.

It's not every day a body is found in a train car of rhubarb. In The Body on the Train by Frances Brody, Kate Shackleton is asked by Scotland Yard to use her local Yorkshire knowledge to identify the dead man. All means of identification have been stripped from the man as he has been found only wearing his underclothes. Someone went to great lengths to keep his identify unknown, and Scotland Yard thinks Kate can discover his identity. What she does discover involved so people she knows very well in a plot to pit coal miners against agriculture interests.

It's the second book I read in this series and I think this is a an excellent mystery.
I like the well written and interesting cast of characters as much as I like the well researched historical background.
The plot keeps you hooked even if it's quite fast paced but it never bores and always kept my attention.
The mystery is complex and solid and it kept me guessing till the end.
It was an entertaining read by I also learned a lot about rhubarb and the historical background.
I look forward to reading the next instalment in this series.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Though this is the 11th Kate Shackleton mystery, it was the first I read but it definitely will not be my last. Simply outstanding historical mystery but the highlight of the book is sleuth Kate herself, as well as those who assist her.

In this case, a dead body is found amongst the rhubarb harvest sent to London by train and it is up to Kate to assist Scotland Yard as she investigates. The investigation takes place primarily during her visit to the home of a childhood friend.

Probably my favorite "new to me" series this year. Highly recommended!!

The Body on the Train by Frances Brody is the eleventh Kate Shackleton mystery. A man’s body is found in a sack in London 1929. Scotland Yard is out of ideas and accept help from Kate Shackleton, a local sleuth. I enjoyed this book. The characters were well developed with a good plot. I liked the historical era it was written about. The remarks about early coal mining were interesting. Scotland Yard is always fun to read about. Thanks to Net Galley for providing an advanced reader’s copy to review.

For fans of Miss Fisher, Lady Hardcastle or Hercule Poirot...you'll love Kate. Her wit and wisdom are evidence to Frances Brody's talent. I enjoyed this book and intend to buy the full series when I can.

Edge of your seat excitement...the perfect 5 word summary.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to be introduced to a new mystery series. (New to me.)

***Did I spell Hercule's name right? I haven't read Agatha's work in years.

When the express train carrying a rhubarb harvest reaches London, a body is discovered among the crates of produce. Scotland Yard is unable to identify the man, but with gold coins in the bag containing the body, they believe he may have been an agitator since the train originated in the mining region. Investigator Kate Shackleton is hired to go into the area under cover to try to discover the victim’s identity.

While Kate sends her assistant Mr. Sykes to interview the farmers and railway staff, she poses as a photojournalist working on a story about that area. Her cousin, Lord Benjamin Brockman, is a mine owner who owns an estate close to where the train originated. She has also been a friend of his wife since childhood, making their home an ideal place to visit. Her research reveals the murder of a shopkeeper in the same area at the approximate time of the stranger’s murder. A coincidence? Kate’s instincts tell her the murders are related and she proceeds on that assumption.

This is a welcome return of Kate Shackleton. Frances Brody has developed a strong character who is assisted not only by Mr. Sykes, a former policeman, but also Mrs. Sugden, a housekeeper that is not afraid to get involved in the investigation. While the murders take center stage, Brody also gives you an idea of the struggles faced by the miners and their families. The decline of the Brockman’s estate also reflects the changes that occurred in the years following WWI, with worker shortages and the necessity to upgrade technology.

Brody’s stories are entertaining and keep you guessing to the end. Fans of the historical mysteries of Susan Elia MacNeal and Jacqueline Winspear will find it easy to get caught up in the Kate Shackleton mysteries. I would like to thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing this book in exchange for my review.

This is the first book I’ve read in this series. It is 1929 and a body has been found on the rhubarb train. There are so many factors that figure into the mystery including a children’s home, a mine, the Ryder Cup, rhubarb farmers and an interesting cast of detective helpers. I enjoyed the pace of the story. I was never quite sure just who to trust. Nicely done!

I obtained this book through Net Galley and have given an honest review.

If you're looking for an old-fashioned British mystery, The Body on the Train is for you. There are a slew of interesting characters, and a lovely puzzle to solve. Solid entertainment for those who love traditional mysteries and want to cozy up with a great read and a cup of tea. I did feel the ending went on too long, but otherwise found this very satisfying.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for an advance copy of The Body on the Train, the eleventh novel to feature 1920s private detective Kate Shackleton.

When the body of a murdered man turns up in a cart of the forced rhubarb train, attention centres on Yorkshire where the train originated. With rumours of foreign involvement in industrial unrest Scotland Yard wants Kate to take on an undercover investigation to identify the body and work out why he ended up on the rhubarb train.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Body on the Train which is an intriguing period mystery. Having read one or two of the previous novels I was prepared for the lack of humour, so prevalent in contemporary novels set in the period, and for a good, puzzling crime and it doesn’t disappoint. The novel is told from the investigative point of view, a first person narrative from Kate and third person for her assistants, Mr Sykes and Mrs Sugden, so the reader knows as much as they do and no more.

I love the premise of an unidentified body turning up amongst the rhubarb as there’s something anarchic about it, especially with Bolshevists trying to foment revolt. It just seems delicious. With so little to go on Ms Brody could have taken her novel anywhere but wisely chooses to keep it close to home in Yorkshire. I was glued to the pages as she unravels her plot until the end which I felt was unnecessarily drawn out and long winded. I guess the point of it was to emphasise the customs of the era but even then it could have been tighter.

There’s not much to say about the characters as it’s a plot driven novel. Kate Shackleton is a widow who makes her living as a private investigator, ably assisted by Mr Sykes and Mrs Sugden. She’s a tenacious investigator with a rather modern social conscience but on the whole she’s quite boring.

The Body on the Train is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

This is my first Kate Shackleton. Even though this is number 11 in the series, it does work as a standalone. The characters were well developed, the plot intriguing, and I loved the historical details about the railroads and coal mines. I will be going back to the first Kate Shackleton to read the series in order.

At this stage of my journey with Kate Shackleton, it is a bit like meeting up with a good, old friend. You sit down as if no time has passed, have a cuppa and catch each other up on all the things that happened. It is wonderful when an author just keeps delivering for you to maintain that kind of relationship with a character over 11 books. Mystery was great, setting brilliant, entertainment guaranteed. Thank you.

My thanks to NetGalley for the early read.
It was hot with possible storms. No, that’s not the book. That’s why I started the book yesterday and couldn’t put it down. I was enthralled from the first page to the last. Kate and the other characters are so rich, I want to meet them and go on adventures. The mysteries, and the history of the area are so well intertwined.
I love this series! When does the next one come out?

I thoroughly enjoyed the 11th installment of Kate Shakleton’s adventures. Kate is asked by Scotland Yard to investigate a death on a train. We are also told a little about rhubarb and the market of it. I found that very interesting. The characters are enjoyable as is the era the book was set in. This is a great whodunit in my opinion.
Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thanks to Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC.

Another great read from Francis Brody, couldn't put it down. The characters plot and context are spot on and I look forward to the next book.

3.75 stars

Another great entry in the always quirky Kate Shackleton historical mystery series. Kate is a World War One widow and was a nurse during the war. She is bright, independent and intuitive, financially secure and has set herself up as a private inquiry agent. The supporting cast is well-drawn and the writing style has some dry humor and is a bit unusual.

This one might be a tad confusing if you haven't read any of the others. Kate has a murky relationship with Scotland Yard. She is called in to discreetly help figure out what happened to a dead body found on a train. Was it connected to radical anarchists? And Kate can't help but think the murder is related to another dead body found in a shop.

Kate is compassionate but professional. In this one, friends of hers are in the mix and she has to walk a fine line. Thanks to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Net Galley. I enjoyed this installment of Ms. Brody's Kate Shackleton series very much. It was a notch above the others I have read. I am looking forward to reading the ones I have missed.

I really enjoy these series of books, have read most of them and enjoy the characters especially the heroine, Kate Shackleton who is a no nonsense private investigator/detective.

The books have been/are set after the First World War, and manage to encompass events in history of the 20s and 30s.

This book revolves around the finding of a body on the 'rhubarb train' and could possibly have undertones of revolution as two Russian coins are found with the body.

Great characters in the book as always, Jim, Mrs Sugden, Kate's father (adopted, but that's a whole different story) plus someone new, Philip who has interesting ways.

The books also include great social commentary on events that happened, for example orphans being shipped over to the Colonies.

Good story, perhaps a little bit obvious but nonetheless a very good read

Recommended