Ugh! I finally finished this book. I almost DNF'd it multiple times, but stuck with it. It just wasn't very interesting to me, until I got about 60% into it, which is way more than I usually give a book. Up til that, every time I was reading, I would fall asleep.

I think Robbins tried to do too much in the book. He tried to combine comedy, romance, mystery, and conspiracy. I think he should have left out the comedy part. I thought the romance wasn't that bad in the story, but it wasn't great either. If he would have just stuck with the mystery and conspiracy part, the book would have been a whole lot better.

Tentative Publishcation Date: January 17, 2024

Thanks to Netgalley and Book Whisper for the E-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

😊 Happy Reading 😊

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Trans-Mongolian Express by David L Robbins is a thriller involving five people on a train, traveling to the same place: Chernobyl, the site of a nuclear disaster, a nuclear plant explosion. One of the travelers was a former employee of the plant who had predicted just such an accident four years earlier and been exiled because of it. Another was Lara who was an American and an expert on nuclear fission. Then there are Timur, Gang, and Bjorn, all traveling for similar reasons, well, except for Gang who is there to kill Lara. She had been “asked” to leave Russia, not to return, and here she was returning, supposedly with permission. It was in educational train journey across China and Mongolia, from Beijing and Moscow.

These people were all knowledgeable and interesting. Often the topics under discussion went over my head. More often, it was down to earth conversations regarding the more mundane aspects of the tragedy. Lara was all about communication, something Gorbachev said he wanted (glasnost) but not this time, apparently. The most severely affected outside of Russia were the Scandinavians, who had first noticed the rise in certain substances. Lara spent the train trip getting samples of soil from each stop to test. Everyone had their own agenda. Each recognized the danger. It was a well-written book, readable. The personalities of each of the people on the train was fully formed at their meeting and explained by sketches of their past experiences as the opening chapters of the book. It was an interesting read. Thanks, Mr. Robbins.

I was invited to read a copy of Trans-Mongolian Express by Book Whisperer. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #BookWhisperer #DavidLRobbins #TransMongolianExpress

When I started Trans-Mongolian Express I expected something like Murder on the Orient Express, it takes place on a long train ride after all. This book is different, because for all of the travelers the goal is getting to Chernobyl after the reactor accident for different reasons. It was well-written and based on real events but did seem to drag a bit in the beginning but he was setting the scene.
Thanks to NetGalley and Book Whisperer for my review copy of this book.

This is a great novel reminiscent of Murder on the Orient Express. The characters are realistic and their agendas and intentions are clear which makes this propulsive plot impossible to put down. It seems like a simple premise taking place during and due to a real catastrophic event but it is handled deftly and wonderfully.

Set in 1986, the time of Chernobyl, this "Murder on the Orient Express" story grandchild is mostly successful in its aim to entertain and, incidentally, inform the reader in the same vein as Warren Adler's Trans-Siberian Express, which I reviewed two years ago. Not telling tales out of school! The same publisher brought this book out, and is marketing it as insired by Adler's earlier work.

Again, as with that book, one knows what's in store because thriller, and because it is set at the time the US and USSR were fighting their Cold War. Like Adler's book, this is another richly embroidered atmospheric-detail-heavy read. The characters are unmemorable, the situation is familiar to thriller readers, but folks needing a few hours off from coping with the Real World should give it a go.

So, if you like that kind of read, here you got a good one.

I don't read a lot of historical fiction or books like this. I got this one because I had the author for a teacher in an online workshop I took part in. While I was hesitant at first to get started and it took me a few pages to get into it, I ended up really enjoying the book. I'm not sure I'll read many others like this, but it definitely opened my eyes to another genre I may want to check out from time to time.

Courtesy of The Book Whisperer and Netgalley, I received the ARC of Trans-Mongolian Express by David L. Robbins, a suspenseful historical novel set in 1986, circa the Chernobyl reactor meltdown. This story focused on a group of people riding the train from Beijing to Moscow for seven days, revealing (or not!) their backgrounds and connections. Written with an abundance of scientific information and travelogue type descriptions, intrigue, murders, romance, cross and double cross, and a sense of urgency, I couldn't stop reading!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I was very curious about the Chernobyl accident since it occurred and was piqued by the premise of this book. I found this to be a combination of a historical fiction, travelogue, romantic comedy and thriller all thrown in together. There was a great deal of scientific information that may be of interest to some but I don't know that it contributed to the overall story. If you have any interest in this subject matter than I recommend reading it!.

The year is 1986 and the Russians are trying to keep the disaster at Chernobyl quiet, but word has gotten out. As a result six people have left Beijing and are traveling to Russia via the Trans-Mongolian Express. Each has his own reason for going back to the country where they are not welcome. They get to know each other during the five day journey. So much so that even a romance develops, but will that matter when someone is murdered?
The author brings to life a vividly depicted group of characters. The story is well plotted, engrossing and will keep readers engrossed from start to finish. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Book Whisperer through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Loved this, but then Im a fan of murder on trains. Great mystery that kept me guessing the whole way - almost.

Lot of twists and turns in this one.
We have various main characters traveling on the train From Beijing to Moscow
In Beijing, an American radiation scientist been ordered to go to Russia. Against her better judgment, once been told to leave and never to return to Russia, she agreed to go after her boss convinces her there is no longer a threat to her live by the Russian mob.
The second person is a Russian scientist exiled from Russia for having drafted a report about the problems with the Chernobyl’s powerplant. Now that the catastrophe has happened, he can no longer hide in China and is determined to let the world know the truth.
We can forget a Chechen determined to kill as many Russian people as possible and a Swedish diplomat.
Add in Gang an assassin contracted to kill Lara our American Scientist. He is not the only contracted to do the job. We also have a bit of an English snob who plans to take photos of mushroom and is not aware of any danger.
Of course, we have a Russian agent ordered to keep an eye on the traveling foreigners. A strange combination of people to be sharing this long trip.
When a body is found along the railway tracks the Mongolian Chief Sheriff Bat boards the train. He has his own brand on how to investigate what happened on the train.
A unique story that lets you get to know the different landscapes along the long train ride. The mentality of the various passengers. The difference in the manner of traveling between our privileged group and the local population.
A hard to put down story.

From the description of Trans-Mongolian Express, I expected an exciting, suspense-filled novel. However, stylistically, it reads like the factual recounting of events more typical of non-fiction.

The story takes place in the immediate aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear meltdown amidst the race to keep the nuclear fallout from devastating much of Eastern Europe. Frustrated by the lack of information coming from the Russian Government, an American radiation scientist who had served in Russia was sent to Moscow to assess the situation.

Lara had been exiled to Beijing after running afoul of the Russian mob but was granted safe passage to return the Russia by the mob boss. Since air travel was impossible, she was booked on the Trans-Mongolian Express train—which would take several days to reach Moscow. Also aboard were Anton, a Russian engineer who had helped build the Chernobyl reactor, and who had been exiled when he threatened to expose a dangerous flaw in its design. He intended to tell the world that the Russian Government had known of the potential danger for years. His roommate was a Chechen who intended to go the Chernobyl and make sure the disaster was as bad as it could possibly be. An assassin was also aboard. He had been sent to warn Lara her safe passage had been revoked and she had to leave the train before it arrived in Russia or be killed.

Complicating the situation, a murder occurred on the train and a Mongolian police detective came on board to solve the crime. He insisted that no one would be allowed to leave the train until Moscow.

As the train raced toward Moscow, and Russia raced to contain the disaster, I should have been on the edge of my seat. But I wasn’t.

This was a good book. It just wasn’t the thriller I had hoped it would be.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of Trans-Mongolian Express by David L. Robbins!

I really enjoyed this book and the characters. I felt like I was reading a thriller, comedy, romance and mystery book all in one! Some of the scientific specifics were a little confusing to me but I think a learned a little bit more then I knew before ;)

Exciting, suspenseful, action packed...you never quite know what is going to happen next!

Russian born American Lara has to leave Russia or die, having somehow gotten on the wrong side of some shadowy figures (Mafia? CIA? Who knows?) She flees Russia for Beijing, not knowing if she will ever be coming back.

Russian Anton works at the Chernobyl nuclear plant. He finds some potentially fatal flaws that could be catastrophic for the world, certainly for Russia, but those in power don't want to hear about it. Anton ends up on a train for Beijing, where nuclear scientists are in demand.

In Afghanistan, Timur, a Chechen bides his time supervising Russian prisoners digging mines, until he can go home and wreak his revenge.

Suddenly, rumors appear about a major leak at Chernobyl. Europe is terrified, the Russians deny everything, and information is hard to find. Lara gets a call from her boss that she has been forgiven, please come back and help us manage whatever is happening. Lara and her colleague Bjorn are on the first train they can catch for the 1200 kilometer ride to Chernobyl Ukraine...the Trans-Mongolian Express. When he hears that they need miners to dig at Chernobyl, Timur takes the same train, is motives very different from Lara's. Anton too takes the train, feeling vindicated and convinced that they will now need his help. Adding to the group heading from Beijing to Chernoby are Sinjin, a young British man supposedly heading to Novosibirsk to spend time collecting mushrooms in the Ural mountains. What could be suspicious about that?! And then the mysterious Gang joins the group. Who is he? What does he have to do with the others on the train? And why is he heading to Chernobyl...or is he? Six strangers with stories to tell and thousands of miles to tell them in. And then there is a murder...or is there? Did he jump of the train or was he pushed? In Mongolia Chief Sheriff Bat joins the train and begins his investigation.

The descriptions are fabulous, each and every character is complex and mysterious, their motivations known only to themselves, and Sherif Bat is sort of like a brilliant Columbo. Politics, revenge, mystery, this thriller has everything. A do not miss story!

The Trans-Mongolian express takes place in 1986 when a historical event takes place. Chernobyl. This story follows several players as they make their way on a 6-day journey from Beijing to Moscow. There are Russian scientists, a diplomat, a Chechen, and an assassin all playing Cat and Mouse on an endless trip through Siberia. I found most of the book entertaining. The author makes you feel like you are actually travelling through the remote areas of Aisia. The plot was good, but the ending was too drawn out. Nothing really happens when the investigator climbs onboard, making for a dull ending. Thanks to NetGallery for the ARC of this book.

ARC review: Trans-Mongolian Express by David L Robbins
Thank you to @netgalley and Book Whisperer for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

The Plot👉🏻 Head back to 1986 after Three Mile Island and as Chernobyl is melting down. Several characters from different walks of life end up on the Trans-Mongolian Express, from Beijing to Russia, each with a different goal. In the middle of the Gobi, a murder ensues, spinning our characters into a frenzy of whodunit and who’s really safe on the train.

3️⃣ things I loved 🪩

✨It’s almost told in a reverse fashion. We already know Chernobyl is melting down and why, and we watch a murder unfold, but we’re also watching the Mongolian police chief, Bat, try to understand what happened and why.

✨The timeline is in kilometers along the train route, which I thought was a unique way to mark the passage of time

✨Complex and dynamic characters who make you think! I had to keep a few notes, because the characters are also referred to as their nationality sporadically. It was a great read following them through this journey - will any of them make it out alive?

📚Read if you like🪩
✨Political thrillers
✨International espionage

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Trans-Mongolian Express
By David L. Robbins

This book is about many things. It begins with a Russian nuclear physicist, who has created a report on the possible flaws in the Russian power plant at Chernobyl. Rather than accepting his report and endeavoring to correct the flaws and avert disaster, the government exiles Anton Epstein to Beijing.

Lara Dill, a US embassy worker in Russia and also an expert on the long term health implications of a nuclear disaster, has been ordered out of Russia, never to return, when she has discovered that the Russian mob has been selling radioactive materials to the Afghans. She is also now stationed in Beijing.

When the Chernobyl disaster happens, and the Russians are trying to cover it up, these two scientists, along with assorted others with a vested interest in finding out what is really happening, board the Trans-Mongolian Express for the long journey from Beijing to Moscow. Their traveling companions include Bjorn, Lara's Swedish co-worker; Timor, a giant of a man and a Moslim mujahideen with deep loathing against all things Russian; Sinjin, a British diplomat who seems to be something more than the pampered diletante he appears to be; and Gang, a Chinese man who is a professional assassin. Along the way deaths start happening – reminiscent of "Murder on the Orient Express". Bat, a Mongolian sheriff who dresses like an old west cowboy, comes aboard to solve the first murder. He is a shaman who speaks to the spirits. He throws a monkey wrench in everyone's plans.

This story is cleverly done as a murder mystery. But more, it gives the reader a clearer picture of what the horror of this type of disaster might mean for mankind. Bravo, Mr. Robbins, for an original story where there has been a dearth of those!

Russia, Russian-intelligence, Russian-mob, Chernoble, assassins, crime-thriller, fiction, erotica, exiled, vengeance, unputdownable, murders, torture, historical-figures, historical-places-events, historical-research, history-and-culture, action, suspense, thriller, Cold War-era, terrorists, global-issues, international-tensions, witty, China, Mongolia, humor*****

From Beijing to Moscow by rail across the most desolate of countrysides, an interesting group of outcasts, each with his own agenda, are closeted together in an interesting time in history. The story is gripping, irregularly paced, spattered with real facts, well researched, has understandable characters, and beautiful, if stark, scenery. I really enjoyed this fascinating read!
I requested and received an EARC from Adler Entertainment Trust via NetGalley. Thank you!

A fascinating mystery/thriller based on Russian history during the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986. An American scientist to investigate the nuclear fallout along with six other characters with different agendas and political missions are on board the trans-Mongolian express from Beijing to Moscow. A suspicious death on the train derails the journey. Intrigued with who had done it keeps you tethered and captivated to the book.

This novel by David L. Robbins was terrific! Intense, intriguing and engaging, I loved it and couldn’t put it down! Set against the disaster of Chernobyl, a group of interesting characters board the Trans Mongolian Express in Beijing and ride it the entire way across Russia to Moscow. The murders that happen which (enter Bat, an American west styled sheriff) make for an engrossing Who Done It! It’s a fast read that travels as quickly as the train. I recommend this novel with the highest accolades….just be prepared for the ride!