shirleycallow's review against another edition
3.0
Olga Pushkin is a third class railway engineer and budding writer and detective!
One day when returning to her railway hut she’s hit in the back by a body being thrown from the trans-Siberian railway. Before she passes out she manages to glance a tourist with his throat slit and gold coins shoved into his mouth.
Olga takes it upon herself to help solve this crime with her old friend and returning police officer Vassily and brother Pasha.
This was a cozy mystery but I found the setting a little bleak and felt like some parts of the story dragged. I did like the characters though so will probably follow up with the second instalment of Olga’s story
One day when returning to her railway hut she’s hit in the back by a body being thrown from the trans-Siberian railway. Before she passes out she manages to glance a tourist with his throat slit and gold coins shoved into his mouth.
Olga takes it upon herself to help solve this crime with her old friend and returning police officer Vassily and brother Pasha.
This was a cozy mystery but I found the setting a little bleak and felt like some parts of the story dragged. I did like the characters though so will probably follow up with the second instalment of Olga’s story
pam_sartain's review against another edition
4.0
Death on the Trans-Siberian Express by C J Farrington is set in Russia, with Olga Pushkn, Railway Engineer (Third Class), who wants more, in this case, to study literature at Tomsk State University, and become a best selling author. But life is a little more boring than that, in a snow, boring village in Russia.
It becomes more exciting when Olga gets knocked over by an American tourist being pushed off a train, and so she becomes involved in the investigation, with the usual problems that a civilian helping the police has.
I enjoyed the story being set somewhere new, with a disappointed heroine trying to make her way in the world. This felt quite like a cosy crime, and as this is labelled as book 1 in places, there are obviously plans for more in the series.
Death on the Trans-Siberian Express was published on 25th November 2021, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.
You can follow C J Farrington on Twitter and his website.
I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Little, Brown Book.
It becomes more exciting when Olga gets knocked over by an American tourist being pushed off a train, and so she becomes involved in the investigation, with the usual problems that a civilian helping the police has.
I enjoyed the story being set somewhere new, with a disappointed heroine trying to make her way in the world. This felt quite like a cosy crime, and as this is labelled as book 1 in places, there are obviously plans for more in the series.
Death on the Trans-Siberian Express was published on 25th November 2021, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.
You can follow C J Farrington on Twitter and his website.
I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Little, Brown Book.
magicofthepages's review
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
bugaboobear's review against another edition
I've read over half the book and I still don't care about any of the characters. Decided to call it here.
caityy's review
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Xenophobia, Violence, and Addiction
chaptersbymidnight's review against another edition
4.0
Thought some parts of the book was a bit slow-paced but when the "action" part kicks in, it really caught my attention and I couldn't put down the book. I guess I have to read the next book since the book left us in a slight cliffhanger.
janettedv's review against another edition
3.0
Olga Pushkin is a third-class railway engineer in the depths of Siberia who spends most of her time dreaming of becoming a writer when one day, she is hit by a dead body thrown from the Trans-Siberian Express. This is the starting point for a complex mystery involving political manoeuvring and police corruption.
The setting is amazing. I loved the details about life in Siberia and the tiny town of Roslazny together with its collection of misfit inhabitants. Olga is a brilliantly drawn character and we really get to know her as a person.
The mystery was interesting and well plotted but quite slow moving and there were a few times when I almost lost interest in the book. Overall though, I did enjoy it and will look out for a sequel.
Thank you to Net Galley and publishers Little Brown for this ARC.
The setting is amazing. I loved the details about life in Siberia and the tiny town of Roslazny together with its collection of misfit inhabitants. Olga is a brilliantly drawn character and we really get to know her as a person.
The mystery was interesting and well plotted but quite slow moving and there were a few times when I almost lost interest in the book. Overall though, I did enjoy it and will look out for a sequel.
Thank you to Net Galley and publishers Little Brown for this ARC.
missymo55's review against another edition
4.0
A good read
I enjoyed this book in the end but didn’t really get going until 50% though. I would have liked some of the characters to be more developed, especially Vassilly. However I’m looking forward to the next Olga Pushkin adventure.
I enjoyed this book in the end but didn’t really get going until 50% though. I would have liked some of the characters to be more developed, especially Vassilly. However I’m looking forward to the next Olga Pushkin adventure.
helensparrow's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
piperkitty's review against another edition
4.0
This is a great book. Olga is a very interesting character. It was a very interesting setting for the book. It has a nice plot and a large cast of characters who are all extremely unique.