Review- The Trainwreckers - 5 stars

 “The Trainwreckers” by Sean Lynch is a different kind of Western novel.  Normally Westerns have a lot of shooting and riding on the range.  The focus of this novel, as you might guess, is more on the train.

Trains in the days following the Civil War were becoming a great way to travel and because of various economic advantages to gaining the approval for lucrative routes, there were bound to be competition between rival railroad tycoons.  Such is the case in this novel.  The fierce competition leads to one of the two tycoons vying for a very lucrative route in Missouri arranging for a train carrying some mighty important parties to a meeting with the Governor and others to be derailed.

Not happy with just derailing the train into a gulch
where numerous people died, the mastermind had all those who would attend the meeting and riding in the special car murdered, except for one.  As the scoundrel ion charge of the destruction left, he told the lone survivor his name, since he thought the victim had not long to live with a totally busted leg and other major, life threatening wounds.  The name he gave was Jem Rupe, a notorious train wrecker for the South’s lost cause during the Civil War.  Rupe was thought to be dead about 10 years ago. Was this really him or a copycat?

Fast forward to the renown US Marshal Samuel Prichard, a former Rebel who had served 10 years in the Texas Rangers to be on the case.  Sam has a personal reason to track down the notorious Rupe because the lone victim left alive in that special car did not die but he is currently family being married to Prichard’s sister and the father of Sam’s young namesake nephew.

Lots of detailed action happens as Sam and his deputies start hunting for the culprits.  They are met by lots of paid criminals who want all the lawmen dead; the cutthroats are being paid for their actions by the same tycoon who caused the wreck. Sam and the deputies, the townspeople, his sister, and brother-in-law all have major parts to play as this story rises to a major climax. And don’t forget Rupe, the two tycoons, lots of mayors, the Governor, and President U. S. Grant—they all have a part in the climax action.

As I said, it is a different story although there is horse riding, shooting, hangings, there is the railroad and action around the route that plays a pivotal role in this story.  A really good read.