I had never heard of this historical murder before, so I found this book to be so interesting. It was such a thought provoking read that made me think throughout history I wonder how many innocent people were sent to their deaths, the sheer m-=number it probably could have been is heartbreaking.
I couldn't put this book down I was totally absorbed.

The author's thesis is based on the Murder of John Innes Nisbet on a train, and an innocent man, Alexander Dickman was charged and executed unfairly. He aims to prove his innocence. He uses the evidence presented before him to exonerate Mr. Dickman and to show his conviction as being unjust.
The author starts with the background of the two people involved in the case. He then goes to the scene where John Innes Nesbit is found with five gunshot wounds to the head. The police search for the suspect and arrest Alexander Dickman, who says he is innocent. The police interviewed numerous witnesses, including the wife of the deceased. The case goes to trial, and he is convicted and hanged.
The author states that he was convicted on circumstantial evidence. He feels the judge and the police are biased, and there are numerous holes in the witnesses' stories. Some stories were manipulated, some were led on by the police to name Dickman as the suspect, and the judge's bias.
The author then presents his own theory of who the real killer or killers are. His findings are compelling for the innocence of Dickman. I personally leaned towards the author's theory. I enjoyed this book. If you like True Crime or whodunits, this is a good book to add to your collection. I am curious to see if others agree with the author.

This was an excellent book. It was well-written. I would highly recommend this book. It's very easy to read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

I love a historical true crime case, and this one set in Edwardian England did not disappoint. It’s always heartbreaking to read that someone has been pinned for a crime that they didn’t commit, especially when they suffered the death penalty for it, and this compelling and well-researched narrative does a great job of bringing a new theory to the front that’s extremely convincing.

I want to start off by saying that the concept of the book was really interesting. I love true crime and I love history so, the combination of the two was what peaked my interest. I had never heard of this case and was very interested to learn more about it. The added pictures at the end were also a very cool bonus.

However, the book felt a little slow in pace compared to most true crime books I have read. That is my only note.

I gave up reading this book after the first 20 pages or so. I try to push through most books I have to read, but I was just so bored. It reads like a dissertation, so dry and dull. It was almost as if the writer thought we knew the story already. One of the first things that happens is finding a dead body on a train. I know this is non-fiction, but at least make this moment exciting or shocking or just dramatic in some way. I just didn't care to go on any more from there.

Put this book down, do not be sucked in from the description on the back.

A non-fiction book that reads like an Agatha Christie novel.
The first thing that struck me about ‘Murder on the Train’ is how readable the book is. I was so caught up in the story tha I found myself picking it up in my lunch break, to catch up on the next instalment.
The book is an analysis of a murder which took place over a century ago. In 1910, a quiet, unassuming man, John Nisbett was travelling on the 10:27 Newcastle train, when he was shot five times in the head. In a ‘locked room’ mystery, he was found under the seat of an empty railway carriage, leaving more questions than answers. The ‘why’ was no mystery; Nisbett had been carrying miners’ wages from the bank to the colliery and this was a robbery. But were there one or two killers and how did they get off the train unseen?
The author walks us through who saw what, and when, and introduces the main suspect; John Dickman. The latter was arrested, tried, found guilty, and hanged. An open and shut case you might say…except all the ‘evidence’ was circumstantial and even at the time petitions were raised that this was an unsafe conviction.
In a twist, the author then explains his take on events and gives an extremely plausible explanation as to what happened and who the killer(s) [No spoilers!] were. To me, he has nailed it. Mystery solved!
This book was a hugely enjoyable read that speed past with the tension of a fictional thriller. Anyone interested in true crime, Victoriana, or miscarriages of justice is going to be fascinated by this book. If your are on the fence about reading it, ponder no longer and dive in…you won’t regret it.

"John Innes Nisbet was murdered by being shot in the head five times...in effect, John Alexander Dickman was also murdered by the same two individuals, by being hanged for a crime he did not commit."

Utterly heartbreaking.

This felt a bit scattered at times and there is some bias (as is often the case with true crime books). But overall, I agree with the author's final proposition.

It was the two guns for me. That alone should have led to enough reasonable doubt to be found not guilty.. and certainly too much doubt to be hanged. Disgusting.

Very compelling read! The book follows the death and subsequent trial of his killer, a unique view into the judicial system in the early 1900’s and how things can go very wrong. I really enjoyed the book. It read very well, and kept me interested. The author was able to break down the case, the problems with it and alternative conclusions without the story becoming rote or dry. I appreciated that the case was viewed objectively from both sides, that is if the accused was the killer, and if not. Overall, a very satisfying read, and definitely makes me want to see if the case in reopened!

On August 9, 1910, before he was hanged, convicted railway murderer John Alexander Dickman stated, “I declare to all men I am innocent.” His hope was one day the Court of Appeal would take a look at “the conviction of an innocent man:. In this true crime investigation, author John J. Eddleston revisits the case of the death of colliery agent John Innes Nesbit, at the hand of John Alexander Dickman, and Dickman’s subsequent conviction.

For two decades, Nesbit had worked as a colliery agent for a firm in Newcastle. Part of his duties consisted of alternate Friday wage deliveries to the miners working at the Stobswood Colliery. The lockable black leather bag contained three canvas bags, one each of gold, silver and copper. On March 18, 1910, Nesbit’s body was discovered in an empty compartment of the 10:27AM Newcastle Central Train. His body was pushed under the seat, a river of blood pooling on the floor of the third class compartment. He had been shot in the head five times by two guns of different calibers. Within three days, gambler John Alexander Dickman was arrested, having been identified as Nesbit’s traveling companion, as suggested by eyewitnesses.

After both Nesbit and Dickman purchased railway tickets, they walked near each other, without conversing, in the direction of the four compartments of the first carriage of the train. This compartment was directly behind the engine. Train compartments could only be entered from the outside, there were no inner hallway passages. Nesbit routinely travelled in the back of the train, however this day, he surprisingly leaned out the window of a front compartment, almost missing his wife Cecily, for their regular greeting when the train stopped at his home station. Cecily noticed another man in Nesbit's compartment, a man with his collar up and hat pulled down. He was sitting in the shadows, only visible in profile.

Why was Dickman suspected of murder?

-Witnesses noted that he purchased his train ticket right after Nesbit.

-Dickman walked near Nesbit to the train platform.

-Eyewitnesses claim that Dickman was seated in Nesbit’s compartment with his back to the train engine while Nesbit sat facing forward.

-Dickman, once a colliery, was now a gambler with deep rooted financial woes. His bank accounts were depleted.

-A search of Dickman’s dwelling produced some gold sovereigns, a stained left glove and trousers with traces of blood on the left front pocket.

Within three months, “the facts had to be fitted to the assumption that Dickman was guilty.”. Circumstantial evidence and the suppression of relevant data might have led to a different outcome.

Unreliable Witnesses
-At the Central Police Station, a colliery clerk named Hall made a “somewhat tentative identification of Dickman”. A corrupt policeman allowed Hall to view the accused in advance of the identity parade. Under cross examination Hall recounted, “I would not swear that it was the prisoner, but if I could be assured that the murderer was there, I would have no hesitation in pointing the prisoner out.”

Staining Evidence
-The examination of clothing seized from Dickman’s home indicated that the small stain on his left glove might or might not have been human blood. Blood on his trousers consisted of tiny pin pricks. His boots had no blood residue. Despite massive amounts of blood pooled on the floor of the murder compartment, there was no evidence of blood in Dickman’s house.

Firearm Evidence
-It seemed apparent that two guns were used in the murder. The judge discounted the possibility of two culprits and claimed that Dickman must have fired both weapons. Might the judge have attempted to control the narrative?

The Stolen Miner’s Wages
-The empty leather wage bag, with a slit on the side, was recovered from the bottom of an abandoned mine shaft, unfamiliar to Dickman, weeks after he was incarcerated. Where was the stolen money?

Perhaps the case of Murder on the Train will be reexamined with a spotlight shining on new theories by John J. Eddleston and others in an attempt to correct a miscarriage of justice in Edwardian Northumberland. This true crime presentation could be greatly enhanced if the final copy displays the excellent photographic plates within the body of the read.

Highly recommended.

Thank you Pen and Sword True Crime and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.