Murder On The Train (Paperback)
A Miscarriage of Justice in Edwardian Northumberland
Imprint: Pen & Sword True Crime
Pages: 224
Illustrations: 28 mono illustrations
ISBN: 9781036124922
Published: 30th July 2025
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In the spring of 1910, a shocking murder rocked Edwardian England. John Innes Nisbet, a quiet, unassuming man, was found brutally shot five times in the head aboard the 10.27 Newcastle Central train, and the colliery wages he had been carrying were stolen. Days later, John Alexander Dickman, a gambler by trade, was arrested and convicted of the crime, despite the conviction resting solely on circumstantial evidence.
Sent to the gallows, Dickman maintained his innocence until the end. Over a century later, this gripping investigation reopens the case, re-examining the evidence and exposing the flaws in Dickman’s conviction. Could the real killer have escaped justice? With new insights and a compelling alternative theory, Murder on the Train unveils what might truly have happened that fateful day.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
NetGalley, Pippa Elliott
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 that 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.
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!
NetGalley, Leigh Bacon
About John J Eddleston
John J. Eddleston is an authority on British criminal history and a prolific writer on the subject. His many books include Murderous Sussex, Murderous Manchester, Blind Justice, Jack the Ripper: An Encyclopedia, The Encyclopedia of Executions, A Century of Welsh Murders and Executions, Manx Killers, Foul Deeds and Suspicious Deaths in Southampton and Miscarriages of Justice: Famous London Cases.