Thirty boys lost their lives when the building housing the
male inmates at the Baldwin Insane Asylum in Barstow,
California, went up in flames. The rest of the facility is
in such bad shape that the remaining population of 50 men
and women, as well as the criminally insane, must be moved
to a more secure location. The director of the asylum, Dr.
Baldwin, has acquired an old abandoned military fort in
Oklahoma, but needs the railroad's help transporting the
patients and inmates there.
The railroad finally agrees to provide an old train for the
trip and sends their "yard dog" Hook Runyon to Barstow to
facilitate the move and accompany the train to Oklahoma.
With only the asylum personnel consisting of two doctors,
one very dedicated nurse and one unsettling orderly, and
not knowing what to expect during the trip or upon arrival,
Hook hires four WWII veterans to help him. It doesn't take
long for things to go badly when several inmates die and
Dr. Baldwin starts acting strange. And it doesn't get
better once they arrive in Oklahoma.
Not one to let injustices go unpunished, Hook enlists the
help of Andrea, the nurse, as he investigates the deaths.
But will they be able to identify and stop the
murderer/saboteur before more lives are lost?
Russell's second book featuring railroad detective (yard
dog) Hook Runyon is a fresh take on the classic 1940's noir
mystery with a mesmerizing plot, intriguing characters and
an interesting setting. It's another great read from this
talented author.
The Baldwin Insane Asylum in Barstow, California, has
recently burned to the gound in an inferno that cost many
inmates their lives and injured scores. Now, Hook Runyon has
been put in charge of security for a train that is to
transport the survivors, alongside the head of the asylum,
Dr. Baldwin, the attending doctor, taciturn Dr. Helms, and a
self-sacrificing nurse named Andrea, to a new location in
Oklahoma.
Hook hires a motley crew of WW II veterans to help, and
they set out for the new destination. But things go awry on
the Insane Train, as several inmates and attendants are
found dead, and Dr.Baldwin seems increasingly disoriented
and incapable of running operations.
With Andrea's help, Hook begins investigating the suspicious
deaths, and uncovers a trail of revenge that has been a long
time in the planning...by a person as mentally disturbed as
her charges.
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