Death on a branch line - Andrew Martin

The sweltering summer of 1911. Half the country is on strike; the other half seems to be in flames. And in his most perplexing case to date, railway detective Jim Stringer has 48 hours to solve a murder not yet committed. One Friday evening, a special train rolls into York station. It carries a young aristocrat lately found guilty of murdering his father. Briefly entrusted into Jim's custody, he warns of yet another murder about to happen... Jim and his strong-willed wife take the train along the near-deserted branch line. They seek out the intended victim, who, despite their attempted warnings, stubbornly refuses to leave. Jim has one weekend to stop a murder and unravel a conspiracy of international dimensions.