The year is 1855, and on the LNWR train to London, a criminal is being escorted to his appointment with the hangman. But the wily Jeremy Oxley, con-man, thief and murderer, has one last ace up his sleeve: a beautiful and ruthless accomplice willing to do anything to save her lover, including committing cold-blooded murder. His successful escape costs the lives of two policemen. Superintendent Tallis at Scotland Yard is livid and Inspector Robert Colbeck is determined to catch the man, particularly as he has strayed across Colbeck's path in the past. But Jeremy Oxley is no ordinary adversary. He knows the law is on his trail and retreats to his favorite hunting ground: the complex web of railways, sinews of empire, where he can stalk his prey. It spells deadly peril for the famous Railway Detective.