Murder-on-a-train mysteries have been pretty much relegated to the ranks of historical fiction. Until Timothy Zahn mixed Murder on the Orient Express with space opera and came up with The Domino Pattern.
It’s never exactly clear how trains will become the dominant form of trans-galactic luxury travel in the future (at least not to me--maybe it's explained in an earlier installment of the series). And you have to suspend a fair amount of disbelief when you learn that this is a non-stop train express that travels for six weeks and can’t (not won't, can't) stop anywhere. But if you get past that point you find yourself in a fairly engrossing tale of intergalactic mystery and intrigue.
Frank Compton and his partner, Bayta, work for the Quadrail system (the Orient Express of the future) and do battle against an alien hive mind that is bent on galactic domination. First, though, they have to figure out who is killing their fellow passengers, how they're doing it and why. We know this is going to be a difficult task because the "how" seems impossible. The Quadrail system automatically scans all passengers, luggage and cargo for all known weapons or poisons (ignoring the fact that we all know that a well-trained assassin can kill with any number of things, including rolled up magazines--but again, we've suppressed our disbelief).
Luckily, Frank is carrying his portable gas chromatograph (that still uses an open flame--oops) and he is able to find out how the victims were killed. But that leaves two huge questions--why and by whom. Frank and his partner, along with some likely and very unlikely allies speed through intergalactic space, hot on the trail of the killer.
If you're looking for intellectual engagement, you should already know better than to pick up anything even approaching space opera. But, if you're looking for light entertainment and a throwback to yesteryear (through the far future) this is your book.
Book Review
The Domino Pattern
Timothy Zahn
ISBN978-0-7653-2212-8
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