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.

Book Summary

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.