A fantastic addition to the Lynch and Rose series. This is one that had me so engaged that I couldn’t put it down. It is fast paced and will keep readers on the edge of their seats.
Many thanks to Oblong Books and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Railroad is the second book in the Lynch and Rose series by Matt Brolly.
In short, Special Agent Sandra Rose and FBI agent Samual Lynch are involved in tracking the infamous, most wanted FBI killer. Mallard, a dangerous and complicated predator is central to every bad thing that had ever happened to Lynch and now it appears he’s back determined to destroy hundreds more using the Texas Eagle, a train running from Chicago to Texas…continuing his MO his game plan is to make it personal, this time poking Rose.
Another great book by Matt, his books are always fast paced, interesting page turners with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader satisfied. He also switches it up by writing both American and British thrillers!
Big thanks to Matt Brolly, BookBuzz and NetGalley for this eARC which I chose to read in return for my honest review.

This was a compelling book about a serial killer who was about to strike again. There are many signs that of that, but no good way to know where he will go next except that it will involve a railroad. This is the second book about this killer and Special Agent Sandra Rose brings back retired FBI agent who worked the previous case because he understood "The Controller" better than anyone else. The tension was high, I enjoyed the book, but probably would have appreciated it more if I had read the first book so I would have known the background of the characters. I received this as an arc from NetGalley and am under to pressure for a positive review.

A switch back to American crime for the first time in quite a while and it was an excellent read in which to do so. A good, well paced, storyline with a cast of good characters. Perhaps this author could have me reading more American based thrillers like I used to.

Intense,gritty thriller with a diverse set of characters. Not for the faint hearted. Credibility is a bit stretched at times but a good read.

The Railroad is an investigative thriller and is the second book in the Lynch and Rose series.

Lyle Cleverly AKA Samuel Lynch receives a package in the mail. As he opens it, he realizes that someone knows who he really is and where his family is. He calls and speaks to his former wife and her new husband, insists they get their go bags and leave now. He gives them specific instructions to follow.

Lynch leaves and goes into hiding. He reaches out to his former FBI partner Sandra Rose and informs her his cover has been blown in addition to the fact he has received a toy train in the mail.

A model train locomotive is found at a murder scene of a family of four with a train left at the scene. The bodies continue to drop with the trains left behind as to the name the serial killer. But as things are discovered they may not be committed by The Controller but maybe someone wanting to make it look as if it is.

This can be a stand-alone read but I feel as if I missed a lot of the nuances that were part of the first book which I did not read. The story is interesting but not as riveting as I have found in other books by the author. The story is still a good story and worth reading.

Many thanks to both Oblong Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review a copy of The Railroad, which is #2 in the Lynch and Rose series.

"The Controller is back, and the game has just begun."

If THAT doesn't give you shivers ... just wait!! When a toy train locomotive is discovered at a gruesome homicide scene, Special Agent Sandra Rose finds herself pulled into an investigation that's "off the rails". To assist Rose and her partner Special Agent McBride in solving the case, she enlists the help of Samuel Lynch, who is a railroad expert and former FBI agent. The Railroad is full of tension (as well as twists and turns) in the high-stakes game Rose and Lynch are forced to play.

The pace of the book kept me on the edge of my seat, and I felt immediately comfortable with Rose and Lynch, even though I hadn't read the first book in the series.

*TW: The murders are quite gruesome!

W.O.W i really enjoyed this book, when samuel lynch was sacked from the FBI after both himself and his son Daniel were abducted and held captive for years, lynch himself was tortured but manage to escape, daniel his son wasnt so lucky and suffered horrifc injuries.
The Railroad as they are known have everyone and everything in their pockets. The controller is proving to be evsive, but will lynch and special agent sandra rose find their killer, is it heartbreak for one of the team??? Loved it, kept me guessing, great storyline, highly recommend.

A pulse-pounding thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Special Agent Sandra Rose's hunt for a serial killer who leaves toy train locomotives at crime scenes takes readers on a chilling journey along the Texas Eagle train line.The author masterfully weaves together a complex plot, intense suspense, and well-developed characters. As the body count rises and the stakes soar into a national security crisis, the tension becomes palpable. What sets this thriller apart is the personal twist when Rose's sister goes missing, making it not only a race against time but a fight for family.

Thank you NetGalley and Oblong Books for this eCopy to review

The Railroad was a captivating thriller I could not read it fast enough. We are following special agent Special Agent Sandra Rose and exFBI agent Samuel Lynch (a railroad expert) as they race against time to catch the Controller before he kills again, especially as Rose's sister is missing.

The characters are well developed and they have a great rapport with each other. With plenty of tension and twists this one definitely keeps you reading right to the very end

An electrifying thriller that you won't want to put down! From the first page, I was hooked, and I couldn't stop reading until I knew how it all ends. Special Agent Sandra Rose and Samuel Lynch make a fantastic duo, and their hunt for a twisted serial killer had me on the edge of my seat. What's even more thrilling is the personal connection when Rose's sister goes missing, adding layers of suspense and emotion. This book is like a rollercoaster of suspense, and I was totally engrossed in the cat-and-mouse game with The Controller. If you're a fan of heart-pounding thrillers that keep you guessing, The Railroad is a must-read!

I would like to thank Netgalley and BookBuzz/Oblong Books for an advance copy of The Railroad, the second novel to feature FBI Special Agent Sandra Rose and former agent Samuel Lynch.

A replica of the Texas Eagle, the railway train that runs between Chicago and San Antonio, is found at the site of the gruesome murder of an entire family. Sandra Rose believes it is the work of the FBI’s most wanted criminal, The Controller. She teams up with Samuel Lynch, who has met The Controller, and together they travel the country as the body count rises in search of a killer. It gets personal for Rose when her sister disappears, it’s already personal for Lynch.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Railroad, which is a fast moving thriller with some good twists and a lot of tension. I have not read the previous novel, The Controller, and I think that I probably missed a great read, but there’s no point in going back as this one covers the salient points from it and moves the storyline forward. This works well as a stand-alone.

Apart from offering a Cook’s tour of the towns near railway stations the novel is a great read that holds the reader’s attention throughout. They are up against an omniscient foe, who has contingency upon contingency baked into the plan, although what that plan is, apart from mayhem, is not clear until the final scenes and ends up as a lot of death and heartbreak for an ego massage. My only disappointment was that it was never explained how the killer comes by his information and I know that I am being silly about that as there is so much going on in the novel there isn’t room for everything. Lynch and Rose roam the country following a trail of dead bodies, but can’t help feeling that they are being led, rather than proactive. It’s only when Lynch goes off piste that the investigation makes a breakthrough. That’s not to say that the novel is slow up to that point, if anything it’s the opposite. It’s body after body, with discoveries about the victims’s activities, no end of danger for the more vulnerable Lynch and a lot of tension for both characters with their families under threat.

The Railroad is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

The Railroad by Matt Brolly is a very highly recommended investigative thriller and the second book in the Lynch and Rose series. The pages will fly by when you read this excellent, fast-paced, tension-filled, complicated thriller.

A model train locomotive is found at the gruesome murder scene of a family of four and is clearly recognize as a tie to the psychopathic serial killer, The Controller. Special Agent Sandra Rose and Special Agent McBride are called in to assist the investigate. At the same time former agent Samuel Lynch receives a package addressed to his alias which also contains a model train locomotive. Lynch makes sure his ex-wife and son flee their current location and then contacts Rose. Because of his experience with the Controller and obvious connection to the current investigation, Rose asks him assist in the current investigation. And then the body count rises and the threat increases.

The characters are fully realized, determined, and intelligent. Readers will appreciate these characters, even when they are struggling or feel broken. It is sheer pleasure to follow along as they investigate and piece clues together. The crime scenes can be gruesome, but the idea that the criminal empire of the Controller may be returning is even more frightening.

The Railroad is an un-put-downable thriller that will hold your attention throughout. The tension is palpable and the short chapters keep the pages flying by as more information is uncovered and the action intensifies. It does require some suspension of disbelief, but this is done without a second thought because the plot and suspense is so compelling. Although The Railroad is the second in a series, you can read this as a stand-alone novel as enough background information is provided, however, I predict you will want to read the first book, The Controller.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Oblong Books via NetGalley.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, X, and Amazon.

This book kept me hooked, the mystery and darkness felt very tense and had me not wanting to put the book down!