Night Train Read online

  Blessing Umeh crept across to Gus’s desk and set beside him. She couldn’t keep her secret any longer. She leaned closer so the others wouldn’t hear.

  “You’ll think I’m a hopeless case,” she whispered. “No matter how I try to excel at things, something always trips me up. Do you remember I mislaid the Freeman Files and Lydia had to set me up again? I’ve just found a folder with a heading I couldn’t remember creating.”

  “Did it contain that missing file?” asked Gus. “The NCA goons missed it?”

  Blessing nodded.

  “I could kiss you,” said Gus.

  Gus rang Kenneth Truelove at London Road and asked for their meeting to be delayed until eleven o’clock. He needed to secure the contents of that file. Gus couldn’t act yet, but regardless of the obstacles, he didn’t plan to retire with an open cold case against his name.

  You have just finished reading ‘Night Train.’

  The ninth book in the series featuring ‘The Freeman Files’.

  ‘All Things Bright’ the tenth book in the series will follow.

  Feel free to Tweet about any of my books and please tell your friends about them. Every writer likes to receive a review; it’s our lifeblood. If you can, then please do.

  About The Author

  Ted Tayler is the international best-selling author of The Phoenix series:

  “The core message in my Phoenix novels is that justice is failing today. The Phoenix believes criminals should pay for their crimes; the current system fails to deliver the correct punishment. His fellow Olympus agents help redress the balance.”

  December 2019 saw the launch of his latest venture, The Freeman Files:

  “With Gus Freeman and his cold case investigations there will be bursts of frantic action, of course, but they will intersperse with romance, humour and country life. Life is all about balance. Good and evil, love and loss, laughter and tears.”

  “I think of myself as a storyteller; with each successive book, I hope I get better at it. I’ve heard that the reader feels as if we’re across the table from one another, and I’m chatting with them. There are more stories left to tell.”

  Ted Tayler lives in West Wiltshire, England where many of his stories are based. Born in 1945, Ted’s been married to Lynne since 1971. They have three children and four grandchildren.

  Acknowledgements

  The love and support of my family; without them, this would have been impossible.

  The Phoenix Club

  Sign up to be on my mailing list for details of new adventures and the opportunities for receiving free books. You will receive a free short story for merely subscribing.

  Sign up at - http://tedtayler.co.uk

  Thanks again for reading. Until the next time.

  The Final Straw

  An only child, unloved and unwanted by his parents, Colin Bailey, is a bitter, emotionally damaged young man. He’s hell-bent on exacting revenge on anyone who has stopped him becoming the person he believes was his destiny. What sets Colin apart is his intellect and meticulous planning. Detective Phil Hounsell pursues his man relentlessly while trying to avoid the small town in which he works sliding further and further into the grip of two rival gangs.

  A devastating event in Colin’s life provides the final straw that herald’s a bloodbath. Can Phil prevent it happening, or will he too be a victim? This tale of revenge spans two decades, yet the police are chasing shadows; it builds in pace and tension to a thrilling climax against the backdrop of a quiet West Country town.

  Unfinished Business

  The sequel to the award-winning ‘The Final Straw’ sees Colin Bailey return to the UK after a decade abroad. With a new name and a new face, he still has scores to settle. His meticulous planning takes him ingeniously across Scotland and the North of England ticking names off his list with the police completely baffled.

  DCI Phil Hounsell pitted his wits against Colin before, and so he is sent to Durham where he teams up with super intelligent young DS Zara Wheeler; together they track their man to Manchester and then eventually south to Bath. The final scenes take place on the streets of the Roman city; Phil Hounsell’s family is threatened. In a dramatic conclusion reminiscent of Holmes and Moriarty at the Reichenbach Falls, the two men struggle above the foaming waters of the historic Pulteney Weir.

  A Sting In The Tale

  A collection of twelve short stories, each with an unexpected twist at the end. Love stories, ghost stories, and tales of revenge sprinkled with a touch of humour.

  There is something for everyone, young or old; from the elderly bookshop owner with an unusual talent and his summer of love with a young schoolteacher. To the haunting account of the journey on the last bus back to town from the heart of the countryside. Each story has characters and situations you will recognise. But will you identify the 'sting in the tale' before you turn that final page?

  The Olympus Project

  Rescued by strangers from a watery grave and given a new identity.

  The Phoenix is a stone-cold killer.

  An ideal fit for the Olympus Project, a secret organisation fighting injustice.

  With hard, fast action and a cast of characters you can reach out and touch, this is the thriller series for which you’ve been searching.

  Gold, Silver, and Bombs

  The eyes of the world are on London 2012.

  British security services anticipate an organised terror attack.

  Safety is paramount. What if the real danger comes from a lone wolf?

  You won’t want to miss the page-turning intensity of the second story in this gripping series.

  Nothing Is Ever Forever

  The action never slows. The tension never slackens.

  The Phoenix stares death in the face once more.

  Detectives Hounsell and Wheeler return.

  The past threatens to catch up with Phoenix.

  What will the future hold for the Project? What dramas lie ahead? After all, nothing is ever forever.

  In The Lap Of The Gods

  Olympus battle vicious gangsters on home soil. The body count rises.

  Dimitar Marinov cements his reputation as the most brutal criminal to have set foot on UK soil.

  Phoenix and Athena attend their first meeting with Zeus and the other Gods.

  If you’re a fan of savage, underworld criminals, fast-paced action and intense characters, then you’ll enjoy following the Olympus Project and its fight against evil. Take a deep breath; once you start, you’ll want to keep turning pages until the end.

  The Price Of Treachery

  The Olympians and the Titans are in a power struggle.

  A traitor inside Larcombe Manor must be uncovered.

  There’s a new life to protect as Athena prepares to become a mother.

  All these story threads in book five are woven together to produce a rich tapestry of good and evil. Life’s all about balance. Who will win the day to face ‘A New Dawn’ that awaits?

  A New Dawn

  A rogue cosmetic surgeon causes the deaths of several patients.

  Drug dealers target even younger children. The school gates are the latest point-of-sale.

  The Project’s leaders need to strengthen the organisation after the recent attempted coup.

  The Titans may have been defeated, but a new era dawns. The nightmares are far from over.

  Who is the mastermind behind this network? Can Olympus prevent it from gaining a stranglehold? Time will tell.

  Something Wicked Draws Near

  Newly-weds Phoenix and Athena battle The Grid and its leader Hugo Hanigan.

  Olympus seeks fresh faces to join the Gods and provide finance for its missions.

  Grid gang leader, Tommy O’Riordan, is convicted of murder.

  Hugo Hanigan immediately takes bloody revenge.

  A nostalgic trip to Dublin for Hugo Hanigan brings the curtain down on this part of The Grid’s story. It continues in the eighth book ‘Evil Always Finds A Way�
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  Evil Always Finds A Way

  The drama unfolds over forty days and forty nights across the UK.

  The Grid’s story continues as death becomes a constant companion to Phoenix and his colleagues.

  Can Olympus halt the reign of terror perpetrated by The Grid?

  When this story reaches its conclusion, one thing is sure, what follows next promises to be even more exciting and unpredictable.

  Revenge Comes In Many Colours

  Justice and revenge are to the fore.

  A senior Grid members meeting has a dramatic conclusion.

  Colleen O’Riordan strengthens her grip in the capital.

  Who is her secret assassin?

  What does the future hold for Hugo Hanigan?

  The excitement never lets up as the vigilante organisation battles organised crime.

  Step by step, the Olympus story moves closer to its final instalments.

  Three Weeks In September

  The Grid becomes all-powerful under its new leadership. The UK is on the brink.

  An onslaught from organised crime combined with attacks by Islamist extremists takes its toll.

  Can Olympus stem the tide without revealing its hand?

  These are some of the story threads in this tenth Phoenix book. The pace is relentless. There are enough passion, excitement and tragedy to last a lifetime. All squeezed into three weeks.

  A Frequent Peal Of Bells

  The Islamist terror attacks resume.

  The Grid wields its power with sustained bursts of criminal activity.

  Government resources are stretched to breaking point as austerity cuts hamper their response.

  Packed with current issues of political and economic concern, this eleventh book retains the intensely realistic feel of the whole Phoenix Series.

  Larcombe Manor

  Can Olympus continue to thwart the ambitions of the all-powerful Grid? Will the authorities uncover the truth behind the Olympus Project? Can the Larcombe families survive the troubled waters that lay ahead? These are the unanswered questions. Many dangers face the Olympus agents before the climactic conclusion of this final book in The Phoenix Series.

  The Freeman Files Series

  Fatal Decision

  Gus Freeman is a retired Detective Inspector who has spent the past three years alone.

  Freeman’s wife, Tess, died from a brain aneurysm six months to the day after his retirement. He is still coming to terms with his enforced solitary existence.

  His old boss wants Gus to head up a Crime Review Team investigating cold cases.

  Gus can't resist the chance to enter the fray for one last hurrah.

  "It's a mystery that will keep you wondering, with the usual wide array of characters to enjoy that give Tayler's novels their stamp."

  Last Orders

  A newly-formed Crime Review Team is investigating cold cases that defied their colleagues. Austerity cuts mean that Gus Freeman only has a team of three to assist him.

  ‘Last Orders’ follows the case of Trudi Villiers, a 26-year old barmaid murdered as she walked home from the Ring O’Bells pub in October 2003. Trudi may have been a good-time girl with a string of lovers, but she was someone’s daughter, and Gus wants his team to find the truth about what happened to her on that fateful night.

  Pressure Point

  Laura Mallinder left home for work on Sunday, 12th June 2011. She walked to ‘Gentle Touch’, a massage parlour in Broadgreen, Swindon. Her boss, Maggie Monk, discovered her body later that evening. Laura, twenty-seven years old, sustained fatal stab wounds to her back.

  Gus Freeman’s Crime Review Team has two successful cold case investigations behind them. Will it be third time lucky? The victim’s profession might make it hard to find someone to talk. ‘Pressure Point’ has a wide array of characters, and offers action, romance, humour and drama.

  Deadly Formula

  Dr Ian McGuire, a research scientist, was shot dead in his kitchen in 2004

  The original investigation found no motive, no leads, and no suspects

  Gus Freeman and his Crime Review Team have a tough cold case to solve

  In this fourth book in the series, the case becomes the least of their worries

  Final Deal

  Will the frantic search for DI Suzie Ferris and her kidnapper have a successful outcome? Can Gus end the careers of the corrupt senior officers behind her disappearance? Despite everything, the Crime Review Team has another cold case to unravel.

  Dennis Gates was shot dead in August 2010. His killer was never found. The team members have their own crises to face. Will they buckle under the pressure?

  Final Deal has two stories woven together to produce a gripping climax not to miss.

  Barking Mad

  Why did pet shop owner Mark Malone die in a hail of bullets in May 2015?

  Gus and the Crime Review Team are faced with many questions, but few answers.

  Killer Ricky Gardiner is on the run from the police. Who will catch up with him first?

  Tragedy and triumph are intertwined in another gripping instalment in The Freeman Files

  Barking Mad has a variety of characters and story threads that keep you turning pages.

  Creature Discomforts

  A lone sniper killed Grant Burnside, the leader of a violent gang in May 2014.

  Four years on, Gus Freeman and his team review a case that refused to give up any answers.

  Why does every stone they turn over lead to the solving of unrelated crimes?

  The Burnside family prides itself on being impregnable. Nobody speaks out against them and lives.

  Gus keeps digging away at the foundations until the fortress topples like a house of cards. But will Gus find Grant Burnside’s killer?

  Silent Terror

  A brutal murder occurred at a remote bungalow in January 2013

  Gus Freeman reviews the murder of Ursula Wakeley, a seventy-eight-year-old spinster

  Why did the former librarian become a victim? Was it a robbery, or something more sinister?

  Alex Hardy returns to the fold and new girl Blessing Umeh joins the Crime Review Team

  With a strong cast of characters this gripping series provides more twists than a corkscrew