I have been rationing these, but I missed this one. It wasn't on the shelf - must be in a box somewhere - because this time I am quite certain that I have read it before. I definitely remember the train. It's all sort of Orient Express-ish - except that we know from the very beginning who the bad guy is. I guess we knew who the bad guy was in Murder on the Orient Express, too - only he was the victim -- it's been a long time, better get Agatha out again.
Tor (abbreviated from Torquil) Kelsey is the Jockey Club's invisible man. Now they are sending him undercover on the Canadian Jockey Club's Transcontinental Race Train to try and catch a known villain in the act.
I remembered the train and one or two events, but as with the last one that I read (which was really the next one, if I hadn't gotten them out of order) I was again impressed with the development of writing craft that has appeared in these later books. Tor is not physically memorable, which makes it possible for him to be the invisible man and that professional invisibility has become part of his persona. He must stay invisible and that has created isolation in his life in general. On the train, he spends many days in the company of the same comparatively small group of people - and even in his role as kitchen help - his essential character makes itself felt. This has the potential to destroy his effectiveness at his job, but promises much more satisfaction in his life - a dilemma which he deals with throughout.
These are simply getting better and better.
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