Excerpt from The Railway Conspiracy by John Shen Yen Nee, S.J. Rozan, plus links to reviews, author biography & more

"Well!" said Jimmy Fingers. "I just seen something I never seen before—two men 'oisting a statue with neither rope nor chain. Mr. 'Oong, Mr. Dee, you gents are full o' surprises. You too, Mr. Lao," he added generously, if disingenuously. "But look 'ere now. If we find ourselves at the point o' knocking over angel statues, it's certain we've been in this place too long. Mr. Dee, your Russian and his pal 'ave likely changed their minds. 'Ow about we scarper and get ourselves a pint?" In the moonlight, Jimmy's face held a hopeful cast.

"I think not, Jimmy," said Dee. "I hear them now." He held up a hand.

Jimmy cupped his palm behind his ear. "I don't—"

Dee lifted a warning finger to him.

I listened intently, though I could hear no more than Jimmy.

Hoong stood perfectly still, then turned to Dee and nodded.

Dee motioned us forward, and as one, we crept to the line of trees separating this clearing from the next. My heart pounded, thoughts of the matter to come banishing the banter of a moment before.

Three days earlier, after Hoong, Jimmy, and I had welcomed Dee back to London with surprise and joy, Hoong, at Dee's request, had begun discreet inquiries among certain people of his acquaintance, requesting information about an impending transaction in which Dee had taken an interest. Reports had come back that the business was arranged to take place tonight, in Richmond Park, in the small clearing just beyond the larger one where Cupid dwelt.

It was this transaction we had come here to stop.

Excerpted from The Railway Conspiracy by John Shen Yen Nee and S.J. Rozan. Copyright © 2025 by John Shen Yen Nee and S.J. Rozan. Excerpted by permission of Soho Press. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.