The Man from the Train

The Solving of a Century-Old Serial Killer Mystery

By: Bill James, Rachel McCarthy James

Narrated by: John Bedford Lloyd

An Edgar Award finalist for Best Fact Crime, The Man from the Train is an “impressive…open-eyed investigative inquiry wrapped within a cultural history of rural America” (The Wall Street Journal). In this groundbreaking work of historical true crime, legendary statistician and baseball writer Bill James applies his analytical genius to crack an unsolved century-old mystery surrounding one of the deadliest serial killers in American history.

Between 1898 and 1912, families across the United States were brutally murdered in their sleep with the blunt side of an axe. Valuables were left untouched, bodies were staged, and faces covered. Some cases, like the infamous Villisca Axe Murders in Iowa, gained national attention—but few believed the crimes were connected. Fewer still noticed that every family lived within walking distance of a train line.

Digging through thousands of newspapers, court transcripts, and public records, James and his daughter Rachel uncovered a chilling truth: these murders were the work of one man, traveling by rail, who would go on to become one of America’s most prolific yet largely forgotten serial killers.

Riveting and immersive, The Man from the Train offers a vivid portrait of turn-of-the-century America, exposing how cultural blind spots, flawed investigations, and opportunistic detectives allowed this killer to operate undetected. Blending meticulous research with narrative drive, this modern classic of true crime nonfiction will fascinate readers of Devil in the White City, My Favorite Murder, and fans of unsolved mysteries and historical crime investigations.

Solved!!

I have always been fascinated by the murders in Valisca in 1912. It is my belief, that with the evidence presented by Bill and Rachel James, that the Moore family and so many other families can rest in peace knowing that their killer’s identity is finally known.

Interesting Read

Interesting read…appreciate the research that went into this investigation. Interesting theories that seem backed by reasonable assumptions and interpretations of legacy reporting.

Engrossing Story, Though Slightly Too Long

I really enjoyed this book and the thorough research. I especially enjoyed the side chapters telling of the justice system of the time and the craziness in Villisca. I will admit that it got to be a bit repetitive towards the end, but the ending was good, and I enjoyed the book as a whole.

Entertaining true crime stories

This is one of my favorite books. Loved listening to it. I was already interested in the pfanschmidt murders as I live close to that area. Knew of the Morse story but had never heard of the murders being connected. But now think they were. The writing and performance were both excellent.

Historical true-crime investigation at it’s best.

I enjoyed this audio book, I believe more than I would have if I had read it. There is so much information and historical data, that the authors were compelled to give summaries and go back to re-visit previously relayed information. It was helpful and compelling, I walked a lot of miles in a short span of days to find out if the mystery had been solved. I will now read a couple of the books mentioned by the authors, including “A Game Called Salisbury” by Susan Barringer Wells, due to interest in the part that racism played in the hampering of solving the crimes and preventing more killings. (And causing innocent deaths and incarceration.).