The Paris Express, by Emma Donoghue

In late 19th century France a train travels from the Brittany coast to Montparnasse. It is crowded with a diverse passenger list across first, second and third classes – women, men and children; politicians, artists, scientists, students, captains of industry and workers of all stripes. The n there is the train crew, working hard to meet their timetable and the unreasonable expectations of their employer. An anarchist is also aboard, zealous in her aim to literally derail the capitalist overlords of France and the world. Donoghue provides a snapshot of everyone’s journey, on the train and in life, at times in rather too much detail. She cleverly builds suspense as the reader gets to know the potential victims of an inevitable tragedy and wonders who might survive. Based on a true event, the author blends the stories of real people who were actually on the train, with some contemporary celebrities who were in the vicinity at the time and could have been there, and some entirely fictional passengers.