In a widely discredited version of the attack on Mills contained in "The Train Robbers", by Piers Paul Read, the assailant is given as Buster Edwards. Edwards is listed as the assailant of both Whitby and Mills, although the description of the attack seems implausible given it does not match the description given at the trial and seems to have one train robber doing the entire assault by himself while the rest of the gang was idle. Reynolds dismisses the claim by Read, as the publishers at the time wanted the name of the perpetrator before they would do a deal, therefore Buster offered himself up as the villain (Edwards and Goody were the chief movers behind the Read book). Buster Edwards was the member of the gang who ambushed David Whitby, Mills' assistant (called the "fireman" or "second man" on diesel locomotives). At the same time the rest of the gang were moving into position with Roy James, "Bill "Flossy" Jennings", and Jimmy White uncoupling the carriages and the 'heavies' ambushing the cab of the locomotive itself.