London 1841: a city on the edge. Corruption is everywhere. The poor are starving in the streets. The wealthy fear an explosion of anarchy and insurrection.
Amidst the turmoil, a wealthy merchant and his spoiled, beautiful ward hire former Bow Street Runner Jack Brodie to recover incriminating documents from the lawless rogues that robbed them. It is no easy task even for a man with Brodie's criminal connections because an old and vicious enemy has returned from the penal colony of New South Wales seeking vengeance for the slaying of his brother. As Brodie hunts through the thieves dens hidden in the rookeries of Dickensian London, it is only a matter of time before their paths cross and murderous violence ensues.
Got this free on Amazon ages ago. Looking for stand-alone books to serve me in the middle of other series, I finally got around to reading it.
It's much better written than I expected going in. The story and plot were a bit slow but I never felt like they wandered. No, it was an even pace throughout, with new elements showing their heads every now and again to shake things up. About the only 'complaint' I have about formatting was the lack of chapters. Everything is broken up by dates, and considering the whole book takes about a week, there aren't many natural breaks.
Our narrator, Jack Brodie, used to be a cop of sorts, but is now struggling to eek out a living acting as a go-between for wealthy victims of robbery and the culprits. But while Jack does enjoy reading about knaves and Robin Hoods in the penny novels, he's nowhere near as charming, handsome, or daring (or young). He gets his information from seedy people, but he would prefer not to match their methods. He's honorable, quick, and crafty, but you wouldn't know it by looking at him, or even speaking with him most times. Think of him as a Sherlock without the insufferable know-it-all attitude.
As you might assume, working on both sides of the coin, there is a lot said and done in both splendor and squalor. A lot is said about the state of the poor, how run-down and sickly everything looks in the gutter, but there is very little contempt for the wealthy except when they're being petulant. There is a comaraderie among the working class that isn't seen or mentioned while in the rich countryside, but there is a sense of family loyalty among the household Jack is employed by.
If you're in the mood for a rough and dirty 1800's English novel with a bit of mystery to it, pick this one up. Well, it's not so much mystery as just finding the right people to ask. There aren't interrogations so much as persuasions and trades. I'd say more historically accurate, but I don't really know, so maybe non-romanticized?
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
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