What do you think?
Rate this book
Memoirs of a Bow Street Runner #1
The Thief-Taker
June 1815. Regency-era London comes vividly to life in T. F. Banks’s darkly atmospheric mystery. Against this enthralling backdrop — when Napoleon, Wellington, and Lord Byron ruled the world stage — and featuring a lively cast of rabble-rousers and miscreants, constables and aristocrats, The Thief-Taker weaves an unforgettable tale of jealousy, revenge, and inconsolable love.
When Henry Morton is called to the scene at Portman House in Claridge Square, the Bow Street constable finds a man dead — ostensibly of asphyxiation. He was Halbert Glendinning, a member of the Sussex Circle and a gentleman of unsullied character whose behavior was above reproach. Then why was he seen frequenting one of London’s most notorious dens of iniquity? And why has the driver of the hackney coach in which the dead man was discovered vanished into the night?
While Sir Nathaniel Conant, the chief magistrate at Number 4 Bow Street, accepts the official verdict of accidental death, Morton knows that Glendinning was a victim of foul play. With the help of actress Arabella Malibrant, one of London’s most celebrated beauties, he embarks on his own discreet inquiry.
Morton’s investigation takes him from the elegant town houses of Mayfair to the backstage dressing rooms of the Drury Lane Theatre, from the cobbled streets of Whitechapel to the docks of the Old Bailey — and into the teeming underbelly of a London he knows only too well. Yet the answers may lie somewhere else in an affair of honor between two men vying for the affections of the same woman.
As Morton’s search brings him nearer to the truth, as the upper circles of London society ruthlessly close ranks against him, Morton must prevent a grave miscarriage of justice from taking place. With his own freedom — and, ultimately, his life — suspended in the balance, he races to unmask a killer whose motives are as complex and unfathomable as the passions that rule the human heart.
When Henry Morton is called to the scene at Portman House in Claridge Square, the Bow Street constable finds a man dead — ostensibly of asphyxiation. He was Halbert Glendinning, a member of the Sussex Circle and a gentleman of unsullied character whose behavior was above reproach. Then why was he seen frequenting one of London’s most notorious dens of iniquity? And why has the driver of the hackney coach in which the dead man was discovered vanished into the night?
While Sir Nathaniel Conant, the chief magistrate at Number 4 Bow Street, accepts the official verdict of accidental death, Morton knows that Glendinning was a victim of foul play. With the help of actress Arabella Malibrant, one of London’s most celebrated beauties, he embarks on his own discreet inquiry.
Morton’s investigation takes him from the elegant town houses of Mayfair to the backstage dressing rooms of the Drury Lane Theatre, from the cobbled streets of Whitechapel to the docks of the Old Bailey — and into the teeming underbelly of a London he knows only too well. Yet the answers may lie somewhere else in an affair of honor between two men vying for the affections of the same woman.
As Morton’s search brings him nearer to the truth, as the upper circles of London society ruthlessly close ranks against him, Morton must prevent a grave miscarriage of justice from taking place. With his own freedom — and, ultimately, his life — suspended in the balance, he races to unmask a killer whose motives are as complex and unfathomable as the passions that rule the human heart.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2001
8 people are currently reading
965 people want to read
About the author
T.F. Banks
2 books17 followersT. F. Banks is the pseudonym of the writing team of Sean Russell and Ian Dennis.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
November 3, 2022
UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS in Regency England justice!
It's June 1815 in Regency England. Nathaniel Conant, the current Bow Street Magistrate better known colloquially as the "Beak", is struggling with the Bow Street Runners' growing reputation as a corrupt police force more interested in lining their own pockets with graft, bribes and reward money than in dealing out justice. Henry Morton, a Bow Street Runner who stands out among his colleagues for his integrity and honesty, has been called to Portman House in Claridge Square. Halbert Glendinning, a young swell known about town for his somewhat loose behaviour, has been found dead in his hackney coach. His death has been attributed to asphyxiation on his own vomit but his fiancée, Louisa Hamilton, suspects foul play and pleads with Morton to look into the matter.
The mystery plays out very well, to be sure, but the real strength of THE THIEF TAKER is the historical setting and its compelling portrayal of the interplay between the gentry, that is the silver-spooned, gentle-born moneyed set, and the common working people of the early 19th century in England. Henry Morton's tentative but blossoming relationship with the rather brash, free-thinking and sexually liberated actress Arabella Malibrant is brilliantly thought out and will put a smile on any reader's face. THE THIEF TAKER is as compelling a collection of character studies as Bruce Alexander's Sir John Fielding series but written from the much earthier viewpoint of the working class Bow Street Runner's as opposed to the more upper crust perspective of the magistrate - an UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS story as it were narrated by someone who has access to the upper levels but is well aware of his residency and permanent placement below stairs! TF Banks brings early Regency England to life in high fidelity reality - sights, smells, sounds, dialect, illegal duels, slums, prisons, pubs, outdoor markets, dark alleys, courts, gaming houses, bordellos, street walkers, pickpockets, even a miserable flash house where child prostitutes can be purchased for a few shillings.
If you enjoy a well-plotted mystery and you like historical fiction in the bargain, then you'll certainly enjoy TF Banks' THE THIEF TAKERS: MEMOIRS OF A BOW STREET RUNNER. Highly recommended. And now I'm going to try to find a copy of THE EMPEROR'S ASSASSIN, the second title in a series that holds tremendous promise.
Paul Weiss
It's June 1815 in Regency England. Nathaniel Conant, the current Bow Street Magistrate better known colloquially as the "Beak", is struggling with the Bow Street Runners' growing reputation as a corrupt police force more interested in lining their own pockets with graft, bribes and reward money than in dealing out justice. Henry Morton, a Bow Street Runner who stands out among his colleagues for his integrity and honesty, has been called to Portman House in Claridge Square. Halbert Glendinning, a young swell known about town for his somewhat loose behaviour, has been found dead in his hackney coach. His death has been attributed to asphyxiation on his own vomit but his fiancée, Louisa Hamilton, suspects foul play and pleads with Morton to look into the matter.
The mystery plays out very well, to be sure, but the real strength of THE THIEF TAKER is the historical setting and its compelling portrayal of the interplay between the gentry, that is the silver-spooned, gentle-born moneyed set, and the common working people of the early 19th century in England. Henry Morton's tentative but blossoming relationship with the rather brash, free-thinking and sexually liberated actress Arabella Malibrant is brilliantly thought out and will put a smile on any reader's face. THE THIEF TAKER is as compelling a collection of character studies as Bruce Alexander's Sir John Fielding series but written from the much earthier viewpoint of the working class Bow Street Runner's as opposed to the more upper crust perspective of the magistrate - an UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS story as it were narrated by someone who has access to the upper levels but is well aware of his residency and permanent placement below stairs! TF Banks brings early Regency England to life in high fidelity reality - sights, smells, sounds, dialect, illegal duels, slums, prisons, pubs, outdoor markets, dark alleys, courts, gaming houses, bordellos, street walkers, pickpockets, even a miserable flash house where child prostitutes can be purchased for a few shillings.
If you enjoy a well-plotted mystery and you like historical fiction in the bargain, then you'll certainly enjoy TF Banks' THE THIEF TAKERS: MEMOIRS OF A BOW STREET RUNNER. Highly recommended. And now I'm going to try to find a copy of THE EMPEROR'S ASSASSIN, the second title in a series that holds tremendous promise.
Paul Weiss
April 22, 2009
I encountered this book in a search for Sean Russell one of my favorite authors. It seems as though Mr. Russell co-authored this book along with Ian Dennis which alone makes it worth exploring. I think Sean Russell is a brilliant science fiction writer who not only just happens to have authored one of my all-time favorite series, but actually answered an email when I wrote him to discuss one of his books. All that aside, his stories are interesting and amazingly diverse and this story was no exception.
The Thief Taker: Memoirs of a Bow Street Runner was a most engaging and easy to read period piece circa Victorian England in the year 1815. It is a police mystery that takes place prior to Scotland Yard when police work was on commission and the public not too enamored of its officers. The mystery unravels slowly pulling the reader page by page into a world now almost two hundred years old. The characters are likeable, the dialog fun and the story has enough grit and substance to keep things moving at a good pace: neither too fast nor too slow. By the end of the story I wanted to know more about Henry Morton, the honest, hard working, sensitive and thoughtful policeman, aka, Bow Street runner, who among other things liked to get in the boxing ring with the famous poet of the time, Lord Byron.
For anyone new to Sean Russell, his stories are meant to be savored, his worlds to be experienced slowly using all of your senses. In this regard, The Thief Taker was not as detailed or richly rendered as some of his earlier works, but then again, this book was a collaboration. Never the less, I found the story's setting most satisfying and even somewhat enchanting even with the subject matter being criminal.
The Thief Taker: Memoirs of a Bow Street Runner was a most engaging and easy to read period piece circa Victorian England in the year 1815. It is a police mystery that takes place prior to Scotland Yard when police work was on commission and the public not too enamored of its officers. The mystery unravels slowly pulling the reader page by page into a world now almost two hundred years old. The characters are likeable, the dialog fun and the story has enough grit and substance to keep things moving at a good pace: neither too fast nor too slow. By the end of the story I wanted to know more about Henry Morton, the honest, hard working, sensitive and thoughtful policeman, aka, Bow Street runner, who among other things liked to get in the boxing ring with the famous poet of the time, Lord Byron.
For anyone new to Sean Russell, his stories are meant to be savored, his worlds to be experienced slowly using all of your senses. In this regard, The Thief Taker was not as detailed or richly rendered as some of his earlier works, but then again, this book was a collaboration. Never the less, I found the story's setting most satisfying and even somewhat enchanting even with the subject matter being criminal.
October 22, 2016
This is an enjoyable historic mystery. The main character, Henry Morton, is a Bow Street Runner. The Bow Street Runners were one of the first police forces in London and a distant ancestor of Scotland Yard. The Bow Street Runners were first organized by Sir John Fielding, a rather interesting historical figure, who was a blind Magistrate at the Bow Street Court in London. He was famed not only for his fairness and reasoning in the courtroom, but also for a miraculous ability to identify a person's origins by his/her accent. (Sir John Fielding was the brother of famed novelist Henry Fielding, author of "Tom Jones.") There does not seem to be much agreement about the true nature of the Bow Street Runners. In some histories and novels they are depicted as honorable law enforcers, while in other sources they are entirely corrupt blackmailers and extortioners who exploit the authority of their office. This books falls somewhere in the middle and, in fact, the historical discrepancy plays a significant role in the plot of this story.
A more positive version of the Bow Street Runners that includes their famous founder, Sir John Fielding, can be found in another historical mystery series by Bruce Alexander. That series (the "Sir John Fielding Mysteries") is a bit lighter than this book. There is also a running sub-plot that is a coming-of-age story about a one-time street urchin who is mentored by Sir John Fielding and one of his Runners.
Getting back to "Thief Taker," the author strives to give it a sense of authenticity almost to a fault. There is some period jargon and slang with which I was unfamiliar despite having read a number of English historical novels. It wasn't so much as to disrupt the flow of the story for me; context helped sometimes and other times I just moved on. The mystery itself is good and kept me guessing. The outcome was predictable in some ways, and a surprise in one particular way. Unfortunately, the surprise part of the ending didn't make a lot of sense. I can't say more without giving everything away. The main characters are likeable, although the relationship between the male lead and the female lead seems to be a bit of a stretch.
A word of caution: this book is not for kids. Pedophilia plays a key role in the plot of this book, so proceed with caution.
A more positive version of the Bow Street Runners that includes their famous founder, Sir John Fielding, can be found in another historical mystery series by Bruce Alexander. That series (the "Sir John Fielding Mysteries") is a bit lighter than this book. There is also a running sub-plot that is a coming-of-age story about a one-time street urchin who is mentored by Sir John Fielding and one of his Runners.
Getting back to "Thief Taker," the author strives to give it a sense of authenticity almost to a fault. There is some period jargon and slang with which I was unfamiliar despite having read a number of English historical novels. It wasn't so much as to disrupt the flow of the story for me; context helped sometimes and other times I just moved on. The mystery itself is good and kept me guessing. The outcome was predictable in some ways, and a surprise in one particular way. Unfortunately, the surprise part of the ending didn't make a lot of sense. I can't say more without giving everything away. The main characters are likeable, although the relationship between the male lead and the female lead seems to be a bit of a stretch.
A word of caution: this book is not for kids. Pedophilia plays a key role in the plot of this book, so proceed with caution.
October 20, 2016
4.5 Bow Runners out of 5
I've found myself so attached to Henry Morton and the Bow Street Runners that he may just become my new Sherlock Holmes.
This was one of the best period murder-mysteries I've ever read. It missed out on a 5-star rating because of just a couple nit-picky things: Although the Napoleon parts added to the time period aspect, it didn't feel satisfying enough to give it the historical genre credit the author may have been going for. It happened too little for me to ever get into it. I would usually be enthralled by those parts, but the characters and main plot were so well woven that I could care less about who Bonaparte was overtaking that day. I guess that's a good thing.
The second reason it didn't get five stars is because of a nick in the plot outcome. One of the portions of the 'dénouement' did not quite fit. It was small enough to overlook, however, and regardless of either of those factors, I was incredibly hooked on this book from start to finish. It had me guessing the whole way, and never gave too much information as to treat the reader like a child. Very glad I read this.
I've found myself so attached to Henry Morton and the Bow Street Runners that he may just become my new Sherlock Holmes.
This was one of the best period murder-mysteries I've ever read. It missed out on a 5-star rating because of just a couple nit-picky things: Although the Napoleon parts added to the time period aspect, it didn't feel satisfying enough to give it the historical genre credit the author may have been going for. It happened too little for me to ever get into it. I would usually be enthralled by those parts, but the characters and main plot were so well woven that I could care less about who Bonaparte was overtaking that day. I guess that's a good thing.
The second reason it didn't get five stars is because of a nick in the plot outcome. One of the portions of the 'dénouement' did not quite fit. It was small enough to overlook, however, and regardless of either of those factors, I was incredibly hooked on this book from start to finish. It had me guessing the whole way, and never gave too much information as to treat the reader like a child. Very glad I read this.
October 5, 2016
The setting is London in June 1815. the hero is a Bow Street runner by the name of Henry Morton. The femme fatale is a famous London actress by the name of Arabella Malibrant. There are too many villains to name, but there are quite a few notable ones in this book which is the first book in the Memories of a Bow Street Runner series. And what a series starter this is! There is lots of action, deaths and mysteries galore in this book. I love the Regency era, and I enjoy the history of the infamous Bow Street runners, so that was why I picked up this book. It was pure enjoyment reading of Morton and the scrapes that he gets into. I cannot wait to read other books in this series. This book was a delightful surprise for me, and I recommend it for anyone who loves British historical mysteries. Banks is a Canadian author, but he handles this era and this time and place with aplomb.
August 30, 2011
I was hoping it would be like the Sir John Fielding books by Bruce Alexander, but all it really had in common was the setting (although it's about 50 years after the Fielding books). It felt like a long article, rather than an novel. Still, it was entertaining.
December 1, 2018
Good fun, with a little less anachronism than is usual with this sort of thing. The plot is well worked out, and there isn't too much egregious info-dumping (though there is a clunky conversation near the beginning where the hero and his mother talk at some length about their personal backstory, with which they are of course perfectly familiar).
April 28, 2020
To come soon.
June 9, 2021
Wow! This book put Sherlock Holmes to shame. I could not put it down, and the ending surprised me.
August 5, 2014
Even though Confessions of a Bow Street Runner: The Thief-Taker is set in Georgian London simultaneous to the final Napoleonic campaign, it featured some elements that were déjà vu for me after finishing Red Chrysanthemum very recently. The latter is set in Medieval Japan, so one wouldn’t expect much similarity, but there is a significant amount in parallel.
In Red Chrysanthemum, someone powerful is engaged in the regular sexual exploitation of minor boys. In this first of the Confessions of a Bow Street Runner, someone powerful is engaged in the sexual exploitation of minor girls. The Japanese story has an executioner’s blade hanging over the heads of the protagonist and his spouse while the English story has a hangman’s noose threatening to drop over the necks of the protagonist and his beloved. The protagonist in Edo is implicated with physical evidence placed specifically to be found, as is the protagonist in London. Both protagonists find their lives threatened by the very people who are supposed to represent justice. Both protagonists are careful and innovative investigators who find their procedures thwarted by tradition and those who impugn their motives, but the Confessions of a Bow Street Runner features an unexpected denouement. Both protagonists struggle for physical evidence because authorities won’t believe what they “know” without such evidence.
Don’t get the wrong idea, though. Confessions of a Bow Street Runner: The Thief-Taker is more tightly plotted and faster-paced than Red Chrysanthemum. It moves between gentry and the disadvantaged without causing whiplash to the reader, making social comment without the heavy-handedness of a Dickens. Yet, there is one very Dickens-like character. As Dickens was fond of waifs and tended to describe them profusely with much pathos, the character of Lucy is etched as indelibly into my mind as are the black and white illustrations in my 19th century volumes of Dickens. As Dickens poured the horrors of society into some of his characterizations of children,
T. F. Banks (author of this novel) seems to inject all that is hope and noble into the character of Lucy. The character is certainly well-named considering the root idea of light and “lucidity” in Lucy’s name and how it applies to her bright, shining charm that shows despite her outward circumstances. Seasoned mystery readers may seize upon one use of the child for pure plot-based reasons, but there is a key element in the mystery that turns upon a specific desire within her character. I suspect Mr. Banks may end up more intrigued with chronicling her role in future adventures than even that of the main protagonists—the eponymous Bow Street Runner and the coquettish actress. I know I’m going to find out.
In Red Chrysanthemum, someone powerful is engaged in the regular sexual exploitation of minor boys. In this first of the Confessions of a Bow Street Runner, someone powerful is engaged in the sexual exploitation of minor girls. The Japanese story has an executioner’s blade hanging over the heads of the protagonist and his spouse while the English story has a hangman’s noose threatening to drop over the necks of the protagonist and his beloved. The protagonist in Edo is implicated with physical evidence placed specifically to be found, as is the protagonist in London. Both protagonists find their lives threatened by the very people who are supposed to represent justice. Both protagonists are careful and innovative investigators who find their procedures thwarted by tradition and those who impugn their motives, but the Confessions of a Bow Street Runner features an unexpected denouement. Both protagonists struggle for physical evidence because authorities won’t believe what they “know” without such evidence.
Don’t get the wrong idea, though. Confessions of a Bow Street Runner: The Thief-Taker is more tightly plotted and faster-paced than Red Chrysanthemum. It moves between gentry and the disadvantaged without causing whiplash to the reader, making social comment without the heavy-handedness of a Dickens. Yet, there is one very Dickens-like character. As Dickens was fond of waifs and tended to describe them profusely with much pathos, the character of Lucy is etched as indelibly into my mind as are the black and white illustrations in my 19th century volumes of Dickens. As Dickens poured the horrors of society into some of his characterizations of children,
T. F. Banks (author of this novel) seems to inject all that is hope and noble into the character of Lucy. The character is certainly well-named considering the root idea of light and “lucidity” in Lucy’s name and how it applies to her bright, shining charm that shows despite her outward circumstances. Seasoned mystery readers may seize upon one use of the child for pure plot-based reasons, but there is a key element in the mystery that turns upon a specific desire within her character. I suspect Mr. Banks may end up more intrigued with chronicling her role in future adventures than even that of the main protagonists—the eponymous Bow Street Runner and the coquettish actress. I know I’m going to find out.
October 21, 2010
Historical crime fiction set in 1815 London featuring Henry Morton, a Bow Street constable. He’s called to a house by his mistress Arabella Malibrant, who is an actress. A man arriving at the home in a hackney coach was found dead. An attending doctor diagnoses the death as caused by choking on vomit due to excessive alcohol consumption. After a brief examination Morton disagrees, believing the man has been poisoned. The investigation leads him into a conspiracy involving one of Bow Street’s own.
The book was written very well, with authentic historical details. The mystery itself was well developed and interesting, and the procedures used made sense, making the investigation easy to follow. The characters could have been fleshed out a bit more, but overall I was happy enough that I will be reading the sequel. Three and a half stars.
The book was written very well, with authentic historical details. The mystery itself was well developed and interesting, and the procedures used made sense, making the investigation easy to follow. The characters could have been fleshed out a bit more, but overall I was happy enough that I will be reading the sequel. Three and a half stars.
March 29, 2011
The Thief Taker is a well-written and complex mystery full of well-developed characters set in Regency London.
When Halbert Glendinning arrives at a party apparently dead from asphyxiation Henry Morton, a Bow Street Runner, is called to the scene when someone feels that there is something strange in Glendinning death. His search leads him on an inquiry into the upper circles of London society. Morton follows is a complex and strange path before finding the truth behind Glendinning’s death.
The Thief Taker is the first book in a series that contains only 2 books. It is a shame because the series and the premise has great possibilities. I always hate it when good series does not sell well enough to continue. It would be nice but not likely if the authors could find another publisher to continue the series.
When Halbert Glendinning arrives at a party apparently dead from asphyxiation Henry Morton, a Bow Street Runner, is called to the scene when someone feels that there is something strange in Glendinning death. His search leads him on an inquiry into the upper circles of London society. Morton follows is a complex and strange path before finding the truth behind Glendinning’s death.
The Thief Taker is the first book in a series that contains only 2 books. It is a shame because the series and the premise has great possibilities. I always hate it when good series does not sell well enough to continue. It would be nice but not likely if the authors could find another publisher to continue the series.
March 19, 2016
This was a really immersive mystery where our sleuth is an honest Bow Street Runner in Regency England, working with others who he is unsure if he can trust. The author explores topics like Wellington battling Napoleon (it's happening as the events unfold), class distinctions, the role of early police, child prostitution, dueling, etc. The characters are lively and well written, and the author's rendition of London is practically a supporting character as well. The plot fits together neatly at the end, and left me wanting more. I'm glad to see there is one more book about these same characters, and I'm looking forward to reading it.
November 25, 2021
I liked the author's historical naval fiction books but I just couldn't get into this book. Maybe the period style of writing bothered me but whatever it was I found myself forcing myself to read the text instead of wanting to read it so I just dnf'd it.
Edit: After reading the other positive reviews I tried to analyze more why I didn't like it: It started without context, nothing for me to grab on to mentally. The protagonist goes to the scene of a death. There are people there and they start talking to each other. Who are they? What is their relationship to each other? Without any mental landmarks, I just couldn't settle into the story.
Edit: After reading the other positive reviews I tried to analyze more why I didn't like it: It started without context, nothing for me to grab on to mentally. The protagonist goes to the scene of a death. There are people there and they start talking to each other. Who are they? What is their relationship to each other? Without any mental landmarks, I just couldn't settle into the story.
July 21, 2011
Very well done mystery set in 1815 London. Henry Morton is a Bow Street Runner, the forerunners of the metropolitan police, and he is hired by a private citizen to look into the mysterious death of a young gentleman. The whole world of how the Runners worked, how they were viewed by the populace, how the courts worked was fascinating to me. There was so much room for corruption while attempting to be just. Setting and history are very well portrayed here without tedious exposition. Morton is an engaging character, and I wish there were more than one other book in this series.
November 29, 2008
This historical mystery is set in 1815. Henry Morton is a Bow Street Runner (a.k.a. cop) who works with his mistress to solve both a murder and a theft. Most of Morton's problems stem from the "thief taking" system in place at the time, and the world-building of the historical time period is excellent.
The pacing was good, and the characters and mystery were interesting. For those who care, all of the sex occured 'off page.'
The pacing was good, and the characters and mystery were interesting. For those who care, all of the sex occured 'off page.'
Read
October 1, 2008Pretty cool. A novel about an early police detective in London (1810 or so). The catch is that these guys worked for reward only, and thus were suspected, and likely guilty of much "setting up" of crimes. They were called runners and were open for hire. And the punishment for just about everything was hanging... A series. I will likely pick up another one.
September 28, 2015
This book is somewhere between three and four stars, but it is the first of a new series so I rounded up. I generally like the protagonist, Henry Morten. The story was solid though a few parts were unnecessary and made the plot drag a bit. Overall, however, a good read with enough mystery and adventure to keep things interesting.
February 1, 2018
This book takes place in London during the era of the Napoleonic wars, a homefront story contemporary with the Sharpe novels that I love so much. This book was extremely enjoyable. The characters were well fleshed out, the telling of the story did not telegraph the end too much, and if there were holes in the plot or the logic, I didnt notice. I would gladly read more of this series.
May 11, 2008
A nice addition to the victorian mysteries that I'm addicted to. I'd figured out who the killer was pretty early on but the intriguing lead and his cohorts still made it a great read, I will definitely be picking up the next in the series.
December 24, 2009
This was a well executed historical mystery. I'd give it a 3.5 if I could. The main character is believable and likable and the environments are well-detailed. The plot of this one is just intricate enough. I will seek out any sequels.
October 3, 2013
Fascinating. I had never read a piece of fiction set in this time in such a way. Before there really were police. It was simply fascinating. Not as light as I usually prefer, but definitely worth following further.
February 13, 2016
Morton was suspicious that some of the other Bow Street Runners were involved in criminal activities. He was also hired by a friend of his girlfriend to find out who killed her fiancé though the police said it was natural causes.
March 4, 2016
I really liked the story of the Thief Taker, which provides a glimpse of law and justice before the formation of Scotland Yard. The characters are well defined and the story is rich. I am hoping there will be more books by TF Banks in the near future.
August 8, 2016
Enjoyed this very much and still remember it these handful of years later. I'm recording it because it kept popping up under recommendations and I find the more details I submit to my Goodreads account, the more accurare the recommendations become.
November 29, 2016
This book is confusing at first, because so many characters are thrown at you at once. But I'm glad I stuck with it, because by the end, I was really enjoying it. A good read for anyone who is into historical mysteries.
September 19, 2007
Banks, T.F.-THIEF TAKER, THE-VG
Early Bow St. Runners-Georgian England-would read more!
Early Bow St. Runners-Georgian England-would read more!
July 24, 2009
A gripping story set in Regency England and based on the famous Bow Street Runners - an early form of policing. Good characters and a story you can't put down till the end!
December 19, 2011
Regency London at it's grittiest best. Murder. Intrigue. Lot's of action. This isn't a 'Christian' read but I enjoyed it for the historical aspect.
December 8, 2012
Wonderful historical mystery. Love the characters and plan to read the second in this series. Unfortunately, the author seems to have abandoned this series after just two books.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews