Montmorency: Thief, Liar, Gentleman?

Montmorency #1

by Eleanor Updale

Fleeing across a roof on a dark night in Victorian London, a thief crashes through a glass skylight to almost certain death. But an ambitious young doctor revives and reconstructs his shattered body, proudly showing off his handiwork at the Scientific Society where the city's intelligentsia meet. It's there that the robber picks up the key to a new existence, and on his release from prison begins to lead a double life. He becomes both the respectable, wealthy Montmorency and his degenerate servant, Scarper - while the police are baffled by a wave of mysterious and seemingly unstoppable thefts...But Montmorency must be on his guard at every moment. The smallest mistake could reveal his secret and destroy both his lives.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Mystery, Historical, Fiction, Adventure, Crime

Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Eleanor Updale studied history at St. Anne's College, Oxford, before becoming a producer of TV and radio current affairs programmes for the BBC. Her first children's novel, Montmorency, won the Silver Smarties Prize and the Medway Book Award.

Reviews

[Katie Lumsden · Rating 4 out of 5]

A reread. Good fun and enjoyable.

[Hope · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hrmph. I don't know what I think, Goodreads. There were times when this book really seemed to be verging on something bigger than itself, and I kind of wish Updale had just gone for it. We catch hints of a psychological struggle between Montmorency and his alter-ego, Scarper...and I wanted to know more about that. It was at times as if the main character could not remember that he was both Montmorency AND Scarper, and I wanted to know why that was. But rather than an in-depth survey of the inner-workings of a con-artists' mind, all we get are vague references to some kind of mental distress. Or at least I felt it was a sort of mental distress. I mean, Montmorency despises Scarper...but Scarper IS Montmorency and Montmorency IS Scarper.
I can't help but think Montmorency/Scarper has a personality disorder, and I wanted to understand it. Alas, I never will, because this is a children's book.

Darn.

Still, fun little book to read. I don't really recommend it, because it needs more. It's too much of a fun little frolic in the sewers of London (betcha don't hear THAT every day!), and not enough substance or real character growth. I think if this was re-written at a higher reading level with more on the mental struggle of Montmorency/Scarper and maybe a little romance thrown in, it'd be fantastic.

[April Helms · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Montmorency books are a must-read for anyone who likes Victorian-era style mystery.

A small-time crook is given a new lease on life by an ambitious doctor after a near-fatal fall during a break-in. Now he has learned to navigate the sewer systems to enhance his life of crime, and has created two personalities for himself. But what happens when his two sides start disagreeing with each other? The story is told from the point of view of “Montmorency,” a petty thief with more smarts than he knows. His observations on the different classes of society are amusing, cutting and spot-on by turns. The tale also has suspense: Will he get caught in his duplicity? Will he ever get rid of “Scarper” and learn to lead a respectable life?
The detail of the period – 1870s – is marvelous. The author not only captures appearances, but smells and textures. The references to the time: gas lighting, electricity being new, “La Traviata” being popular – these were well-done. I didn’t catch any historical glitches. It’s a wee bit slow at times, particularly in the beginning, but fans of detail and “buildup” won’t mind. The contrast between Montmorency at the beginning and the end is fascinating, and the commentary on the views of the wealthy are often barbed. The audio narration was excellent; Fry did a great job with the huge cast of characters before him.
Fans of “Artemis Fowl” should enjoy this, so I say, with some hesitation, any YA age. Some readers may be confused by some of the words or get bored by the beginning. But overall the language can be interpreted by younger teens (perhaps with the help of a dictionary) and there’s enough to keep older teens engaged.

[Janine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me first clarify that the real rating I want to give this one is 2.5 stars. I did like it, but well... Okay let me explain.

Montmorency has such a fascinating premise. The concept is fascinating. A petty thief who goes from a life of crime to becoming a gentlemen? Yes please! It's clear the author knows her stuff when it comes to the Victorian Era, which was impressive, and I can now say I know more about the Victorian Sewage System than I ever intended to, but it made it all the more real and believable.

My problem with this book was that I just kept waiting for something to happen. I kept waiting for him to find himself at a high end ball and int he midst of a murder plot or something that only he could solve. This kind of came, but it was subtle and didn't really amount to much, nor was it all that exciting.

And yet, I couldn't stop reading. Every page gave me a new hope of some exciting change in the story, something that would make me grip the page and scream. There are few things I love more than a book that scares me. Yet, I wasn't scared of this one. And that disappointed me.

I've considered reading the sequels seeing as they're all in the library, but I just don't know. There was so much potential for this one. It could have been up there with The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner, yet it failed to do so. And yet, I didn't dislike it. I liked it. When it dawned on me nothing exciting was going to happen it made me like it a hell of a lot less, but I still enjoyed it. Despite the constant talk of sewage, it was kind of a light read.

Would I recommend this book? No. I don't know. I'll have to read the others and see how I feel after a while. And I must admit I kept running through ideas of what I'd do to change it, and also how if those changes were made it'd be an awesome film. Part of the reason I probably enjoyed it so much was that I imagined Tom Hiddleston breathing life into Montmorency (who was a bit bland save for his adorable excitement over opera and a few other things). Can't you just see him tackling a dual personality disorder like Montmorency's? Oh the potential this book had!

Well I guess I'll just have to see how I feel about the next books. Here's hoping they're much better.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great concept. I think this book could be adapted into a film if a Hannah Montana/Superman style suspension of disbelief was possible.

Ultimately though the book fell short as it was missing a key element: threat. It needed either a Talented Mr Ripley style where the protagonist gets himself into more dire straits, or The Fugitive style where Montmorency/Scarper was continually on the run.

Without these elements, it just fell a little flat. That and the book could have done with some more dialogue. Although Montmorency is supposed to be alone, he only discovers things because he happened to be at the right place, right time, whereas having a circle of people to navigate and learn from may have been a bit more interesting (yes there are some characters but they come too late in the book and Cissy who is at the forefront is ridiculously annoying and useless apart from one moment).

All in all, there were some moments of thrill (the hatmakers, the Thames) but they were few and far between and over too quickly for my taste.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting juvenile book--there are no children/young adult characters in it.

This is the story of Montmorency, a criminal who slowly goes straight. Montmorency (not even the protagonist's real name; the reader is never told what it is or where he came from) was in a horrible accident (fell through a skylight), which resulted in his arrest and incarceration. A young, ambitious doctor treats Montmorency and then shows him off to the Scientific Society, where Montmorency learns about the extensive London sewer system and hatches a master plan for thievery. When Montmorency is parolled, he returns to his life of crime, but is able to target richer victims. With his accrual of wealth, he makes friends with Lord Fox-Selwyn and is able to join the exclusive Bargles Club. This social climbing is a little hard to believe--someone in Victorian England would certainly have called Montmorency out somehow. Directly asking how he made his money would be right out, but "Where did you attend school?", "Do you know so-and-so, who also went there?", etc, would probably be socially appropriate.

[Shay Redwine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stephen Fry reading this gives it the additional star! The story was interesting enough on its own though.

[Maya · Rating 1 out of 5]

When I saw this book at a school book fair, the $2 sale sticker should have warned me. But whoever wrote the summary on the back of the book did an absolutely stellar job. Mystery, a gothic mood, a thief who assumes a new identity after a doctor sews his broken body back together - it seemed the perfect plot. If only the person who'd written the summary had written the rest of the book.

-Prisoners in a gritty Victorian chain gang literally take up the chorus of "4-2-3, wee-wee-dee." *facepalm* (p 32)

-The book might have made a good Victorian noir, except it was toned down for children. Example of an insult: "Well, I can't help being fat, can I? Every time I kiss your wife she gives me a biscuit!" *facepalm* (p 66)

-One of the characters talks with a pretend lisp to get Montmorency to like her. The reader must crawl through pages of unintelligible conversation such as "She'th stwypee with a likkle like shtar of white bwetween her earth." *facedesk* (p 93)

-That character, Cissie, is very taken with Montmorency, "showing a little too much ankle when he was near." What is it with the racy ankle trope?

-Montmorency literally breaks down and cries at an opera. He reaches for what he presumes is his hankie, but it's actually the ruffled skirt of the lady next to him. She doesn't mind and they cry and cheer together. "His happiness was complete." Because if he cries at the opera, he must be multidimensional. I - Pretty Woman? (p 132)

-Chapter 20 ends with a one-word paragraph. And that word is "thwopp." (p 114)

-The characterization was poor, with all the characters we're suppose to dislike being portrayed as unwaveringly, ridiculously stupid, fat, prissy, obnoxious, corrupt, etc. The major villain's most dastardly quality is a tendency to exclaim: "Oh dear! O dearie me!" That's his only remotely bad quality.

-Page 156. The dialogue is printed like this: "You ****ing little ****! I'll have your ****s for ****s!" The asterisks are not mine - they literally appear like that in print. Look. Either you take the prudish route and say your character "swore", or you actually write out the swearword when they say it. Don't put asterisks in the middle of a book.

[Lady Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my favorite books when I was in high school, and reading it now over two years later, I have to say that it has lost none of its magic! Eleanor Updale does a great job presenting Victorian England and with short chapters and to the point storytelling this will be a winner with anyone over the age of 12!

Prisoner 493 was caught burgling a factory in the 19th c. After a horrific fall during the chase, Prisoner 493 (dubbed Montmorency during his trial) receives the care of Doctor Farcett who views 493 as a pet project without risk. Although the other prisoners hate him, 493 revels in the cross-town trips to attend scientific lectures. True, he is always on display and regarded with contempt by most, but the opportunities to learn things a common thief wouldn't normally will shape his destiny after jail. Prison may be tough, but at least it's a good place to plan revenge (after a sort).

During one scientific lecture he is required to help hold a large map of London's sewer system. The knowledge he learns that night lay the groundwork for his future. After getting out of jail he embarks on a risky venture to burgle London by means of its extensive sewer system and then to play the gentleman off his profits. The problem? It's far riskier than Montmorency ever counted on...

[Lilyan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm tired of writing negative reviews. For the past couple of months, all the books I've been reading have been medicore at best. No more indie books for me.

Montmorency. Reads like a Young Adult book but was not written to BE a Y.A. which I see as a failing. The story was too basic and easy. Montmorency is a theif that got caught and was badly injured. We have no back story what so ever on this character, nothing. Just that they call him Montmorency and that he has severe scars on his body.

After leaving the prison he figures he can use London's sewers to continue thieving. So he takes on a double life, one where he's a low-life thief in the sewers (Calls himself Scarper)and another where he's one of London's high class and calls himself.... Montmorency. That's just retarded. Why would I keep the same distinguishable name when I'm trying to be someone else?! And he bumps into people he knows many times yet somehow his name never gets mentioned?! Although, he manages to mingle with the upper societies and everyone knows everyone, how does no one question?

His escapades in the sewers were kinda lame too. Everything was so easy. He was in and out. Perfection all the time. It's just not realistic. Which is why, this should've just been fine tuned to suit a younger audience, shelved in the Y.A. section and it could've worked, maybe not.

[P · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really dry YA fiction. I might have enjoyed this book more if there was even one likeable character in it. Every character seems one-dimensional and after reading hundreds of books about this time period and Englishmen with their men's clubs, I found that Montmorency fell pretty flat. Also, I am continually amazed when I read books that have negative-zero female characters...especially considering they are written by women!

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty good series that I did enjoy and would probably rank it somewhere on my top 10. I love how it engulfed real events and places in with fictional characters. I love how Montmorency useshis skills to outwit society but later for the greater good.

[Sara Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not like this book. The premise was promising and interesting BUT it was not handled well and could have been so much better. It was definitely a middle-grade novel, NOT a YA novel.

(Had to read this for school)

[Charles · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was probably a YA book. It concerned a ex con who becomes a cat burglar using the sewers of London as his secret escape route. A book about a cat burglar who became a scat burglar.

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Montmorency is a common thief, who devises a plan to use the new London sewer system to carry out plans for bigger and better burglaries, launching him into London's high society as a gentleman. He masquerades as his own servant, Scarper, to sneak out through the streets and alleyways to stage robberies and escape the police undetected. Then he cleans up and dresses for high society as the wealthy gentleman, Montmorency, leading a dual life of villainy and affluence. The plan works a little too well, and Montmorency begins to despise the lower classes, and starts feeling guilty about his crimes. But will he ever be able to truly join the high society he mimics, or will he forever be a common thief?

I liked the many layers of this story, as Montmorency goes from a hardened criminal to a more educated and cultured individual. He wrestles with ideas of honor and honesty, and reads books to expand his knowledge and manners. His character development is gradual and believable with a satisfying conclusion. It's as though, while he is cleaning up from roaming the sewers, his mind also starts to clean up and his ideas change, throwing off the old ugly ideas like the dirt getting scrubbed off his soul. The imagery is wonderfully subtle.

Because the whole premise of the story is the use of the sewers as escape routes during criminal enterprises, there is a lot of talk about poop and smelly sewage. Gross to read about, but definitely effective story-telling.

There were several supporting characters that I really liked, and they added depth to the story in various ways. There is the former cellmate who gets into trouble again with the law. The doctor who treated Montmorency's wounds and operated on him while he was in prison. The friendly tailor who helps Montmorency know what correct clothing to wear to the opera. They are all memorable and interesting, with their own voice in the story.

But there was one supporting character that made no sense to me at all. A woman has a crush on Montmorency, and is always trying to get his attention in flirty ways. I think she was included for comic relief, but she isn't funny, she's just disgusting. She always has food spills and crumbs on her clothing. Her hair and makeup are gaudy, and she pretends to have a cutesy lisp when she talks. She did not further the story very much, with a minimal role in the plot, but so much time is spent describing her and her pathetic attempts to flirt with Montmorency. It didn't fit with the rest of the story and it annoyed me.

I enjoyed the writing style and the plot kept me engaged. This is an entertaining book, and I'm glad that I read it!

[Geoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This may be the strangest, most amoral, least trope-ridden (yet based on the prison to society imposter trope) YA novel I've ever read. I couldn't stop listening even though the plot never really went anywhere. The closest feel I have for this book is the superhero origin story, which is supposed to be meaningful and deep and provide shape to the character, but never does since its vignettes always seem to lack stakes (even when we know uncle Ben is going to die or Krypton will explode or that Magneto was a Holocaust survivor, those stories were always breezed over and never seemed as intense as the later superhero plots).

I threw in an extra star for Stephen Fry's narration, which was stellar. Audible doesn't have audiobooks of the sequels; we'll see if the books are as engaging in print without Fry.

[C.J. Milbrandt · Rating 3 out of 5]

A burglar falls through a glass roof into the gears of a machine and is horribly mangled, so he spends much of his prison life in the infirmary, undergoing a long series of surgeries, then in lecture halls, undergoing the humiliation of being on display. All the while, he plots. One day, he wants to be a fine gentleman. And to do this, he'll become an even better thief.

I was intrigued by the set-up in the summary. To achieve his goals, Montmorency creates two identities. He is both a gentleman & his own servant, Scarper the thief. But I didn't enjoy the unfolding story as much as anticipated. The early chapters are all discourse and description, filled with plans for action that's slow in coming. And I struggled (and failed) to find a reason to like Montmorency.

[Yami · Rating 4 out of 5]

in the beginning thought I wont like it , but man am so glad I was wrong I LOVED IT,
you just go from a nameless chr. to Montmorency to prisoner 493 and then Scraper.
there is no real description of our protagonist , and you just go on with the pages tell you truly like him, for a fan of Arsine Lupin this novel played the right notes. it was like reading one of his stories and I wont be surprised if the two of them can set for lunch and a game of cards to exchange stories and have a good laugh , thick as thieves. that expression will be made for those two. one more thing both have a big heart.

[Bryant Smith]

as Montmorency struggles to stay on the good side of the world and not turn bad/evil and commit crimes, bomb threats threaten to destroy England rail lines and they need to get to the bottom of this case so the rest of this book consists of mini chase downs and big risks to find out whos the reason of this. I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars. it would be 5 out of 5 stars the number of mini chase downs and twists are sometimes hard to keep up with.

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm glad I just happened to stumble upon this YA historical mystery at a thrift store because that was a very promising series opener. I think I'll have to look for book two, Montmorency On The Rocks.

[Casey Morrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg this was so good !!!!!! And my library doesn’t have any more of the series ahhhh !!
1. Loved the writing and the characters and the book itself
2. Stephen fry fkn killed it at narrating, OBVY.
10/10 would recommend

[Adrynna Benedict · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book kept me hooked the whole time, Montmorency is witty and is always keeping one step ahead. Loved it.

[Kristyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was short and sweet. Quite a fun read

[Anthony Lutz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Rebekah Dunlop · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no idea what made me pick up this book and read it but im glad i did. A great thrilling storyline, wanted criminals, exciting chase, mystery. What more could i ask for? I loved the plot. Loved the intrigue and mystery. I lived that as i was reading it i went into detective mode from the criminals side. Got to see different viewpoints. My mind loves a good mystery and this is no exception. 10/10 would recommend.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I truly enjoyed this story. I'm actually thinking of reading the next in the series. Stephen Fry made the audio fabulous.

[MATT ABHOLD · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Montmorency” by Eleanor Updale was a decent book. There were some parts that were pretty unbelievable and some that made a lot more sense, but they went well together.

Montmorency was a thief in London, and he was a pretty good one too. Up until he fell through a ceiling while being chased, he had never been arrested. During the fall, he had sustained injuries that could have ended his life, if not for a doctor who wanted to take on the project. His name was Robert Farcett, and he was Montmorency’s guardian angel, it seemed like. Farcett visited the prison that held Montmorency daily to check on him after he had performed all of the operations that kept Montmorency alive.

There was a scientific society in London where all of the great minds met. Farcett was one of those invited for his work on Montmorency, and often times Montmorency was a display. Farcett explained what measures he had to go through to keep Montmorency alive. Montmorency did not like going to these because he was put on display and did not like that feeling. But he did not know that being there would change his life. An architect for the city had been invited to one of the meetings, and he had explained what he was working on; sewers that ran the length of the city and going to almost every house that could afford it. Montmorency tried his best to memorize the layout that was shown, and started scheming a plan for after his release.

Montmorency served his time in jail afterwards with no problems, and decided to set his plan in action. He would sneak through the sewers, where nobody would expect, and steal as much as he wanted. There were few problems for this, such as getting into the sewers and being able to see. After a few heists, he bought or stole the necessary tools for his line of work; a hook to lift the covers, a head-lamp to see, waders to keep the sludge off, and extra bags to put the loot.

Montmorency was getting used to his rich, pompous lifestyle and did not want to go back to being poor, so he had to keep the heists going. One time though, there was a storm and he was washed through the sewers until being released into a bay where boatmen rescued him.

At the hotel where he stayed, there were many wealthy people and some who were very influential. Montmorency became good acquaintances with Lord George Fox-Selwyn, a higher up in British government. These two would go to horse races, gamble, and hang out in the hotel parlors together.

After a while, Fox-Selwyn began asking around about Montmorency and found out who he really was; a thief. He was more relieved than anything, because there was a job that needed to be done and it seemed that Montmorency would be perfect for it. The goal was to figure out if one of Britain's politicians was betraying his country by giving information to the Mauraumanian government. There couldn’t be any association with the British government, so the person who went in could not be connected. There was a catch though; Montmorency would have to bring something back proving that he was actually present at a meeting between Sir Gordon Pewley and the Mauraumanian ambassador.

The book ends with Montmorency in his hotel room having just given the information to Fox-Selwyn, who offers Montmorency a job working with him.

Montmorency was a really intriguing character because throughout the book he lived two different lives. One a wealthy man, one a thief. This split made him nervous because if he messed up, his life was over. Everyone would find out what he did before he was rich. He would go back to prison and get out as a poor man again.

There weren’t many other characters in the book that made a huge difference.

This book was set in London in 1875. This played a key role because that is that time that the sewers were becoming a big deal and just being implemented. He used the sewers to get around the city and make money stealing things.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mystery and crime books. I also recommend to teenagers around the age of 15 because it was an easy read that is still interesting.

[Nathan Togstad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Personal response: Montmorency was a book of a man with nothing to lose. He was basically dead, then he was given a second chance. He made plans and was going to execute them when he left the prison. When he was released, he found that everything was harder in real life. This book shows that the reader can overcome anything if you set your mind to it. It also displays the fact that people can, and will change over time.

Plot: Montmorency was in a terrible accident. He fell through a roof running from the cops. A doctor managed to save his life from all his injuries. The fact that he was alive made him eligible for prison. He was in prison, but never actually stayed there. The Doctor brought him along to show his work. The other inmates made fun of him because of this. When with the doctor, Montmorency heard of the plans of a sewage system. He knew that would help him when he got out. He also had the idea of two different identities. His rich one would be Montmorency and the poor would be Scrapper
When Scrapper was released he found that his only possessions were blood soaked clothing. He went into town and found an apartment. He managed to make a payment and started with his plan. He slowly got himself used to the sewers. He finally got to the point where he could make it in and run around. He started to steal from stores and use the sewer as an escape route. The only problem was selling the goods. Montmorency had some clothing that Scrapper ‘found’ and made reservations at a fancy hotel. Montmorency would live the high life while Scrapper would make the money. As time went on, Scrapper found himself clinging on to life. There was a rush of water into the sewage system, and it took him for a ride. He was found in the river by fishermen. Montmorency realized that he needed a more stable way to make money. Montmorency stopped a rearing horse and met a rich man by the name of Fox Sullivan. Montmorency helped Sullivan with some work with the government. Scrapper snuck into a dinner and got information that would help stop an uprising. By helping Sullivan, Montmorency was offered a job as a spy.

Characterization: Montmorency was a person without a purpose. He had no reason to be alive. With his new found life, people expected him to return to a life of crime. When he first got out he was going to go back to crime. He was stealing from every jewelry store in his reach. As time went on, he had enough to start his fancy life. He decided over time that it was too risky to keep taking and start earning. He eventually got to the point that he didn’t need Scrapper. When he got the final job offer, he completely stopped being Scrapper. He even returned most of the items that he stole. Over the course of the book Scrapper turned into Montmorency.

Impact of Setting: In the beginning Montmorency was the scum of society. This was in an advanced country of England in 1925. He was in a prison rotting. Once he was released, He slowly worked his way up. He was in London’s low income apartments for the longest time. He paid for it by running under the streets like a sewer rat. As time went on, Montmorency had enough to buy into the most expensive hotel possible. He would enjoy opera at the opera house and talking with fellow guests in the lobby. Montmorency became a member of England's high society.

Recommendation: This book would be great for people to see how people change over time. The book was not the easiest to read. A 17 year old would be able to take a lot away from this book. The book isn’t really geared to a specific gender, so I believe that anyone could enjoy it.

[Sparrow · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up an advance copy of the fourth book in this series for about a dollar at an entomological gathering. Obviously, I can't start the series that way, so I borrowed the first one from the library. The cover looked neat and it looked short enough. At long last, I read it.

And was not impressed.

It's hard to organize my thoughts, but I'll try.

Mostly, this book read like a Mary Sue story. Like the author thought to herself, "I'd like to make a mysterious handsome man who is dangerous...and exciting...but also humble and sweet and anything else I feel like making him." But in effect, I could never really get a grip on who Montmorency was. I started thinking he was supposed to be a silent criminal mastermind, but he isn't a mastermind. He makes many blunders, doesn't know what he's doing, has to learn how to do simple matters of theft (his feats don't honestly seem that impressive). And yet this story is written in such a way like I'm supposed to be impressed (rather than it being like a "Batman Begins"?) I wonder what happened to his photographic memory which seemed to only be present when he was in prison. Also, how he ended up in prison seemed to be another under explored aspect of his character: the narrator spoke like his scars were alarming and important, but they don't really do anything beyond labeling who he is. I wanted to know more about the incident that broke him to pieces; he referred to it often enough, but it was never clear how it really affected him.

I was irritated at the lack of drive of the plot. It seemed that the main goal of this book was for Montmorency to leave prison, steal a lot of things, climb society, and become a rich gentleman. Well, he did that pretty fast and easy and without very much in the way of obstacle. And rather than drive somewhere interesting, each consecutive chapter described unnecessary steps to get to the point (whole chapters on Montmorency buying clothes, lordy!) So after that, there is a tiny plot of Montmorency spying for information that saves the country from war...? (honestly, the second I read details, I forgot them instantly - it was absolutely boring and where the hell did it come from?) He lacked conflict there too and like that, the plot was over (was such a disappointment - uh, he suddenly works for the government?).

I was intrigued by the dual characters of our "hero," but its intricacies were vastly under explored.

Along with never really knowing who Montmorency was, I never really felt like he was worth worrying about. The third person narrative was so distractedly distant that I was bored - as if someone was rambling to me about the life of a person that I didn't know or understand. I could never dive into his mind or feel what he felt (which made his persona all the more confusing: at times, he acts like humanity's ways are beyond his understanding, but then at other times, he clearly feels guilt, empathy, etc. Well, is he outside society or isn't he?)

I can't imagine where Updale will take this character through three more books. I don't think I'll continue since this one was so frustrating. While Montmorency is a mess, the other characters are cliched and boring. And putting our protagonist in exciting situations isn't going to make him more interesting. Perhaps the series would fare better as one giant book? Because the lack of direction in this plot made the book feel unfinished. I expected more worry about Montmorency's criminal past being discovered, but he bypassed that stuff without much incident.

[Hazel West · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thoughts on the overall book: This has been one that I've been meaning to read for a while, so I've had an interest in it. I love reading things set during the Victorian era, and I love reading things about thieves especially ones who have a conscience. The book was a bit different than what I excepted from the description, but that was actually a good thing seeing as I couldn't see where the author would take the story or make anything come of it.

Characters: Montmorency is a good protagonist; you are able to easily sympathize with him. A funny thing about this book is that, while you know what happened to him to have his accident and thus be thrown into prison, you know from the beginning that he's not a bad guy. The supporting characters are good too, I loved Fox-Selwyn, Montmorency's friend later on in the book, and I liked how the author described all the character traits as Montmorency was watching them with an imitator's eye. Also I found by the end of the book I rather liked Doctor Farcett even though I didn't in the beginning. I have a feeling he might come back in a future book.

Problems/what bothered me: Overall, I don't really have any major problems with this story. It was a little bit slow until it picked up halfway through, but I can see this being one of those books where the first one is not quite as exciting as the others because you have to introduce character and story line and in stories like this that takes time. Another thing that I would have liked to see more of is Montmorency's past. You know he was a thief, but I personally would have liked to hear more about him before his accident. Maybe there was a reason be really wanted to be rich and live a life of ease- he seemed so driven in his quest that there must have been something that sparked that. Perhaps a hard childhood? Maybe we'll get to hear more in later books.

Conclusion: Three Stars, I liked it. it was a quick and engaging read. The writing style was nothing incredibly special, but it kept one's attention and made you want to read on to get to the more engaging parts of the story. I'm definitely going to look up the sequels.

Recommended Audience: There was nothing bad content wise so anyone from 13 and up could easily enjoy this book. It could also be enjoyed by adults. Anyone who loves the Victorian era or Sherlock Holmes would like it.