At
the time when the Bow Street Runners were a new force there
were also many private detectives around, known as thief takers.
Such a pair is identical twins Peter and Paul Skillen and
they always get their man - much to the dismay of the Runners.
Following the successful capture of a burglar, Home Secretary
Lord Sidmouth calls upon their talents to catch a pair of
escaped convicts. There has been a riot at Dartmoor prison
and two American POWs from the recent war are on the run,
with the ultimate aim of assassination if their demands are
not met. Then there is the rather more mysterious case of
Lord Sidmouth's missing cleaner
I have long been a fan of Mr. Marston's pacy and readable
historical mysteries, from the Doomsday Book surveyors to
the Railway detective, Elizabethan players and Restoration
sleuths. Now he turns his attention to the Regency with a
series starting in 1815 featuring Runners versus thief takers.
His Runners here seem like the comical bungling Keystone Kops
of the early cinema, corrupt and always foiled in their inept
attempts to catch the villains. More thought provoking is
the author's portrayal of what happens when those with a genuine
grievance (imprisoned for being on the losing side in a war)
turn to terrorism. This adds a topical note in a novel which,
though entertaining and lively enough, is somewhat wanting
in period detail. I wanted to feel immersed in Regency London
but instead most of the time felt adrift in a vaguely 19thcentury
setting that was hard to date. More enjoyable is the mystery
surrounding the cleaner's abduction and the almost tangible
descriptions of the dockside boxing match. I'd read another
- this author is always worth reading - but this is not one
of his finest efforts.
Reviews
of other titles in this series
Shadow
of the Hangman #1
Steps
To The Gallows #2
Date
With The Executioner #3
Fugitive
From The Grave #4 |