Summary: The Thief of Blackfriars Lane by Michelle Griep
Constable Jackson Forge intends to
make the world safer, or at least the streets of Victorian London. But that’s
Kit Turner’s domain, a swindler who runs a crew that acquires money the
old-fashioned way—conning the rich to give to the poor. When a local cab driver
goes missing, Jackson is tasked with finding the man, and the only way to do
that is by enlisting Kit’s help. If Jackson doesn’t find the cabby, he’ll be
fired. If Kit doesn’t help Jackson, he’ll arrest her for thievery. Yet neither
of them realizes those are the least of their problems.
My review of this historical romance
Rookie constable Jackson Forge’s first assignment is
to find a missing cabby. To do that, he needs thief ringleader Kit
Turner’s local knowledge and connections.
In this unlikely alliance both have to trust each other with their lives
as they unravel criminal activity with ties to City public office.
The Thief of Blackfriars Lane is the standalone novel written by Michelle Griep, published by Barbour Fiction. The plot is set in London 1885, and we follow fresh-out-of-training Constable Jackson Forge who is assigned to find the missing cab driver who is thief ringleader Kit Turner’s foster dad. With her extensive local knowledge and connections, Jackson gets to experience an underworld of dangerous cutthroats and cheats while orphan Kit has to learn to trust again. They deal with life threatening situations connected to criminal activity with ties to City public office.
Main character is rookie Constable Jackson Forge who seems to be a well rounded character from a relatively secure family background. He seems the voice of reason in this story and tries to keep Kit away from the worst of the life threatening madness she gets into.
Supporting character is thief ringleader and orphan Kit Turner who is a feisty, brave and very resourceful young woman hiding her loneliness and vulnerability. She is complex and struggles to trust, which makes her realistic and appealing character my favorite.
I loved how this plot was action packed and drew me into underworld
London of 1800s. The stunning descriptions, particularly of the London underground
(before tubes), made me feel a part the plot. I felt the characters were relatable
and I enjoyed how Jackson and Kit kept meeting cynical, dangerous characters scheming
to make big money and get one over on competition.
The excellent research built an exciting plot offering
all my favorite elements of a story. One part mystery and one part romance all
tied together in a historical setting. With the Dickensian feel, the amusing writing
and dialogue made it one of the most entertaining reads in a very long time.
My favorite part was description of how the
relationship between Jackson and Kit developed from the initial friendship to
budding romance, as they faced mortal danger together. The descriptions
of the extreme poverty, fear and despair of a woman who tries to support her children
while suffering illness, was not my favorite. But I appreciate the dramatic
effect. Michelle Griep is fast becoming one of my go-to-authors in historical
romance, because I enjoy her action packed plots so much. I’ll be eagle-eying
booksellers for her next release.
Anyone who enjoys action packed historical
romance with a Dickensian twist would love this. As will fans of Michelle Griep’s
other work. Similar authors to
explore might be Abigail Wilson or Sarah E. Ladd. Thank you to Barbour Fiction
and NetGalley for this opportunity to share my honest review. All opinions are completely my own.
Conclusion: The Thief of Blackfriars
Lane is the packed and exiting story about rookie Constable Jackson Forge and
thief ringleader Kit Turner who team up to find her foster dad. They get in
life threatening situations while unraveling criminal activity with ties to City public
office.
Rating: 5 stars / 5
Where to get your copy
Barnes & Noble Audio mp3 on CD
Book Details
Paperback : 320 pages
ISBN-10 : 1643527150
ISBN-13 : 978-1643527154
Publisher : Barbour Fiction (January 1, 2021)
