#Historical Romance Book Review: #The Thief of Blackfriars Lane by #Michelle Griep

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

Amazon Paperback

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Barnes & Noble Paperback

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Barnes & Noble Audio 

Book Details

Paperback : 320 pages
ISBN-10 : 1643527150
ISBN-13 : 978-1643527154
Publisher : Barbour Fiction (January 1, 2021)

About The Author

I hear voices. Loud. Incessant. And very real. Which basically gives me two options: choke back massive amounts of Prozac or write fiction. I chose the latter. Way cheaper. I've been writing since I discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. I seek to glorify God in all that I write...except for that graffiti phase I went through as a teenager. Oops. Did I say that out loud? (from Goodreads). Read more on author's website:  michellegriep.com.

Book Review: The House at The End of The Moore by Michelle Griep

Summary: The House at The End of The Moore

What Can a London Opera Star and an Escaped Dartmoor Prisoner Have in Common?
 
Opera star Maggie Lee escapes her opulent lifestyle when threatened by a powerful politician who aims to ruin her life. She runs off to the wilds of the moors to live in anonymity. All that changes the day she discovers a half-dead man near her house. Escaped convict Oliver Ward is on the run to prove his innocence, until he gets hurt and is taken in by Maggie. He discovers some jewels in her possession—the very same jewels that got him convicted. Together they hatch a plan to return the jewels, clearing Oliver’s name and hopefully maintaining Maggie’s anonymity.

Review: The House at The End of The Moore

Famed opera singer Margaret Lee is hiding out at Morden Hall at the end of Dartmoor, when she finds escapee prisoner Oliver Ward lifeless at the side of the road. The plot centers around a jewel theft they both are connected to. On an intense and dangerous mission to bring down the real jewel thief they have to deal with people as dangerous as they are powerful.

Having fled from her contract obligations to sing in Bath, famed opera singer Margaret Lee  is in hiding at the end of Dartmoor. She feels she has to escape to protect herself and her father from threats and violence. After 9 months at the end of the moor she is still scared her manager, Mr. Grout, will find her.

Oliver was wrongly convicted for theft of a jewelry necklace and has fought to stay alive in Dartmoor prison. He makes a narrow escape with dangerous and violent Prison Warden, Mr. Barrow, on his tale. This is why he ends up near Margaret’s house, wounded and unconscious. When he gets better, he recognizes Margaret as the one who wore the necklace just before it was stolen. He suspects her to be the thief. She thinks she is in possession of a theatre prop, and is shocked to find out it is real.

Margaret and Oliver realize they have to work together, so they decide to set out on a journey to Bath to solve the jewel mystery as well as trying to stay safe from Mr. Barrow and Mr.  Gout who are chasing them. Throughout this ordeal, they get to see each other bring out their best under pressure.

I really liked the character of Margaret as she tries to fend for herself in a world of powerful men. I found her reactions believable for a woman of that time lacking the security of family or powerful connections to shield her. All her life she has been told what’s acceptable and what’s not by men, but now she is done with it. She has a good heart taking mute girl Nora into her employ, when she is harassed in the local community.

Oliver seems a real charmer with the ladies, and well connected among various groups of potential voters come election day to parliament. He uses his silver-tongued skills for all they are worth to get out of sticky situations. His work in favor of the less fortunate has led to powerful people wanting to get rid of him, hence the wrongful conviction. His political views seem something like Ross Poldark’s, as he fights for the poor and against people whose goal in life is lining their own pockets whatever it takes.

This story contains some seriously unsavory characters. Well done! Prison Warden and law enforcement officer Sebastian Barrow in particular, who has his very own interpretation of what trust in God entails. I find him to be a violent, dangerous and appalling man. When dealing with prisoners, knocking them senseless seems to be his go-to approach. Whether they survive or not doesn’t seem to concern him. He is an excellently crafted villain character with a questionable stability of mental health. He really pushes my buttons. I am pleased to see there is a bit of a positive development towards the end of the story, so stay tuned.

The story is told from Oliver’s and Margaret’s points of view as well as Mr. Barrow’s, who keeps hunting them down to achieve his version of justice and God’s will. The plot contains some intense and dramatic parts, mixed with calm in which the relationship between Margaret and Oliver gets room to develop and, I’m pleased to say, my shoulders get to relax a bit. I really enjoyed the funny streaks mixed into this story, which lightens the mood in spite of the sometimes intense drama.

As the danger temporarily subsides Margaret gets conscious of some of Oliver’s positive traits. There are contrasts in this plot which I love. We move from sequences of Dickensian proportions to opulence in homes of the super rich in Bath. There is a clear element of faith running through the plot which I also truly appreciate.

Fans of Michelle Gripe will enjoy The House at The end of The Moor. It is recommended for readers of historical fiction too.

Thank you to Barbour Publishing and NetGalley for this eARC in return for my honest review. All opinions in this review are completely my own.

My rating: 5 stars / 5

Book Details:

Print Length: 320 pages
Publisher: Shiloh Run Press (April 1, 2020)
Publication Date: April 1, 2020
Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B081GGP5GV

About The Author

Michelle Griep’s been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. She is the Christy Award-winning author of historical romances: A Tale of Two Hearts, The Captured Bride, The Innkeeper’s Daughter, 12 Days at Bleakly Manor, The Captive Heart, Brentwood’s Ward, A Heart Deceived, and Gallimore, but also leaped the historical fence into the realm of contemporary with the zany romantic mystery Out of the Frying Pan. If you’d like to keep up with her escapades, find her at www.michellegriep.com or stalk her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

And guess what? She loves to hear from readers! Feel free to drop her a note at michellegriep@gmail.com.

Book Review: A Noble Guardian (The Bow Street Runners Trilogy book 3) by Michelle Griep

Summary: A Noble Guardian (The Bow Street Runners Trilogy #3) by Michelle Griep

The must-read conclusion to Michelle Griep’s Bow Street Runners Trilogy: Life couldn’t be better for Abigail Gilbert—but it’s been a long time coming. Having lived with a family who hated her, love is finally within reach. Abby sets off on a journey across England to marry one of the most prestigious gentleman bachelors in the land—until highwaymen upset her plans and threaten her life.
 
Horse patrol captain Samuel Thatcher arrives just in time to save Abby. But to him she’s simply another victim in a job he’s come to despise. Tired of the dark side of humanity, he intends to buy land and retire.
 
Abby pleads with him to escort her on the rest of her journey. He refuses until she offers him the thing he desperately needs to achieve his goal: money. Delivering her safely will earn him more than enough to settle into a quiet life.

So begins an impossible trek for the cynical lawman and the proper lady. Each will be indelibly changed by the time they reach her betrothed, if they don’t kill one another first—or fall in love.

Book Review: A Noble Guardian (The Bow Street Runners Trilogy #3) by Michelle Griep

Starting out, I found that this story had a bit of a Cinderella vibe to it. Abigail, Abby, has a step mother who hates her. Although her biological father is still alive, that doesn’t seem to help Abby much. Her mother still manages to physically and verbally abuse her, so Abby can’t wait to get away from the family. Her betrothed lives far to the north of the country, Abby’s family is set to travel abroad and can spare no footmen, so Abby has to travel unaccompanied by males across some regions controlled by highwaymen. She only gets to take Fanny, the maid her stepmother doesn’t want in her employ. This setup is bound for disaster, and soon Abby finds herself in a life threatening situation, from which she is saved by world-weary police Captain Samuel Thatcher. Abby realizes she needs protection and persuades the Captain to help her. He agrees to deliver her safely to her betrothed in return for a hefty sum of money he will use to fund his retirement.

There are plenty of dramatic events mixed up with humor, especially in the beginning of the story. Later the drama intensifies and takes over. The plot feels more like a somewhat predictable thriller with the occasional moment of closeness between Abby and Captain Thatcher. I enjoyed the sweet situations as the relationship develops between them, however brief and somewhat casual they felt.

Main Characters

Abigail, Abby, Gilbert has suffered the loss of her mother in her earlier years. Growing up she has suffered abuse by her stepmother without her father having interfered much. She has tried to be a good daughter to no avail, and carries around a lot of grief. Apart from trying to be tough and deal with whatever comes in life, I felt her character seemed a bit one-sided. I had hoped to find descriptions of a more complex personality and connect with her feelings more. However, I enjoyed that we got a glimpse into the real Abby when she suffered feverish nightmares.

Captain Samuel Thatcher seemed the most developed character in this story and he went through the most change and development throughout. To begin with he seemed to carry a lot of baggage having been through a lot in his life. As the story progresses he goes through a positive change, although he still remains this justice conscious police man trying to make the world a safer place. As he seems so closed off and cold, he seems to have his work cut out for him developing into a person who is able to connect to a woman at all.

The maid Fanny I found was a funny supporting character who focuses on eating and taking naps. She seems to not quite understand her role as a maid silently doing as she’s told. Instead Fanny talks back and generally makes a disruptive nuisance of herself. That’s why Abby’s stepmother prefers to get rid of her.

Overall Thoughts

This is book #3 in The Bow Street Runners Trilogy. Usually I try to read trilogies as they come, but decided to read this as a standalone. As expected there were characters from the previous installments that I didn’t know. There were brief explanations as to who they were, so on the whole I thought #3 worked out quite well as a standalone. The plot, I felt, became somewhat predictable and I would have enjoyed more complex and further developed characters. I enjoyed the mention of places they travel past and the mixing in of entertaining facts about them as well as the Historical Notes at the back of the story. Fans of Michelle Griep will enjoy this as the final installment in The Bow Street Runners Trilogy.

My rating: 3 stars / 5

(All opinions are my own)

About The Author

I hear voices. Loud. Incessant. And very real. Which basically gives me two options: choke back massive amounts of Prozac or write fiction. I've been writing since I discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. I seek to glorify God in all that I write--except for that graffiti phase I went through as teenager.

To learn more about the author, visit https://michellegriep.com/