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Book Summary and Reviews of House of Thieves by Charles Belfoure

House of Thieves by Charles Belfoure

House of Thieves

by Charles Belfoure

  • Critics' Consensus (2):
  • Readers' Rating (1):
  • Published:
  • Sep 2015, 432 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

In 1886 New York, a respectable architect shouldn't have any connection to the notorious gang of thieves and killers that rules the underbelly of the city. But when John Cross's son racks up an unfathomable gambling debt to Kent's Gent's, Cross must pay it back himself. All he has to do is use his inside knowledge of high society mansions and museums to craft a robbery even the smartest detectives won't solve. The take better include some cash too - the bigger the payout, the faster this will be over.

With a newfound talent for sniffing out vulnerable and lucrative targets, Cross becomes invaluable to the gang. But Cross's entire life has become a balancing act, and it will only take one mistake for it all to come crashing down - and for his family to go down too.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Starred Review. Belfoure's sly, roguish writing opens a window to those living both gilded and tarnished lives... Best of all, Belfoure holds together each and every thread of the novel, resulting in a most memorable, evocative read." - Publishers Weekly

"The plot primarily relies on exciting and suspenseful action sequences and is fairly short on plausibility, but the novel never takes itself too seriously. A pulse-raising read for historical crime and historical thriller fans." - Library Journal

"Belfoure takes a more skewed view of morals here than in his best-selling debut, The Paris Architect (2013), but he again displays a brisk prose style, well-developed plot, and interesting architectural details. Multiple murders notwithstanding, this is a roisterous, supremely entertaining adventure." - Booklist

"Charles Belfoure sees New York's Gilded Age with an architect's eye and evokes the atmosphere wonderfully." - Edward Rutherford, New York Times bestselling author of Paris: The Novel and New York: The Novel

This information about House of Thieves was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

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Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews

House of Thieves
Gambling debts, robbery rings, and high society and thugs blending together for a marvelous read.

HOUSE OF THIEVES takes us back to the late 1800's when women needed escorts and when men were their protectors. The men definitely protected their wives and families and kept secrets from them as they carried out their days.

The secret John Cross kept from his wife, though, was one he couldn't keep for long. When he returned home one evening with bruises and cuts, John had to tell his wife about his "deal" with Kent. The secret he kept was that their son, George, had racked up a gambling debt that he couldn't pay, and Kent came to John with a deal John wasn't able to pass up.

John wasn't able to pass it up because it was a good deal. John wasn't able to pass it up because it was a deal that he had to accept to keep his family safe. If he didn't go along with Kent, John saw what Kent was capable of.

The deal took every waking minute of John's time and was something he would never dream of doing or being a part of. If he got caught, he would ruin his family, but better to be ruined than dead.

The characters seemed quite authentic. John Cross made me afraid for him, Kent was despicable and ruthless, George made me angry that he would continue to do what he did to put his family in this situation even after his father told him he knew of his dangerous obsession. Kent seemed as if he were just playing John Cross and his son's debt would never be settled, but John Cross had to keep finding homes and banks to rob so his family was safe.

You will get pulled into the time period and the storyline as you wonder how someone could be as evil and cunning as Kent and as your fear for John Cross and his family mounts.

Mr. Belfoure has authored another intriguing, well-written, captivating book. Mr. Belfoure pulls you in with his marvelous research and storyline about the life styles of the wealthy as well as the poor during this era.

If you enjoy being treated to history, an alluring storyline, and an "oh my goodness" ending, HOUSE OF THIEVES will take you there.

One chapter after another keeps you mesmerized as unbelievable, possible events happen.

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More Information

An architect by profession, Charles Belfoure has published several architectural histories, one of which won a Graham Foundation Grant for architectural research. He graduated from the Pratt Institute and Columbia University, and he taught at Pratt as well as at Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland. His area of specialty is historic preservation. He has been a freelance writer for the Baltimore Sun and the New York Times. He lives in Maryland.

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