Sunday, November 22, 2009
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Murder/Mystery and Thriller Book Reviews

Bernard Cornwell: Gallows Thief

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An actress, a countess…

an appointment with death

Captain Rider Sandman, a veteran of the Peninsula War and a hero at Waterloo has returned to England to find a country much happier with its soldier’s abroad. His father has left his mother, sister and his good self impoverished and ruined any good reputation the name Sandman held. In short, he is penniless and in a desperate need of a job – which is not a state of affairs usually associated with the landed gentry.

However, Sandman's fortunes appear to be turning around for the Home Secretary has offered him temporary employment. It is his job to elicit a confession from a murdering "pixie" and therefore set aside any fears that the Queen may have over his innocence (her concern stems from a partition from the pixies mother who is in the Queens employ).

This does not appear to be an unduly complicated affair until Sandman soon realises that the pixie, Charles Corday a painter, could not have killed the Countess of Avebury as accused. To make matters worse the sentence for murder is hanging so Corday's life is in Sandman's hands.

It soon becomes apparent that Sandman can not do this alone and he finds support in the most unlikely of places. Such as Berrigan a veteran Sergeant from the war (who now works for his prime suspect) and Miss Sally Hood a model come actress.

Gallows Thief is not the first time Cornwell has strayed into the murder/mystery arena, however his other books such as Scoundrel were based in the present. In this respect Gallows Thief combines these earlier excursions with his Sharpe series set around the Peninsula War, and with great affect.

The historical information shows an excellent level of research in terms of both the setting and practices of the time, which is of course so typical of Cornwell. But do not fear, Cornwell has used his usual skill and flare in manipulating dry history into exciting settings and a well-paced story. My only negative comment is the ending didn't feel as polished as the rest of the novel, but it's really a minor point (it's still good in other words!).

Fans of Cornwell will enjoy this and as an added bonus, murder/mystery lovers will get to experience Cornwell in a setting they know and love. All in all, a great read and highly recommended.

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