About the Book
Book: The Thief of Blackfriars Lane
Author: Michelle Griep
Genre: Christian historical
There’s Often a Fine Line Between a Criminal and a Saint
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 realize those are the least of their problems.
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MY REVIEWThe author did a wonderful job with the verbiage of the time period and descriptions of the way of life during that time. It helped make the story come alive. The storyline is filled with intrigue, suspense, and a chase through 1885 London's underground into a world of treachery and crime. The main character, Jackson (a constable) goes on an adventure to capture whoever is behind the crime of some important missing men. What he finds is something more than he bargained for. He is led on a chase when he partners up with Kit, a woman with ties to the underground, but is a version of Robin Hood helping the poor. The characters were quirky, humorous, going on unexpected adventures fraught with danger. There were lots of twists and turns in the story and times of great courage to do the right thing. A sweet romance starts to grow between Kit and Jackson as they fight for their life. The ending was surprising but wrapped everything up nicely and was an absolutely entertaining and inspirational read. Highly recommended. I received an ARC and voluntarily choose to review it.
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.
More from Michelle
Zootopia in Victorian London
I admit it. I like kid’s movies. You know, the animated sort that entertain both young and old alike. One of my favorites is Zootopia, a rollicking adventure about a bunny whose dream it is to be a police officer and make the streets of the big city safe for all animals. In fact, I loved it so much that I thought why not set it in Victorian London?
So I did.
And that’s what The Thief of Blackfriars Lane is all about, but that meant I had to do a little digging into the history of police force of the late 1800’s. Here’s what I learned…
The Metropolitan Police (founded in 1829 by Robert Peel) was composed mostly of young men, many of whom were recruited from rural areas. Few were from London, the philosophy being that they would thus be free from local patronage and influence.
It is a bit of an anomaly that hero Jackson Forge and his friend, Officer Baggett, carry a sidearm. Some did, but most relied on truncheons. It was up to the officer. Revolvers were usually only supplied after the death of a police officer by an armed criminal, at the discretion of the Divisional Officer, or if a constable requested to use one during night duty. In 1884, after the deaths of several police officers, the Home Office ordered nearly a thousand revolvers from Webley & Scott to be issued to branches of the London police. . .which is where I got the idea of a shipment of guns for the villain to attempt to steal.
Police detectives were recruited from within the ranks of existing uniformed officers. There were actually women on the force at the time, employed as police matrons. But these were behind-the-scenes workers, tasked with guarding women and children. If my heroine, Kit, were to be out in public, serving as Jackson’s assistant, she’d have to keep her job secret. The first female police officer wasn’t seen on the streets until 1919.
And so, armed with that information, I wrote the adventures of not a police bunny and a con artist fox, but of Jackson Forge, a fresh-faced constable, and his thorn in the side, swindler Kit Turner. Snatch up your own copy and enjoy a visit to Victorian London!
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Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, February 5
A Good Book and Cup of Tea, February 5
To Everything There Is A Season, February 5
Daysong Reflections, February 5
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Michelle is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and a copy of The Thief of Blackfriars Lane!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/1062a/the-thief-of-blackfriars-lane-celebration-tour-giveaway
