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House of Thieves: A Novel by Charles…
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House of Thieves: A Novel (edition 2015)

by Charles Belfoure (Author)

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3292078,983 (3.67)14
Fiction. Mystery. Historical Fiction. HTML:

"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."â??Publishers Weekly, STARRED Review

Gangs of New York meets The Age of Innocence as a society architect in 1880s Manhattan is forced to join a gritty crime ringâ??from the author of the New York Times bestselling The Paris Architect!

The Debt Must Be Repaid â?? or Else

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 Gents, 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 â??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 â??and for his family to go… (more)

Member:MaggieFlo
Title:House of Thieves: A Novel
Authors:Charles Belfoure (Author)
Info:Sourcebooks Landmark (2015), Edition: 1St Edition, 432 pages
Collections:Your library
Rating:***
Tags:New York City, 19th century

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House of Thieves by Charles Belfoure

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» See also 14 mentions

Showing 1-5 of 20 (next | show all)
Nowhere near as good as The Paris Architect. John Cross is a successful architect in late 19th century New York City. His son George has accumulated substantial gambling debts, and his creditor (gentleman gangster James Kent) forces John to set up robberies of prominent New York citizens using his architectural expertise. The entire Cross family seems opposed to the strict social mores of the times, the so-called Knickerbocker code, and each has found a diversion. John's brother is a Pinkerton detective and is called upon to stop the crime wave. I thought the ending was silly, but liked the location/event. ( )
  skipstern | Jul 11, 2021 |
leuk geschreven, leest makkelijk weg, geeft een inkijkje in de criminele wereld van Amerika van de 19e eeuw, maar niet echt geloofwaardig. ( )
  mslourens | Dec 27, 2020 |
I received an ARC for an honest review. I have never read this author before but I definitely will in the future! If you love history, architecture, mystery and family drama then this book is for you! It was set in NYC in the late 1800's and features fictional characters along with real life people and places. If you liked The Alienist by Caleb Carr then you'll like this one too. Very well written and makes you care for ones that you might not initially care for. Makes you wonder what you would do in their place. Fascinating! ( )
  KathyC200 | Mar 22, 2020 |
Complex painting of New York City and the people who ruled it from both sides of the law. Gritty, intense, great descriptive writing.

Well written, but too dark for my taste; I would recommend to people comfortable reading dark thrillers.

**eARC netgalley** ( )
  Critterbee | Apr 16, 2018 |

As payment for his son's gambling debts, an architect uses insider knowledge to help a gang of thieves pull off heists. Meanwhile his wife and children, unbeknownst to one another, also discover the thrill of a life of crime.

I liked it, didn't love it. It was well-written but I didn't like it as well as the author's first book, The Paris Architect. He lost me when I couldn't buy into the premise that independently of one another the entire family would get involved in the criminal underworld. And enjoy it. But if, unlike me, you can suspend disbelief, it would be a great read that makes the The Gilded Age, with the stark contrast between the have and have-nots, come alive.
( )
  janb37 | Feb 13, 2017 |
Showing 1-5 of 20 (next | show all)
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For Chris.
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It was a perfect day to rob a bank.
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Fiction. Mystery. Historical Fiction. HTML:

"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."â??Publishers Weekly, STARRED Review

Gangs of New York meets The Age of Innocence as a society architect in 1880s Manhattan is forced to join a gritty crime ringâ??from the author of the New York Times bestselling The Paris Architect!

The Debt Must Be Repaid â?? or Else

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 Gents, 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 â??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 â??and for his family to go

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