T. F. Banks

I loved the first book - Thief Taker. That and this book feature Henry Morton - A Bow Street Runner. This book is set in the summer of 1815 in London. I was disappointed that this writing duo haven't written another book since this one was released in 2003. I think they have portrayed this little-known era in British crime fighting history very well. This book is full of intrigue and mystery. Napoleon has been replaced by the monarchy in France, and many French ex-pats in England still want show more to be involved in the political turmoil that is in France. Morton and his runners are pulled into more political intrigue than they want to be involved in and there's a slew of bodies found along the way. This is an exciting time in British history, and I would like to see more of it. It would be great to see a tv series set around the Bow Street Runners. But more importantly, I would like to see more of Henry Morton. Don't let this be the end. show less

The setting is London in June 1815. the hero is a Bow Street runner by the name of Henry Morton. The femme fatale is a famous London actress by the name of Arabella Malibrant. There are too many villains to name, but there are quite a few notable ones in this book which is the first book in the Memories of a Bow Street Runner series. And what a series starter this is! There is lots of action, deaths and mysteries galore in this book. I love the Regency era, and I enjoy the history of the show more infamous Bow Street runners, so that was why I picked up this book. It was pure enjoyment reading of Morton and the scrapes that he gets into. I cannot wait to read other books in this series. This book was a delightful surprise for me, and I recommend it for anyone who loves British historical mysteries. Banks is a Canadian author, but he handles this era and this time and place with aplomb. show less

This is the second book that I have read by TF Banks and it is an improvement over his last. You get a better feeling for the surroundings and life in London.

I was completely drawn into the mystery and story. The clues were muddy and the "reveal" was impossible for the reader to puzzle out, though I was able to figure out at least some of the bad guys. I did like a couple of the new characters as well such as the young boy-child London tough that befriends Morton...I would have liked to read show more more of him.

A satisfying read, in a historical period that I love to immerse myself in. show less

Historical crime fiction set in 1815 London featuring Henry Morton, a Bow Street constable. He’s called to a house by his mistress Arabella Malibrant, who is an actress. A man arriving at the home in a hackney coach was found dead. An attending doctor diagnoses the death as caused by choking on vomit due to excessive alcohol consumption. After a brief examination Morton disagrees, believing the man has been poisoned. The investigation leads him into a conspiracy involving one of Bow show more Street’s own.

The book was written very well, with authentic historical details. The mystery itself was well developed and interesting, and the procedures used made sense, making the investigation easy to follow. The characters could have been fleshed out a bit more, but overall I was happy enough that I will be reading the sequel. Three and a half stars. show less