Загрузка
Сведения о книге
House of Thieves: A Novel
Автор: Charles Belfoure
Активность, связанная с книгой
Начать чтениеОписание
"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, 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 ring—from the author of the New York Times bestselling The Paris Architect!
The Debt Must Be Repaid — 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 —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.
Активность, связанная с книгой
Начать чтениеСведения о книге
House of Thieves: A Novel
Автор: Charles Belfoure
Описание
"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, 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 ring—from the author of the New York Times bestselling The Paris Architect!
The Debt Must Be Repaid — 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 —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.
Об авторе
CB![]()
Обзоры
A fun, captivating work of historical fiction which takes the reader into high society and crime in nineteenth century New York.
Rating: 4Gambling 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. 5/5This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.
Rating: 5I won an ARC edition from Bookreporter.com Sneak Peek contests in exchange for an honest review.What would you do for your family? In essence that is what Charles Belfoure's new novel House of Thieves is all about. How far will John Cross go to save his son from death at the hands of a notorious gangster? Set in the Gilded Age of NY the reader is taken through John Cross's life as he tries to navigate his life of respected architect and involuntary thief. Of course the lives of all members in his family are affected by his choice. The plot is not difficult to figure out and there are maybe one or two moments of surprise. I did find the writing to be on more of a sophomoric level with no real depth to other characters aside from the two protagonist. The plot itself seems a bit outlandish but the setting of the novel coupled with Mr. Belfoure's skillful descriptive prose regarding architecture, kept you engrossed in the story. A fast paced, although predictable story that I nevertheless truly enjoyed.
Rating: 4The son of a well known architect has a gambling addiction and gets in debt to an East coast criminal boss. John Cross, the architect, is forced to use his knowledge to help plan robberies at various buildings to get his wayward son out of hock. Before it is all over every member of his family is affected in some way by people from the underworld. John Cross tries to extricate them from the lowlifes. The book is methodical as it moves to one of two possible endings - He is successful or he is not. Nice but not an overwhelming effort.
Rating: 4I was hoping that this might be a book along the lines of a Ken Follett story.Unfortunately, although it's interesting the story is unrealistic. John Cross is a well known and respected architect in New York City in the 1890s. When his oldest child amasses a huge gambling debt, Cross is forced to join a sophisticated gang to rob the houses and banks which he has designed. I really enjoyed the descriptions of New York society at the time with its extreme wealth and poverty. Good beach or long flight book.
Rating: 3What crimes would you commit to protect your family? John Cross exemplifies Gilded Age respectability: a talented architect, welcoming society matrons to a fete honoring his son George's graduation from Harvard. Within 24 hours, that world is horrifically overturned. George has been harboring a secret gambling addiction, racking up staggering debts. James Kent, the underworld raconteur holding his marker, offers a stark choice. George (and the rest of the Cross clan) will be killed unless John uses his architectural blueprints and inside knowledge to help stage heists of the mansions of upper class New York. Thus starts a rollicking, action packed thriller from dazzling Newport and Fifth Avenue Palaces to the hovels of wretched street urchins, from debutante balls to gambling and opium dens. Charles Belfoure excels in presenting agonizing moral dilemma. His first novel (which I quite liked), The Paris Architect, has its WWII protagonist balancing his lust for fortune and professional acclaim with a fear of Nazi reprisal for designing hideaways for Jews. In this second effort, the stakes are higher for the hero. Who hasn't said in an offhand way, "I'd kill to see my children/husband/mother/brother"? As we witness the body count rise in The House of Thieves, the true cost of this complicity becomes very real. The two main characters -- John Cross and James Kent -- were most real in their ever heightening conflict. The others felt less fleshed out to me. Some bits, particularly at the beginning were slow going. Once we got beyond the introduction of the various era this personae, the action took hold and I raced to the end.
Rating: 4Would you commit a crime to keep your family from death? When young George Cross became addicted to gambling, in 1886, he had just graduated college made his parents proud, but ran up forty-eight thousand dollars to a loan shark! He tried to not let his parents know how deeply in debt he was because those days, to cause scandal in the wealthy society and be shunned and shamed was a kiss of death and he couldn't bear to show his shame and ruin his family. New York society wasn't very forgiving nor were they very accepting of "new money". Back then, there were over twenty thousand children turned out of the streets to make their own way when parents couldn't afford to feed them. George was intrigued with teaching these children and was overwhelmed at how quickly they learned when he used gambling tricks. If his parents knew about his sordid life of gambling in unsavory and questionable houses or having a woman of ill repute as a lover he shuddered at how far he'd fallen but he tried and couldn't quit........John Cross, a respectable member of high society and a architect was visited by a hoodlum dressed in a suit that would cost him a years wages, he wanted to throw him out upon sight, but the man told him that his boss had work for him and mentioned his eldest son's name he was curious. When he met Mr. Kent, he was impressed with his savvy, until he was told that he needed to pay off George's debt by helping him rob his wealthy clients or his family would be killed. How could a man wealthy beyond means be involved with the scum he hired? What made him take risks for anything when he could by it?Normally I don't read this genre, but Mr. Belfoure captured me by the very first chapter! Wonderfully written, it depicts the " haves and the have nots" with clarity not regarded in today's society. With three Cross siblings dabbling in the under belly of New York, the three get an eye opening experience! I must add this author to my buy list and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!
Rating: 5Well this one grabbed hold and didn't let go, I'll say that for it. The ARC arrived in the mail, I picked it up after dinner, and suddenly midnight had passed and I was turning the last page. While there are elements of the story that just seem a little too far out the limb of believability, by and large the plot worked really well, and the pacing is simply superb. An excellent late-summer vacation read.
Rating: 5Odd concept, but plenty of interesting historical references and easy to read.
Rating: 4A mesmerizing entertaining read! Set in the Gilded Age this page-turner filled with the glitz and glamour of the monied where a whisper of a scandal shuns them from their privileged position meets the grittiness of the underworld as architect John Cross will have to successfully navigate both worlds to repay his son’s gambling debts and save his family. I greedily read this suspenseful tale in one night as I was anxious to see how the “arrangement” would play out for George, especially as intriguing actions by his family and the appearance of an estranged brother pushes the plot along in delightfully unanticipated ways. Ethical dilemmas, family loyalty, and desperation are the backdrop for murder, greed, deceit and duplicity facing the characters. The author’s architectural eye provides the vivid detail of the buildings and streets making them as important as the characters. Kudos to the author for keeping me in the time and place of this tremendously fun book so much I did not mind when the actions seem a little less than plausible. This is my first read by the author but I will definitely looking forward to reading more of his books. I recommend this book to readers looking to immerse themselves in a gripping amusing storyline that satisfies on all counts.
Rating: 5House of Thieves is a fascinating leap into the Gilded Age in New York City. The author, Charles Belfoure, is an architect like the main character, John Cross. The Cross family is related to the famed Knickerbocker who established a strict code of manners that guided the lives of high society. They are also related to the Astors who were nouveau riche.John Cross’s son, George, lacks the artistic ability needed for architecture picked mathematics and graduated from Harvard. He thought that he had an advantage when it came to gambling, his knowledge of the laws of probabity. But instead of discouraging him, he saw only the possibilities of winning. He quickly falls into debt to a loan shark. He runs up an enormous debt of $47,000 which is a huge number in those days. The head of the criminal gang (Kent’s Gents), James T. Gent has the idea of making the father, John Cross to pay it off with architectural expertise and personal knowledge of the buildings to be robbed.John Cross, shocked and upset with his son can see no way out other than to help the criminal. He naively thinks that things will return to normal after the debt it paid. One by one, different members of the family get exposed to the lower class and criminal activities. But each tries to keep it a secret from the others. What we learn besides what the gangs were like during the 1880s, about the strict code that the upper class was supposed to live by is the incredible poverty that forces children out onto the street to fend for themselves. The author lures us into to this what may seem a simple story at the beginning but turns out to be a complex of family relationships and the trap of getting out of robbery and gambling as difficult as freeing yourself from the mess from a spilled bottle of glue. I highly recommend it, it is engaging, entertaining and you will learn about the Gilded Age.I received this Advance Copy of House of Thieves as a winner of a contest on the condition that I answer a set of questions about book and sharing my thoughts in social media and on other reading websites.
Rating: 5In all ages, the ‘elite’ have their own way of living, their own HouseOfThievesmoral code, their own mannerisms, their own etiquette. However, there is no era in which these rules and regulations were more evident than in 1880s New York City. Even if you were tangentially related to wealth, you had to abide by certain rules and those differed if you were ‘old money’ or ‘new money’. But one thing is certain: if your name is tarnished, you will be disowned in a flash. So, when John Cross, successful architect and friends with Stanford White among others, and a reasonably close relative of the Astors, finds himself in a bind, he’s not sure what to do.It seems that his son, George, a recent Harvard graduate, has accumulated a sizable gambling debt that he’s unable to pay. The man he owes, James Kent, a well respected New York socialite whose sideline happens to be crime, upon hearing that George’s father is an architect, presents John Cross with a proposal–in exchange for sparing George’s life, Cross will assist in the planning of robberies of buildings and homes he designed. A percentage of the proceeds will go towards paying off George’s debt. Of course, Cross feels like he has no choice. Thus begins a great book by Charles Belfoure, House of Thieves, author of The Paris Architect.ParisArchitectI heard Belfoure speak at Book Expo and he mentioned he always wondered what a life of crime would be like. An architect by profession, he thought this would be the perfect way to marry these two professions. However, he also said that the idea was not original, but had come from the life of George Leslie. The headline in the Daily Beast of October 19, 2014 states “The High Society Bank Robber of the 1800s: He was wealthy, a member of New York City society, and a patron of the arts. And he was also the secret mastermind behind the biggest bank heists of his day.” Leslie was also an architect by profession.However, while I admit there is a lot of drama and tension regarding the events of the book, the real treat is Belfoure’s description of the Manhattan of the late 1880s, the tenements, the grand houses of the rich, the vacant land and farms above 80th Street. It is inconceivable to me that parents who could not care for their children would throw them out onto the streets to make their own way in the world as pickpockets, newsies, etc. The piss and manure that lined tenements streets is contrasted by the opulence of the mansions along Madison Square.The squalor of the poor is described against the huge amounts of money spent on Julia, Cross’ daughter’s, coming out party. No expense was spared–as it was paid for by her Aunt Caroline (Astor). Belfoure goes on to explore women’s roles at the time–Julia was being groomed to marry someone of her social class and her desire to go to college and write a novel were smirked at. The mother’s and grandmother’s roles were to educate Julia regarding proper etiquette, provide here with piano lessons and enough education to enable her to converse with eligible bachelors.There’s a psychological element to the book as well. Cross was armed forces age during the Civil War and the law allowed the wealthy to pay a substitute to serve in the army. Cross’ family having the means, did just that (as did George Leslie’s family). But Cross always wondered whether he had courage enough to do something dangerous.All in all, House of Thieves is good on so many levels. One of the best books I’ve read this year.
Rating: 5A novel in which the lines of criminal intent, personal satisfaction and the ultimate need to protect one's family are blurred. In a society where your character is solely based on what you project, walking the tight rope of lemming propriety, actions needed to protect one's family, from themselves and from society, may end in an impossible choice. What happens when you're forced to discover that you are really good at being really bad?
Rating: 3