The Gentleman and the Thief
By Sarah M. Eden
Published by Shadow Mountain
Description:
A standalone novel in The Dread Penny Society set in 1865 London brimming with secrets, scandal, suspense, and romance.
From the moment Hollis Darby meets Ana Newport, he's smitten. Even though he's from a wealthy, established family and she isn't, he wishes he could have a life with her by his side. But Hollis has a secret: the deep coffers that have kept his family afloat for generations are bare, so he supports himself by writing penny dreadfuls under a pseudonym. If not for the income from his novels, he would be broke.
Ana Newport also has a secret. Though she once had a place in society thanks to her father's successful business, bankruptcy and scandal reduced his fortune to nothing more than a crumbling town house. So Ana teaches music during the day, and at night she assumes the identity of the "Phantom Fox." She breaks into the homes of the wealthy to reclaim trinkets and treasures she feels were unjustly stolen from her family when they were struggling.
When Hollis's brother needs to hire a music tutor for his daughter, Hollis recommends Ana, giving him a chance to spend time with her. Ana needs the income and is eager for the opportunity to get to know the enigmatic gentleman. What neither of them expects is how difficult it will be to keep their respective secrets from each other.
When a spree of robberies rocks the city, Ana and Hollis join forces to solve the crimes, discovering that working together deepens the affection between them. After all, who better to save the day than a gentleman and a thief?
Advance Praise:
“The real joy in Eden's follow-up to The Lady and the Highwayman (2019) is the furthering of the overarching crime story and the work of the Dread Penny Society as Hollis and Ana pursue a chaste romance. Eden excels at exploring the realities of Victorian life and class differences. Once again, chapters of penny dreadfuls written by the characters are interspersed throughout, with Hollis' story about a school for ghosts offering particular delight. Fans of Eden's smart series will be thrilled and impatient for the next installment.”— Booklist, starred review
“Every time I thought my racing heart just couldn’t take the suspense anymore, I'd turn the page and smile.”— Bookconfessions
“Eden writes it well, so thoroughly researched that you’re transported and in Victoria England. Great suspense and romance.”— Leslie, Books and Socks Rock
“Undeniably clever, suspenseful, well-researched, and deftly written…”— Katie Jackson, RegencyProofreading.com
Author Bio:
Sarah M. Eden is a USA Today best-selling author of witty and charming historical romances, including 2019’s Foreword Reviews INDIE Awards Gold Winner for Romance, The Lady and the Highwayman, and 2020 Holt Medallion finalist, Healing Hearts. She is a two-time “Best of State” Gold Medal winner for fiction and a three-time Whitney Award winner. Combining her obsession with history and her affinity for tender love stories, Sarah loves crafting deep characters and heartfelt romances set against rich historical backdrops. She holds a bachelor’s degree in research and happily spends hours perusing the reference shelves of her local library.
Connect with Sarah here:
My review:
This is another fabulous book from Sarah M. Eden. All the hallmarks of her writing--characters you wish were real; snappy dialogue that will make you laugh out loud; details, based on extensive research, that make the setting come to life; and a plot that keeps you reading, eager to find out what's going to happen next--are present in full force. After being introduced to Hollis and Ana in the first book in the series (which you don't have to read first to have this book make sense but you SHOULD read because it's awesome), I was thrilled to be able to read their story. I loved their flirting and how they worked together, trusting each other more and more throughout the book. I also loved the secondary characters, from those in the previous book to a couple of new ones introduced in this book. There were so many moments when I laughed out; the writing is terrific and the dialogue is fantastic. Although I'm not very familiar with the Victorian era, the details made me feel right at home. As for the plot--or, should I say, plots, because, besides the main story, we also get to read two Penny Dreadfuls--was so interesting. The main plot had some twists to keep you guessing what would happen next, while Lafayette Jones' penny dreadful provided some excellent humor, and Mr. King's penny dreadful had a bit of mystery and romance. It was also interesting to see the parallels between the main story and the two penny dreadfuls.
I just had a ton of fun reading this book.
Totally one of my picks for the best books of 2020.
5 stars.
I read an ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.