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gio_thomas's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
pagesofash's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Rampament homophobia ruined a perfectly good mystery novel. It's not 'historically accurate' it's just being an asshole.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, and Murder
Moderate: Ableism and Classism
Minor: Rape and Colonisation
dmcke013's review against another edition
3.0
Stand-alone novel(ette) by Bernard Cornwell, that takes place after The Napoleonic Wars: it's 1817 or thereabouts, London, and many of the soldiers who survived Waterloo have fallen on hard times.
Rider Sandman is one such.
With his father having committed suicide to avoid family debts, and with Sandman forced to sell his commission and give up the woman he loves, he takes a job as an investigator: initially meant to 'prove' (by force, if needs be) a condemned mans guilt, he finds himself questioning that very guilt
If I'm honest, this took me a bit to get into: it didn't quite grab me as much from the get-go as most of Cornwell's other works do. I don't know whether that was because of the prologue, describing the horrific details of a public hanging, or whether because I was expecting Sandman to be more of a Sharpe figure than he is, but once I got over the first few chapters it did grip me more and more, to the point where - at times - I almost couldn't put it down!
Rider Sandman is one such.
With his father having committed suicide to avoid family debts, and with Sandman forced to sell his commission and give up the woman he loves, he takes a job as an investigator: initially meant to 'prove' (by force, if needs be) a condemned mans guilt, he finds himself questioning that very guilt
If I'm honest, this took me a bit to get into: it didn't quite grab me as much from the get-go as most of Cornwell's other works do. I don't know whether that was because of the prologue, describing the horrific details of a public hanging, or whether because I was expecting Sandman to be more of a Sharpe figure than he is, but once I got over the first few chapters it did grip me more and more, to the point where - at times - I almost couldn't put it down!
timgrubbs's review against another edition
5.0
A wonderful Napoleonic mystery with a highly engaging setting…
Gallows Thief by Bernard Cornwell is a standalone novel about a British officer down on his luck and hired to investigator an accused murderer’s guilt days before his meeting with the Hangman.
True…this is technically a mystery historical novel, but I was much more deeply interested in the world Cornwell created than the mystery of the young man’s guilt.
The lead character (and the POW for a majority of the book) is Rider Sandman, a veteran of Waterloo and respected cricket player (SOOOO Much cricket talk in this book) hired to investigate on behalf of the London government. Of course…they don’t actually want him to do anything…but a man of honor won’t just take money for nothing…
What follows is a fascinating tour through the dark parts of London society including play houses, artist studios, the Old Bailey, secret degenerate clubs, and cricket fields as Sandman crosses paths with a host of wild characters…some are allies, some of enemies, some are allies that become enemies and vice versa, and some are just quirky characters that help to shape this world.
I honestly could have cared less if they cut out the mystery elements, but those were the means to an end for Sandman to go around and cross paths with various figures…
The book has a wide host of various slang and terminology which they helpfully explain…and it captures the impact of the end of Napoleon on various elements of London society (most notably the soldiers who survived and those pampered londoners that never served).
I really liked this, and it’s a shame there aren’t more with these characters.
Gallows Thief by Bernard Cornwell is a standalone novel about a British officer down on his luck and hired to investigator an accused murderer’s guilt days before his meeting with the Hangman.
True…this is technically a mystery historical novel, but I was much more deeply interested in the world Cornwell created than the mystery of the young man’s guilt.
The lead character (and the POW for a majority of the book) is Rider Sandman, a veteran of Waterloo and respected cricket player (SOOOO Much cricket talk in this book) hired to investigate on behalf of the London government. Of course…they don’t actually want him to do anything…but a man of honor won’t just take money for nothing…
What follows is a fascinating tour through the dark parts of London society including play houses, artist studios, the Old Bailey, secret degenerate clubs, and cricket fields as Sandman crosses paths with a host of wild characters…some are allies, some of enemies, some are allies that become enemies and vice versa, and some are just quirky characters that help to shape this world.
I honestly could have cared less if they cut out the mystery elements, but those were the means to an end for Sandman to go around and cross paths with various figures…
The book has a wide host of various slang and terminology which they helpfully explain…and it captures the impact of the end of Napoleon on various elements of London society (most notably the soldiers who survived and those pampered londoners that never served).
I really liked this, and it’s a shame there aren’t more with these characters.
topdragon's review against another edition
4.0
Gallows Thief is the 13th book I've read by Bernard Cornwell and, surprisingly, I've never read one from the Sharpe series for which he is most well known. I rank his "Winter King" trilogy among the best of Arthurian literature and I am rarely disappointed with his work.
This book was a bit of a genre mix. I picked it up thinking historical novel and indeed it is, taking place in 1817, shortly after the events of Waterloo. In fact, the protagonist, Rider Sandman, was an officer in that battle but now finds himself in London, unemployed and in need of some coin. He is contracted by the Home Secretary and former Prime Minister, Henry Addington to investigate the accuracy of a guilty murder verdict for one Charles Corday, an apprentice painter now locked up in Newgate prison awaiting the hangman's noose. It seems the Queen herself is interested in the matter and has doubts that Mr. Corday is the actual murderer. So yes, the novel is set in 1817 London but it is largely a detective/mystery novel. And a fine one it is. Sandman's investigation is conducted over a seven day stretch and, as the book cover says, "takes him from the bowels of Newgate to the scented drawing rooms of the ruthless and powerful, and into the darkest shadows of the filthy, bustling city." A very nice read.
Someday, I'm going to have to get around to those Sharpe novels...
This book was a bit of a genre mix. I picked it up thinking historical novel and indeed it is, taking place in 1817, shortly after the events of Waterloo. In fact, the protagonist, Rider Sandman, was an officer in that battle but now finds himself in London, unemployed and in need of some coin. He is contracted by the Home Secretary and former Prime Minister, Henry Addington to investigate the accuracy of a guilty murder verdict for one Charles Corday, an apprentice painter now locked up in Newgate prison awaiting the hangman's noose. It seems the Queen herself is interested in the matter and has doubts that Mr. Corday is the actual murderer. So yes, the novel is set in 1817 London but it is largely a detective/mystery novel. And a fine one it is. Sandman's investigation is conducted over a seven day stretch and, as the book cover says, "takes him from the bowels of Newgate to the scented drawing rooms of the ruthless and powerful, and into the darkest shadows of the filthy, bustling city." A very nice read.
Someday, I'm going to have to get around to those Sharpe novels...
ashking6's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
howardbatey's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
msgrant81's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
markopalski's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5