If you love the Sharpe, Uthred, Grail or Arthur Novels... this is probably not the book for you.

This is unlike any other Cornwell book i've read. It's very heavy and very slow. The cover is also very misleading, while i Understand the placement of the portrait, a silhouette of the hangman's nose would be much more accurate and atmospherical given the only swordplay is brief and inconsequential.

That being said it's not a bad read, only different to anything I've experienced from the author before and not what i was expecting.

If, however, you enjoy the works of Agatha Christie, then this will be for you. This is a mystery more than anything else, only with Bernard Cornwell's unique ability to create set a scene.

This was my review for Kaiwaka Library...

Rider Sandman, late Captain of the 52nd Regiment of Foot, is a hero of Waterloo but now finds himself rather poor and without future prospects. He struggles to support his mother and sister in a modest style, given the luxury they once lived in before their father and husband ripped off many in the aristocracy and then killed himself.

Rider sold his Army commission and therefore is not entitled to the half pay other former officers receive. He's a man of honour, if not cash. He makes some money by gambling, but detests bribery and corruption. He will not take a bribe to loose a game of cricket, at which he excels; he does get paid to play the game, though, which helps.

The Home Office offers Rider a temporary position as Investigator, to look into a case where an artist apparently raped and murdered the Countess he was painting - the artist's aunt has the ear of the Queen, and that cannot be ignored, but it is entirely expected that the investigation will confirm the guilty verdict and hanging sentence. He has a week before the sentence is to be carried out.

And then as he starts to ask questions, life starts to get interesting...

If you've followed my book reviews in the past, you may be aware that I've read a few books by Bernard Cornwell before, and have enjoyed them very much. This one does not disappoint, and is a great adventure from start to finish.

Before I even write about this book I need to say that I’ve just found out that this is the author who wrote the Sharpe series! My grandad loved Sharpe, so I think I may download one to see what it’s like.

This book was very good! Set in the 1800s, it’s main theme is the use of hanging as corporeal punishment. We follow the fortunes of Rider Sandman; once a gentleman of wealth, he has fallen on hard times after his father lost all of their money and then died, leaving Rider and his family penniless and their lives changed. Rider was engaged to be married to a lady, but since losing his gentlemanly status, her mother forbids it.

We also learn that Rider is a very accomplished cricketer, to the point where he is quite famous, but he refuses to participate in rigged matches, and so rarely plays.

Furthermore, Rider was a captain in the army and fought at Waterloo, as well as many other places.

It is while he’s down on his fortunes that the Home Secretary summons him to investigate the sentencing of a young artist, Corday. Corday has been found guilty of murdering a lady while she sat for him, but due to his mother (who is in the Queen’s court) petitioning the Queen, it has to be investigated to be sure that Corday is guilty.

The story follows Rider’s search for the truth, lots of historical facts (over 500 people were hung between 1816 and 1820, but this was only around a tenth of the actual number of people who were sentenced to hang, as people petitioned and then sentences were commuted), and a lot of grim, vivid detail about Newgate and The Old Bailey where the hangings happened.

Very interesting, would recommend!

As witnessed by my 5 start rating I thought this was a fabulous book. I am not sure if listening to it in audio form rather than reading it affected my enjoyment but when a book makes you put in extra time at the gym so you can listen to more, it's gotta be good.
Set in 1817, two years after the Battle of Waterloo, Rider Sandman is no longer engaged to the woman he loves, has given up his commission in the army and no longer enjoys the privilege that money affords. Not being able to support himself on what he makes from playing cricket, he accepts a job from the home secretary to confirm the guilt of a convicted murderer.
The story is filled with references to cricket and even though I don't understand the game at all, it only added to the story. Whether characters had large or small parts they were all memorable, though you have to wait for the last half of the book to get much action. It is not a deep or complicated mystery but the end is satisfying.
I would be happy to have Bernard Cornwell continue this series though at present it looks to stay a stand alone book.

I loved Gallows Thief and was disappointed to see there are no follow up books to the story. I think it's my favorite Cornwell novel to date. Perhaps even more so than The Last Kingdom, which is saying something.

It's not Cornwell's most sweeping or action-packed story, but it's probably the one I've read the most often. It's one of the coziest books I've read and that's a big part of why I come back to it so often. I would love to see Cornwell write of the further adventures of Rider Sandman, Lord Alexander, Sam Berrigan, and Sally Hood.