House of Thieves by Charles Belfoure
In 1886 in New York City John Cross has a successful profession
as an architect, a society wife, a son who just graduated with honors from an
ivy college, a daughter that is getting ready for her coming out and a young
son who is the apple of his family’s eye.
Everything seems perfect, but all the members of this family are hiding
secrets. Each is miserable under the
constraints of society and longing to escape.
George, the eldest son, has a severe gambling problem. He is $48,000 in debt to James Kent, the
dashing leader of the gang Kent’s Gents.
When Kent learns of George’s father’s profession he has an idea. Kent approaches John Cross and asks him to
make a deal. If John helps Kent pull off
lucrative robberies by providing architectural intelligence to the gang, George
can live and a small percentage of the take will be applied to pay off his debt
after each job. John will do anything to save his son, including embark on a
life of crime. Trouble is he is actually
enjoying himself.
It was really interesting watching this proper upper middle
class family mingle with, and enjoy the company of, the lower classes Even though all the members of the Cross clan
get involved with the criminal element you still like them and hope that they
will succeed in their crimes and getting out from under Kent and his gang.
Yet another novel by this author that would make a wonderful
movie! The ending is action packed and
the reader of the audiobook does a great job with the voices, building the
tension and quickening the pace when it needs to happen. I’m looking forward to book number three.
