Gallows Thief

Title: Gallows Thief

Author: Bernard Cornwell

Published in: 2001

Date read: 1st February 2017

Score: 4/5

Genre: Historical fiction, Crime, Mystery

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"Gallows Thief" by Bernard Cornwell is a historical mystery novel set in London in 1817, in the immediate aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars. It explores the grim realities of capital punishment and the pervasive corruption of the era.

The protagonist is Rider Sandman, a former captain and hero of Waterloo. Despite his distinguished military service, his family has fallen into financial ruin, forcing him to live in reduced circumstances. Desperate for money, he reluctantly accepts a unique and distasteful job: an "investigator" for the Home Secretary, Lord Sidmouth. His first assignment is to review a petition for mercy from a condemned man.

The case concerns Charles Corday, a talented portrait painter who has been sentenced to death for the brutal murder of the Countess of Avebury. The evidence against Corday seems overwhelming, and Lord Sidmouth makes it clear that he expects Sandman to simply rubber-stamp the verdict and obtain a confession before the hanging, which is scheduled in just a week.

However, as Sandman begins his investigation, he quickly uncovers inconsistencies and suspicious details that make him doubt Corday's guilt. The Countess was found stabbed with Corday's palette knife, and her clothes were torn, suggesting rape. Her maid, Meg, was present at the house but strangely disappeared after the incident and did not testify at the trial.

Sandman's investigation takes him through the varied strata of Regency London, from the squalid cells of Newgate Prison, where condemned men await their fate, to the opulent drawing rooms and exclusive gentlemen's clubs of the aristocracy. He encounters a range of characters, including the Earl of Avebury (the Countess's estranged husband), the enigmatic young Marquess of Skavadale (a member of a debauched gentlemen's club called the Seraphim Club), his former fiancée Eleanor Forrest, and various underworld figures.

As Sandman peels back the layers of deception and silence, he suspects a conspiracy among powerful, privileged individuals who believe they are above the law. He discovers that the Seraphim Club, composed of young aristocratic rakes, might be involved, and that their members are known for committing crimes for amusement.

The novel builds to a tense climax as Sandman races against the clock to find the missing maid, Meg, and uncover the true killer before Corday is led to the gallows. He eventually unearths a shocking truth involving blackmail, secret affairs, and a desperate act of violence. "Gallows Thief" is a compelling standalone mystery that vividly portrays the social injustices and brutal legal system of 19th-century England.

Comments:
I loved this, thoroughly entertained and enjoyed it being a stand-alone novel unlike the Sharpe books.

Books that we've read by Bernard Cornwell (28):
Sharpe's Eagle (Sharpe, #8) (1981), Sharpe's Gold (Sharpe, #9) (1981), Sharpe's Company (Sharpe, #13) (1982), Sharpe's Sword (Sharpe, #14) (1983), Sharpe's Enemy (Sharpe, #15) (1984), Sharpe's Honour (Sharpe, #16) (1985), Sharpe's Regiment (Sharpe, #17) (1986), Redcoat (1987), Sharpe's Siege (Sharpe, #18) (1987), Sharpe's Rifles (Sharpe, #6) (1988), Sharpe's Revenge (Sharpe, #19) (1989), Sharpe's Waterloo (Sharpe, #20) (1990), Sharpe's Devil (Sharpe, #22) (1992), Sharpe's Battle (Sharpe, #12) (1995), Sharpe's Tiger (Sharpe, #1) (1997), Sharpe's Triumph (Sharpe, #2) (1998), Sharpe's Fortress (Sharpe, #3) (1999), Sharpe's Prey (Sharpe, #5) (2000), Sharpe's Trafalgar (Sharpe, #4) (2000), Gallows Thief (2001), Heretic (The Grail Quest, #3) (2003), Sharpe's Havoc (Sharpe, #7) (2003), The Last Kingdom (The Saxon Stories, #1) (2004), Sharpe's Escape (Sharpe, #10) (2004), Sharpe's Fury (Sharpe, #11) (2005), The Pale Horseman (The Saxon Stories, #2) (2006), Sword Song (The Saxon Stories, #4) (2007), Lords of the North (The Saxon Stories, #3) (2007)