Reviewed by True
TITLE: The Gentleman’s Thief
SERIES: Resurrectionist #2
AUTHOR: Isobel Starling
PUBLISHER: Self-Publishing
RELEASE DATE: June 12, 2020
LENGTH: 387 pages
BLURB:
Tuesday 28th December 1897. Mr. Benedict Hannan, the owner of Hannan’s Auction House in Fitzrovia, London, receives an unexpected visitor at his Bloomsbury home. The man on his stoop sends Benedict’s heart into a flutter, and on inviting the mysterious stranger into his house, he is inviting mystery, adventure, and volcanic desire.
Sebastian Cavell—master thief, gives the impression he has sought out Benedict for the sake of business, but the kind of business Sebastian has in mind has nothing to do with making money!
Cavell has been tasked with finding the whereabouts of a missing German aristocrat. With Benedict’s society connections, Sebastian gains access to his Gentleman’s Club and to men whose behavior is not so gentlemanly!
Benedict is pulled into the circle of a dangerous secret society and he not only learns the truth about the mysterious Sebastian Cavell, but learns the truth about himself and all he truly desires.
REVIEW:
It’s the year 1897, men are not allowed to lay with men.
Benedict Hannan is fifty years old and doesn’t want to be touched, only, being near Sebastian Cavell gives his skin opposite sensations. He yearns to be touched by him.
Cavell is thirty-five years old and among other things he’s a thief, he observed Benedict for months before he approached him. He’s smitten by Benedict and sees him as the man he is, who prefers men over women, wise, integer, and attractive.
Benedict has all kinds of feelings for Cavell, he’s is struggling, his religion and his lust don’t combine.
Cavell must find and return a pretty young baron to his parents. He needs Benedict’s help. There is a cult of men using chemicals and lust to hold a young man in their claws. Their leader wants Benedict to join the cult so he can enjoy the fluids of the young beauty. Benedict doesn’t understand why they especially want him.
I didn’t verify it but historically the story felt plausible. This author always writes in a way as if you’re there, in the past, everything is so clearly visible. It’s a widely written narrative, there is a lot going on, quite intriguing, with secret rooms, smugglers tunnels, occultism, spiritualism, theosophy, christianity, rituals, but also aristocrats, ballrooms, tea, beautiful dresses, all in the spirit of that particular time.
While the big picture is good and captivating, the pace of the story was a little slow for me, sometimes I lost my focus. In relation to the intriguing plot, the outcome at the very end was for me a bit disappointing, but that’s on me.
Overall it all made sense, I did enjoy this story and certainly felt the atmosphere of that time.
RATING: 
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