A Talent for Trickery by Alissa Johnson

The Thief-takers, Book 1

Synopsis: The Lady is a Thief

Years ago, Owen Renderwell earned acclaim—and a title—for the dashing rescue of a kidnapped duchess. But only a select few knew that Scotland Yard’s most famous detective was working alongside London’s most infamous thief…and his criminally brilliant daughter, Charlotte Walker.

Lottie was like no other woman in Victorian England. She challenged him. She dazzled him. She questioned everything he believed and everything he was, and he has never wanted anyone more. And then he lost her.

Now a private detective on the trail of a murderer, Owen has stormed back into Lottie’s life. She knows that no matter what they may pretend, he will always be a man of the law and she a criminal. Yet whenever he’s near, Owen has a way of making things complicated…and long for a future that can never be theirs.

 

Review: I saw some great reviews about this novel and I confess that it made me curious. It must be said that the story puts forward many characters with a historical novel based on an intriguing mystery, all complemented by a little romance.

We discover Charlotte, a young woman who tried to rebuild her life and the one of her family after the death of her father, a famous thief. A death that could have cleared their names, (since her father died while trying to save a young woman), has only benefited to one man, Owen Renderwell, who received all the credit. While she greatly appreciated the policeman when he worked with her dad, the feelings evolved into anger and sadness of such an act. But now, a new murder takes Owen back to Charlotte to have more information on her father and so to discover the identity of the killer and his motives. Alas, the welcome she reserves him is quite cold but after so many years of hard feelings, the young woman is this time determined to help the detectives, if she does not subsequently falls in love again. But as the secrets are revealed, Lottie will understand that her father was not the man she thought he was and that he hurt more people than what she thought.

I appreciated to see the relationship between our two main characters evolve over the chapters. I was quickly swept away by the events at the beginning of the novel, but it is true that once passed half, I had a harder time hanging on to what was happening … the pace of the plot became slower without a lot of event happening and I had a little trouble to go back in the story.

For the rest of the book, it’s a pretty good story, and I was curious and surprised about the revelations of this family which we do not necessarily expect. The end was also quite nice and I was eager to find out why the family had been targeted this time.

It was a good story even though I expected a little more I have to admit. However, I am curious to see what will happen afterwards if we have one sequel.