I had no idea Crichton had ever published a piece of historical fiction, but he pulled this one off so well that I might have to check to see if he has any more. This book brilliantly presents all of the most fascinating aspects of Victorian England's culture while unfolding the brilliant but reckless scheme behind a remarkable train burglary. Crichton packaged history into a suspenseful storyline, judiciously choosing historical details that would be tantalizing both to a history major and someone looking for a light read. The book chronicles the early years of England's organized criminal justice system in a palatable way; other juicy details include bloody massacres in colonial India and the outlandish precautions taken in burial due to the Victorian horror of being buried alive. I really wish there were a postscript detailing how Crichton was able to dig up the slang used by the criminal class--it was an absolutely incomprehensible English dialect--and how accurate the slang was.

I couldn't give it more than 3 stars--the aforementioned historical details were sordid at times and I look for something in any novel that reinforces the nobility of humankind rather than its baseness--but I highly recommend it if you need something well-written that will increase your knowledge of British history, and simultaneously something fairly light.