This is a nice change of pace from other Michael Crichton books like Jurassic Park and Timeline. It removes the sci-fi part of the narrative and replaces it with historical testimony and brings you back in time to Victorian England. This book was a lot of fun to read and had some very well-defined characters. The main burglar, Edward Pierce, is very cunning and humorous - constantly showing us how he can wiggle his way out of almost any situation.

While reading this book it reminded me very much of Inception - It starts out with the planning of this seemingly impossible job, and then the mastermind starts to slowly work a team together to assist in puling this off. One thing about this story that some people may find issue with is similar to Moby Dick, Michael Crichton likes to go off topic at times to further explain a technical or historical fact. I myself found these idiosyncrasies enjoyable and added a lot to the story. It might seem like there's no point when you first come across one, but then you realize how he's able to tie it into the story as a whole. Although Jurassic Park is my favorite Michael Crichton book I would highly recommend this one, especially if you like historical thrillers and love trains.

Warning: Reading this book will make you want to rob a train.