Ratcatcher
 RRP £6.99 Lowest New Price £1.00 
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Harper Number of pages: 480 Language: English (Original Language) Language: English (Unknown) |
RRP: £6.99
Predictable, derivative, and great fun!
Review date: 2008-10-09 Rating: 6 out of 10
As other reviewers have said, this is neither great literature nor very original. The main character is such a rip-off of Sharpe, right down to the ex-army bad-guy sidekick, the murky past, and even the scar! 'Men fear him, women love him', blah blah blah...But nobody's done the Bow Street Runners before, and this is just screaming to be a TV series. I recommend all three books to anyone who just wants an uncomplicated read.
Reviews
Really good but could have been great
Review date: 2008-08-08 Rating: 6 out of 10
This book sets off like an express train. It is atmospheric and re-creates the smoggy and murkey world of London at the turn of the 19th century, for some reason a period of history so much in fashion at the moment.
The action is gritty and in the early and middle stages very exciting, following the strivings of our hero Hawkwood, a bow street runner ( a kind of early special branch agent!) as he seeks to find a Heighway man, trackdown a missing clock maker, solve the murder of a fellow 'Runner' and scupper an evil Napeolonic plot. The hero is an ex rifleman who has served king and country both in Spain and in the West Indies and who's army career is cut short following a dual with an officer of high breeding. If this sounds a bit 'Sharpe' like, that's because it is!
Having such a cracking begining and middle I found the ending a bit dissapointing partly because all the plot lines converge too quickly on one point and partly because the formidable hero suddenly becomes a blundering idiot being bested in about 4 confrontations in a row and surviving only though blind luck and the intervention of his ex-sergeant (Sharpe! again).
Minor Spoiler!
There is also a classic James Bond moment when the bad guy instead of killing Hawkwood instead takes him along with him as he attempts to execute the culmination of his evil plot and his reasons for doing so are so contrived as to be laughable.
However despite all that, there is a nice twist in the tail, some engaging charactors and the wrting style is exciting. I believe this was a debut novel so all in all a good begining and I have put the second of the series in my shopping basket. A good book and with a better ending it could really have been great!
Another hero to follow
Review date: 2008-06-05 Rating: 8 out of 10
Yeah !!!! I was delighted with this book, which I picked up on the off chance. A heroic character with a history which is slowly revealed. Rip roaring story which just carried me along. Suitably atmospheric with it's descriptions of London of the time, it even filled in details of where the notorious rookeries were located. Changed times in central London. Very like Sharpe but a better copy than some other pale imitations . I look forward to his next adventure.
Gripping
Review date: 2008-01-17 Rating: 10 out of 10
It isn't often I get a book that I can't put down but James McGee managed to write a very gripping story about an ex soldier turner Bow Street Runner full of action, murder and love.
I picked up the book on a 3 for 2 offer just to get the offer and was gripped from the start.
From a womans point of view I grew to love Hawkwood and feared for his life many times in the book, I can't wait to read the next one, I hope it will be as good.
INCEDIBLE.........
Review date: 2007-09-20 Rating: 10 out of 10
Bought the book on a whim - and what a choice.. Best read for a long while. What a character Matty Hawkwood is - you don`t mess with him or else. A stunning read at a break neck pace, I just could`nt read it fast enough,a real rollercoaster, rollickingly good read. You must buy it ! You can even smell regency London, phew...... Brill...
Product Details/Specifications
Authors:
James McGee
Recording label: Harper
Manufacturer: Harper
EAN: 9780007236459
Binding: Paperback
ISBN: 000723645X
Number of pages: 480
Publication date: 2006-09-04
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: English (Unknown)
Tech info, cast and quotes/trivia when available. Exclusions may apply with free delivery. Price and availabiltity subject to change
