Gallows Thief

It's a Bernard Cornwell novel (narrated by Jonathan Keeble, which automatically makes it one of Cornwell's best novels) and knows exactly what it wants to do, and it does it. Yet it's not really boilerplate Cornwell– it's notable as a Cornwell novel because it speaks to his skill as a writer, at knowing exactly what his goals are and accomplishing them.

Notably, this is a murder mystery with political themes and a keen interest in sports. There are some action scenes, but no battle scenes, which (as I've said in previous reviews of Cornwell's novels) are some of his strongest and most able writing. No one writes huge battles like Bernard Cornwell. Comparitively, this novel is borderline Austen– but not really. The romance is actually mostly offscreen, another unusual choice for Cornwell, who loves to make his leading heroes writhe and pine (or lust) over the women they desire. The political animus of the novel is surprising as well; it goes out of its way to be about the evils of capital punishment, and how government-sanctioned death is abhorrent.

And it all totally, completely works, because Bernard Cornwell knows exactly what his strengths are, and he plays on them without hesitation. The historical research is lovely and vibrant, the characters are interesting and their interactions are fun and frequently funny. The main character is an ex-soldier with financial problems and a temper, something that's not altogether unheard of for Cornwell or fiction in general, but the way that he fights against his worse nature creates fascinating tension. I'll read a book about a man fighting against his own internal toxic masculinity any day.

If you like Cornwell, you'll like this book. If you like murder mysteries, you'll like this book. If you'd like a less marriage-and-tea-parties focus on the Regency Era, you'll like this book. If you like cricket, you'll like this book. And if you hate the death penalty, you'll like this book. I couldn't recommend it to everyone, but if you want a nice, lush bit of historical fiction that is relatively light (though very much not a comfort read, it's not cozy by any stretch of the imagination), this is an excellent choice.

I love books that describe a time period so well. All the flash language stuff was terrific. I haven't read a bad book by Cornwell yet.