India Black and the Gentleman Thief by Carol K Carr Series: Madam of Espionage #4
Published by Berkley on February 4, 2014
Genres: Historical Mystery
Pages: 320
Format: eBook
Source: Library
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India Black double life operating a high-class brothel and running high-stakes espionage for Her Majesty’s government can take its toll. But there’s no rest for the weary — particularly when an international conspiracy comes knocking…
India Black is one of Victorian London’s most respected madams—not a bloody postmistress. So when Colonel Francis Mayhew forwards a seemingly innocuous shipping bill to her address, she’s puzzled. And when three thugs bust down her door, steal the envelope, and rough up both her and fellow agent French … well, that’s enough to make India Black see red.
The veteran spies soon discover that Mayhew has been butchered in his own bedroom. An impromptu investigation leads them to London’s docks, where India makes a startling discovery she can’t bear to tell the rakish French — she has a history with their chief suspect, the gentleman thief who once stole her heart.
On the heels of nearly being blown sky-high by a secret group of anarchists, India Black is confronted by a mysterious letter, a bloody gang set on recovering it, and a trail that leads to her own past all while India is hunting down her family history and trying to pin down a squirming honorable, duty-bound spy. Carol K Carr’s series has entertained me all along so that I was sorry to arrive at the last series installment.
India Black and the Gentleman Thief is the fourth in the Madam of Espionage series set in Victorian era London. The books are strongly connected so really need to be read in order. In fact, this one literally picks up during the same wee morning hours the previous book closed.
India has had an eventful night and just wants to prop her feet up and slug down a good whiskey while getting French to give up the goods on what he knows about her family. He barely opens his mouth when a letter is delivered meant for an army colonel who frequents her girls and she’s requested to hold the letter until the colonel can retrieve it.
But, the unexpected visits aren’t over because not long after, she is assaulted in her own place by a competent crew breaking in to retrieve that letter.
Naturally, India and French aren’t letting this go and are off on another case that involves military weapons stolen and sold by a ruthless criminal organization. India is in a dither because one of the principal players was an old flame who was crooked through and through, but a charmer nonetheless. How to work a case with French while keeping the keen spy in the dark…
India had a delightful way of annoying straight suit French throughout this series and she does it on purpose. This was never more obvious than in this one when she’s trying to push him to act on their mutual attraction. It also niggles her that he’s engaged to a perfectly sweet, well-born woman who’s a real prize, but she soon works out that French feels the same way when he learns of her ‘gentleman thief’ connection. Speaking of the Gentleman Thief, I enjoyed how this one elaborated a little on India’s prostitute years and then how she came to have her own brothel.
They’re up against a brutal gang and so this was less light-hearted and madcap than earlier books though with the reappearance of the old dowager marchioness, the laughs are readily available.
India Black and the Gentleman Thief ends up the last in the series, but I’ve been told that this was never meant to be the final book. And, upon completion, I’m not sure. Each book has a standalone mystery that is wrapped up, but there was one interesting thread left dangling here that could lead to other cases. India gets the answers about her mysterious family past, but I felt it was still up in the air because she hadn’t made a decision about what she was going to do about it. As to her crackling chemistry with French? That was left the most in the air though there were clear indicators which way it was going. So, who knows? Let’s just say it wasn’t a terrible place to end, but I could have used more.
All in all, it was a solid installment in the series and I enjoyed it. I’m glad to have finally finished these and recommend them for those who want a historical mystery series that gets one into hysterical laughter on occasion.
As a lifelong reader, it was inevitable that Sophia would discover book blogs and the joy of blog reviewing.Sophia is a prolific reader and audiobook listener which allows her to experience so many wonderful books, authors, and narrators.Few genres are outside her reading tastes, but her true love is fiction particularly history, mystery, sci-fi, and romance.Though, sorry, no horror or she will run like Shaggy and Scooby.
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So she never ends up with French? It does sound like there should be more books if that was just left up in the air. Glad to hear you enjoyed the series even so.
Yeah, it wrapped up some threads and left others wide open so it felt like this series was meant to continue, but for some reason, didn’t. That romance has been building throughout the series. Then again, I recently finished up another series where the author blew up a series long relationship in the very last chapters of the final book. 🙁
Oh my I do so dislike when we get threads wrapped up, but others left open. Though this series does sound interesting. I’m glad to see you have enjoyed it. Thank you for the wonderful review on this maybe final installment in Madam of Espionage.
I was really into these and this one never felt like a final book, but I can find no evidence that it continued on even as an indie series. 🙁 I do wish I could have known how their personal stories finished plus there were a couple cases where the villain got away even though they solved it that it felt that there would be more about them later.
Hmm, sounds like another book is coming.
It does seem that way, but its been years so I don’t have a lot of hope there. 🙁
One day I’ll read more of this series LOL
I really hope she does some day come back and wrap it all up.
Oooh…this one sounds really interesting! I love the image of her kicking her feet up after a significant event to relax…only to dive into another!
Great review, Sophia.
Yes, these were highly entertaining, Angie! She just can’t seem to avoid trouble. 🙂 Thanks for stopping!
Glad you enjoyed it. The dress on the cover is so pretty!
Yes, love the Victorian fashion in all the jewel tones on each of these covers.