Ratcatcher - James McGee

Ratcatcher by James McGee is the first in the series about Matthew Hawkwood one of the 19th Century Bow Street Runners. There is true historical fact been used in the book from the back drop of the story, the fact that the Bow Street Runners were the elite force of their time containing no more than 10 members and the history behind the submarine development. It is clear from the way these historical facts have been blended with a fictional story so well that James McGee has done his research into both what life was like and then what he wanted to protray to his readers. The story is set in London to the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars and the ...  Read the complete review

Set in London sometime during the Napoleonic wars, RATCATCHER is a novel that at first glance shows a lot of promise but somehow tails off and bogs itself down in top-heavy plot as it draws towards the end. Which is a shame as the lead character, Matthew Hawkwood is an intriguing one and very likeable as the lead. Basically, the book opens with a coach robbery by highwaymen who appear to have an alternate agenda than just stealing riches from the nobility. One of the passengers is carrying important documents and it seems as though this is what the robbers are really after. Hawkwood is the man charged with discovering the criminals responsible in a city full ...  Read the complete review