Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

If you like your historical mysteries to have an almost fairytale-style feel good ending, then this is the book for you.

I enjoy Belfoure’s work immensely, and The Fallen Architect was no exception. He threads the needle of quality prose and happy ever after well, and creates terrifically evocative historic atmosphere and setting.

But the real draw of The Fallen Architect is its wonderful cast of characters. Douglas makes a terrific hero for the story, but it’s the supporting cast that truly makes the narrative feel full. The misfits of the theater world who populate the book are as lovable as they are intriguing, and if the ending of their story feels just a little too good to be true, well…you’ll get no complaints from me because I wanted it for them so badly.

Though there is less architectural history factoring into the plot here than in, say, House of Thieves, the crux of the mystery does stem from it, and while this is less academic than Belfoure’s other novels, it’s just as well-written and entertaining.

The title and cover were better than the story inside. The premise did not set the right expectations for the story itself. The pacing was very slow as well. I had a really hard time connecting with this story.

The premise of this book was intriguing. Douglas Layton is the fallen architect. In 1900 London, part of a theater he designs collapses, injuring many and killing fourteen. He is convicted of murder and spends five years in prison. When he is released, he is disgraced and maligned and must adopt a new identity to move forward in his life. He becomes Frank Own and with his artistic background, he paints the scenes used in the theater, where he meets and befriends a host of eclectic variety theater performers. Soon, Layton discovers that the theater accident that sent him to prison was no accident. He then tries to find out who did it and their motives so that he can clear his name. In the meantime, he falls in love with Cissie, the theater manager, reconnects with his lost son, and realizes past mistakes.

While I generally enjoyed this book, I couldn't give it more than five stars because it often seemed to go off on tangents that were unnecessary and detracted from the flow of the the novel. For example, I didn't need to know about all the many performances, shows, jokes, etc. for the theater. Belfoure almost wanted this to be not just a mystery but an exposé on theater life in early twentieth century London. In my opinion, it needed editing.

For a mystery, there were also way too many suspects and motives. Every way Layton turned, he found someone who had a reason to cause the theater collapse...but doesn't suspect the true culprit until the very end, and he/she has his own personal motive. While I liked the twist and the ultimate culprit, I thought that he/she should have been part of the mix earlier. There were too many red herrings.

This was not what I expected at all... It moved at a glacial pace, after starting well, and the focus seemed different than the blurb suggested. I had a hard time connecting with the main character too. All in all it just felt like a slog to me - it just wasn't a good fit. There wasn't anything wrong with it, I just never connected with the story...

I wanted to read this book because of its title, it is rare that i come across thrillers featuring architects and i always thought it was an "under represented" profession in the thrillers world, although i think it has a lot of potentiel. I was actually excited about it.
That said, i was then really disappointed by the whole thing, the book seemed endless and it became tiring to just pick it up.

I enjoyed the beginning of the book and the promise of a good story. Set in the England of the turn of the century, i found it interesting to read about it from the point of view of an architect.
But then, what was supposed to be a thriller, a story of a fallen architect accused of bringing down a balcony in the theatre and causing many deaths, only to discover after spending years in prison that there was a bigger conspiracy, turned out to be 20% investigation (if one can really call it that) and 80% an exposé on variety theatres, the gigs and actors and most importantly the never ending comparison between the common people and the aristocracy. I lost count of the times "society ladies" or common people do this but the aristocracy does this came in the different chapters, from the smallest detail like buying flowers, to the most urgent matters like murder, this comparison was present. It was rather annoying, as if the author has a grudge or something with the upper class of the 19th-20th century England, i mean it was totally beside the point, especially that it was continuously repeated.

The story in itself had a lot of potentiel but the fact that it drowned within all description/comparison, made it seem almost irrelevant, just throwing in a new discovery made by chance or luck in each chapter. The end did surprise me a little, but it was wrapped up so fast in two pages and seemed a bit over the top.
One last thing, there were also a couple of annoyingly disturbing "cultural references" that bothered me. Maybe they seem inconsequential for most readers, but for me it made me like this book even less.

I was really planning to write a short review, but i got carried away. I guess this disappointment came from expecting too much and finding too little to the story.

Charles Belfoure has many fans of his writing, and I now count myself among them.

As one may guess with the title, Douglas Layton is an architect who has lost it all. In a music hall of his design located in London, a balcony collapses, and many people die. Douglas believes he is not at fault, and he must have been framed. Nonetheless, he is charged and spends five years in prison.

After his release, Douglas starts anew with a different name and career as a set painter. His job is not easy, nor quiet when he finds dead bodies hidden in the theatre where he is working. He knows that these bodies are tied to the balcony collapse, and he has to prove it.

Belfoure’s writing is silky smooth, and his enthralling and well-researched mystery held my interest throughout. All I learned about architecture was fascinating along with the added fun of the London setting and theatre tidbits.

Overall, terrific storytelling with a unique storyline, Belfoure’s newest book is a skillfully and cleverly executed satisfying tale of one’s search for vindication.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you for the opportunity to have this egalley.

The concept of the story is somewhat mysterious and fascinating since I liked architecture. The premise of this story without diving to the story is quite drawing you into it. But to be honest, the story is quite dragging. I don't know if it is me or the narration of the story is boring and unappealing. Yes, we get the fact that Douglas Layton had a tragic events that leads into him losing everything. But every chapter is giving me the vibes to put it down and take a long nap.

Interesting historical mystery. Set in early 1900s London, it follows the path that Douglas Layton tracks as he tries not only to solve a series of murders but also to redeem himself. Was it Layton's fault the balcony he designed fell or was something else afoot? There are details of theater halls, good atmospherics, and a complicated mystery. This has the benefit of Belfoure's real background as an architect but that's less important than the question of what's really going on. Thanks to net galley for the ARC.

Charles Balfoure, in The Fallen Architect, introduces the reader to architect Douglas Layton as he exits prison. Layton has spent five years there having been found guilty of faulty design of the Britannia Theater. Many lost their lives in this disaster. He knows he is. It responsible and ends up trying to figure out what and who caused the accident. He luckily finds work painting backdrops in a theater where he finds love and help in his quest to clear his name. I enjoyed the way relationships developed in this well paced novel.

When the Britannia Theatre's balcony collapses, more than a dozen people were killed and more than that were badly injured. Douglas Layton was the architect who designed the theatre and so he took the blame for the tragedy, and was sentenced to 5 years in prison. After he completes his sentence, he emerges with plans to find out who really was responsible and why he was set up.
I love historical novels and this one was excellent. Set in the early 1900's, the author painted the picture so vividly that I felt like I was there watching everything unfold. The storyline was captivating and I was anxious to find out all the answers to the puzzle. I highly recommend this book.

I loved Belfoure's first book, The Paris Architect, as did thousands of other readers. I really liked his second book, House of Thieves, but his latest was just 'meh' for me. The story begins with an architect being released from five years of prison for manslaughter following the collapse of a balcony at his newly-built London theater. As Layton attempts to rebuild his life and forge a new identity, he also becomes enmeshed in the search for the true culprits of the tragedy. My problem with this book was the weak characterization; I never felt deeply drawn to any of them, the main characters or the minor ones, though I did kinda like some of the quirky theater folks and the love interest was kind of a badass. The second half was decidedly better, but I would have liked richer more complex development of the main players.

Mr Belfoure definitely knows how to tell a story and join imagined historical scenarios (all within magnificent eras and tragic little-known to fresh disasters) with his profession of being an architect but I cannot honestly say I found his newest fictional release as memorable or one I was racing home to finish such as I did with House of Thieves. In that particular blending of Gilded Age fiction with silver screen fast-paced drama (think Wharton meets Gangs of New York and Road to Perdition), I couldn't turn the pages fast enough and it actually topped my list of recommendations as one of the best novels I picked up in 2015; sadly all those entertaining sparks of urgency to solve anything, captivating veils of danger, sparkling dialogue and cast of multifaceted likeable characters were all missing in The Fallen Architect and I turned the final page with many mixed negative reactions. Such a shame after I had been waiting with a high level of excitement for this title, couldn't stop rereading the premise with such ideas of what I would be greeted by (or what I would learn) but that all seems to be my luck this year with new fictional releases. All that aside, I still look forward to Mr Belfoure's next novel (reportedly set during the final months of the last ruling Romanov dynasty) like I started this short review this author definitely knows how to tell a story.

*With thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for kindly sending me an advanced copy of The Fallen Architect

An enjoyable historic mystery. An architect is blamed for the death of 14 people when a balcony collapses in a public building he designs. He is convicted of their murder and the novel opens with his release from jail several years later. Yes, this novel takes a good bit of suspension of belief to get going. (Huh? Why blame the architect? Murder? Where’s the motive, pre-meditation?). Anyway, there are more leaps of faith to come. The convict reinvents himself and creates a new identity which, coincidentally leads him to other crimes in other similar buildings ... Ultimately, he’s on the case to see who is behind the murders he’s blamed for, why and how.

It will not come as a surprise that I found these logical leaps to much to make for this story to come together for me. But, if you tend to read without puzzling out the crime, an entertaining read.

I really enjoyed both of Belfoure's earlier books, and his third does not disappoint. The prologue instantly draws you in and the rest of the story is equally propulsive and interesting. Belfoure does a really great job of drawing you in to a particular time and place, and this was a fascinating visit to turn-of-the-century London.

I hadn't read any previous novels by Charles Belfoure so this was a bit of a random choice for me. I'm glad I took it. Douglas Layton is an up and coming architect in the early 20th century, having come from a very humble background, a fact he goes to some lengths to hide. When the Britannia Theatre, which he has designed, is the site is a great disaster he has to take the blame and ends up imprisoned. I love the details bringing to life theatres, and the acts of the day that were popular ( very non PC by today's standards!). On release from prison Douglas has to build a new life for himself and some grim discoveries lead him to try and clear his name. The unusual subject matter and setting make for an interesting read.

I absolutely loved the historical fiction masterpiece by Charles Belfoure, The Paris Architect. When I saw he had a new novel coming, I KNEW I had to get my greedy little book-loving hands on it!

Another slice of history wrapped in a riveting plot:



Architect Douglas Layton has lost everything. The balcony of one of his beautiful music halls collapsed during a packed performance, killing dozens. Layton knows the flaw was not in his design; someone else must have caused the dreadful catastrophe. But with no proof and a hoard of furious Londoners screaming for blood, someone has to take the fall-and Layton finds himself facing a five-year prison sentence.

When he is finally freed, Layton is determined to start over. With a new name and identity, he takes a job as a set painter. But as Layton begins to discover dead bodies hidden within theatre halls across London, it soon becomes clear that something darker is chasing him. When he unearths a clue that ties the bodies to the disaster that ruined him, he knows that redemption is within his reach…unless the culprit gets to him first.



This one will be read in the near future. I am trying to read various genres to shake up my reading habits!

Tragedy hits a London theater when a balcony collapses causing the deaths of a dozen people. The blame falls on the architect, Douglas Layton, and he is sent to prison for five years. When he is released he must make a choice, start a brand new life or crawl into a bottle to numb the pain. Like his previous book, "House of Thieves" I learned so much from this book! The backstage life of a London theater and the syndicates that ran them was fascinating and very well researched. The many people involved from the drawing of a building to its completion and the fractured world of the class divisions in 1905 England were well written and intriguing. Douglas Layton's journey from total loss to beginning a new life was an amazing journey that I found compelling and hard to step away from to deal with reality. Wonderful read that I highly recommend!

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC.

Douglas Layton, son of a humble stonemason, cheats his way through Britain's social ranks and becomes a well respected architect. That is, until the Britannia Empire Theatre that he designed comes crashing down. Convicted for the many dead and wounded he spends the next five years in prison. After his release he decides to reinvent himself and becomes Frank Owen, although throughout the book his new name is hardly used. He finds himself a job as a scenic artist for the Nottingham Grand Imperial Theatre and starts his new life.
By accident Layton finds a body buried in the theatre wall and pretty soon more bodies turn up. They all seem connected to the disaster that put him in jail a few years back. Was the collapse of the theatre really an accident or was it sabotage? While he investigates there's still a show to run.

At the beginning of the book I had a nagging feeling about Layton. His whole life seemed a lie and I couldn't trust him. But as he gets adjusted to his role in the theatre and starts interacting with all the quirky characters his trustworthy self comes out and he's definitely one of the good guys.

I enjoyed the descriptions of life in the theatre and got to know all the acts pretty well. I also liked exploring the social ladder and the greed among the ones that make and eventually break the rules.
The Fallen Architect is a wonderful mix of historical fiction and good mystery. Well written and moving at a pleasant pace. An entertaining read.

I found this book to be refreshingly unique, and made easy connections with the characters. The pace was steady, and interest never wavered. I kept thinking I'd read one more chapter and then close the book... until half a dozen more chapters whizzed by. It takes a gifted author to keep you pushing on long after you planned to turn out the lights, and Mr. Belfoure is one of them. Don't pass this one by!