Cover Image: The Thief of Blackfriars Lane

The Thief of Blackfriars Lane

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Member Reviews

A great start to a series of a young cop Jackson and his latest pursuit of a scammer called Kit - set in Victorian London - enjoyed this one and the banter was fun. Would highly recommend this one and look forward to reading more.

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This story is full of danger, intrigue, and everything I want in a book from Michelle Griep.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love a good mystery and The Thief of Blackfriars Lane hits the mark. Set in Victorian London this book has the needed twists and turns. I highly recommend this book.

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Ah, one of my favorite authors (I don't even read the book summary anymore; I just grab it if it's a Michelle Griep novel), and my favorite historical time period and setting. Yes! I knew this book was a winner when I saw that beautifully Victorian cover.

If you are a fan of PBS Masterpiece, then I will tell you that this book has a vibe similar to Miss Scarlet and the Duke -- except that in this book, our heroine is a a bit of a thief, or at least gets her job done in slightly suspicious ways (and is not a lady detective by profession).

All in all, I am thoroughly pleased with the wild escapade I got to participate in by turning the pages of The Thief of Blackfriars Lane. Will definitely be picking up the sequel!

Content warning: For those with squeamish tendencies, there are a few sick scenes.

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Light, enjoyable take on a romantic detective romp set in the Regency England. The atmosphere was vivid, the pace was reasonably swift and the romantic tension was nice. But the historical settings also bring the dreamy, a bit unrealistic atmosphere, which goes against the real problems and the character’s need to grow when facing real challenges. Honestly, I would love for the characters to go deeper and to do deeper, real soul work.

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Title: The Thief of Blakcfriars Lane
Author: Michelle Griep

Ch: 33

Pg: 320

Genre: Christian Historical mystery, romance

Rating: 4 stars


Publisher: Barbour



I’m not going to lie I picked the one of because the title and cover were giving me Sherlock Holmes vibes. But The Thief of Blackfriars lane was so much more than that. I was hooked for the first page. But while reading it also gave me Oliver Twist vibes as well.


Constable Jackson Forge had a chip on his shoulder, and he was trying to prove himself. Kit Turner’s an “thief” with a heart of gold. Neither trust the other but they’re going to need each other to solve a crime and save Jackson’s job.


But I have to say Kit Turner was my favorite I loved her spunk and her sass. Historical fiction needs more sassy and spunky heroines. And I wish this one had a sequel. I want more Kit and Jackson adventures.


Fans of Rachel McMillan’s Herrington and Watts mysteries will enjoy this one.



I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

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The Thief of Blackfriars Lane was a story that I enjoyed reading. I felt like the pace was a bit slow, but that could have also been because I was in a sluggish reading mood when I read this and it took me a while to finish...

I liked how there were some surprises in the story. I thought the main characters were great and liked their relationship with each other.

All in all, The Thief of Blackfriars Lane was a solid historical read and I liked it.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

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The setting is what makes this book so interesting. It's very rough but suits the story perfectly. The plot is interesting and keeps the reader interested in more. What I liked the most? Must admit that the atmosphere around the story, is what made me continue reading. It felt as if I was part of the book.

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So much fun! I love these two characters, Jackson Forge and Kit Turner. From their first encounter to the end of the book. There were plenty of surprises and I loved it. It kept me turning pages, laughing, guessing, wondering, sighing, crying (ok, maybe not tears down my face crying but crying out at the characters or bad guys), and just all around enjoying my time with this book.

Michelle Griep is such a delightful author. I love the voices that she hears in her head because it means we get books like this one. I kept going back and forth between two characters who I was guessing to be the main bad guy. If you've read it, did you figure it our right away? Or were you guessing until the end?

Kit was not what she seems. I loved diving more into her history and seeing her heart. And watching Jackson start to see the real Kit was so much fun. He came to realize the same thing that I did about Kit. She is an exceptional character. The scenes between these two were my favorites, of course. I couldn't help enjoying watching their initial meeting, then subsequent meetings and the respect, trust, friendship begin to develop then more.

If you haven't read any books by this author, I highly recommend you pick one, any one, and read it!

Content: Clean. Some mild peril but nothing overly graphic. A couple deaths. Some kissing but nothing further.

I received a copy from the publisher, Barbour Publishing, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

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I enjoyed this action-packed read from Michelle Griep! I loved both Jackson and Kit. They were both realistic and relatable. What happens when a rookie constable has to team up with a spunky street thief to solve his first case? Chaos ensues and it was an enjoyable ride for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book to read and review. My opinions are my own.

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"Some days should be wadded up and thrown in a dustbin before they are finished."

The Thief of Blackfriars Lane (2021, Shiloh Run Press) by Michelle Griep is a standalone romantic mystery set in 1885 London. Ms. Griep is one of my favorite Christian fiction authors. She writes beautiful, well-researched historicals. My husband, teenage daughter, and I have all enjoyed her books.

Rating: 4 ½ stars, which I bumped down only because of the substitute swears. Most people would not have a problem with it. I wish there were a way to give 4.5 stars.

Is it clean/chaste? Yes, very!

Other content issues: Occasionally, the language isn't what I would prefer. No outright swearing, but what I consider to be substitute swearing crops up occasionally. Some examples include:

"Blast!" "What a bristlebacked son of a snake!" "What the grey goosefat are you doin' down in my neck o' the netherworld?"

Christian elements: God is referred to throughout the book in a respectful way. "May God Bless you, madam." "God's mercies were new every day." "A little help here, Lord…" "Measuring God by how people - even godly people - have mistreated you is not a good measuring stick.

The heroine: Kit Turner, 23, is the titular "thief." But… she doesn't actually steal. She's more like a con artist, playing on people's sympathies, in order to go provide for those in need - a bit of a Robin Hood figure. Deceiving people in order to do good is misguided thinking. It is always possible to do the right thing without doing a wrong thing, though it sometimes requires a leap of faith in God or some creativity.

The hero: Jackson Forge, 23, is a newly hired constable, fulfilling his childhood dream. He has a personal agenda from his past, stemming from "that ugly day he'd failed his brother" and is eager to right wrongs. However, disappointingly, his initial assignment is to guard a fabric warehouse while the other officers are given a mission to investigate the disappearance of two high-profile men from London. Jackson has a string of bad luck and isn't making a good impression on his superior officer. "What kind of constable couldn't apprehend a woman? Maybe it would be better to just turn in his uniform now before anyone realized how ill-suited he really was for this job, no matter how much he wanted it."

The plot: Kit has her own mystery - the disappearance of Joe the jarvey, her father figure. "Whoever thought to cross our Joe just crossed me as well." Then when Jackson is on the verge of being fired, his superior warns, "I will give you two days, Forge. That's forty-eight hours to find this woman's missing husband and save your job in the process. Am I clear?" The woman is Joe the jarvey's wife, which, in effect, puts Kit and Jackson on the same mission.

What I liked:

*Ms. Griep succeeded in creating a fun, atypical heroine.

*The hero and heroine were both flawed and each had something to teach the other!

What I didn’t like: Just the language issues mentioned above!

The bottom line: This unique romantic mystery full of adventure was a delight. I'd especially recommend this book to fans of historical fiction or Christian fiction. If you want to read something Christmasy for the upcoming month, try 12 Days at Bleakly Manor, which is also by Michelle Griep.

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Reading this story, the one word which kept popping up in my mind was, fun! This book was so much fun.

Both Kit and Jackson were entertaining characters with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. I enjoyed their enemies-to friends-to more relationship. The supporting characters added to the enjoyment of the story.

The plot was interesting, kept me guessing and the author’s writing was beautifully descriptive.

A great balance between fun, adventure, danger and suspense.

I wish this was the first of a series, because I would love to read more adventures where these two characters are involved.

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This was such a fun book to read and I love historical fiction. The characters where fantastic and I would read more by this author. Once again I am historical fan so this book was right up my alley. I would recommend it to everyone

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Due to a family illness, and unexpected events, I am very far behind in writing my reviews.I found my self reading one book after another without writing the review -- that was a big mistake. I truly enjoyed this book, as I do all of Ms. Griep's books. I happily gave it 5 stars.

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From sewer tunnels to the Lord Mayor's home, Michelle Griep takes the reader on an adventure through 1880's London in The Thief of Blackfriars Lane. Newly minted constable Jackson Forge is led on a merry chase, then down a rabbit hole by Kit Turner, the leader of a small gang of confidence artists who never technically break the law. Soon they are reluctantly teaming up to solve the disappearance of a cabby - out of loyalty for Kit, but self-preservation on Jackson's part as it is his last chance to prove his worth to Sergeant Graybone or leave the police force.

While Kit is street wise and the thief of the title, her purpose is altruistic and her heart is battered by her circumstances and a longing to know who her parents were. And though Jackson is dedicated to keeping people safe and putting criminals behind bars, his over-eagerness leads to snap judgements and not a few mistakes. But Kit begins to find him entertaining as well as exasperating and as the duo delve deeper into the ever expanding mystery of disappearing men, their friendship begins to grow.

I always enjoy Michelle Griep's writing and found The Thief of Blackfriars Lane to be an amusing and captivating enemies to friends to more romance that winds its way through this fast paced adventure story through, and below, the streets of London. With every twist and turn - and there are many - Kit and Jackson are endangered and challenged. Experiencing their quick thinking and growing rapport is a delight, as is the eventual resolution of multiple story threads.

A briskly paced adventure, a slow burning and tender romance, themes of family, responsibility, and faith, along with Michelle Griep's storytelling skills - this is an entertaining read that had me smiling at Kit's charming exclamations and not wanting to put it down. A must read for fans of Michelle Griep and a fine place to start for those new to her writing. Recommended.

This review refers to an ebook read through my library's Overdrive service and a temporary digital galley I voluntarily received from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. A positive review was not required and all opinions expressed are my own.

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I enjoyed reading about the era in London and the inspirational tones of the book. The romance built slowly but it was delicious. However, Kit's history and its outcome was unbelievable to me. Just to convenient how their impossible circumstances resolved. Overall though, the read was good.

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Classic Michelle Griep. Romantic. Historical. Cleverly captured plot. Mysterious. Full of twists and turns. Intriguing. Highly recommended. Five stars.

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Oh wow what roller coaster of a adventure this book was! I loved this book it was so fun. I have loved every book I have read by Michelle Griep. You can’t go wrong with her books!

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Looking for a Victorian who-done-it style mystery?
You will want to check this one out.
Michelle Griep has a great way of keeping the plot moving at a brisk pace while introducing you to a range of interesting characters.
I really loved Jackson's character, he wanted to do what was right in the world and was open and adaptable to learning.
Kit was a fun, spunky character that had her own battles to conquer.
For me I wished I had a bit more of the development of the characters and the romance. I have heard buzz that there may be a sequel coming so I am looking forward to reading that.
I enjoyed it and thought it was good for the genre.

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3.5 stars rounded up for enjoyment

I listened to the audio for this story and really loved the experience, as the narrator was a good one and the plot and characters engaging.

The story moves quickly and there is no lack of action. It feels like they make it from one corner of London to another more than once, and in short order at that!

There are a lot of heartfelt moments along the way as the MCs get to know each other and try to find the missing cabbie together. I really appreciated that the story's more focused on action than romance and that the two got to know each other as they worked together for a solution without originally thinking of romance.

What I didn't like: Kit's default was deception in a lot of ways, and that got on my nerves a few times. The last third of the book seemed more disjointed than the previous sections and the time skips were longer. Several of the plot points seemed a bit more of a leap than a logical step but by that time I was invested in the characters and it didn't bother me as much as it would have toward the beginning. A lot of the side characters had rather abrupt endings and I was left wanting more detail on what happened to them.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free reading copy. A favorable review was not required.

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