The Diamond Thief
Remy, a 16-year-old trapeze artist in a circus in Victorian London, has a secret life as a jewel thief. When the circus owner asks her to steal a valuable diamond from the Tower of London, she encounters Thaddeus, a young Scotland Yard detective. The chief inspector places the diamond in Thaddeus’s pocket for safekeeping, but when Remy steals it, she discovers it has been replaced by a fake and Thaddeus is accused of the theft. They reluctantly join forces to recover the diamond in order to prove Thaddeus’s innocence, and discover a powerful lord’s plot to use war machines to invade London from underground. Will they be able to find the diamond, deal with their own attraction to each other, and save London?
This novel is thoroughly enjoyable, and I enjoyed the interaction between the two leads. Remy, in particular, is a strong, fiery young woman who knows what she does is wrong, but feels she has no choice in life. Thaddeus seems a bit young to be in such a high position in Scotland Yard, but he’s the perfect counterpart to Remy – always trying to stay on the right side of the law. I also loved the character of Thaddeus’s friend, an inventor known only as “the Professor” and his devices, including night glasses that can make anyone see in the dark and a listening device based on Edison’s phonograph, but more advanced. This is the first in a series of which I will certainly read more. Ages 12-up.
