SYNOPSIS

The author reconstructs the robbery of a large quantity of gold destined for the British army, which really happened in 1855, on board the train that was transporting it from London to the front of the Crimean War. A sophisticated robbery organized by a mysterious gentleman named Edward Pierce, with the help of some accomplices to open the special safe built specifically to protect the precious content. Between delays and difficulties, stratagems and deceptions, the gang will succeed in committing the theft of the century that not even Scotland Yard was able to prevent. But, two years later, when they finally manage to arrest the elusive Pierce, the epic undertaking seems to have reached its end…

REVIEW

A gripping novel that captured my attention since the first pages. The author intervenes frequently to explain the historical context in which the robbery took place, and provides useful information to understand the facts. A pleasant and interesting read that I recommend to anyone who loves the thriller or historical genre.
The author has chosen to tell the story in the third person, from an objective point of view that sticks to the facts and does not access the characters’ thoughts. In addition to dialogues and actions, there are often interruptions for long or short digressions in which the author provides exhaustive explanations to understand the historical and cultural context in which the story is set.
The descriptions of the narrative spaces are not very detailed but precise, and the dialogues show some psychological aspects of the characters that can also be deduced from the concise physical descriptions and behaviours.