The Thieftaker's Trek by Joan Sumner introduces readers to Peter Frobisher, a renowned 'Thief Taker' or, as we would probably know the profession, a bounty hunter. He steps in to apprehend criminals where the newly formed police service at Bow Street are unable. But it is not his ability to hunt bad guys for which he is engaged by Baron Milne. It is to find a young boy, Harry, who has been taken from the streets, a boy whose mother has a connection to the Baron through her father, and for whom he feels more than a touch of responsibility.

This is a beautifully written mystery, taking us back to London in the early 1800's, where children are regularly taken from the streets to be put to work in mills and other questionable employment, often against their own will, and certainly rarely in their own interests. Joan Sumner paints a vivid picture of this darker side of out not too distant history, making it clear the gruesome and often painful fates that await the youngsters. She is able to portray the violence without letting us stray too far into the darkness, but there is no mistaking the torture that in endured by some, with one particular chapter making me particularly angry and all the more keen that Frobisher steps up and sees the appropriate level of retribution be visited upon the men who perpetrate the violence.

Frobisher is a brilliant character, joined on this quest by his son, Michael. Between them thet display wonderful skills in investigation, whilst Michael's talent for drawing helps them to uncover many a lead. This is no easy case for them to solve, and the author weaves in plenty of mystery and intrigue, including the murder of one of their main suspects. I really liked the honesty and tenacity of the pair, and the clear love and protectionism that Frobisher displays to his son, and to another young charge he picks up along the way. They are joined in the investigation by many other characters, all of who add colour and depth to the story, and the emotion of Harry's mother, Mrs Bisset as she bears the pain of the loss of her youngest son.

There is a real feeling of authenticity in the story, and in the way in which investigation unfurls, showing how well the author has researched her subject and translated that to the page, educating without overwhelming. She introduces Frobisher in a way that explains his compassion, and how a man, who had once also come from a less than affluent background, came to be such a renowned and trusted thief taker, well educated and respected by those around him. It drew me to him even more, and through the scenes told in Harry's eyes, I was completed invested in his fate, and of those around him too.

This is a hard story to read, a recounting of a very dark part out our industrial past. We think that child labour is something that only happens overseas, but it does us good to remember that it really isn't all that long ago we too were part of this truly heinous system of servitude and torture. Recommended for dans of historical mysteries, with brilliant characters and surprisingly emotive stories.

Would be a good start if you're newer to historical fiction. The story was nice but it didn't quite hit the more for me. Maybe a little too simple and to the point I prefer a little more complexity.

My feelings about this title are mixed. On the one hand, it's a fairly capably handled historical mystery of the kind I often go to for pleasure reading. The novel offers an engaging range of characters. There are details—about maps at the time, for example—that are genuinely interesting.

My uncertainty comes from the central narrative—the rescue of a young boy who has been captured and sold essentially as slave labor to a cotton mill. The level of violence at the mill is horrific, which is historically accurate (at least in the case of some mills), but the miserable condition of all the children there hangs over the narrative. The boy (not surprisingly, since that's the heart of the story, is rescued), but that leaves dozens of children in the horrible situation he's rescued from. That's a hard fact to live with as one walks away from the novel.

I got this book for free in exhange for an honest review. I did not enjoy the book. I found the story to be confusing and the language to be very simple. The kidnapped boy was very young so it is understandable, but did not add to my discomfort. I did not finish this book and will not recommend it to like minded readers. Thank your for the opportunity.

I wanted to enjoy this book much more than I did. The story was straight forward. A small boy gets kidnapped and sent to work in a woolen mill. The thieftaker is hired to find him, with his son, who is learning the trade. There is a back story about why this child was chosen to be taken, and the suspected motives of the cast of characters as to why. Though the book was well written and I enjoyed learning more about the mills during this time frame, I was motivated to pick the book, and I did not eagerly await for the next time to read. The book just meanders along. It was good, but not good enough to make me want to read more by this author. I received this ebook in return from Net Galley.

don't usually read historical fiction, but this story had me intrigued, so I took a gamble on it, and 'm glad that I did. I really enjoyed the story, and was able to connect with the characters. The story was interesting follow Frobisher and his son across the country. Following a rescue mission across the country, all the while trying to solve the case made for a very enjoyable story.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love historical fiction, especially when it is paired with an intense mystery. I thought the author did a superb just at describing the world around the characters. Each detail made the story even more believable and captivating to read. Sumner did an excellent job at immersing her readers into the story. I never wanted to put this book down!

I love when mystery novels have a premise that is much larger than the character originally realized. Not only does it open up a new world of trouble for the characters, but the stakes become higher and there is little room for error.

I had a hard time reading Harry’s point of view. In part, it was because of what he was witnessing and experiences. But the other part was that it felt unnecessary. From Harry’s point of view, we learned whether or not Peter Frobisher was on the right track. For the most part, Peter Frobisher never missed a beat. But there wasn’t that much of a mystery because Harry’s point of view would confirm Peter’s suspicions. Another thing that I found hard to believe was how quick and easy it was for Peter to point who the kidnapper was. The real mystery was not who took Harry is was more how he was kidnapped.

Overall, I liked this book and would recommend it to anyone who loves historical fiction.

A very enjoyable read. I love anything written in Victorian times and especially in London. I have never heard of a "Thieftaker" before and it was a pleasant change of story line for me. The characters were well developed and you really feel for the characters. The case was solved pretty quickly, but there were numerous twists and turns.
Great read! Thank you NetGalley!

Set in the early 19th Century, The Thieftaker's Trek tells the tale of thieftaker Peter Frobisher - part bounty hunter, part law enforcement agent - hired to find a kidnapped child. As Frobisher, aided by his son Michael, follow the kidnapper's trail north and discover a sinister plot behind the abduction which turns the case of survival for all involved.

The historical backdrop of the early part of the Industrial Revolution in England gives the context of the missing child a greater sense of urgency, in a time before modern technology and instant communication. The tension throughout the story was palpable as there were close calls and (some) missteps before the satisfying resolution.

I look forward to reading more of Peter Frobisher's adventures, even perhaps a prequel about his earlier life and how circumstances led him to his current profession.

The Thieftaker’s Trek

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance ARC in return for an honest review.

I am a sucker for historical fiction and this one was right up my street. 5 year old Harry has been kidnapped from London and transported to the Midlands to work as child labour. The Thieftaker Frobisher has been hired to track him down and bring him home. Theiftakers were predecessors to Scotland Yard, self-employed people paid to track villains.

The history aspect has been well researched and the topics and facts are interesting. The characters are real although maybe a little ‘cliched’, especially the dirty smelly villains.

This doesn’t deter me from thoroughly enjoying this book, and hoping that it’s the first in a series of books or a TV Production.

I had received an advanced reader's copy from Netgalley.
This book, set during the time of the Industrial Revolution, is about the abduction of a five-year old boy, Harry Bissett, from his home to be sold together with a group of street urchins to a textile mill in Derbyshire. While the character was written with good intentions and words, it was difficult to connect with him. The story was a little slow, which usually dessuades most readers.
It however had a lot of potential. But could not be delivered as such. The description was on point and made it easy to imagine the setting. It could have been more engaging. While I wouldn't pick this book up again, I may keep this on my shelf though.

Thieftaker’s were the original police they were contracted to find people breaking the law and restrained them for the courts for a fee. Peter Frobisher a thieftaker and his son Michael had been contracted to find Harry kidnapped from his mother and paid for his services by local landowner Milne. One of the kidnappers has been murdered and you follow the twists and turns of Frobisher’s trail which takes him to the north’s industrial mill machines where young children risk their lives under these machines.
You delve into the industrial revolution of the 19th century and the difficult times of change and how children were treated. Combined with a hunt for survival this book is well worth checking out.
I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Young Harry is keen to earn a penny to help his Mother. In 1810 at the start of the industrial revolution every penny counted for the slum families. However Harry goes missing. Thieftaker Peter Frobisher is called in to search for the child and his trail takes him to the Derbyshire mill towns.

I love historical novels. I love to feel, smell and imagine the historical setting. To understand the grinding poverty and filth and the class divide. I love my historical novels to come alive and create this three dimensional picture which forms the background for the story. Unfortunately I never saw this come alive. I never felt that the background was real and often saw the story being portrayed against a blank backdrop. A skilled author can bring a world alive with just a few words. This author used quite a few more than that and didn't succeed. To live a historical novel in the way I am describing try a Karen Maitland book and you'll see just how far away this book is from a really good historical novel.

The story itself was slow. Some of the chapters are from the point of view of 5 year old Harry. It is never easy to write chapters from a child's perspective and I didn't feel that these quite worked. There is no mystery as to who has taken Harry as we know that from early on. There is just the chase - which isn't very fast, active or interesting. Some of it is quite unbelievable - three men (one older) fighting off a gang from the darkest slums and walking away with barely a scratch? A benefactor paying for Frobisher and all the expenses - well, it is obvious why this happens but how likely is it?

I didn't feel that this was a particularly well written book. The description is poor and the language quite clunky and stilted in places.

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.

When is a book a powerful one? When you have finished a chapter late at night and you daren’t read on for fear of nightmares. When you conciously slow down towards the end to make it last longer. When you stand in the supermarket queue and a clue to the story suddenly pops into your head. This book, set during the time of the Industrial Revolution, is about the abduction of a five-year old boy, Harry Bissett, from his home to be sold together with a group of street urchins to a textile mill in Derbyshire. A family friend employs a thieftaker, Peter Frobisher and his son, to trace the boy and bring him home. So far, so straightforward. You think! But why was he abducted in the first place? Is there anyone who has a vested interest in his disappearance? Can Frobisher with experiences from his past and with the backing of London’s Bow Street unravel these secrets leading to the boy? A story twisting like the maze of canals the thieftaker follows. Beautiful description of the land and the considerable hardships and dangers encountered in order to simply travel from A to B. How cheap a life is, how unscrupulous, greedy and brutal people are to safeguard their profits and secrets! A cracking read!

The thieftaker’s trek by Joan S. Sumner was very underwhelming. I was very excited when I received this ARC. The synopsis sounded interesting and I think the book hard real potential. However, I felt like I had a hard time connecting with the characters and the the book lacked suspense. While there was supposedly intense suspenseful scenes, I did not feel that way. I felt as a whole the book was just “eh”. I think the main character has a lot of promise but there needs to be more of a spark in the storyline.

Thanks to Joan S. Sumner and battle Entertainment for providing me with an advanced reading copy.

An interesting concept marred by clunky writing. There's too much exposition in the dialogue, which sounds artificial and anachronistic; the characters are mostly cardboard and none are charismatic enough to garner the reader's interest or sympathy; and several scenes do nothing to move the plot along but seem to hint that the author is writing more of a screen treatment than a novel.

Thankyou to NetGalley, be ebooks and Joan S Sumner for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of The Thieftaker's Trek.
I enjoyed reading this book. I am a fan of historical fiction, which is one of the reasons I was excited to receive an advanced copy. This novel was rich in history while woven with a mystery. The storyline was well thought out and keeps the reader engrossed to the very end.
Definitely well worth a read.

When a five year old boy is unexplainably kidnapped, thieftaker Frobisher takes the case. With assistance from his son and friends, Frobisher follows the clues to the darker side of the Regency era.

Learning more about the darker side of my favorite time period impelled me to read this story. A thieftaker was a profession I knew little about, and it obviously filled in need in the era. Following Frobisher as he worked out the meaning behind the clues kept me intrigued.

On the other hand, I felt like the tension was lost whenever the narrative moved to the kidnapped boy. While I understand the author's desire to show what the boy endured, I didn’t worry for him as I would have if I had been kept in the dark until he was found. Frobisher's friends also play a major role in the mystery, solving the bigger points of the case for Frobisher, which I found a little disappointing but only showed how beneficial a team effort could be.

Overall, it was an interesting case and showed a side of the Regency are not often focused on in fiction. Even though some points left me disappointed, I would recommend this to readers of historical fiction.

This is a very good read that kept me hooked till the end.
It's well research and well written, with a cast of interesting characters, and an engrossing plot.
It can move you and entertain you at the same time.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC

Being a big fan of history and historical fiction I was thrilled to be able to read The Thieftaker’s Trek.
Peter Frobisher has been hired to find a child called Henry who has disappeared from his home. This case is slightly different from the ones he normally takes on, his time is usually spent chasing criminals but there is something about this case that makes him agree to investigate.
Harry is quite an intelligent child for his age so for him to go off without telling anyone is quite out of character. While he is held captive with a group of children he tells them stories of his life and his father. He seems to understand the importance of being seen but not heard in order to stay safe.
Throughout the book you get to learn about Peters past and what motivated him to become a thieftaker in the first place. Originally a child of the streets he was taken in by a kindly soul who encouraged him, and he has remained close to him. After his wife died he had to bring up his some Michael alone and you can see how close they are. Peter is very proud of his son and the possibility of him going to university and doesn’t really want him to follow in his footsteps, yet Michael has other ideas. He really enjoys working with his father and would much rather be doing that.
About halfway through the book I had an aha moment when I thought I knew who was behind Harry’s kidnapping and why they did it only to have my theory proved to be completely wrong by the end of it.
The Thieftaker’s Trek gave me an insight to a part of history I never knew about before, from introducing me to the historical equivalent to a bounty hunter/private investigator to the conditions of mill workers – especially the children. It was also interesting to read about the start of the canal systems that are still in evidence today, albeit they are now used for pleasure more than industry.
Although I am not always a fan of a detailed back story, in this instance I felt it enhanced the story that the author was trying to tell and would happily read further adventures of Peter and his son Michael.
This is the first book by Joan Sumner and I think she has managed to get the right blend of historical fact and storytelling that makes this book a really great read for fans of history and mystery.