Ratcatcher

James McGee

Aug 2009 · HarperCollins UK

About this ebook

Regency London is vividly brought to life in this extraordinary page-turner, the first in a series of historical thrillers featuring Bow Street Runner Matthew Hawkwood – a dangerous, sexy and fascinating hero.

Hunting down highwaymen was not the usual preserve of a Bow Street Runner. As the most resourceful of this elite band of investigators, Matthew Hawkwood was surprised to be assigned the case – even if it did involve the murder and mutilation of a naval courier.

From the squalor of St Giles Rookery, London's notorious den of theives and cutthroats, to the palatial homes of the aristocracy where knights of the realm conduct themselves in a manner unbecoming to their rank, Hawkwood relentlessly pursues his quarry.

And as the case unfolds, and another body is discovered, the true agenda behind the robbery begins to emerge: the stolen naval dispatch pouch held details of a French plot that, if successful, will send the Royal Navy's entire fleet scurrying to port in terror, leaving Napoleon to rule the waves. With no way of knowing who can be trusted, Hawkwood must engage in a desperate race against time to prevent the successful execution of the Emperor's plot.

Ratings and reviews

A thoroughly enjoyable romp with a heavy nod towards a 19th century James Bond. Great pace, interesting characters, reminded me of a dumbed down 3 musketeers

About the author

James McGee was an army brat who grew up in Gibraltar, Germany and Northern Ireland. After jobs in banking, sales and the airline industry, both in the UK and abroad, he became a bookseller.