The Face Stealer - (Theatre of Thieves Mystery) by Sarah Rayne (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A puzzling mystery pulls the thieving Fitzglen family back to a shocking crime committed in the time of Catherine the Great in this third instalment of the spellbinding Theatre of Thieves gothic mystery series, set in Victorian England.

London, 1909. The Fitzglens combine running London's finest theatre with a very profitable side-line in stealing. But while they might be thieves, they still have principles. They never pinch anything their victim couldn't afford to lose.

When a stranger approaches Jack Fitzglen after a performance, claiming that a Fitzglen has committed a grave crime in his village in faraway Russia, Jack knows exactly who's to blame: the unpleasant Saintly Simeon, who was chucked out of the family for breaking their code.

Simeon has stolen three valuable, and oddly frightening, Stone Heads, the likenesses of children who vanished over a century ago. The Heads were locked away from the world in a remote Russian monastery . . . though whether to protect the priceless sculptures, or to protect the villagers from the Heads themselves, no one can say.

Jack joins forces with fellow actor Viola Gilfillan to retrieve the stolen goods and put things right. But as they investigate, peeling the layers of history back to the treacherous court of Catherine the Great herself, the ominous power of the Stone Heads begins to draw them down into a darkness from which they may never be able to escape . . .

This unsettling gothic historical mystery from acclaimed British author Sarah Rayne will appeal to fans of Daphne du Maurier, Laura Purcell, Rebecca James, Sarah Waters and Stuart Turton.

Review Quotes

A dark drama of violence and murder-- "Library Journal on Chalice of Darkness"

A fascinating history is folded into a spectral mystery-- "Kirkus Reviews on The Murder Dance"

A playful puzzle with an elegant veneer and abundant twists-- "Kirkus Reviews on The Murderer Inside the Mirror"

Frightful fun with haunted history and a blustery thespian-- "Kirkus Reviews on Chalice of Darkness"

In this taut, Gothic-style mystery, Rayne offers a gripping plot with plenty of suspense and period ambience-- "Booklist on Chalice of Darkness"

Rayne writes with panache and imagination . . . A chocolate box of classical music, banter, historic tidbits, and spooky stories -- "Kirkus Reviews on The Devil's Harmony"

Superb . . . Lovers of British historical mysteries with a dash of romance and gothic atmosphere will clamor for more-- "Publishers Weekly Starred Review of Chalice of Darkness"

The story is dense, complex, and twist filled, and readers will be riveted by this suspenseful, provocative read packed with depth, drama, and charm-- "Booklist on The Murderer Inside the Mirror"

The Fox novels are a joy to read. They're beautifully written, with a strong protagonist and very cleverly constructed stories. Each of the Fox novels has been better than the last - with more-complex stories that ratchet up the suspense to a new level . . . Fans of Phineas Fox will be lining up for this one-- "Booklist Starred Review of The Devil's Harmony"

Vivid flashbacks to the troubled history of the Rivers clan complement the present-day action, which builds to a creepily satisfying conclusion. Readers will hope this series has a long run-- "Publishers Weekly on The Murder Dance"