A Massive Gold Robbery

The Great Train Robbery 
By Michael Crichton 
Historical Fiction 

This novel is based off the true story of the Great Gold Robbery of 1855, a massive gold heist, which takes place on a train traveling through Victorian-era England. 

My husband has opened the Michael Crichton door for me, and I'm not sorry. The Great Train Robbery has a different narration than the others I've read, as it's told from an objective historical view rather than a character's perspective. It took me a while to dive into the story due to that, and I missed being in the character's heads. But once I became accustomed to the historical narration, I chugged through the story as fast as the train on the cover. 

There are fascinating tidbits thrown into the tale, which sometimes seem a bit dull or overkill, but they're not. These historical almost-lectures are important for the reader who doesn't live in Victorian England to understand what is going on and why it's integral to the plot. Crichton definitely did his research! It's amazing how many books he wrote with all the digging around he had to do for them all. 

The plot of this novel is gripping and fast, the characters mysterious and daring, and the end even more so. If you think you know what's going to happen at the end (like I did), you're wrong! The fact that most of the events in this novel actually occurred and the characters actually lived make it even more breathtaking. 

I give this novel a 4 out of 5 and recommend it for 17 year olds and up due to one particular scene.  

What I learned: Criminals (the good kind) can be some of the most clever people alive.