The Great Train Robbery, by Michael Crichton

Posted on February 13, 2008
Filed Under Fiction Books, Michael Crichton, Thriller |

The Great Train Robbery, an old thriller by Michael Crichton (first published in 1975) takes us to the underground world of betrayal The Great Train Robbery, by Michael Crichtonand crime in Victorian England.

We witness, first-hand, probably the most intriguing money hoist in history. We travel with Edward Pierce, a criminal mastermind, and discover how he puts together a team of specialists to complete the hoist.

In the shaggy town of London, a train always leaves at the same time carrying two safes loaded with about two million dollars worth of gold. Legend has it that these safes are impenetrable, but of course this only make them even more attractive for some. The combination of a vast sum of money and a challenge never ends to compel criminals all over the city.

One of those criminals is Edward Pierce. A criminal legend, he comes out of jail and plans this crime from the ground up. He goes around the city, offering his old partners in crime a share of the money if they accept. The crew he chooses includes Robert Agar, the locksmith; Clean Willy Williams, the snakesman (a little kid who can squeeze into really tight spaces); Barlow, a big man who can carry a lot of weight; and Miss Miriam, who helps in setting up distractions. He has planned the crime for six years, from the train schedules to the drop-off points to the breaking of the safes.

The Great Train Robbery is old Michael Crichton at his very best. Not a book to put away easily, a real page turner, full of excitement and surprise. Still worth reading.


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