Michelle Griep concludes The Bow Street Runners trilogy with The Noble Guardian.  This historical piece takes place in Regency England.  The book stays true to its focus and delivers a lot of interesting historical tidbits.  The previous books are not required to appreciate this story, but they are nice to have a little more time with the male characters.

The story itself begins in a sad, but attention-grabbing fashion.  Readers cannot help but feel for Abby and her predicament.   Her uncaring family though is what leads to her ultimate happiness so there is something to be appreciated in their coldness.  Perhaps more than anything it is appreciating Abby’s inner strength and fortitude to keep going in difficult situations.

Samuel Thatcher is a faithful and dedicated lawman.  His loyalty to his friends and his sense of integrity is admirable.  He and Abby find themselves traveling together and encounter all sorts of situations that test and try them.  Ultimately, Abby must face the realization that her dream is shattered. 

This story ends in very satisfactory manner, but there were a couple of small details that would have been nice to know.  Readers can decide for themselves how these turned out, but sometimes it is nice for the author to reaffirm the assumptions.  Overall this is an exciting romp through historic England with danger and uncertainty throughout the novel coupled with some romance.  An enjoyable read.

Review of a Digital Advance Reader Copy

This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Shiloh Run Press

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  3 religious exclamations. 

Violence/Gore:  A step-mother strikes an adult step-daughter, indications are she has done this many times; report that robbers have harmed a child nigh unto death; several scenes in which men are shot and killed, blood and such are mentioned; several scenes where wounds are bleeding from knives, fists and the like; a man is attacking a woman and she scratches him with her nails then he is struck on the head with an object; a man recalls a scene from his childhood in which his drunken father was trying to strike his mother, but missed and struck an infant who died from the blow; characters witness characters fighting in the street that turns out to be an ad rather than real; several fighting scenes where characters are grabbed and threatened with objects; a man whips a child with a switch; one multi-page scene that involves robbers attacking with guns and knives including descriptions of blood pooling and fatalities. 

Sex/Nudity:  Non-married characters hold hands and kiss; one scene where a man is implied to touch a woman’s backside below the waist, she is not seeking this action; a man appears to be more than friends with a woman when he is engaged to another.

Mature Subject Matter:

Child abuse, death of a spouse, death of a sibling.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

Many scenes in which people consume alcohol in taverns or at home; several mentions of men who are or have been drunk.