The Four Hundred is a captivating historical crime novel let down by it's poor & obscure title.

"The Four Hundred" is a term coined by Ward McAllister in the 18th century referring to the social elite of New York City, as a non-American the title was a mystery as it seemed unrelated to a book about a great Victorian England crime. With this context in mind, it makes a lot more sense.

Nonetheless, once you get past the title (which actually saw this book languish on my shelf unread for 12 years) you find fictionalised story of the 1873 Bank of England Forgery. This forgery lead to a loss of over 100,000 pounds against the Bank of England and was only limited to this due to the tiniest of oversights which then unravelled the entire scheme.

The entire book moves forwards with determination that draws you into its historic world. First the plotting, then to the set up, then carrying out the crime, wrapping up, the error, the bailing out of England as fugitives then coming to the end is a climatic police chase, which being set in the 19th century, is on foot through terrace houses as the character in question frantically tries to reach a railway station to freedom.

Overall, a great novel based on real events, a novel which might lead you to wanting to know more about one of the greatest crimes in Victorian England. ( )