Review: Dodger of the Revolution

Dodger of the Revolution by James Benmore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dodger of the Revolution is the third Dodger book by author James Benmore and follows the infamous Artful Dodger as he takes a job which has him leaving his beloved London for Paris on the outbreak on the 1848 revolution. Hence the title. I've been a fan of this series since I came across the first book - Dodger - while looking to see if there were any stories that followed on from the events of Oliver Twist. (If Pride and Prejudice can have numerous sequels...) This would appear to be the last of the series and what did I think?

Well, let's start by looking at the plot. The events of the second novel are still weighing in the Dodger's mind, and he has taken to hitting the opium dens pretty heavily, to the point that his reliance on the drug is affecting his own Artful nature. Determined to prove he is still the best thief to be found in London, he accepts a job from a pair of French siblings to help them regain their fortune. Unfortunately for all, they happened to arrive the day before the revolution breaks. The Dodger gets caught up in it all, and there's more than just a fortune at stake for the family he's been hired by.

Okay so... One of the most obvious things to say is that it is a bit weird to see the Dodger taken out of London, especially to be placed in Paris, France of all places. London is just as much a part of the Dodger's character as lifting is, and seeing him in this new environment can be, well, odd. He isn't a particularly political person - he thinks that a revolution which did not offer any monetary reward for participants would not be taken well by the lower classes of London - and to see him even briefly caught up in the fever of the revolution feels out of place for the character. It's not the say that Benmore doesn't make it feel perfectly natural within the course of the narrative, but standing back it does make me stare a little. Of all the things I would have put money on the Dodger doing, being atop the barricades was not one of them.

It's nice to see Benmore continuing to show traits of the Dodger that were introduced in earlier books, such as his anger when people disregard sex workers. He holds them with great respect, and doesn't appreciate the way others' don't. He also still shows signs of anger and upset over Nancy's death, and Benmore keeps reminding us that such a thing would leave it's mark on the Dodger - Nancy was his elder sister in all but blood, after all. Even the image of Oliver Twist as Dodger's conscience is both a good call back to the original novel and to the other books in the series, even if the Dodger's description of him is something that can be laughed at. Apparently the Dodger doesn't think much of what was considered fashionable for young gentlemen of the time.

Overall, I would recommend these books to other people, but honestly I think they're the type that you will have already made your mind up about reading. I will say do not let preconceptions make you put it back on the shelf. Pick up this series, and enjoy some good stories about a very artful thief.

You won't regret it.

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