The Fallen Architect
A Novel
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- $20.99
Publisher Description
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Architect!
Charles Belfoure's next novel is a puzzling historical thriller about a man who must dig through the rubble of his past to construct a future worth living, grounded by Belfoure's experiences as a professional architect.
Someone has to take the blame when the Britannia Theatre's balcony collapses. Over a dozen people are killed, and the fingers all point at the architect. The man should have known better, should have made it safer, should have done something.
Douglas Layton knows the flaw wasn't in his design, but he can't fight a guilty verdict. When the architect is finally released from prison, he has no job, no family, nowhere to go. He needs to assume a new identity and rebuild his life.
But the disgraced man soon finds himself digging up the past in a way he never anticipated. If the collapse wasn't an accident ... who caused it? And why? And what if they find out who he used to be?
A chilling novel of architecture, intrigue, and identity, this historical thriller uncovers one man's quest to clear his name and correct the mistake that ruined his life.
"A twisted mystery…Belfoure gets better and better"—Karen Bakshoian, Letterpress Books (Portland, ME)
Also by Charles Belfoure:
The Paris Architect
House of Thieves
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Architect Douglas Layton, the hero of this exceptional mystery from Belfoure (House of Thieves) set in early-20th-century England, emerges from prison with his career and reputation destroyed, clueless as to his future. Douglas was convicted of killing 14 people and injuring scores more when a balcony of London's Britannia Empire Theatre, which he designed, collapsed during a show. With help from his brother, Douglas gets a job as a theater scene painter, changes his name to Frank Owen, and alters his appearance as best he can. In his new job, Douglas discovers that one of the theaters where he works hides a skeleton. A second such finding fuels his suspicions that the balcony collapse that changed his life was not an accident but deliberate, murderous sabotage. Douglas has to suss out suspects and avoid detection as he sets out to prove his innocence. Along the way, Belfoure offers the reader glimpses of early motion pictures, variety hall jokes that are still funny, and a description of Edward VII consuming a 10-course meal. This wonderfully realized background coupled with insights into British society make this a standout.)
