Two Crafty Criminals!: and how they were Captured by the Daring Detectives of the New Cut Gang Audiobook

" Highly amusing. Who knew Philip Pullman could be so hilarious? I was certainly surprised. This would be a fun one to share with kids. "

" Philip Pullman's Two Crafty Criminals consists of two novellas--Thunderbolt's Waxwork and The Gas Fitter's Ball. Like The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials) the stories were probably written for youth, but they are at least as likely (or more) to be appreciated by adults, and like The Golden Compass et al, they are set in Victorian England with a lot of accurate historical trivia. Thunderbolt's Waxwork does have a head scuplted by Benny, not Thunderbolt, which gets placed in the Horror section of the Waxwork Museum, but the real plot is about "uttering snide"--putting fake money into circulation. The smasher was not Thunderbolt's father after all, and the gang is able to prove it and set him free from prison. The Gas Fitter's Ball is ostensibly about getting Dick, an extremely shy guy, to propose to Daisy, a gorgeous girl. However it is really about the theft of some silver, and as the gang discovers the real culprit, they not only help Dick get Daisy, but Orlando, the strong man, get Honoria, the daughter of the Mr. Whittle, the leader of the Ancient and Worshipful Company of Gas-Fitters. The plots are intriguing, but the main interest for the reader is humor. Many time I laughed out loud reading these exploits. My cats thought I was crazy, but I enjoyed the novellas immensely. "

" Two stories in one. The New Cut Gang solves mysteries in 1800's London. Humorous, but the vernacular demands a more mature reader. Read-aloud would be a fun option. "

" Quite the romp, with much use of British slang, money, and slapstick. With guidance a young person could be introduced to the basics of gambling and good deeds through the reading of this novel. Fun! "

" Two fun and funny mysteries with a bit of steampunk flavor. A quick, enjoyable read for adults; ideal for upper-elementary readers. "

" It's pretty good, but not great. I had never read any books by Pullman other than His Dark Materials, so I was looking forward to this, but I think maybe it's just targeted at a much younger audience. Probably good for 8-10 year olds. "

" I like Pullman's writing though I find his political, anti-religious bias off putting to say the least. This book was just dull. Yawn. "

" My only complaint is that this is really two seperate stories. So though the book is over 300 pages each story is about 150 pages. I loved the characters Pullman creates. They are well defined and funny. The plots are a bit fantastic but I was charmed by them. "

" I don't have the patience for this right now. I read about 70 pages - totally bored. Giving up for something else. "

" I probably would have liked this a lot when I was eight. "

" Fun mysteries for kids. "