Stealing the Crown Jewels seems an unnecessarily elaborate way to settle a grudge. But Miles Faulkner has the money and the determination to make it happen, and watching him turn his resentment into a logistical exercise is a large part of the pleasure of Traitors Gate.
Apparently, being fabulously wealthy still leaves plenty of time to take things personally.
This is the sixth book in Jeffrey Archer’s William Warwick series, with Warwick responsible for protecting the royal regalia as it travels across London for the State Opening of Parliament. Faulkner sees an opportunity to ruin the careers of the officers who've made his life difficult. The jewels are valuable enough; the prospect of publicly humiliating Warwick and his colleagues gives the theft an additional attraction.
I enjoyed the sheer cheek of that premise. Archer gives us a criminal who can afford an extraordinary undertaking and is petty enough to follow through with it. Faulkner’s pride makes the rivalry entertaining, particularly when each success on one side creates another grievance on the other. By this stage, everyone has rather a lot to remember and very little inclination to forgive.
Warwick and Ross Hogan make a good pairing. Warwick carries the responsibilities of his position with considerable seriousness, while Hogan’s approach leaves more room for improvisation and subsequent explanations. Their loyalty to each other gives the police scenes some substance, especially when Hogan’s conduct becomes a legal problem. I found him the more interesting of the two here. His judgement can expose him to trouble, and that creates a degree of uncertainty around a man who is otherwise very capable at his job.
Beth’s museum work adds an art-forgery strand that I also enjoyed. Genuine paintings and convincing copies are useful ingredients in a story full of people trying to outwit one another.
The difficulty is that the Crown Jewels heist takes its time becoming the main event. Court proceedings, family scenes and existing disputes occupy a fair amount of space. I was interested in much of this material, although occasionally I wanted Archer to get everyone back to the robbery. With a premise this good, it's easy to become impatient for the promised operation.
The historical account of Colonel Thomas Blood’s attempt to steal the jewels, introduced through the Warwick children’s school project, gives the modern scheme an entertaining predecessor. It also interrupts the momentum at points. I liked the connection and could have done with a little less of the explanation.
Once the plans begin coming together, Archer’s skill becomes much more apparent. He moves between the people involved, supplies enough information to invite speculation and keeps the practical questions interesting. I wanted to know how the scheme would work, where it would go wrong and which person had underestimated someone else. That curiosity carried me through the later sections very happily.
There are developments that require a generous allowance for coincidence and convenient timing. The characterisation can feel broad, too, particularly when someone’s main purpose is to help or obstruct the next move. I accepted most of this as part of the entertainment, but it kept the book at four stars for me.
What I enjoyed most was the attention paid to professional humiliation. Faulkner understands how much damage he can do by making competent people appear incompetent in public. For all the wealth involved, his ambition remains wonderfully personal. He could spend his money almost anywhere, and he chooses to spend it proving that William Warwick should never have crossed him.
🔎 Read this if you enjoy clever crime thrillers
📚 Elaborate heists and police investigations
💭 Revenge, deception and betrayal
👥 Rivalries and loyal partnerships
💎 Priceless treasures and historical intrigue
⚠️ Includes crime, threats and violence.
Book Details
Traitors Gate by Jeffrey Archer
Paperback ISBN
978-0008474416 — HarperCollins paperback edition listed by Angus & Robertson in Australia for 5 June 2024.
Hardcover ISBN
978-0008474379 — HarperCollins UK hardcover published on 26 September 2023.
eBook ISBN
978-0008474393 — HarperCollins EPUB edition published on 26 September 2023.
Audiobook ISBN
978-0008474409 — HarperCollins unabridged digital audiobook published on 26 September 2023.
Genre
Crime Fiction; Mystery; Thriller; Historical Fiction; Suspense.
Subgenre
Heist Thriller; Police Procedural; British Crime Fiction; Historical Crime Fiction; Revenge Thriller; Courtroom Drama. These descriptive classifications reflect the novel’s setting and subject matter.
Tropes / Literary Threads
Crown Jewels heist; master criminal; recurring nemesis; personal revenge; insider betrayal; elaborate criminal planning; race against time; police partnership; threatened reputations; art forgery; courtroom manoeuvring; historical parallels; deception and counterplots.
Publisher
HarperCollins — paperback, hardcover and eBook.
Series
William Warwick — Book 6. Follows Next in Line and precedes An Eye for an Eye.
Formats Available
Paperback; hardcover; eBook; unabridged digital audiobook.
Audiobook Narrator
George Blagden.
Audiobook Length
9 hours and 8 minutes.
Original Release Date
26 September 2023 — UK publication and digital editions.
Australian Release Date
26 September 2023 — eBook and digital audiobook.
Page Count
384 pages — paperback ISBN 978-0008474416. Pagination varies by edition.
Where to Buy Traitors Gate by Jeffrey Archer
📚 Amazon
Affiliate Disclosure
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you purchase through my Amazon affiliate links, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. I also encourage supporting Australian booksellers such as QBD Books, independent booksellers, and self-published authors whenever possible.
Danielle Robinson is a literary critic and writer whose work explores literature through the
lens of atmosphere, memory, culture, and emotional experience.
Holding a double degree in philosophy and theology, she combines academic insight with a deeply refined aesthetic sensibility shaped by more than three decades working across the creative industries as an internationally published, multi-award-winning makeup artist, fashion stylist, and interior stager.
She reads widely and rigorously, reading and reviewing more than 200 books each year as both an ARC reader and commissioned critic. Through Silk & Sentences, Danielle approaches literature as something immersive and lived with — not simply stories to consume, but works that shape the way we think, feel, and move through the world.
She writes from her semi-rural Queensland home, where she lives with Alex, her husband of 33 years, their dogs Oscar and Paige, and an ever-growing library of books.
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