"A beautiful and elegant account of an ordinary man's unexpected and reluctant descent into heroism during the second world war." --Malcolm Gladwell

A thrilling debut novel of World War II Paris, from an author who's been called "an up and coming Ken Follett." (Booklist)
In 1942 Paris, gifted architect Lucien Bernard accepts a commission that will bring him a great deal of money and maybe get him killed. But if he's clever enough, he'll avoid any trouble. All he has to do is design a secret hiding place for a wealthy Jewish man, a space so invisible that even the most determined German officer won't find it. He sorely needs the money, and outwitting the Nazis who have occupied his beloved city is a challenge he can't resist.

But when one of his hiding spaces fails horribly, and the problem of where to hide a Jew becomes terribly personal, Lucien can no longer ignore what's at stake. The Paris Architect asks us to consider what we owe each other, and just how far we'll go to make things right.

Written by an architect whose knowledge imbues every page, this story becomes more gripping with every soul hidden and every life saved."

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

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

In 1942 Paris, gifted architect Lucien Bernard accepts a commission that will bring him a great deal of money - and maybe get him killed. But if he's clever enough, he'll avoid any trouble. All he has to do is design a secret hiding place for a wealthy Jewish man, a space so invisible that even the most determined German officer won't find it. He sorely needs the money, and outwitting the Nazis who have occupied his beloved city is a challenge he can't resist. But when one of his hiding spaces fails horribly, and the problem of where to hide a Jew becomes terribly personal, Lucien can no longer ignore what's at stake. The Paris Architect asks us to consider what we owe each other, and just how far we'll go to make things right. Written by an architect whose knowledge imbues every page, this story becomes more gripping with every soul hidden and every life saved.

New York Times bestselling author Charles Belfoure takes readers on a breathless journey from the gilded ballrooms of Imperial Russia to the grim violence of the pogroms, in his latest thrilling historical adventure. St Petersburg, 1903. Prince Dimitri Markhov counts himself lucky to be a close friend of Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra. Cocooned by the glittering wealth of the Imperial court, the talented architect lives a life of luxury and comfort, by the side of his beautiful but spiteful wife, Princess Lara. But when Dimitri is confronted by the death and destruction wrought by a pogrom, he is taken aback. What did these people do to deserve such brutality? The tsar tells him the Jews themselves were to blame, but Dimitri can't forget what he's seen. Educated and passionate, Doctor Katya Golitsyn is determined to help end Russian oppression. When she meets Dimitri at a royal ball, she immediately recognizes a kindred spirit, and an unlikely affair begins between them. As their relationship develops, Katya exposes Dimitri to the horrors of the Tsar's regime and the persecution of the Jewish people, and he grows determined to make a stand . . . whatever the cost.

New York Times bestselling author Charles Belfoure takes readers on a breathless journey from the gilded ballrooms of Imperial Russia to the grim violence of the pogroms, in his latest thrilling historical adventure. St Petersburg, 1903. Prince Dimitri Markhov counts himself lucky to be a close friend of Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra. Cocooned by the glittering wealth of the Imperial court, the talented architect lives a life of luxury and comfort, by the side of his beautiful but spiteful wife, Princess Lara. But when Dimitri is confronted by the death and destruction wrought by a pogrom, he is taken aback. What did these people do to deserve such brutality? The tsar tells him the Jews themselves were to blame, but Dimitri can't forget what he's seen. Educated and passionate, Doctor Katya Golitsyn is determined to help end Russian oppression. When she meets Dimitri at a royal ball, she immediately recognizes a kindred spirit, and an unlikely affair begins between them. As their relationship develops, Katya exposes Dimitri to the horrors of the Tsar's regime and the persecution of the Jewish people, and he grows determined to make a stand . . . whatever the cost.

In 1886 New York, a respectable architect shouldn't have any connection to the notorious gang of thieves and killers that rules the underbelly of the city. But when John Cross's son racks up an unfathomable gambling debt to Kent's Gent's, Cross must pay it back himself. All he has to do is use his inside knowledge of high society mansions and museums to craft a robbery even the smartest detectives won't solve. The take better include some cash too: the bigger the payout, the faster this will be over. With a newfound talent for sniffing out vulnerable and lucrative targets, Cross becomes invaluable to the gang. But Cross's entire life has become a balancing act, and it will only take one mistake for it all to come crashing down and for his family to go down too.

"The world of old New York comes alive in this beguiling tale of mystery and intrigue... Charles Belfoure definitely has the touch."-Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of The Patriot Threat and The Lincoln Myth Gangs of New York meets The Age of Innocence as a society architect in 1880s Manhattan is forced to join a gritty crime ring in this historical thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Architect! In 1886 New York, a respectable architect shouldn't have any connection to the notorious gang of thieves and killers that rules the underbelly of the city. But when John Cross's son racks up an unfathomable gambling debt to Kent's Gents, Cross must pay it back himself. All he has to do is use his inside knowledge of high society mansions and museums to craft a robbery even the smartest detectives won't solve-the bigger the payout, the faster this will be over. As he hones his talent for sniffing out vulnerable and lucrative targets, Cross becomes invaluable to the gang. But his entire life has become a balancing act, and it will only take one mistake for it all to come crashing down. A fast-paced historical mystery, House of Thieves is perfect for the book club that loved A Gentleman in Moscow and The Art Forger, blending fine society with a brilliant cast of dubious characters. Also by Charles Belfoure: The Paris Architect The Fallen Architect

New York Times bestselling author Charles Belfoure takes readers on a breathless journey from the gilded ballrooms of Imperial Russia to the grim violence of the pogroms, in his latest thrilling historical adventure. St Petersburg, 1903. Prince Dimitri Markhov counts himself lucky to be a close friend of Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra. Cocooned by the glittering wealth of the Imperial court, the talented architect lives a life of luxury and comfort, by the side of his beautiful but spiteful wife, Princess Lara. But when Dimitri is confronted by the death and destruction wrought by a pogrom, he is taken aback. What did these people do to deserve such brutality? The Tsar tells him the Jews themselves were to blame, but Dimitri can't forget what he's seen. Educated and passionate, Doctor Katya Golitsyn is determined to help end Russian oppression. When she meets Dimitri at a royal ball, she immediately recognizes a kindred spirit, and an unlikely affair begins between them. As their relationship develops, Katya exposes Dimitri to the horrors of the Tsar's regime and the persecution of the Jewish people, and he grows determined to make a stand . . . whatever the cost.

To understand the evolution of bank design, it is also necessary to grasp the fundamentals of America's banking and financial history. It goes hand-in-hand with the creation of bank architecture. While the worldwide evolution of architectural styles played a major factor in the way banks look, developments in the financial history of the nation - depressions, panics, government monetary and banking policy - also played a critical role. With more than 200 photographs and illustrations, this work studies the evolution of American bank architecture from 1781 (when America's first bank was founded) to new banks of the present day. It explores how and why the classically inspired structures that were built in late eighteenth century American, embodying strength and trust, evolved into basically anonymous building types.