Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Gideon the Cutpurse  By  cover art

Gideon the Cutpurse

By: Linda Buckley-Archer
Narrated by: Gerard Doyle
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $17.96

Buy for $17.96

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

The year is 1763. Gideon Seymour, cutpurse and gentleman, hides in dense underbrush from the villainous Tar Man. Suddenly the sky peels away like fabric and from the gaping hole fall two curious-looking children. Peter Schock and Kate Dyer have fallen straight from the 21st century, thanks to an experiment Kate's father was running with an antigravity machine. Before Gideon and the children have a chance to gather their wits, the Tar Man has taken off with the machine and Kate and Peter's only chance of getting home. Soon Gideon, Kate, and Peter are swept into a journey through 18th century London, over the routes of notorious highwaymen, and even into King George's palace and form a bond that, they hope, will stand strong in the face of unfathomable treachery.

Historical detail comes alive as debut author Linda Buckley-Archer weaves the 18th century trials of Gideon, Kate, and Peter with the modern-day worries of their parents and the wily investigator trying to piece together the children's disappearance. A time-travel tale in the tradition of Mark Twain with a touch of Back to the Future, the first audiobook of the Gideon trilogy introduces listeners to a modern genre all its own.

©2006 Linda Buckley-Archer. All rights reserved (P)2006 Simon & Schuster Inc. All rights reserved.

More from the same

What listeners say about Gideon the Cutpurse

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    212
  • 4 Stars
    215
  • 3 Stars
    79
  • 2 Stars
    28
  • 1 Stars
    16
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    224
  • 4 Stars
    117
  • 3 Stars
    30
  • 2 Stars
    10
  • 1 Stars
    7
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    155
  • 4 Stars
    145
  • 3 Stars
    58
  • 2 Stars
    21
  • 1 Stars
    11

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Like Harry Potter, it's great lit for any age!

This is a great listen for any age. It grabbed my attention from the first and didn't let go. I will eagerly buy and listen to the other three in the trilogy! The narration is really well done, offering a distinct set of voices, excellent modulation and really nicely paced. The story is gripping and scary and sometimes even funny. It offers excellent characters of depth. You really care about what happens to them - even the bad ones!

I recently finished "Found," the first of the "Missing" series. It's also for young people (which I am not, but find some youth publications to be very good.) I rated it poorly and returned it because it is exactly the opposite of "Gideon the Cutpurse." There is just no comparison.

One of the best parts of this book was the history of the era in which Peter and Kate find themselves (1763) when life was dirty, dangerous and difficult. I love that it gives young people such a delightfully fun way to learn about this other era and I suspect that, for many, it might spark a lifelong interest in learning about how people live in these "other whens."

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

17 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent book

This is an excellent book. Well developed characters and excellent narration as usual from from Gerard Doyle. I can't wait for the next book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Well done!

I bought this book just because I like time travel novels, and I think it was a cut above the usual story. It really rolls along and you can't help but get caught up in it. Good reading for anyone from nine to ninety.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Great Young Adult Fantasy

I enjoyed Gideon The Cutpurse. Gideon is a great character, though he turns out not to be the main character. I wonder if the author intended that when she started the book. After listening to the second volume, it felt like the author changed the focus away from Gideon to make this book the first of a series. Kate and Peter, two tweens from the present day, become the focal characters in both the present day and in the 18th century. By the end of the book, I wasn't sure why the title included Gideon. Gideon falls by the wayside; he is barely in the second book, even though the series is called the Gideon Trilogy. And based on a review I read, the American version of this book had a different title.

The time travel is well handled and the reader will buy into it. The fading in and out of time periods is an great twist. There are a few scenes of violence or death that could be too strong for very young listeners but this would be a great for family listening. The Tar Man, one of the bad guys, is wonderfully evil, though he might have a soft spot under all that meanness. The period details ground the listener in the story.

I found it difficult to believe the 18th century characters so easily accepted the concept of time travel. I would have thought at least one of them would have suspected magic or witchcraft. I wanted more questioning. And it didn't help that Kate and Peter ended up being taken in by upper middle class people in the 18th century. Maybe they should have struggled with daily life of the masses in the 1763. Hence the 4 stars instead of 5. Spoiler alert: this becomes a greater problem in the second volume when 18th century characters travel to the 21st century.

I am not sure if I will continue with the third volume of the trilogy. The second was a disappointment and I lost interest in Peter and Kate. I wanted more Gideon.

Gerard Doyle has become one of my favorite readers. His character voices are distinct and the listener can see his characters.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

This would be fun to read aloud with the family

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This was an excellent story, with enough depth and levels to the story to entertain a variety of ages. Though I read it alone, I think it would make a great read-aloud story with the family.

What other book might you compare Gideon the Cutpurse to and why?

Gideon the Cutpurse reminds me of books I loved in my youth. It's a complex and romping story, with plenty of good guys, bad guys, and some that are a little bit of both. I think it is rich enough to become a classic someday.

Which scene was your favorite?

I loved the scenes where Kate and Peter had to deal with life in the 17th century, then they would fade and get a taste of the 21st century again.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

If you could go back in time, where would you go?

Any additional comments?

It's an excellent book and well worth the time to read, no matter what your age.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

One of the best I've heard!

This is definitely one of the very best audio books I've heard. The narrator's voice is warm and engaging. He does a great job with the characters and accents. The plot is exceptional. I've read all three of these books, now, and this is definitely the best! The author does a great job connecting a modern audience to an 18th C England.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Warning - Too Grim for Kids

The main characters in this book are a 12 year old boy and girl but as the story takes place primarily in 1763 the grim reality of the time period is inappropriate for children. This book contains very realistic descriptions of poverty, cruelty and other gruesome descriptions of life in this primitive century. Avoid this book this book for children but enjoy it if you read it as an adult. Interesting real characters such as Queen Charlotte and children with deadly diseases such as scrofula (TB) add gruesome reality.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

++ narration, history, story

Compelling story, fascinating historical insights, and superb narration. My 8-year old daughter and I both enjoyed listening to this very much.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Engaging Young Adult Fantasy Sci-Fi

Would you consider the audio edition of Gideon the Cutpurse to be better than the print version?

I'm certainly not a young adult but I really enjoyed this story. Combining physics and cosmology (explaining things like dark matter) made the book very engaging. Characters were well developed and I loved the narrator.

What other book might you compare Gideon the Cutpurse to and why?

The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel come to mind. That series was incredible!
I'm expecting that a follow up book to Gideon and the Cutpurse is in the works as the story ended quite abruptly.

Which character – as performed by Gerard Doyle – was your favorite?

I loved the children.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

The unseen world of past and future.

Any additional comments?

There seemed to be an underlying theme of good vs evil in the book and on some level the invitation for goodness. It wasn't preaching but the consequences of not living a good life were conveyed through Gideon.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A great series. Don't pass this one up.

It took me a while to start this series, and what did I wait for?!! Don't wait! I really enjoyed this book and look forward to the next 2 in the series. Now I hope the rest of the trilogy is as engaging and entertaining as this one.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful