House of Thieves by Charles Belfoure

New York City in the late 1800's and the head of a high society family has just learned of his oldest son's gambling debts and the price hanging over his family if that debt goes unpaid. Their ties to society are fragile but they are accepted in the the circle due to the fact that John Cross is one of the city's leading architects and his wife is a great beauty. John Cross will be forced into a life of crime using his knowledge of the grand mansions of the city to protect his family. What no one in the family suspects until it is too late is that each one of them is leading a double life on the darker side of the city. The debt never seems to be repaid while George's gambling debts continue to grow as the danger seems to escalate as fast as the size of the next daring robbery. This is a fascinating look at the lengths people will go to protect their family and how the lure of danger and darkness had a hold on even the seemingly innocent and well bred society.