The Esposito Caper

The Esposito Family Chronicles #1

by Karen K. Brees

Crime is easy. Family is what’s tough. And for Gino Esposito, family obligations could be the end of him. His grandfather wants to prove he’s the genius behind another artist’s works. All he needs is for Gino to steal a diary that’s currently in the possession of the Mafia.

Gino will do almost anything to work an angle, but he’s thinking this task could be his last. He needs help, but all he’s got is cousin Carla, exotic dancer with aspirations of opening a ballet studio, and girlfriend Francesca, whose boss has got her framed for embezzlement. It’s a recipe for family problems only faith, luck, and some really good mojo will solve.

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 16, 2013

Reviews

[B.J. Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-developed main characters that aren't perfect and a spoiled poodle dog make this a fun caper, though not a simple art heist. Amazing plot twists surprise you. Free-spirited Carla has a boyfriend with a questionable background, but a good guy. This Catholic, Italian family cares about grandfather's wishes. Gino was reared by him after the death of his parents, so he wants his grandfather's wishes to come true. Crooks, death, murder, and mayhem. Grandfather painted but didn't get the credit he deserved for it, since someone else took all the credit and now Grandfather wants Gino to prove he is the real artist. No sex, suspense, and a little foul language by a character who struggles to improve. Great description and detail make it a vivid read that transports you to this Italian world and its zany characters who make it keep turning. There are religious references, and through it all a world of adventure that keeps you turning the pages. If you enjoy quirky characters and fun, check out this book. It'll make an enjoyable escape.

[Ricky Bush · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Esposito Caper presents an intriguing tale featuring the Mob, art forgery, art heists, double crosses, triple crosses, and plenty of twists and turns along the way. Karen Brees has developed well drawn characters that are dodging debts, running from the Mob or their past, carrying out family vendettas, deceiving the art community, hiring hit men, or trying to arrest the culprits involved. She provides threads throughout the story providing surprising ties between some of the characters. She's also invents a couple of hard working, understaffed cops who investigate crimes aimed at the art world. After watching a recent 60 Minutes program about a world class art forger, I must say that Brees' certainly nails down some of the shenanigans that go on within that society. High brow meets low brow which meets no brow.

Karen Brees impressed me with her talent at writing descriptive paragraphs for the settings for her characters, from the old Italian country, East Coast Mob haunts, West Coast wine country, and the haughty society of San Francisco. Enjoyed the caper to the end.

[John H · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rigged roulette wheel had just hit Gino Esposito with an unpayable half-million-dollar debt when he was called upon by his dying grandfather to stop a different sort of bleeding. In his prime, Papa had been a master artist who worked under the name of another, and now someone is stealing Papa’s artwork and, along with it, any chance that he will ever be duly credited for his genius. Reclaiming Papa’s art and reputation, however, could involve Gino in at least three felonies and God knows how many misdemeanors. And that’s if the caper goes smoothly. Which it doesn’t.

With The Esposito Caper, author Karen K. Brees has penned a masterful story of an underdog whose comeback from rock bottom pits him against a homicidal mob boss, conniving art thieves, and heavy doses of self-doubt and insecurity. Fortunately, Gino is not alone on the vendetta. Brees gives him a motley crew of coconspirators whom she has developed so well they seem, in a word, real. The whole story is written that way. She puts the reader right there, in every scene, up close to the action, which there’s a lot of. It’s a great read. I highly recommend it.

-John Marks, Author, Rail Against Injustice

[Alyssa Helton · Rating 5 out of 5]

FUN HEIST ADVENTURE WILL STEAL YOUR HEART

I found this book to be everything I was hoping it to be. It’s an engaging character story with enough depth and emotional weight to keep me involved. The pace is good and there is an attention to detail I appreciate. The main character, Gino, is conflicted between his duty to his dying grandfather’s vendetta and his own overwhelming gambling debt problem. I also like the way Gino’s little band of thieves forms, which never feels forced or unrealistic. As the stakes get higher you find yourself caring about the fate of the people involved. One of my favorite characters is Carla the exotic dancer with a heart of gold and mouth like a sailor… but she’s trying to clean up her act. She’s a hoot. Give this little caper/love story a chance, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

[Douglas Kendrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heist, murder, mahem along with an incredible cast of characters. Brees has a great sense for plotting a rollercoaster ride at an international level. My first read by this author and very much enjoyed and recommend The Esposito Caper!

[Siobhan D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the narration Mike Piscitelli

This book has a wonderful mix of characters, with a great mystery plot with plenty of pace .With twists that will keep you reading and listening.

[E'Who'Reads'a'Thousand'Mysteries · Rating 4 out of 5]

This high quality mystery is lively and exciting. The characters are interesting and the dialogue sounds natural.

[Lynda Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Art forgery, a vendetta, murder, and what’s supposed to be a simple heist…add in a cast of quirky, loveable, drawn to perfection characters—a few of whom aren’t quite what they seem—toss in a dash of a snarly, spoiled toy poodle and you’ve got a completely enjoyable romp of a read.

The plot twists were amazing and well thought out, the main characters well developed with believable foibles. Gino is a damn good vintner, but a lousy gambler. He’s into a casino for half a million and some change. He needs a miracle if he’s going to save his vineyard and small winery. Unfortunately, his dying grandfather needs him to carry out a vendetta—not quite the miracle Gino was hoping for. But, how can he turn down a dying man’s request, especially when that man raised him after his parents had died?

Carla, Gino’s cousin, is such a free spirit I fully expected her to take flight from the pages of this novel. I loved Carla. Her boyfriend, Morrie, is one of those characters who isn’t what he claims to be but in spite of what seems to be a questionable background, he’s truly a good guy.

Even the villains were fairly well developed, with believable motivation.

Brees use of location and description helped to firmly root me into the book and the story line. I could see the grittiness of the neighborhood Carla emerged from, taste the dust of the roads on Gino’s trip early in the book to his dying grandfather’s bedside, feel the fog of San Francisco.

I started reading in one afternoon and honestly could not put it down until I was finished. I’d recommend this book to anyone looking for an enjoyable read.

[Olivia Wilks · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Esposito Caper is an absorbing crime novel that combines art heists, murder mystery, transnational travel and an Italian family affair. What I loved most was the unexpectedness and therefore believable nature of Brees’ characters. All of them draw you in, from Carla’s moxie and insightfulness to Gino’s love of wine and looseness with money, each of them has their Achilles heel, making them all the more relatable. Intermittent in this exciting plot are beautiful descriptions of San Francisco, Italian countryside and New York. She paints a detailed picture, like the artists in her novel, that immerses you in the deviance and intrigue of this enigmatic tale. While enjoying the excitement in this thrilling, plot-twist-filled novel, I poured myself a glass of Merlot and dreamed of catching the next flight to Sicily. Looking forward to her next caper, and I could definitely imagine the Espositos on the big screen!

[Conda Douglas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the sort of humorous crime caper that you snuggle up with a cup of tea on a rainy afternoon and prepare to giggle, laugh and snuffle tea out your nose. It's all here, the cavalcade of quirky characters, art heists galore, great settings--what better than Sicily and San Francisco? If you like comic capers, and I don't mean the ones you eat, then read The Esposito Caper. I'm looking forward to the next from this author.

The reasons I didn't give five stars is because there was one big coincidence that bumped me a bit and one, "oh, I don't think that would be true," that bumped me too. However, I'm an author also and a very critical reader, so I suspect that "regular readers" will go, "What is she talking about?"

[Java Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of several people thrown together who somehow form "a gang" that wreaks a vendetta against a criminal art-dealing family. I loved all the good-guy characters, especially Cousin Carla. She was both the heart and the common sense of the group, and totally lovable, especially in her attempts to become "classy."

For a sizzling plot and well-drawn characters, 5 stars. I remove one because the motivation of police is to catch criminals. The scenes with the cops were too drawn out and unnecessary for me. But watch out for those senior citizens at the end!

I would definitely try out another book by this author. Great job!

[Cate Masters · Rating 5 out of 5]

I began rooting for the three down-on-their-luck characters from the start of their fortuitous meetings, hoping they’d turn the tables on the bad guys. They find a united purpose and inspire each other toward better lives.

All were flawed and quirky characters, my favorite kind. The author’s skillful descriptions put me right there with Gino in the Sardinian heat.

Touches of sarcastic humor throughout lighten the dramatic scenes. If you loved The Thomas Crown Affair, then The Esposito Caper is a must read.

[Elisabeth Marrion · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was a great murder mystery. But light-hearted and with a lot of humour. You cannot help yourself you just fall in love with the ‘main’ players. I smiled at and with the colourful characters throughout their adventure. Always hoping they get away with whatever they had planned. I don’t want to give too much of the story away. You have to find out yourself whether it has a happy ending for them all.
I definitely recommend this book.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easily summed up two words. Highly enjoyable! I like my murder mystery with a fun side to it and that's exactly what the Esposito Caper is. Plenty going on with a few red herrings scattered through the plot and a cast of colourful characters to make you laugh and grimace. Can't fault it, looking forward to more from Karen K Brees.

[Annastew1144hotmail.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received The Esposito Caper in return for an honest review and loved it. A really great read that has a little of everything. Murder, mystery, humour, ingenious plot and plenty of action. The characters were really well developed and I very much liked the authentic dialogue which brought each one to life. I definitely recommend reading.

[Shug · Rating 4 out of 5]

Karen Brees wrote a fun book, with a complicated plot that was perfect for the interesting characters she had created. The beginning was a bit slow which is why this isn't a 5.0. But midway it picks up and gets exciting as well as very funny. The ending was a bit heartwarming. I liked it and I recommend it.

[Rolynn Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful light suspense! When Brees assembled this amazing array of flawed but good-hearted characters to fight against some devilish villains, the odds against them seem stacked. The suspense and comedy comes from watching people who could easily turn to crime, playing fast and loose with ethics as they manipulate means to justify ends. This is a page-turner you’ll thoroughly enjoy!

[Danni · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is lots going on in The Esposito Caper and not all of it is what it seems.Very clever plot twists designed to keep the reader guessing to the end, larger than life characters and the scene is set for a very good murder mystery that will not disappoint.