Kathy Shearer's Second Act

by Kayt Ludi

Kathy Shearer is a woman turning 40 - divorced, no kids, no family besides her cat, and in a dead-end job that sucks the life out of her daily. She's always loved crime/heist/police procedural books and shows, so in the midst of a slight midlife crisis she works up the nerve to see if she can pull off a heist herself. The answer is that she can, and she does, and Kathy's second act, as Kat Steele, is where her life finally starts.

263 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 18, 2020

About the author

Writer (author/poet/blogger/journalist). Unapologetic user of the phrase "dog mom." Traveler. Nature photographer. Cali-girl currently exiled to Arizona. Right handed, though ambidextrous when typing. Lover of short sentences.

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this wasn't my kind of book, some people will really enjoy it. I was looking for more cat burglar less cybercrime, more cozy less gritty, more independence less romance. For people who enjoy a good book about cybercrime with a hint of grit and a bit of romance this book is a good choice.

At 40 years of age Kat is recently divorced and tired of the life she's living. She fell in to a job at an insurance agency right out of college and is suddenly aware that this office will be the rest of her life unless she does something. Her favorite book has always been about a female international cat burglar so she wonders if she might bring some of that excitement in to her life. She starts working out, eating better, and robbing banks, and she likes it. So she quits her job and moves to New York City to continue her new way of life.

I had some problems with the first few bank robberies. The first robbery seemed clever, but the fact that she used the exact same technique for 3 more robberies in a small city required more suspension of disbelief than I was able to manage. There is no way every bank in the city wouldn't have been on the lookout for somebody using the same MO after the first robbery and there is no way the police and press wouldn't have been on to the pattern after the second.

The pacing of the story was a bit slow. Details that weren't absolutely necessary like selling things on Craig's list, the drive across the country, apartment hunting, even her process of learning to hack ATMs and computers could have been abbreviated. Pacing problems continued throughout the book with details that didn't add anything. It felt like it needed a more thorough editing to tighten up the story.

I enjoy books that let me really feel like I'm there with the character and seeing what they're seeing. The descriptions of Kat's original home, New York City, and Europe fell flat. Even Morocco, which is incredibly beautiful and provides such a rich experience for all of the senses, didn't really come through. Then she hit Ireland and I felt like the descriptions came to life. This is also when the pace of the book largely picked up.

Kat loves books and cats and was trying to improve her life by following her dreams. She wasn't a perfect person, but by the end of the book I started to understand what was driving her. When she was explaining to another character why women don't always report sexual assault, she was so accurate and so eloquent; I felt real passion from her. Her concern for others was genuine. The other two primary characters in the book, Tash and Charlie, were also likable.

By the end of the book Kat had found purpose and the next book in the series will be even better than this one. I really liked the direction the story was heading by the end and I think Kat has the potential to become a strong and even heroic character.

I received this book free from Goodreads giveaways which does not have an impact on my review.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kathy Shearer turns the big 4-0 and decides to change her entire life! I liked the premise of this book and the plot was original, but I think you had to suspend your belief a lot!

I like that her new persona of Kat is more daring, open to people, and lives life to the fullest. I also like that the stealing part of the story turns into something more than just a self-serving money grab and adrenaline rush. Kat uses her new skills for good by the end of the book while starting a whole new life.

This was a cute book with a unique story line. I think what bothered me about it was the author, Kayt Ludi did a lot of telling, instead of showing the reader things. I’m very thankful for a free Kindle copy of this book and the opinions expressed are all my unbiased thoughts.

[Laura Hundley · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I truly loved the publishers blurb, I had a hard time with this story. Kat is turning 40 and works at a dead end job not really going anywhere when she decides to see if what she has learned about police work and crimes in general will help her pull of a heist of her own. The story is far fetching in some places that really make you go huh! I tried as best as I could to leave out my thoughts as I was reading but there really are things that just make no sense. This may be a 5 star book for someone else but I was left with too many questions at the end.