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R13: SSS Team 1 - The Quick and the Read
I'm reading
#2 in Bianca Dangereuse.
Book read: Valentino Will Die
Fits: #2 in Bianca Dangereuse
Read 2/10/22
It's always fun to read historical fiction that speculates about poorly documented deaths of famous people. The death of Rudolph Valentino at age 31 in 1926 after a sudden illness lends itself well to the plot of this book, in which Valentino confides that his life has been threatened and Bianca believes he was murdered. From that point forward, our silent-screen siren romps through Hollywood royalty, bootleggers, gamblers, and captains of industry with underworld ties in search of his killer. The ending is quite a surprise. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I just saw Elvis at the Burger King...
Week 4: Thursday Roll
Spot: 26
Book: Bewitching by Alex Flinn
Qualification: Kendra Chronicles #2
Finished: 2/13/2022
Rating: ★★
Review: In Beastly, we met Kendra, a witch. This book dives into her background, starting with how she discovered her powers and stretching through time to meet historical figures and experience major events. Woven through Kendra's story is one of Emma and Lisette, a play on the Cinderella story. I found Kendra's characterization to be completely underdeveloped, which may be hard to believe because this book is about her. The story of Emma and Lisette didn't do much for me either. The story was okay, but I'm not rushing to read the next one in the series.
Week 4, Thursday Roll Team Reviews PostSpot: 26
Jennifer: Valentino Will Die by Donis Casey (The Adventures of Bianca Dangereuse #2: Post 104)
Melanie: Cold Pursuit by Toni Anderson (Cold Justice #2: Post 111)
☘Misericordia☘: Fey by Kylie Quillinan (Tales of Silver Downs #2: Post 108)
Theo: Bewitching by Alex Flinn (Kendra Chronicles #2: Post 105)
Just an FYI, I finished my book tonight but I won't have time to get the review up until around lunchtime tomorrow.
Week 4 - Th Roll Completion by Sun Post - Spot: 23Book:
FeyQualificaton: 2
Date finished: Feb 13
Rating: 5
Review: While this is defs an interesting tale: you get Fey and Humans, deal-making and love-wielding and all... I still can't help feeling bards are a tad moronic. Seriously, they have more damage on their relatives than hand-grenades used by chipmonks. The very people who feed them, who love them, who take care of food, animals, etc, all of them get subjected to bard magic of the stupidest kind. Why do they have to wield doom and gloom all the time? Why can't they get everyone love and riches and safety and abundant years lived in good health and great times???
Q:
"There is something wrong with him."
"Not wrong, just… different. Special. He has a unique ability but has not yet mastered it."
"I never want to hear him tell another tale."
"You will though, I'm afraid. Bards hold a very special place in our family." (c) Morons. Ingrateful ones, at that.
The writing's atmospheric enough to make this fairy tale spectacular enough to ensure me reading the whole series, BTW.
I'm going to be unavailable for the next 4.5 hours or so. I'll check in with the thread when I get home tonight.
Completion Post: Week 4 Thursday - Spot 26
Book: Cold Pursuit by Toni Anderson
How it fits?: #2 in Cold Justice series
Date finished?: 2/12/2022
Rating: 4 Stars
Review:
Cold Pursuit was a suspenseful read featuring an excellent romance between a woman whose young son overhears key information to a terrorist plot and the FBI agent protecting them.
Vivi Vincent's worst nightmare comes true when she and her eight-year-old son Michael are trapped in a mall during a terror attack. Jed Brennan, an FBI agent on leave, helps them survive the assault after saving Michael from the very store the terrorists have gathered in. After word gets out that Vivi's son may have overheard key details of the terrorists' future plans, mother and son are forced into protective custody. But Michael is mute and the trauma of the attack is preventing him from communicating in his normal way through drawing. After the safe house is attacked and Jed doesn't know who he can trust, he makes the decision to hide Vivi and Michael on his own. With danger trailing them at every turn, Vivi and Jed will have to work together if they hope to survive long enough to unlock the information in her son's head.
Vivi has raised her son alone for the last four years after her ex-husband couldn't handle the fact their son was different. She's incredibly protective of Michael due to her ex's treatment of him and doesn't trust anyone else with him. She also has a hard time trusting men in general due to her ex's habit of lying to her. Vivi's hesitation to trust anyone made sense given her past experiences even if it felt at times she was just being obstinate. Jed gets overly involved in his work and in the past has crossed the line to catch a killer. Just prior to the start of Cold Pursuit, Jed is put on mandatory leave due to his actions in a recent case which is how he ended up being at the mall when the attack starts.
Vivi and Jed's relationship starts off as an instant attraction in a high stress situation. But then Jed has to make choices that ultimately cause things to sour a bit between them before he's able to make it up to Vivi later. Both Vivi and Jed are hesitant to start any kind of relationship despite the obvious attraction they share. Vivi has been hurt in the past and Jed doesn't want to take advantage of the situation. This means their romance is a little slower to really get going but I enjoyed the build up between them. When their romance does progress, there are a number of steamy scenes that are very well done. Towards the end of the book they develop some issues due to what's going on, but I was ultimately happy with the way they were able to work everything out.
The search for the group behind the terrorist attack made for an interesting plot. We get scenes from the points of view of several people involved with the attack throughout the book. Each of those involved had different motives for being there which I found interesting as I was expecting it to be a singular cause as the reason for the attack. With Michael's life being in danger, the author kept things suspenseful by having several attacks on his life forcing the group to move around. By the end, things took a turn I wasn't expecting and I found the ending to be suspenseful with just the right amount of action.
Overall Cold Pursuit was a fantastic read and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Cold Light of Day, soon.
Sunday's Roll: 6New Spot: 32
You can read a #2, #3 or #32 in a series, or a book with a sun or moon on the cover.
And if anyone reads a romance for this roll, we'll earn another bonus point.
Read: Nasty Breaks
by Charlotte Elkins
Finished on 2/15
Fits: #3 in Lee Ofsted
The Elkins have several series out that rely on an amateur sleuth whose profession takes him or her to new destinations for each outing, and Lee Ofsted is no exception. Lee is a would-be professional golfer (just starting out). So I was expecting this book to be about a golfer, and when it started out being about a shipwreck I was so thrown that I started it over because I though Audible had attached the wrong story to the title in its catalog! I was soon set aright, LOL. The story was engaging and as is also typical of the Elkins oeuvre, there were quirky and engaging characters surrounding the story, and old friends who are experts in their fields to call on as needed. I did *not* see the ending coming, and isn't that the point? 4 stars!
Hey team! This week has been busier than usual and it looks like I'm not going to be able to finish my book tonight. I'll get it read and my review posted as soon as I can tomorrow morning!
Just wanted to update, my book is done and I'll have the review up tomorrow. Also my book works for the Valentine's bonus.
Week 5 - Sun Roll Completion by Th Post - Spot: 33Book:
Venice Qualificaton: 3
Date finished: Feb 15
Rating: 5
Review: This is an insanely cool series that features borderline romance / mystery genres. I would probably add in the cozy read descriptor as well but that's probably just me and not at all what the author intended. In this one our 2 protagonists are on the verge of honemooning but, BUT that's here it hits them! From here on, the mystery part of the plot gets to be as strong as ever, providing a nice setting for the love story.
Way back when it all started a bit insta-lovey (not too obviously, of course!) now it's all on a reasonable burn and, lemme tell you, this couple is seriously sweet on each other.
So, the overall result is superb. This a number N reread due to me deciding to finish the series (when I first read it, it wasn't finished yet!) and I still love it. So, I think I'll reread whatever I read before and will have some new books in this series to read :) Go me! Such a treat, after all the time. Always. As the Harry Potter inclined ones (me!) say.
Week 4: Sunday Roll
Spot: 32
Book: The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing by Sheila Turnage
Qualification: Mo & Dale Mysteries #2
Finished: 2/17/2022
Rating: ★★★★
Review: After gaining fame in their small town of Tupelo Landing for helping to solve a murder (they made the paper!), Mo and Dale are on the lookout for their next big case. When Miss Lana, Mo's beloved maternal figure, let's her passion drive her to outbid an out-of-towner at an auction for an old inn, the mystery surrounding the place is perfect for Mo & Dale to investigate. The old inn appears to be haunted, and there are ties to some of Tupelo Landing's oldest community members. And, there's a suspicious new boy who always seems to turn up. Will Mo & Dale piece it all together? Spoiler: Of course they will! I love the small town life created by the author with all the color and flair you'd expect in a Southern mystery. It would be a great read-aloud for younger kids.
Week 4, Sunday Roll Team Reviews PostSpot: 32
Jennifer: Nasty Breaks by Charlotte Elkins (Lee Ofsted #3: Post 115)
Melanie: This Earl is on Fire by Vivienne Lorret (Season's Original #2: Post 123) Valentine's Bonus
☘Misericordia☘: Venice by Lynne Connolly (Richard and Rose #3: Post 120)
Theo: The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing by Sheila Turnage (Mo & Dale Mysteries #2: Post 121)
Completion Post: Week 4 Thursday - Spot 32
Book: This Earl is on Fire by Vivienne Lorret
How it fits?: #2 in Season's Original series
Date finished?: 2/14/2022
Rating: 4 Stars
Bonus: Valentine's Bonus - Historical Romance
Review:
This Earl is on Fire features a fantastic romance between a woman looking for adventure and the injured earl she finds on her doorstep.
Miss Adeline Pimm has lived a sheltered life as the daughter of a country baron. On her family's first trip to London, Adeline is hoping for an adventure... and she finds it in the form of a bloody, unconscious man on her doorstep. Liam Cavanaugh, the Earl of Wolford, is alarmed when he wakes in an unfamiliar bed with no memory of how he got there or who attacked him. With bandages obscuring his vision Liam cannot see the woman tending to his wounds, but he finds himself drawn to her wit and alluring voice. When Liam is well enough to go home, he finds he doesn't want to leave Adeline. But with his rakish past, Liam has a lot to overcome if he hopes to win her hand.
Due to an accident at birth, Adeline has one leg that is shorter than the other which led to her parents sheltering her quite a bit. This meant Adeline was fairly lonely growing up and she has a hard time connecting with people. With the trip to London, Adeline hopes to prove to her parents, and herself, that she can take care of herself and doesn't need to be coddled. Liam lost his parents young and wasn't close to anyone until he left for school. He's wary of relationships due to a bad experience in his past which is what caused him to turn into a rake.
Adeline and Liam's relationship gets off to an interesting start due to him showing up unconscious on her doorstep. As he's recovering, his eyes are covered so Liam is drawn to Adeline solely based on her voice and their conversations. I really enjoyed the friendship the pair developed while Liam was recuperating. After Liam recovers and leaves, he begins showing up at events where Adeline is to spend time with her, as well as to quell the inevitable gossip that arose due to how they met. There is a bit of a misunderstanding towards the end of the book that I thought was unnecessary, but I was happy with how it was resolved. I was surprised by the small bit of suspense near the end of the book, but it was a welcome addition and was great for Adeline and Liam's relationship.
Overall This Earl is on Fire was an enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series, When a Marquess Loves a Woman, soon.
Thursday's Roll: 3New Spot: 35
You can read a #3, #5 or #35 in a series, or a book with food or drink on the cover.
Read: Bodily Harm
Robert Dugoni
Fits: #3 in David Sloane
Read: 02/18/2022
Because I read these books out of order, there was a major life event in this book that I already knew about. That did not detract from the tension of the book for me. Sloane is an attorney who has taken some high-profile cases and is now in the position to invest in cases he cares about. The case in this one, concerning the safety of children's toys, pits politics and corporate America against consumers' interests, with deadly results - both in the case and during the investigation/prosecution of it. Naturally, there is an element that will stop at nothing to ensure profit. And predictably, that element has not reckoned with David Sloane. It doesn't seem to matter that all of these plot points and outcomes are expected -- this is still a good series with interesting characters pitted against difficult situations. The unexpected development for me (and I knew the outcome but had no idea how they got there) was the resolution of the situation between David and his stepson - it was heartwarming and satisfying. The only loose end this book didn't resolve for me was related to the court outcome that Sloane got in the opening chapter of the book, that led to him taking the toy case -- that outcome was problematic and not sufficiently dealt with later. 4 stars.
Week 5: Thursday Roll
Spot: 35
Book: Mirrored by Alex Flinn
Qualification: Kendra Chronicles #3
Finished: 2/20/2022
Rating: ★★
Review: A retelling of Snow White, the novel starts with the story of Violet, a young girl who is ostracized because of her looks (and for being weird, like when she brought a bird back to life). She discovers she's a witch, but even after improving her appearance, she can't seem to make friends. Fast-forward and Violet is now the wicked stepmother to a beautiful girl. There are some clever call backs to the original fairytale, but like the other novels in this series, I found the characters lacking any real depth to make me care. It was cute at times, but there are much better retellings out there.
Using Free PassWeek 5, Thursday Roll Team Reviews Post
Spot: 35
Jennifer: Bodily Harm by Robert Dugoni (David Sloane #3: Post 126)
Melanie: That Deep River Feeling by Jackie Ashenden (Alaska Homecoming #3: Post 130)
Theo: Mirrored by Alex Flinn (Kendra Chronicles #3: Post 127)
Just updating, finished my book tonight and I'll have the review up tomorrow.
Completion Post: Week 5 Thursday - Spot 35
Book: That Deep River Feeling by Jackie Ashenden
How it fits?: #3 in Alaska Homecoming series
Date finished?: 2/19/2022
Rating: 4 Stars
Review:
That Deep River Feeling was an excellent small town romance between a woman sworn to protect the town and one of the men who just inherited it.
Since the death of her brother Caleb, Morgan West has been alone as the last of her family. Then one day Zeke Montgomery shows up and tells her his brother asked him to look after her. Morgan has never taken well to being bossed around but Zeke isn't taking no for an answer. Zeke isn't one for sticking around so his plan is to fulfill his late best friend's last request, figure out how to offload his share of the town, and get out of dodge. But Zeke finds himself drawn to Morgan and the more time he spends with her, the harder it gets to walk away.
Morgan grew up in Deep River under the shadow of the West name. Morgan has never felt she's been enough for her family and even to an extent blames herself for them leaving. Despite her family issues, Morgan loves Deep River and has dedicated herself to keeping the town safe. Zeke never fit in with his family and so he left at the first opportunity. Zeke is very socially awkward and comes across as quite abrupt as he simply tells it like it is. He feels most at home when he's on his own in the wilderness, so he tends to avoid being in populated areas/towns as much as possible.
Morgan and Zeke's romance gets off to a bit of a slower start. Morgan doesn't want someone to take care of her as she can do that herself and Zeke is determined to help as it was Caleb's last request of him. Despite reservations on both sides, the two are immediately attracted to one another and their chemistry was fantastic. At first Zeke is very reserved in his interactions with Morgan and I enjoyed watching him open up more as the book went on. Due to Morgan being a West, the entire town is watching these two closely and offering their opinions. Personally something like that would annoy me more than it did Zeke and Morgan who took the meddling in stride. There is a bit of conflict towards the end but thankfully that was dealt with quickly.
Overall That Deep River Feeling was a fantastic read and I would highly recommend the series if you're looking for some great contemporary romances.
I sent Misericordia a message since she hasn't checked in since the last roll. If I don't hear from her in the next hour or so, I'll probably go ahead and use our Free Pass.
Sunday's Roll: 1New Spot: 36
You can read a #3, #6 or #36 in a series, or a book with an author whose first, middle, or last name starts with a 'B.'
Ugh. Sorry? I did read for the last roll, just, I'm not sure where did my post go. Did i post it somewhere else? Lemme see what happened.
Read: Chasing History: A Kid in the Newsroom
Carl BernsteinDate: 02/21/2022
How it fits: last name starts with B.
I've always been fascinated by the Watergate story. In the intervening years, Bob Woodward has been prolifically published and has wound up being considered the "nice guy" of the Woodward/Bernstein duo. Carl Bernstein has often been painted as an arrogant jerk. In this memoir about his early years and his beginnings in journalism, however, he comes across as -- there's no other phrase for it -- positively wide-eyed. Sponge-like in his attempts to absorb everything he can, particularly as his interest in "formal" education waned. I like him a lot better after reading this book than I did before. I was also surprised to found out how much of his early career and journalistic education took place at a different Washington paper than the Post. Four enthusiastic stars!
Well, I definitely can't find my post. Did I delete it by accident? Did I not notice that it didn't get saved? Not sure. Sorry!Completion Post: Week 5 Thursday - Spot 35
Book:
The Model Thinker: What You Need to Know to Make Data Work for YouHow it fits: Model for M
Date finished: 2/19/2022
Rating: 5
Review:
The good: the outline, the breadth, the sheer volume of material. The reader gets bits of everything.
The bad: skimming and no really deep dives. The bits are way too tiny.
The not-nearly detailed enough: - math and the know-how. I don't think many newbies will manage to do many (or even any) of these models basing on just this one skinny volume. But then again, a girl can dream of a book that has it all, right?
The really good take-outs driver: 29 model groups are conversationally discussed, most of these are a mix of some more models that are really broadly used in a lot of industries. A lot of motivation for usage is quite creatively and readably layered out. Nice work!
Completion Post: Week 6 Sunday roll - Spot 36Book:
Spirit BreakerHow it fits: #3
Date finished: 2/22/2022
Rating: 5
Review:
Cults, ghosts, ghost-busting, general havoc and mutual distrust go caboon in this one once again. It's nice to see another set of villains going puff. Another installation of conflicted cooperation between Talon and Casca is underway so it's kinda intriguing what will happen when this duo finally turn on each other. Or will they? I guess I'll see in the next one.
Bonus: 3 books in 1 series!
Misericordia, no worries! We were able to use our free pass on Sunday, so it didn't put us far behind (that was my measly 1 on the roll that did that!). I see that the book you read for this roll is the third in that series that you've read. Did you want to claim the bonus point for reading 3 books in one series?
Theo wrote: "Misericordia, no worries! We were able to use our free pass on Sunday, so it didn't put us far behind (that was my measly 1 on the roll that did that!). I see that the book you read for this roll..."Thanks! Yep, I'm all for it. Adding this to my post now.
Week 5: Sunday Roll
Spot: 36
Book: River Marked by Patricia Briggs
Qualification: Mercy Thompson #6
Finished: 2/22/2022
Rating: ★★★★
Review: The majority of this one takes place away from the pack and other Tri-Cities favorites as Mercy and Adam head to the Columbia River Valley for an impromptu honeymoon (that may have been orchestrated by the fae). I liked this one because Mercy has a chance to get to know more about her Indigenous heritage and her father, which goes a long way to explaining why she has the magic she does. As always, there's danger, and Mercy unwittingly stumbles into it, but also as always, her wiliness keeps alive. This is a strong series that I continue to enjoy!
Week 5, Sunday Roll Team Reviews PostSpot: 36
Jennifer: Chasing History: A Kid in the Newsroom by Carl Bernstein (Author B: Post 136)
Melanie: Hard Hit by J.B. Turner (Jon Reznick #6: Post 143)
☘Misericordia☘: Spirit Breaker by William Massa (Occult Assassin #3: Post 138) 3 books 1 series Bonus
Theo: River Marked by Patricia Briggs (Mercy Thompson #6: Post 141)
Completion Post: Week 5 Sunday - Spot 36
Book: Hard Hit by J.B. Turner
How it fits?: #6 in Jon Reznick series
Date finished?: 2/22/2022
Rating: 4 Stars
Review:
Hard Hit was another fantastic addition to the Jon Reznick series following Jon as he seeks justice for his daughter.
When Jon Reznick receives a call that his daughter Lauren is in the hospital, the victim of a hit and run, he rushes to her side in NYC. With little progress in the police investigation, Jon begins looking into the incident on his own. He quickly learns the car belonged to a high-ranking diplomat who is being protected by the United States government. The NYPD, the FBI, and the State Department all order Jon to back off. But the more Jon digs into the man, the clearer it becomes that Lauren isn't the man's only victim. Determined to get justice for Lauren and all of the man's other victims, Jon goes after the man with everything he has.
The plot in Hard Hit was fast-paced and action-packed from start to finish. The book opens with Lauren's accident and from there we follow Jon as he begins digging into what happened. With the culprit being a diplomat with friends in high places, Jon is basically told the man won't face any consequences. Jon being the man he is refuses to accept that and decides if law enforcement won't punish the guy then he will. His decision to go after the guy causes him a lot of problems and it was interesting seeing how he chose to overcome those issues. Ultimately I enjoyed how the plot was wrapped up and I found the final confrontation with the bad guy to have just the right amount of suspense.
Jon is a great main character and this book was no exception. His tendency to leap without thinking to avenge those closest to him once again gets him in trouble. I like though that his loyalty has no limits and he will do whatever it takes to make things right. Jon's position with the FBI is in jeopardy in this book due to his refusal to let go of what happened. It was interesting watching him navigate the situation without assistance from the FBI as even Meyerstein wasn't able to help him as much as she usually would. This definitely causes a bit of a strain in the pair's working relationship, but I was happy to see they worked things out by the end of the book. Jon's hacker friend returns once again to help and I really enjoy the interactions between these two. I'm hoping we'll get to learn more about him in future books.
Overall Hard Hit was a great read and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Hard Shot, soon.
Thursday's Roll: 5New Spot: 41
You can read a standalone, #1, #4 or #41 in a series, or a book with a title that starts with the letter 'L."
Book read: The Vanishing Half
by Brit Bennett
Date read: 02/24/2022
Qualifies: Standalone
Desiree and Stella are black twins born in the Deep South in the 1950s. Their paths diverge in their teens when they run away from a future of housemaid drudgery. Ultimately, Desiree returns and raises her own child in the same town she grew up in, and Stella winds up passing for white and living a life of relative financial ease in Southern California. Each of them struggles with the burdens of their choice, and with the burden of their enforced separation, until fate brings them together again some 25 years later. I found both their stories fascinating, although I had to suspend some disbelief about the way their daughters crossed paths, but I found Stella's life in particular aroused my sympathy. It must be difficult to choose a life where one can never truly relax one's guard completely. 4 stars.
Week 6: Thursday Roll
Spot: 41
Book: Tempting the Beast by Lora Leigh
Qualification: Breeds #1
Finished: 2/27/2022
Rating: ★★
Review: Merinus is a young journalist looking to cover the story of a lifetime, a genetic experiment which created a lion-human hybrid. If I could sum up this book in one word, it would be problematic. Also, the writing was very repetitive, which is probably because there is almost no plot and mostly just sex scenes. I mean did we really need to hear about his (view spoiler) in three different chapters?
Week 6, Thursday Roll Team Reviews PostSpot: 41
Jennifer: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett (Standalone: Post 146)
Melanie: The Art of Theft by Sherry Thomas (Lady Sherlock #4: Post 150)
☘Misericordia☘: Soul Jacker by William Massa (Occult Assassin #4: Post 149)
Theo: Tempting the Beast by Lora Leigh (Breeds #1: Post 147)
Completion Post: Week 6 Th roll - Spot 41Book:
Soul JackerHow it fits: #4
Date finished: Feb 27
Rating: 5
Review:
Well, this is getting a teensy tadsy boring. While the yet another bad occult thingie needing to be taken down is cropping up, the series is getting to be much more cartoonish than's allowable (in my book!). I'd also say that some of the cultural refs were both insensitive and shrewd and... interesting. Which's probably what made it even borderline readable.
The Book of Shadows aka the Grimoire intent on self-defence (the Monster Book of Monsters) at the start was also a nifty touch. Gotta love the sentient books thinking about their own interests!
Completion Post: Week 6 Thursday - Spot 41
Book: The Art of Theft by Sherry Thomas
How it fits?: #4 in Lady Sherlock series
Date finished?: 2/26/2022
Rating: 4 Stars
Review:
The Art of Theft was a fantastic read featuring a scheme to infiltrate a Yuletide ball to steal a priceless work of art and the secrets hidden behind it.
As the renowned Sherlock Holmes, Charlotte Holmes has solved murders and found missing persons. But one thing she has never been asked to do is to steal a priceless work of art. But Mrs. Watson is desperate to help an old friend and Charlotte finds herself unable to sit on the sidelines. The plan? Infiltrate a Yuletide ball, steal the painting, and escape before anyone realizes it's missing. Joining Charlotte and Mrs. Watson are Charlotte's sister Livia, Livia's admirer Stephen Marbleton, and Charlotte's dear friend Lord Ingram. But upon arriving at the French chateau, the group quickly discovers that all is not as is seems and there's far more danger than they realized if anything goes wrong.
Upon learning The Art of Theft was essentially a Victorian era heist, I was incredibly excited to pick the book up. The book opens with Charlotte taking a meeting with a woman interested in Sherlock's skills only to change her mind after meeting with Charlotte. We then learn the woman is actually an old friend of Mrs. Watson and the pair approach the woman again to offer their services. From there the pair recruit the other members of their group and are off to France. After their arrival in France, the book picks up pace and doesn't let up until the end. The planning stages of the heist are very well done and I liked how everyone had their own part to play. The actual heist portion itself is fantastically done and I loved every minute of those scenes. There ended up being a few twists I didn't see coming that I thoroughly enjoyed. The ending was well done and I liked the set up for the next book in the series.
Charlotte continues to be an excellent main character. Her ability to puzzles things out and uncover information are extraordinary. With this case being more hands on, Charlotte gets to use her skills in a different way. Charlotte definitely takes a leadership position when it comes to planning the heist which I enjoyed. She's great at figuring out where the skills of the others would be best served. Everyone in the group works well together and I enjoyed the individual interactions they had with each other. Charlotte and Lord Ingram's friendship is on uneven ground in this book after the events of The Hollow of Fear. It was interesting watching them circle each other as they tried to figure out how to adjust their interactions based upon what transpired between them.
Overall The Art of Theft was a great read and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Murder on Cold Street, soon. I highly recommend this series if you're looking for some great historical fiction mysteries.
The Challenge Factory
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New Spot: 26
You can read a #2, #6 or #22 in a series, or a book with a purple cover.