May 6, 2024
Two swindling besties get in over their heads in this effervescent caper from Amy, who writes the Marion Lane historical mysteries as T.A. Willberg. After an ugly breakup, shy Emma Oxley reunites with her brash childhood best friend, Nellie Yarrow, who convinces her to cut a champagne-drenched swath through the grand hotels and exclusive clubs of Europe, stealing luxury goods from bad men along the way. They swear only to rob from those they believe deserve much worse, and soon develop a reputation as some of the most squeaky-clean purveyors of stolen goods on the dark web. But when a mysterious man kidnaps Nellie, then blackmails Emma into stealing a priceless bracelet from a museum exhibit, she might have to break her own rules of conduct. As Emma attempts to appease, then track down, Nellie’s kidnappers, she gets tangled in a dangerous web of criminal activity, and must turn to some of the men she’s swindled for help extricating herself. With plenty of gleaming locales to satisfy armchair travelers and an engrossing crime plot to boot, this has the makings of a series. Fans of Janet Evanovich and Elle Cosimano will be pleased. Agent: Hayley Steed, Janklow & Nesbit Assoc.
June 1, 2024
Amy's debut follows a pair of female tricksters forced to steal something they don't want for someone who's given them nothing but grief. Five years ago, actuary Emma Oxley's old school friend Nellie Yarrow rescued her after she discovered her worthless fiance/boss in bed with his secretary and lost her home, job, and love in one fell swoop. Now it's Nellie who needs Emma's help. Just as the duo are launching their latest con (the rules of this "Bonnie and Clyde without the guns and murder": swindle only men who can afford and deserve it), Nellie is kidnapped by someone who uses a 10-year-old to deliver a note that takes Emma by a decidedly roundabout route to a rendezvous. There, she's informed that Nellie--who vanished from their ritzy hotel room--will be released only after Emma steals the Heart of Envy, a diamond and emerald bracelet the dark web is buzzing about, from an upcoming Tiffany exhibition at the St. Jude gallery and turns it over to the kidnapper, who calls himself James Reid, and his boss, the shadowy Mr. L. Emma's first reaction is panic, because after all, she's a con artist, not a thief. But working first with Dax Frederick, her tech sidekick and assistant, and then, improbably, with Nellie herself, she hatches a scheme that depends on impersonation, split-second timing, a fake Heart of Envy, and an unbroken skein of luck. Complications ensue. Amy can't make this caper remotely plausible, but she keeps it tense, inventive, and fizzy. More, please.
COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
June 1, 2024
After losing her fiance, her job, and her home, Emma called on her childhood friend Nellie for the unending and nonjudgemental support they could always count on from each other. Five years later, Emma and Nellie have built a stellar reputation as Europe's most reliable luxury jewelry purveyors. However, a fellow criminal has taken Nellie hostage, and Emma must steal the coveted Heart of Envy, a bracelet renowned for its high-quality jewels and reputation for bringing luck to the wearer. Can Emma come up with a plan to rescue Nellie and steal the bracelet, or is this a tragic end to a wonderful friendship? The main and secondary characters are given depth through consistently revealing details, and the core group assembled by Emma and Nellie will easily win over readers. The backstory for the pair explains how their criminal skills developed. Anyone looking for a friendship duo similar to the Finely Donovan series or an Ocean's Eleven-style caper will enjoy the first in what will hopefully be a long and fruitful series.
COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.