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A review by isalaur
How to Steal a Thief by A.J. Sherwood
5.0
Loved it!
Sherwood’s brilliant mix of suspense, humor, and pathos with a touch of social commentary thrown in scores a bullseye once again. The series centers on a chosen family of criminals and you really should read book one first in order to fully appreciate book two.
Book Two centers on the thief, Ivan. Of course the rest of the team figures prominently...the assassin, the mercenary, the hacker and the apprentice. The book begins with a job taken by Ivan to steal a valuable stamp for a collector. The stamp is the only one of its kind and has been completely off the grid u til just recently when it’s owner died and a record of it turned up in probate records. However when Ivan breaks in to steal it from the person who supposedly inherited it he finds out that the person is a med student without two nickels to rub together. This brings up some painful empires for Ivan and he decides to go all Robin Hood for Adrien. The two form a quick bond and when Ivan realizes Adrien will need protection for the others who will be searching for the valuable stamp he brings in the rest of the team.
The mystery of the stamp’s whereabouts is interesting and the adventures to finding it are alternately amusing and frightening. You will feel an overwhelming urge to throat punch Adrien’s uncle for a lot of reasons. There are a few people to be angry at and I was kind of hoping for more retribution on Adrien’s behalf. I especially wanted to see some consequence for the clear violation of the terms of the will and some consequences for the judge who was responsible. That was the only hitch in the storyline for me because it just made no sense given everything else we are told about the estate.
Ivan and Adrien both had less than stellar upbringings and I really liked the way the author was able to weave the story demonstrating how each gave the other exactly what they needed in a partner.
The steps in this book leading to book three have me super intrigued for that one and I cannot wait for it to be released! Highly recommend this book and this series.
Sherwood’s brilliant mix of suspense, humor, and pathos with a touch of social commentary thrown in scores a bullseye once again. The series centers on a chosen family of criminals and you really should read book one first in order to fully appreciate book two.
Book Two centers on the thief, Ivan. Of course the rest of the team figures prominently...the assassin, the mercenary, the hacker and the apprentice. The book begins with a job taken by Ivan to steal a valuable stamp for a collector. The stamp is the only one of its kind and has been completely off the grid u til just recently when it’s owner died and a record of it turned up in probate records. However when Ivan breaks in to steal it from the person who supposedly inherited it he finds out that the person is a med student without two nickels to rub together. This brings up some painful empires for Ivan and he decides to go all Robin Hood for Adrien. The two form a quick bond and when Ivan realizes Adrien will need protection for the others who will be searching for the valuable stamp he brings in the rest of the team.
The mystery of the stamp’s whereabouts is interesting and the adventures to finding it are alternately amusing and frightening. You will feel an overwhelming urge to throat punch Adrien’s uncle for a lot of reasons. There are a few people to be angry at and I was kind of hoping for more retribution on Adrien’s behalf. I especially wanted to see some consequence for the clear violation of the terms of the will and some consequences for the judge who was responsible. That was the only hitch in the storyline for me because it just made no sense given everything else we are told about the estate.
Ivan and Adrien both had less than stellar upbringings and I really liked the way the author was able to weave the story demonstrating how each gave the other exactly what they needed in a partner.
The steps in this book leading to book three have me super intrigued for that one and I cannot wait for it to be released! Highly recommend this book and this series.