Thieves' Gambit (Book #1)

Thieves' Gambit by Kayvion Lewis is the first book in an adventure series about a group of teen thieves. 

Ross Quest is the latest generation of her family of thieves. Somehow, along with pulling of heists around the world, Ross has little freedom. She is considering running away to a camp to see what other people's lives are like.

With an extra escape plan in place, Ross is read to go to the airport once she and her mom clear the yacht they have been hired to break into. But something goes wrong.

Now her only option is to join the Gambit - a contest among young thieves whose prize is the granting of one wish. A wish Ross can use to save her mother.

Lewis, Kayvion. (2023). Thieves' Gambit. New York: Nancy Paulsen Books.

Diamond Doris: The True Story of the World's Most Notorious Jewel Thief

Diamond Doris: The World's Most Notorious Jewel Thief by Doris Payne and Zelda Lockhart is a fun, fast read about a very successful thief.

Doris grew up in West Virginia in a coal mining town. At eight years old, she decided she had to protect her mother from her abusive father. That was also when she decided she would never get married.

Not long after, Doris realized that it was easy to distract the shop person she was talking to, to the point of them losing track of their merchandise. Thus began a seven decade long career that spanned the globe. 

This is a great memoir. Super fun read about a bad ass woman who told a psychologist when asked why she did it, that the jewelers wanted her to take the diamonds to absolve them of thier guilt for selling African diamonds. 

Payne, Doris & Zelda Lockhart. (2019). Diamond Doris: The True Story of the World's Most Notorious Jewel Thief. NY: Amistad. 

The Scam (Fox and O'Hare #4)

The Scam by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg is the fourth book in their series featuring Fox and O'Hare - an FBI agent and one of the world's most successful thieves.

Kate O'Hare spent much of her career in the FBI chasing Nick Fox. But when she finally caught him, her boss made a secret deal. They now work together, slightly outside of the law, to get the bad guys who cannot be caught in the usual way. Fox is a mastermind at planning a con. O'Hare is ex-special forces and a great investigator.

After their previous success, Kate and Nick are being sent after a money launderer. Evan Trace owns a casino in Las Vegas and one in Macau. He is thought to lander money for everyone from the mob to terrorists. Nick and Kate are to come up with a plan to take him down.

Evanovich and Goldberg have created a fun series filled with both humor and brilliant scams. Fans of heist books will love this series.

Evanovich, Janet and Lee Goldberg. (2015). The Scam. New York: Bantam Books. 

Thief (Robin Monarch #3)

Thief by Mark Sullivan is the third book in his Robin Monarch series. Monarch, the son of a thief and a forger, is an ex-Special Forces, ex-CIA thief who grew up in the slums of Argentina.

Robin Monarch escaped the slums because of one woman - Sister Rachel Diego del Mar. Sister Rachel is a doctor who works to improve the lives of those who live in the Village of Misery. Over the years she has received anonymous donations (from Monarch) and has expanded her clinic to include an orphanage. She is Monarch's only family.

Robin is targeting an unscrupulous man who may have had a hand in the kidnapping of the US Secretary of State. Arsenault has a vault of unclaimed riches on his estate and an annual Christmas party to provide cover. Robin plans to take millions of dollars.

But Arsenault is a man who can hold a grudge. Once he finds out who Monarch is, he will take his revenge - targeting the one person Robin loves the most. Now Monarch has to find a way to steal some early scientific research to trade for Sister Rachel's life.

Sullivan has created a team of very capable characters with Monarch at their head. His books are fast-paced and exciting, filled with capers, rescues, and politics.

Sullivan, Mark. (2014). Thief. New York: Minotaur Books.

The Job (Fox and O'Hare #3)

The Job by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg is the third book in their Fox and O'Hare series. Nick Fox is an thief who is known for the elaborate cons he uses to steal. Kate O'Hare is an FBI agent who chased Fox for years before catching him. Now they are secretly working together to take down international bad guys.

Fox and O'Hare are getting the team back together to go after a ruthless criminal who disappeared years ago. Rumor has it that when he disappeared, he had plastic surgery but Fox has an idea to lure him out.

Evanovich and Goldberg have created a series that is a cross between the TV shows White Collar and Leverage - the bait set to catch the bad guys is creative and fun, a giant con that only works because of the greed of the mark.

This is a great series. Read it from the beginning!

Evanovich, Janet and Lee Goldberg. (2014). The Job. New York: Bantam Books.

The Republic of Thieves (Gentlemen Bastards #3)

The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch is the third book in his Gentlemen Bastards series.

Locke Lamora has spent most of his life as a thief. As a child he stole to live. When he was adopted into the temple of the Crooked Warden, he became a master of both thievery and lying. Now Locke is in a delicate situation. No one in his right mind would work with the Bondsmagi of Karthain. But he has little choice - it is work with them or be left to die.

So Locke and his best friend, Jean Tannen, are off to Karthain to help win an election. Each election is backed by money from the mages as they choose sides and help guide the party they want into power. Of course, they could do this by magic, but they see it as entertainment to watch the mere humans battle over seats to the city.

Told through both present day and flashbacks to their time being trained as Gentlemen Bastards, Locke and Jean - plus the other they grew up with - tell the story of the life of Locke Lamora. Lynch's series is great fantasy filled with capers and outrageous cons.

Lynch, Scott. (2013). The Republic of Thieves. New York: Del Rey.

Outlaw (Robin Monarch #2)

Outlaw by Mark Sullivan is the second book in his series featuring Robin Monarch, an ex-Special Forces and ex-CIA agent and master thief.

Now retired, Robin Monarch is asked to meet with the President of the United States. He is flown on a military jet to Washington, D.C. where he is told that the Secretary of State has been kidnapped along with the foreign ministers of China and India. The three were meeting in secret on an oil carrier in the South China Sea.Monarch is being hired to find them.

Working with a Chinese Ministry of State Security agent and an Indian National Investigations Agency operative, Monarch will track clues all over Asia. Once word is out, they will have only a few days before the three captives are either rescued or assassinated live on the Internet.

Sullivan's character, Robin Monarch, could be compared to many other character in the genres of suspense, thriller or espionage, but I find him more compelling than most. He has not only the skills to get the job done, his heart is in the right place. His background makes him more compassionate and likable. Fans will hope for a whole slew of books featuring Robin Monarch.

Sullivan, Mark. (2013). Outlaw. New York: Minotaur Books.

The Heist (Fox and O'Hare #1)

The Heist by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg is the first book in their series featuring Nick Fox and Kate O'Hare. Fox is one of the world's best and most creative thieves. O'Hare is the FBI special agent who spent years chasing him.

Each of Nick Fox's heists is more elaborate than the last. He is creative and patient and usually steals via a con instead of straight safe-cracking. And he has been teasing Kate O'Hare most of the time she has been after him, including posting her picture on the wall of his latest con.

Kate O'Hare is an ex-Navy SEAL turned FBI agent intent on capturing Fox - both for his crimes and the humiliation of knowing he was hiding in her own hotel room while she and other agents combed the city looking for him.

But after finally capturing Fox, the FBI has made a secret deal with him. Now O'Hare must work with the man who has been driving her crazy while pretending to still hunt for him. Together they will use Nick's methods to go after the really bad guys - people like the investment banker who stole money from thousands of investors and then disappeared before he could be apprehended.

Evanovich and Goldberg have teamed up to bring readers a fun new series filled with outrageous plots and great characters. Evanovich is best known for her Stephanie Plum series and Goldberg for his Monk series. Together they are over-the-top good.

Evanovich, Janet and Lee Goldberg. (2013). The Heist. New York: Bantam.

Perfect Scoundrels (Heist Society #3)

Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter is the third book in her Heist Society series about a group of teens who are master thieves.

Kat Bishop and her friends have pulled off some amazing feats of thievery, but they may be up for the biggest challenge yet. While most of the group of young thieve is related to Kat by blood, WW Hale V joined the group when Kat stole him. She was in his grandmother's house to steal a painting but after he caught her he decided to join her in her adventures.

Now Hale's grandmother Hazel has died and he has been summoned back to the super wealthy family that he never felt apart of other than with his grandmother. But when her will is read and someone who believes she has been excluded hires Kat to find and steal the real will the plotting begins. The first step is to break into a museum where Hazel's desk is part of a display of Petrovich puzzle desks.

Carter has created a great teen series that will appeal to readers of espionage, heist books and friendship. The cons are complicated and spectacular and will delight readers. Great, fun series.

Carter, Ally. (2013). Perfect Scoundrels. New York: Hyperion.

The Gilded Seal (Tom Kirk #3)

The Glided Seal by James Twining is the third book in his Tom Kirk series - and the best one yet. Kirk is a retired art thief who now helps people recover stolen art.

When Tom Kirk is called to Scotland to the theft of a Da Vinci painting, he is shocked to see the calling card of his nemesis - a man who is supposed to be in prison for another six years. At the same time, Kirk's longtime friend and master forger is murdered. Before he died he left something for Tom.

In New York, FBI agent Jennifer Browne is asked to look into an art forgery. A painting by Gauguin is both on the wall of a Soho gallery and listed as being for auction by a Japanese man. Representatives from both Christie's and Sotheby's would like an answer clearing their client.

As Tom and Jennifer separately investigate the possibility of a forgery ring, evidence that Tom's nemesis Milo is up to something big. Possibly trying to break into the Louvre Museum to steal the most famous painting of all time - the Mona Lisa.

Twining combines action, art, and history to take readers through a maze of plot and history. Kirk both investigates a theft, tries to stop Milo and plans a heist. The Gilded Seal is a great book that will appeal to a wide range of readers.

Twining, James. (2007). The Gilded Seal. New York: HarperCollins.

The Black Sun (Tom Kirk #2)

The Black Sun by James Twining is the second book in his Tom Kirk series. Kirk is an ex-art thief who used to help the CIA on occasion, but has retired and now helps people recover stolen art.

When a synagogue in Prague is broken into, it looks to Kirk like the thieves were using the racist graffiti to cover their actual target - a painting by Bellak, a Jew who was killed during the holocaust.

In Maryland, the National Cryptology Museum was broken into and a German Enigma machine was stolen. The Enigma is what created the coded messages the Germans used to communicate during WWII.

In a hospice care, two men break in, kill a holocaust survivor and cut off the arm with his numbered tattoo.

Using these seemingly random acts of violence/crime, the FBI, the CIA and Tom Kirk will follow a trail of clues that will lead to the discovery of an elite troop of SS who were in charge of stolen art during the war.

Twining has a gift for weaving a love of art, our history and a suspenseful plot that will keep readers coming back for more. Fans of mystery, espionage, historical fiction, and suspense will love this series.

Twining, James. (2006). The Black Sun. New York: HarperCollins.

Rogue (Robin Monarch #1)

Rogue by Mark Sullivan is the first book in his Robin Monarch series. Monarch is a CIA thief who walked away in the middle of a mission.

Monarch was raised by unorthodox parents and spent some time of the streets of Bueno Aires after they died. That childhood and time in the US Special Forces trained him to be the ultimate thief.

Now he is spending time with the wealthy - and occasionally liberating some of their expensive jewelry. But then he saves someone's life he is brought back to the job he walked away from.

Monarch, with the help of his team, will go after technology that could change the state of warfare - technology that, in the wrong hands, could change the balance of power forever. 

Sullivan has created a super-soldier, spy, thief with a conscience - a hero for readers of Jack Reacher books and the like. Check it out today.

Sullivan, Mark. (2012). Rogue. New York: St. Martin's Minotaur.

The Double Eagle (Tom Kirk #1)

The Double Eagle by James Twining is the first book in his series featuring master thief Tom Kirk.

After a long career as a thief Tom is ready to retire. He plans on moving his father's shop to London and living a life within the law. His last job was to be two parts but he has no desire to complete it.

FBI Agent Jennifer Browne has been doing very little on the job since a shooting she was cleared of two years ago. Now is her chance to prove she is a good agent... A 1933 Double Eagle coin was found in Europe. The Double Eagle was last issued in 1933 and then recalled by FDR. It was thought that there were only three left in existence. Now one is tied to the murder of a priest.

Twining's plot, characters and amazing historical facts will have readers' attention until the last page. This is a great read for fans of history, espionage, heist stories, and thrillers. Read it!

Twining, James. (2005). The Double Eagle. New York: Harper Torch.

Red Seas Under Red Skies (Gentlemen Bastards #2)

Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch is the second book in his Gentlemen Bastards series about uniquely trained thieves.

Locke Lamora is plotting a new scheme. After fleeing the land of Camorr he has settled, for a time, on the island of Tal Verrar. He has spent the last two years working his way from level to level in the most exclusive casino on the planet - where you must be invited by the owner to move to the next floor.

But now that Locke is getting close to being in position to make his move, he and his friend are kidnapped and taken to the fortress of the Archon. The Archon, who derives his power from the threat of war and is not as popular as he was when the Priori of the city developed his temporary position to fight off pirates, has a job for Locke - and an interesting way to make sure it is carried out.

But can a man who has never been on a ship other than one seasick voyage convince a group of pirates that he is one of them or has Locke met his match in this challenge?

Lynch has created a series that combines fantasy, pirates, thieves, political intrigue, espionage, and more. It is a swashbuckling tale that will have readers tying to guess an outcome that has too many twists to accurately predict. A great read.

Lynch, Scott. (2007). Red Seas Under Red Skies. New York: Bantam.

The Lies of Locke Lamora (Gentlemen Bastards #1)

The Lies of Locke Lamora is the first book in the Gentleman Bastards series by Scott Lynch.

Locke Lamora became an orphan at the age of eight when his parents were victim to a plague that killed all of the adults in their district. When the plague came the city of Camorr imposed a quarantine around the neighborhood - blocking all of the surrounding canals to prevent any escape.

When the quarantine lifted, the Thief Maker went in and rounded up the orphans. His role in the city is to train young orphans in the art of thievery and then sell them to the gangs when they are ready. Soon, due to his plotting nature, Locke is sold to the Gentlemen Bastards.

What follows is a great education not only in how to steal, but how to become other people and fit into any situation. Locke and his friends will be trained to target the upper classes of Camorr - in spite of the Secret Peace that prevents that exact thing.

Lynch has created a dynamic fantasy world filled with rich characters. The Lies of Locke Lamora is like a great heist novel within a great fantasy novel.  

Lynch, Scott. (2006). The Lies of Locke Lamora. New York: Bantam Spectra.

Uncommon Criminals (Heist Society 2)

Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter is the sequel to her book Heist Society.

Katrina Bishop is a thief from a long line of thieves. But she no longer steals - she returns. He is using her skills to return art and other valuables to the people they were stolen from in the first place.

When a woman comes to her using a code name that is sure get results, Kat and her crew attempt to steal the Cleopatra Emerald. The woman claims that the grandfather of the man who now has it stole it from her parents who discovered it on an archaeological dig in Egypt.

But the Cleopatra Emerald has a history of being very difficult to steal - and it is cursed.

Carter has created a team of great characters with the skills of master thieves. Fans of the TV show White Collar will love this series - the best heist books I have read in a while. (And heist books are my second favorite after pirate books!)

Carter, Ally. (2011). Uncommon Criminals. New York: Hyperion Books.

Riding Wild (Wild Riders #1)

Riding Wild by Jaci Burton is the first book in her Wild Riders series. Wild Riders is the secret group that goes after things that have been stolen from the US that cannot be retrieved by legal means.

Lily West is an ex-cop private detective in Chicago. Her latest job is to evaluate the night security at an art museum. She is about to break in to show how simple it would be for a thief to do, when a man rides up on a motorcycle and breaks in himself.

Lily cannot believe her eyes. Not only does some thief have the bad timing to break in while she is on the job, she is pretty sure it is Mac Canfield. She has not seen Mac for ten years.

When she approaches him she sees that he has an artifact in his hand. But before he can reason his way out of the theft, someone starts shooting at them. They jump on his motorcycle and begin a wild ride that takes them all over the country.

Fans of Suzanne Brockmann's books will find Riding Wild worth a read.

Burton, Jaci. (2008). Riding Wild. New York: Heat.

Heist Society (Heist Socetey #1)

Heist Society by Ally Carter is a great art heist book.

Katarina Bishop comes from a long line of art and jewel thieves. Kat's greatest con to date is getting accepted to a great boarding school. She is determined to leave the family business behind and get an education. But when someone steals the Headmaster's car and put it in the fountain with water shooting out of its headlights, Kat finds herself being framed for it.

When her oldest friend, W.W. Hale picks her up at school, she is not overly surprised. Hale is there to tell her that her father just stole five priceless paintings from a very dangerous man.

Her father has a solid alibi - he was pulling off a job in another country when they were stolen - but the man will give Kat two weeks to return his paintings. The only thing she can do is to find out who really took them, re-steal them, and return them.

Carter has written a fast-paced, fun, heist story with talented and endearing characters. Fans of all types of books will enjoy this race around Europe and the planning behind the ultimate heist.

Carter, Ally. (2010). Heist Society. New York: Hyperion.