It Takes a Thief by Sloane Steele – a Review

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Description:
When catching a thief requires becoming one.

Jared Towers has skills. One of them is being able to talk his way out of—or into—anything.

Audrey Abbott has skills, too. Need something hacked and only the best will do? She’s your girl.

He’s charming.

She’s reclusive.

They have absolutely nothing in common—except for a driving desire to take care of those who need it the most.

For Jared, that means assembling a team of thieves to steal back what rightfully belongs to the victims of a crime perpetrated by his own father. For Audrey, it means doing whatever she can to make sure her grandma never has to worry again.

And now they have something else in common: the art heist of the century.

It was supposed to be all business. Get in and get out, then move on to the next target. But when Jared finds himself falling for Audrey, artwork isn’t the only thing at risk of being stolen…

Counterfeit Capers
Book 1: It Takes a Thief
Book 2: Between Two Thieves
Book 3: To Catch a Thief

Review:

It Takes a Thief by Sloane Steele is the 1^st book in her new Counterfeit Capers series.  We meet Jared and Mia (cousins), as together they plan on their series of heists as payback against their fathers.  A number of years ago, their fathers were exposed for a Bernie Madoff financial scam, causing many people to lose their money; a number of those people were put into financial binds. The fathers are in hiding, leaving the children and their wives to suffer the backlash against them; of something they had no idea what was happening. 

Years pass, and now both Jared and Mia have inherited from their mother’s trust funds, which they plan to use to help out all those people who were hurt financially.  They will aim at their fathers’ cronies, who have valuable art, for which they eventually will sell to allow the fathers’ to return home, cashing in on those invested art.  Jared and Mia plan to steal the various paintings/sculptures, replace with forgeries,  and provide compensation to the victims; which they plan to do 12 heists (in three books ?).   But they need to find people who can help them perform the necessary deeds; so, they need to find the best in those fields who will not get caught; a thief, a hacker and a forger. 

At this point, Jared takes center focus, as we meet the ladies who are the best.  Audrey (Data) is a hacker, Nikki is the thief and London is the forger.  It was great to see Data and Nikki, who are totally different, but who become friends.  Mia when meeting both of them, wasn’t sure she could trust them, but in time that will change.  Jared, who spent most of the time with Data and Nikki, started to fall hard for Data (Audrey), though she is a loner (buried in her hacking world), she too started having feelings for Jared.  London comes in later, when hired by Mia to forge a painting.  They were a very good group, and the three ladies helped each other plan their parts in the heists. 

What follows is a wonderful story, giving us a glimpse at how hackers and thieves work, as well as enjoying a slow build romance between Jared and Audrey. The romance closer to the end, has some hiccups, but we do love them together and hope they stay together.  It Takes a Thief was a fun and witty adventure, as well as being exciting and suspenseful when they were on the job.  I do not want to say too much more, since you should be reading this without spoilers.  Sloane Steele did an excellent job writing this wonderful suspenseful story, with a group of great characters.   I look forward to the next two books, which will continue with more heists to come. 

Reviewed by Barb

Copy supplied for Review