The Steal

The Leopard Series, Book 1

By: C. W. Gortner, M. J. Rose

Narrated by: Eva Kaminsky, Chris Andrew Ciulla

They say diamonds are a girl’s best friend - until they’re stolen.

Ania Throne is devoted to her jewelry company. The daughter of one of the world’s most famous jewelers, she arrives in Cannes with a stunning new collection. But a shocking theft by the notorious thief known as the Leopard throws her into upheaval - and plunges her on an unexpected hunt that challenges everything she believes.

Jerome Curtis thinks he’s seen it all, especially when it comes to crime. Until he’s hired to investigate the loss of Ania Thorne’s collection, his every skill put to the test as he chases after a mysterious master-mind responsible for some of the costliest heists in history - and finds himself in a tangled web with a woman he really shouldn’t fall in love with.

From the fabled Carlton Hotel to the elegant boulevards of Paris, Ania and Jerome must race against time to catch a thief before the thief catches them. With everything on the line, can they solve the steal or will the steal take more than diamonds from them?

Set in the late 1950s, THE STEAL is a romantic caper by bestselling authors C.W. Gortner and M.J. Rose.

©2021 by C. W. Gortner and M.J. Rose. (P)2021 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"Taut, sexy, and dripping with old Hollywood glamour, The Steal is immersive, propulsive fun." (New York Times best seller Christina Lauren)

"High-speed chases, explosive secrets, and sudden romance abound as [an] unlikely pair chases a master thief across the sun-drenched Riviera to postwar Paris and beyond. The Steal is a sparkling gem of a tale from start to finish!" (New York Times best seller Kate Quinn)

"Engrossing and romantic, with an edge of nostalgia, The Steal took me on a Parisian adventure I absolutely loved! I highly recommend this novella!" (New York Times best seller Rebecca Zanetti)

3.5 Stars (rounded up)

This is the first book in what I believe will be a total of three novellas. This first entry solves the mystery of the jewel thief's identity. I surmise the second two books will be the chase to find him/her and bring them to justice.

I loved the 1957 Cannes setting. The descriptions were vivid and I could easily imagine the clothing, cars, and hotel interiors. I couldn't help but picture the scenes playing out in technicolor as in To Catch a Thief with Carey Grant and Grace Kelly.

I found The Steal entertaining with its car chases, international intrigue, and fast-brewing romance. Overall, it was a light and fun novella and I look forward to the rest.

Awful

This is terrible. The story was silly, the writing juvenile, and the scenes cringeworthy. It comes across as a farce, but I don't think it is supposed to be one, which just makes things worse. Both narrators were melodramatic and over the top.