The Mastermind

November 30, 2020
Lane (The Mannies) gets her Long Con romantic suspense series off to a lackluster start with this underwhelming caper. After Felix Salinger, a former thief turned TV network exec, is falsely accused of harassment by news anchor Marnie Courtland, Felix hatches a plan to make Marnie a pariah—but he’ll need help from Danny Mitchell, his old partner in crime and the former love of his live, and their re-banded crew of thieves. The far-fetched con job involves stealing jewels and artifacts from a party Marnie is hosting, and then exposing their provenance—and that they are forgeries—on live TV. The heist offers little tension, though it does prompt Felix, who has fallen for Danny all over again, to declare his love, and work to make Danny stay with him and their found family of fellow thieves. The most criminal part of the book, however, may be the clunky, overwrought writing (“He always attracted mentees the same way big heavy cabbage roses attracted lazy bees”). The premise promises fun adventure, but the action and romance are sluggish and unsatisfying. This is one to skip.

March 15, 2021
Danny returns to help Felix, the love of his life, after a 10-year absence in this combination of a second-chance romance and caper tale. They first met in Rome when Danny saved Felix while he was attempting his first theft. The two lived by conning unethical wealthy people until they met Julia. Danny arranged for Felix to marry her and be the legal father of her child to get her away from her abusive father, thus creating a family of three. But Danny eventually had to break with them when he could not openly be Felix's partner. A decade later, back in Chicago, Felix is determined not to let the newly sober Danny slip out of his life again. Meanwhile, Josh, their now grown child, and his gang of talented friends are preparing to help Danny get revenge on a business partner who is trying to take Felix down. While Lane's large cast of characters is at times hard to track, the reunion of Felix and Danny along with the details of the art heist make this story delicious fun.

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May 7, 2021

Lane's (All the Rules of Heaven) romantic caper is a reunion romance featuring young con men--turned--family. Danny and Felix had fallen in love but after a lengthy hidden relationship, they separated, owing primarily to Felix's life circumstances. Danny returns to Felix's life after a 10-year absence, just when he's most needed. The two fall into old patterns and forge new pathways in their quest to not only right wrongs but stay together to create their future. VERDICT Lane's narrative bounces around timelines and introduces an abundance of characters and backstories quickly. The reunion of Danny and Felix happens early, so some suspense is lost. At its heart, this is a family drama that flounders a bit in the structure of the narrative.--Claire Brown, Red Deer P.L., Alberta, Canada

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