Thief's Mark Book Review

Thief's Mark Book Review
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Title: Thief’s Mark
Author: Carla Neggers
Published: August 29, 2017, MIRA
No. of Pages: 336
Cover Price: $26.99 Hardcover, $11.99 Kindle



Thief’s Mark is the seventh installment in the Sharpe and Donovan series by bestselling author, Carla Neggers. The story begins with FBI agents, Emma Sharpe and Colin Donovan, on their honeymoon in Ireland, stopping off to see Emma’s Grandfather, Wendell Sharpe, who runs a private art detective agency. Wendell, in his 80s, has just discovered that his home has been broken into, and appreciates that Emma and Colin are there to assist. However, when the break-in points to an Englishman they are all acquainted with and definitely don’t trust, they travel to England to get the facts from Oliver York, who was previously a gifted, brilliant art thief, and who now works for M15. By the time Emma and Colin arrive, a man has been brutally murdered and Oliver has disappeared. The dead man turns out to be one of the men who kidnapped Oliver when he was eight, and murdered his parents.

The main characters in this series are well-developed, and likeable. They are a bit different from the norm, in that Emma is an art expert, and worked for her Grandfather’s business before becoming an agent. Colin is, of course, the-best-of-the-best when it comes to being on the FBI HIT team, and they work well together. Although Emma and Colin work in the US, and live in Maine, Neggers weaves the heritage of Ireland and Scotland into the stories, which adds charm and makes the books all the more interesting. Neggers is an excellent storyteller, and is adept in building suspense as the story evolves. There is no graphic violence, sex, or language in this novel, making it suitable for almost anyone. However, that doesn’t mean that this thriller is less than exciting; rather the emphasis is on the characters, the investigation, and the English backdrop rather than shallow filler.

Although it’s probably best if readers start with the first and read through this series in order, Neggers adds enough background that it can be read as a standalone. This is a light, fun series, but it is much more intense than a cozy and there are twists and turns as well as a surprise ending. Highly recommended.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.





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