Review: Thick as Thieves

Synopsis:

Twenty years ago in the dead of night, four seemingly random individuals pulled the ultimate heist and almost walked away with half a million dollars. But by daybreak, their plan had been shot to hell. One of them was in the hospital. One was in jail. One was dead. And one got away with it.

Arden Maxwell, the daughter of the man who disappeared all those years ago — presumably with the money, after murdering his accomplice — has never reconciled with her father’s abandonment of her and her sister. After countless personal setbacks she decides to return to her family home near mysterious Caddo Lake, and finally get answers to the many questions that torment her. Little does she know, two of her father’s co-conspirators — a war hero and a corrupt district attorney — are watching her every move.

Ledge Burnet, a rebellious teen at the time of the heist, evaded his jail sentence by enlisting in the army. Now he’s back in town to care for his ailing father — and to keep his eye on the county’s corrupt district attorney, whom he suspects was the real murderer. Although the two are bound to silence because of the crime they committed together, each has spent years waiting and hoping that the other will make a fatal misstep. But the arrival of their elusive accomplice’s daughter, Arden, who may know more about the missing money than she’s telling, sets them both on red alert. She ignites Ledge’s determination to expose the D.A.’s treachery . . . and sparks a desire he wishes to deny.

Rating: 5-stars

Review:

Thick as Thieves by Sandra Brown is a fast-paced romantic suspense novel. I was hooked! The characters are as different as night and day. At first, I thought that maybe there were more bad guys than what I thought and then, I was fooled. Yes, some have dark secrets in their past. Those helped in creating the suspenseful atmosphere. I was guessing until I got deeper. Inside, there is the back story of a murder and robbery gone wrong. Now, after so many years, the secrets start to come out of the closet. Other characters are pulled back in to re-examine what really happened that night. That’s when they start to piece together the missing info and realize the danger is now a deadly threat.

A young daughter comes back home. She wants answers to her father’s past. But with her presence back in the small-town, danger is right around the corner. Her life is at stake. She just doesn’t realize it yet or know why. An important character is the most dangerous one to be trusted. Then, there’s the stakes that have risen and another member rises to protect the innocent woman. Only she’s not sure she trusts him either.

Overall, I loved the action-packed scenes. There was enough mystery, intrigue, and romance to keep my full-attention. As I got to know the characters, the more I wanted to know their stories. Each one had something big to lose, if they were not careful. Death, grief, and danger made this a highly climatic read. It was engaging from the start. I recommend Sandra Brown’s latest novel, Thick as Thieves, to all suspense readers. You’ll be begging for more…