Thieves
by Steven Max Russo
Esmeralda works for a housecleaning service during the day and as a restaurant hostess at night. Just out of high school, she is the sole support for her mother and two young siblings.
She has drive and ambition. What she doesn’t have is money.
She knows of a home in the upscale town of Mendham, NJ, that will be empty for more than a month. The rich people who live there go away the same time every year to spend time at their vacation home. Having cleaned the house, she also knows it contains a fair amount of cash and valuables.
One night sitting with Ray, one of her co-workers, she casually mentions a “what if” scenario; Ray tells Skooley, a white trash drifter who recently moved to New Jersey from south Florida, and a plan is hatched.
It isn’t long before Esmeralda finds herself trapped by both circumstance and greed, forced to try and defend herself against one of her partners in crime, who she quickly discovers is far more dangerous than she ever thought possible.
Momma Says: 3 stars⭐⭐⭐
Thieves turned out to be a bit different than what I was expecting. The beginning gives us a rapid-fire intro of the characters, some of which we see more of than others. This part was something I would've liked to have seen done a little more organically throughout the book rather than throwing the characters at us all at once. Nevertheless, there's something compelling about the writing that kept me turning the pages to see how everyone would connect. And connect they did - eventually. There is one character who I'm still a bit confused about. Other than giving some insight into Skooley, which we really don't need given the circumstances and things that have already happened before this character crosses paths with him. There is a lot of dialogue in this one, which I felt created some lag time in the story. Some parts are necessary for flow, but there were several conversations that didn't really propel the story forward. At the same time, the story also has some gripping scenes that hold the reader's attention and make you wonder just how much these thieves can get away with. In the end, this one was just an okay read for me , but the author does show promise, and I'll be interested to see what he does next.
Thieves turned out to be a bit different than what I was expecting. The beginning gives us a rapid-fire intro of the characters, some of which we see more of than others. This part was something I would've liked to have seen done a little more organically throughout the book rather than throwing the characters at us all at once. Nevertheless, there's something compelling about the writing that kept me turning the pages to see how everyone would connect. And connect they did - eventually. There is one character who I'm still a bit confused about. Other than giving some insight into Skooley, which we really don't need given the circumstances and things that have already happened before this character crosses paths with him. There is a lot of dialogue in this one, which I felt created some lag time in the story. Some parts are necessary for flow, but there were several conversations that didn't really propel the story forward. At the same time, the story also has some gripping scenes that hold the reader's attention and make you wonder just how much these thieves can get away with. In the end, this one was just an okay read for me , but the author does show promise, and I'll be interested to see what he does next.
❃❃ARC provided by Book Sirens and the author
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