Tess Amy
writes the popular Marion Lane historical mysteries under the name T. A.
Wilberg. Her first contemporary crime fiction novel was released in July 2024. The
Confidence Games highlights Emma Oxley and Nellie Yarrow, two school
friends turned international con artists who specialize in stealing high-end
jewelry and watches and then selling them to the highest bidder on the dark
Web. Nellie comes by her tricks naturally, having been trained from a young age
by her grandmother. Emma had to acquire pickpocket and scam artist skills as an
adult but she managed. Together they are an unstoppable duo, until one night
when Nellie is kidnapped and Emma is told that she has to steal a famous
diamond necklace to ransom Nellie. Emma isn’t used to working alone but how she
collects her self-confidence and rises to the occasion is witty and clever and
makes for an amusing and absorbing read.
While the
book starts off as a light-hearted caper and keeps the vestiges of a heist, the
story soon veers into more serious territory, examining concepts of identity,
self-discovery, and family. Hardly anyone in the book is who they say they are,
contributing to the confusion and the surprises of the ultimate resolution.
The inventive
cast of characters includes an 8-year-old girl who carries a book of advice
with her everywhere and consults it on all occasions. I was especially amused
by Dax Frederick, the duo’s so-called computer “expert”. While most fictional
IT gurus know technology inside and out, Dax is apologetically ignorant of most
of the conventions of breaking into a system. His apartment is full of textbooks
about hacking as he tries to bring his skills up to the standard the two con
artists need to function safely on the dark Web. Playing against type he is
hopelessly inept.
The ending is
immensely rewarding, as the bad guys get their comeuppance and Nellie and Emma
are re-united in a suitably dramatic fashion. Highly readable, possible series
potential. Recommended.
- Publisher:
Berkley
(July 9, 2024)
- Language:
English
- Paperback:
288
pages
- ISBN-10:
0593642503
- ISBN-13:
978-0593642504
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3NHehQF
Aubrey Nye Hamilton ©2024
Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.
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