The Mastermind

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. (Apr.)