Hadley and Grace

Redfearn (In an Instant) tips a hat to Thelma & Louise in this entertaining, fast-paced romp about an unlikely friendship formed during a heist. Hadley Torelli’s husband, Frank, has been running a gambling and drug-dealing operation out of his Orange County, Calif., parking business. As Hadley plots to leave Frank, a parallel narrative emerges with one of his employees, Grace, who’s seeking a solution for her husband’s gambling debts and a better life for her infant son. Both women end up in Frank’s office on the same night, looking to steal Frank’s $1.9 million stash. The women get off on the wrong foot—literally, as, engaged in a scuffle over who will take the money, Hadley ends up with a twisted ankle, which serves as a plot device to keep the women together, and to launch the plot in its buddy-comedy direction as they go on the lam. An FBI agent—on their trail after the heist compromises a sting operation—and a surprising love story throw the women’s plans for a getaway into increasing chaos as the novel barrels toward a surprising conclusion. Despite some familiar tropes, Redfearn keeps the reader rooting for her engaging heroines. This rollicking tale of crime, friendship, and love delivers the goods. (Jan.)