Action, adventure, mythology and high-tech crime are packed into Stephen Cole’s Thieves Like Us. The first book in an explosive series, Thieves Like Us, introduces us to a crew of brilliant teens whose skill and ambition are harnessed by a criminal mastermind, Coldheart, making them an almost unstoppable band of high-end thieves. First we meet Jonah Wish, an ultra-talented computer programmer as he’s serving the second month of a year-long incarceration for illegal computer hacking and multi-million dollar theft. Jonah’s as surprised as the reader when a commotion breaks out in the jail and he’s spirited away by some well-trained, technologically savvy teens to a posh hideout. Jonah’s immediately thrust into a fast-paced, live-for-the-moment lifestyle with the teens who rescued him: Patch, a one-eyed locksmith; Motti, a security & logistical systems genius; Con, a beautiful enchantress; and Tye, a skilled driver and a human lie-detector. As Coldheart’s “children,” the teens use their skills to hunt for a precious treasure – the key to eternal life – as they unravel a mystery thousands of years old, all the while facing obvious and hidden deadly enemies.
Cole’s story is paced like an adventure film, mixing elements from movies like National Treasure, Mission Impossible and The Italian Job with those from books like Artemis Fowl, Alex Rider Adventures, Young Bond, and others. In this first installment, Cole takes the time to develop some of the characters’ backstories, as well as giving them some emotional depth and realism. Certainly the action and mystery, along with the gadgets and exotic locales, takes center stage, but Cole has smartly given himself characters he can continue to flush out as the crew moves through later installments in the series. There’s more than enough action to keep readers hooked and anyone who loves special-effects filled summer blockbusters will love this series.
- Posted by Cori
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