Thank you to the publisher for my copy - all opinions are my own.

This is such a fun heist style plot, that I cannot believe I waited so long to read it. When you are looking for a good escapism read, this is the kind of book you want to pick up. Perfectly paced, great characters and a plot that keeps you glued to the page. A must read!

This one gave me all the Ocean's 12 vibes! The banter between Riley Woolfe's character and his captors is brilliant and there are definitely some scenes that are made for the silver screen.

Didn’t realize this was second in a series and I didn’t read book one so I was a little lost. I may revisit if I get to book one.

Another great book from Jeff Lindsay, about Riley Wolfe. I'm starting to like Riley even more than Dexter. This book again had the same great characters/team, great pacing, and another great story. Can't wait for the next installment. #FoolMeTwice #NetGalley

I really, really need this to be made into a movie and I need it to be cast with the same people who played the recurring roles in Burn Notice.

This was SO much fun, another perfectly plotted heist thriller from Jeff Lindsay in the Riley Wolfe series.

I enjoyed Just Watch Me—the first novel in the series—as well, but this book improved upon its predecessor. The writing is tighter and the humor is better, and while the actual heist itself in Just Watch Me was pretty much flawlessly constructed, this one was even more clever given the setting, the supporting cast, and the actual object being targeted.

I love Lindsay’s brand of humor, and the cleverness of the plot (both generally speaking and in its details) is a huge cut above most action thrillers. Fool Me Twice was at once intense and light, which is a rare but ideal combination of characteristics for this genre for me.

I also really appreciate the way that Lindsay has written Wolfe’s foil, Agent Frank Delgado. Most action fiction in which we’re supposed to root for the criminal paints law enforcement as either corrupt and evil or as bumbling and dim. Delgado is neither of those. He’s a worthy foe for Wolfe, a good agent who juiuuust isn’t quite good enough to catch our man in the act.

The female characters in this are still pretty cringily written, but aside from that, Lindsay seems to have taken the many good things about the first book in the series and made them even better here. The third book can’t come soon enough!

Stories involving art heists have always fascinated me. The planning, cunning, and precision needed to pull off an elaborate theft is intriguing enough but, Fool Me Twice added a revenge plot and I was hooked. This was a fast paced, whiplash novel that read like a high action film!

The second book in the Riley Wolfe series is every bit as good as the first one. I love the characters, the fast paced plot and the same dark humor that made Jeff Lindsay's Dexter series a favorite. You don't have to have read the first book in the series to enjoy this although it is also recommended reading. Highly recommended.

I really wanted to like Riley Wolfe. He is the quintessential bad boy villain, well educated, intelligent, good looking and has a sense of humor. But, he is a completely self serving anti-hero. That said, this is a page turner that can't be put down. Riley ends up in trouble in this book--seemingly trouble that will end his life, and prevent Jeff Linday writing another sequel, but will it? A most enjoyable , but improbable caper.

With just three books to go before completing my goal of reading a book a week this year, I'm finding that the end of this journey is looking much like it began. My reading has taken me through many more genres than I typically encounter, but I'm falling back into a more comfortable territory to close things out. I started the year off by reading Just Watch Me, the start of a new series by Jeff Lindsay. Lindsay shot to fame for his best selling Dexter series, and his newest character proved to be just as fascinating. When his publisher offered me a copy of Fool Me Twice, the second novel to feature Lindsay's burglar protagonist Riley Wolfe, I jumped at the chance to read it. I'm pleased to report that this sequel more than delivered everything I grew to love about the first book.

Riley Wolfe is really good at his job. He's meticulous in the preparation, execution, and clean up of each job he undertakes. He has to be. When you devote your life to pulling off the kind of heists that even the most competent thieves wouldn't even dream of attempting, there's really no room for error. In fact, that's why Riley is so frustrated with himself at the start of this novel. You see, despite all the precision and careful planning, the disguises, the fake names, and the payoffs, Riley has been double-crossed. He finds himself in the exact position he has worked so diligently to avoid. He's at the mercy of another crook.

Held captive for several days, chained in place, his finger broken, Riley is pretty much done with whatever the heck is going on. He's not used to this kind of treatment, and he's ready to do whatever it will take to gain back his freedom. It is soon revealed that his captor, notorious arms dealer Patrick Boniface, is ready to make a deal. Boniface is prepared to trade Riley's freedom in exchange for a heist. But this isn't just your ordinary theft. What Boniface wants is impossible. He wants Riley to bring him a famed fresco by Raphael that is directly painted onto a wall within the Vatican. Fortunately for both Riley and Boniface, Riley has a knack for achieving the impossible.

With Fool Me Twice, Jeff Lindsay is two for two in providing clever thrills and intriguing drama in his series. Like his more famous character Dexter, Riley Wolfe is a classic anti-hero. The man literally lies, cheats, and steals his way through life, and I couldn't get enough of him. There's something delightfully irresistible about Wolfe. It is fun in the way that any heist story is. You know what the protagonist is doing is technically wrong, but you're so caught up in the thrill of the attempt that you can't help but root for them. While reading the first book will provide more insight into the existing relationships between the main characters (there's a noticeable lack of continued character development in this book compared to the previous one), not reading it won't disqualify you from enjoying the main story of this one. That being said, the first book is really fun too. Do yourself a favor and read both! As for me, I'll be anxiously awaiting the next book to feature this fun character, and quickly reading a couple more books to finish my book a week goal.

Fool Me Twice
By Jeff Lindsay

Fool Me Twice is the second book in the Riley Wolfe series. I had not read the first one but I feel that it still worked for me sans the particular details of some of the plot points that was described in this installment. nonetheless, I feel that I still enjoyed this mystery/thriller read that was fast paced and read like a blockbuster action movie. I enjoyed reading about the impossible situations our MC is placed in and the way he is able to maneuver himself out of tight spots. The supporting characters were also fun to read. Overall, I felt compelled to look forward to future books and to pick up the first book in this series.

A much different story than the first book. This one starts off the same as he is going to take a Faberge egg. Really or is something else at the museum. Leaving like he does he is thinking everything is good when he is shot with a dart and later wakes in the clutches of Patrick Boniface, turns out this man is the biggest arms dealer and badass around. Most people are afraid of what he can do. After many days and finally agreeing to his terms which is stealing a fresco from the Vatican, he is taken again this time by the man who wants to take over the Boniface trade.
Here is when the story goes on for a ride he is accosted by the FBI and later finds out that what he thought was all of his secret hiding places those two men already know about. It is like Boniface knows everything. The story moves along like the first one switching back and forth between the different characters all the while you are wondering how or if Riley is going to get out of this situation?
Monique was part of this story this time which was more than in the first book, you get to see some of her personality, I was hoping for more. You do see the care and want that Riley has for her yet he is always hoping for more. Delgado the FBI agent is once again upset, frustrated with Riley which makes for a good story. There are times when the story drags a little, was in the first book it just straight through and felt like an easy read. Overall a good book and the characters were well defined.

In Fool Me Twice, master thief Riley Wolfe is back. The book starts fast with a heist in Moscow, which ends with his abduction and being forced to steal a painting by an arms dealer. No problem for a master thief, right? Well, it's a fresco that is painted on a wall in the Vatican!

Jeff Lindsay packs a lot of twists, turns, and betrayals in this globetrotting story featuring the dark humor and an anti-hero protagonist that we well know Jeff Lindsay for in his Dexter series.

Fool Me Twice
Jeff Lindsay
reviewed by Lou Jacobs

readersremains.com | Goodreads


With a spectacular display of misdirection and disguise, one of the most gorgeous and rare Faberge Eggs is unceremoniously lifted from a high security museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. Just a walk in the park for master thief Riley Wolfe.

Once Riley has procured the Faberge Egg, he finds himself double-crossed by his getaway boat driver, Arvid. He has used this Swedish, sometime fisherman, on numerous jobs and anticipates a seamless escape into the Baltic Sea. Instead, after the payoff, he is treated to a tranquilizer dart in the chest and is delivered to a remote island owned by the notorious Patrick Boniface. Patrick has a notable reputation as the biggest, badass weapons dealer in the world, bar none. Riley finds himself surrounded by an elite force of French speaking mercenaries who escort him into a basement cell.

After several days, the cell door creaks open and slithers in is a rather lithe young woman. Somewhat in shadow the right side of her face is close to perfect with high cheekbones, a cute little button nose and dark green eyes. However, as she turns to face him the horrific left side comes into focus. It’s a mess, dominated by parallel scars that ran from eyebrow to chin. And, when she attempts a smile (or sneer?) it scares the hell out of Riley. She casually grips his little finger and savagely pulls it backward until he hears a snap. Hello to the Queen of Evil, Bernadette, Patrick Boniface’s trusted enforcer and pet bull dog.

The inevitable meeting with Boniface reveals his intentions. Riley is ordered to steal Raphael’s “The Liberation of St. Peter,” a fresco, literally part of a wall ensconced in the Vatican.

Riley is certainly arrogant, and acknowledges himself as the greatest thief in the world. But, even he realizes that plenty of things are just impossible to steal—even for him. He accepts the impossible task under the threat of imminent demise.

Shortly after leaving Boniface’s fortress of doom, he unhappily finds himself captured by the Australian arms dealer, Bailey Stone (actually, a Southern redneck, speaking in a gentle Virginian accent and putting on airs).

Bailey has clawed his way up the heap of everyday arms dealers and wants to be top dog.

He sees a way to use Riley to assemble an assault on Boniface’s lair and eliminate him with prejudice. Riley finds himself caught between the grip of two of the most vicious, violent, and efficient men in the criminal world.

Jeff Lindsay proves to be a masterful storyteller as he weaves Riley’s impossible and intricate plan to steal a wall (and also the painting) with multiple twists and reveals, using chemistry and a heavy dose of chicanery. Throughout his compelling and suspenseful plot, Lindsay peppers the reader with his wry sense of humor. His impeccable timing results in a propulsive page-turner. The Best Supporting Character Award goes to Bernadette, with the terrorizing skills of “Chucky” of horror film fame and the tenacity of the Terminator, she dominates the narrative.

This standalone is the second in a series, that hopefully will lead to further adventures of Riley Wolfe. Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group / Dutton for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.

I had a hard time reading this it was just too slow moving. Just not my style. You may feel different. The author tries hard to keep you amused at the same time as developing the story. Riley Hood is a thief. A very good thief as he hasn’t been caught and goes after famous works of art for the collector who doesn’t really care if it’s stolen they just want it for their own gratification. Riley is kidnapped right at the beginning. He is to trade his life for the ultimate theft of something not possible to steal. Then he is put in another difficult position with a treat to someone he cares deeply for. How he can get out of this alive remains to be determined. It doesn’t look good. I can’t say I enjoyed it I had to keep forcing myself to read it. It didn’t pull me in. This maybe my own preference for on the edge mysteries instead of light hearted satire humor. Thank you NetGalley,Jeff Lindsey, Penguin Group Dalton for allowing me to read this ARC. It was an interesting twist on writing. It’s good just not my style.

In Fool Me Twice, master thief Riley is back! Now, he is being coerced by an arms dealer to steal a fresco, which is painted on a wall in the Vatican. It is a truly impossible task. How will Riley pull it off?

I gave the original book in this series, Just Watch Me, 4.5 stars. I expect rather flat characterizations in the first book of a series because there are so many to introduce. However, the characters were not fleshed out here in the second novel. Not even Riley. I found that disappointing. That said, the plot of how Riley evades the arm dealer is spot on and a fun fast-paced ride. 3 stars for Fool Me Twice but I’m still looking forward to book three so I can what is in store for Riley and his friends.

Thanks to Dutton Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Fool me twice is the second book in the Riley Wolfe series. While it does work as a standalone, there are certain plot points that I would’ve understood more if I had read the first book 1st. However, that did not take away from the brilliant writing and intricately worked out plot. This book was dripping with the sarcasm of Deadpool mixed with International underground crime syndicates and it was amazing! It felt like I was watching the movie and his narrative and sarcastically hilarious writing style was the backdrop of the movie! This is a book that leaves you guessing how in the world it’s going to be OK until the very last page! I am super excited to go back and read the first book now!!

This is the follow up book in a new series and was just as good as the first book. The author created a character in Riley that is not all bad so the the reader still roots for him when he does questionable things. I like when an author writes characters that are not definitively good or bad, as I feel there is both in everyone. The action built at a great pace and set things up for the next book.

I am really enjoying Lindsay's new creation Riley Wolfe! Only the 2nd book in the series & I am already hoping this one goes on for 10-20 books. Not quite as good as the first book, Just Watch Me, but still a worthy follow up. Already hoping for book 3 to become available for a preview over the summer!!!
If you enjoy rooting for the bad guy (& how can you really tell who the REAL bad guy is when the book is filled with arms dealers & the Vatican), then you will find yourself cheering Riley on even when he has to perform "questionable tasks." If I had to sum the series., I would describe it as "Oceans Eleven capers set in the art world filled with characters who make it tough figuring out who the bad guys of the world really are."

When I read the first Riley Wolf book I was intrigued by the character. He was not likable. Not like the authors former main character, Dexter. He is just kind of a creepy jerk. And you learned some of why he was that way. I finished hoping that future books would lead to a better understanding of the character and maybe a thawing if may feelings towards him. I loved the story. I loved some of the other characters. I eagerly awaited the next installment.

So here it is. Did it do what I had hoped? Yes. And no. First up is the heist. There is a lot of time spent thinking it was impossible. And reading about how it was impossible. It got a bit repetitive. About halfway through, Riley started playing Riley and it picked up a lot. There are clues as to what he is doing and the reader is pretty much with him the entire time. There are a few surprises, but mostly it is just a fun ride to be along for. Riley is asked to basically steal a wall. Inside a building. That is connected to other buildings. In the Vatican. Yeah. Impossible.

As far as characters, I was mixed. I liked Detective Delgado. I liked him more this time than last. Poor guy. He's trying. I think we need to know more about him. I'd like to get to know him better in the future. His part wasn't huge here. Monique was another story altogether. I really liked her in Just Watch Me. I was hoping for more of her. She was, again, very important, to the entire plot and Riley's success or failure in his endeavor. Still, I felt that she was less developed this time around. And she still never speaks to another women. No woman in this thing does. She is the most developed female character. Which is not saying much. She was just reacting to Riley the whole time. She didn't seem as much her own person. Weirdly, a few times she seemed to be Dexter's wife. Finally, Riley himself. I think he was less creepy here. A little. But this book also seemed to drop his crusade against the 1%. Anyone reading just this book would think he admired the 1%. I miss that part of his character.

All in all, the book started fast, got a little bogged down, and then rammed straight through the last half at record pace. I'm hoping the more I get to know these characters, the more developed they will become. Story is good, If you are going to love a series, though, you need to develop the characters.

Mr. Lindsey is a genius! I love everything he writes and this book was no different. Absolutely amazing.