Due to a family illness, and unexpected events, I am very far behind in writing my reviews.I found my self reading one book after another without writing the review -- that was a big mistake. I did enjoy this book very much. I give it 4 stars, but I was very disappointed in the abrupt ending. I hope there is a sequel.

Charming! I will say from the start that I hesitated reading this book as I am in fact not a fan of old movies & stories. There was something about this one, however, that called to me. Perhaps it was the setting-Cannes, Paris-places that at the moment are not available for many of us to visit in person. I liked the background on the characters-it set the tone of the book right from the start. A great ending even being a cliffhanger. I can’t wait for the next installment!

This was a fun romantic mystery set in the 1950s. An exclusive and expensive set of designer jewels are stolen and must be found. Enter the detective Jerome Curtis. He must help the designer of the jewels find them & return them. This was a fun book set in Paris that is sure to please.

This was written like a film noir and is takes place in the 1950’s. The action begins in Cannes during the Cannes Film Festival. A thief has just stolen the jewels from a jewelry company that outfits the stars of the festival. Ania Throne is the CEO of that successful and internationally-recognized jewelry company. Jerome Curtis is an insurance investigator employed to find the thief. He suspects it is the infamous jewel thief, called the Leopard. Anita and Jerome team up to try and uncover the identity of the Leopard and possibly get the jewels back. This book takes its cues from old Hitchcock movies including the glamour of the rich and famous in the south of France. The dialogue and the description of the settings all read like an old film noir, too. I liked the story but the style of writing was very cold and detached which made the characters one dimensional. This story was told in a way that lacked any warmth at all so I really didn’t get invested in the characters. In the final reveal, I just didn’t care. Overall, the aloofness of the writing style was a big put off for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thanks to the authors for the arc of this title!

One sentence review: An enjoyable post World War II mystery involving a jewel heist, a world famous jewelry maker and an ex military insurance investigator both determined to find those jewels.⁣
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The above summary actually does a pretty good job of summing up the plot on this one. The book is post WW II so there are discussions of the Nazis and war crimes that might be triggering. ⁣
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My thoughts:⁣
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- This was a quick read for me that caught my interest from the very beginning and had me flipping the pages to figure out what happened.⁣
- I enjoyed that hint of nostalgia that came with this book and the mix of historical fiction, mystery and romance.⁣
- This book actually has a fair amount of steam, which kind of took me by surprise. I'm not bothered by the steam but thought it warranted a mention.⁣
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If you are looking for an interesting mystery with some history thrown in for good measure - this would be a great choice!

Delightful. An art theft from renown jewelers. A daughter determined to guard the reputation of her family’s company. Jerome Curtis helps Anita in this caper. Set amid the lavishly appointed Cannes in the 50’s it is indeed a caper with great landscapes, fabulous people and a mastermind hot on their tail. Such a fun read.

What a great historical mystery!! The Steal set in the 1950s has a great storyline and well-crafted characters.

We have stolen diamonds, Ania and Jerome racing against time to catch the thief. Once I started reading The Steal I could not put it down until the very end. Hope to read more from this author in the future.

This is like "To Catch a Thief," but a little different. Instead of trying to catch the thief, the story is about a woman Aria who is in charged of the company and creates her own jewelry. After her one of a kind jewelry is stolen during the Cannes festival, she collaborates with a Insurance investigator to find her jewel and find out who did it. There is a slow build up of who the thief is and protecting the remaining jewelry, but alas it came to a complete halt when they revealed who the thief was before it was necessary. Once I found out who the thief was I felt sad for Aria because she was losing the illusion of a real life.

Even though, the story is predictable I still found it a exciting read. I like the collaboration of Aria and the Insurance investigator and I also liked the other characters that are involved in the story. I would like another book that catches the thief.

I want to thank Blue Box Press, AuthorBuzz and NetGalley for a copy of this book

Ania Throne is the CEO of a successful and internationally-recognized jewelry company. Jerome Curtis is an investigator who works for the firm that insures Ania’s company. These two people become unlikely partners when they try to ferret out the master-mind who has committed the brazen robbery of Ania’s company. The trail takes them from the Cannes Film Festival to Paris and then on to New York City. Set in the late 1950s, The Steal is reminiscent of old Hollywood, the glamour of the wealthy, and the films of Audrey Hepburn and Sophia Loren.

The Steal was a fun read and an enjoyable romantic caper that moved along at a nice pace. It is easy to imagine it re-created on the big screen, with 1950s mega-stars like Grace Kelly as Ania and William Holden or Gary Cooper in the male lead. The Steal is a short book but, even so, it is well-written, with good descriptions and characters. However, it has an unexpectedly abrupt ending with a cliff-hanger. This might be off-putting for some readers. I know I would have preferred the story to end a bit differently.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

The year is 1957 and the Cannes Film Festival is about to start. Ania Thorne, a young jeweler from a famous jewelry company has arrived with the new collection to decorate the high and mighty in Hollywood. But before she can do that, her collection is stolen and a notorious thief known as Leopard is suspected.
Jerome Curtis is sent to investigate by the insurance company and Curtys has his own history with the Leopard.
From Canne Ania and Curtis rush to Paris to protect the replacement jewelry that has been sent from New York. Along the way they also try to figure out who Leopard is and why he has targeted Ania and why he sent her back one of the stolen necklaces.
This would be a wonderful graphic novel with all the stylish places, persons, clothes, cars, planes, emotions. The story is quick, so quick that frequently it loses its believability when contradictions appear, but it is written by two authors. But the story is still fascinating even if an observant reader figures out the ending fairly easily. Captivating story and entertaining characters.

What a refreshing book! I have never read a 1950s mystery, but I would absolutely read more books like this. The characters were enjoyable, the plot moved quickly without causing whiplash, and the writing styles between the two authors blended seamlessly. I would actively seek out more books by these authors, as well as more books in this style. I would definitely recommend this book to other readers looking for a new writing style or genre.

Really enjoyed the setting—so old school Hollywood! The characters were compelling and fun. It was like a bubble bath soak to the past along with a nice glass of champagne. And the jewelry was delicious. A fast-paced read and can’t wait for it to continue.

🐆𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁
-Ania Thorne is a wealthy American heiress who has just taken over running her family’s world-renown jewelry company.

-Ania is staying at the famous Carlton Hotel with millions of dollars of her exquisite one-of-the-kind jewelry to outfit Hollywood’s most glamourous stars for the Cannes Film Festival.

- After the collection is stolen in a brazen robbery, Jerome Curtis is hired to investigate the theft.

-Jerome, captivated by the beautiful Ania, teams up with her to find the jewels he believes has been stolen by the notorious jewel thief known as “the Panther.”

𝗜 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁
-I love catching old Hollywood films on Sunday afternoons, and, at 135 pages, this novella can quickly fill an afternoon with some 1950’s glamour.

-It’s hard not to compare this book to the 1957 film, To Catch a Thief, which I assume the story is loosely based upon since the woman on the cover looks exactly like the late Grace Kelly. I felt the characters of Ania and Jerome did not have the natural wit and chemistry as Cary Grant and Grace Kelly, and while it may not be fair to compare them to the film couple, the suggestion of the film may also be the big draw to pick up the book.

-This book could easily become an entertaining mystery series. Pick up this entertaining book for a fun, snappy caper that mixes mystery and romance!

This short and fun novel was such a refreshing book! It reminded me a lot of Ocean’s 8. It had a lot of mystery and some romance. I really hope there’s more in this series!

Synopsis
They say diamonds are a girl’s best friend—until they’re stolen. Ania Throne is devoted to her jewelry company. The daughter of one of the world’s most famous jewelers, she arrives in Cannes with a stunning new collection. But a shocking theft by the notorious thief known as the Leopard throws her into upheaval—and plunges her on an unexpected hunt that challenges everything she believes. Jerome Curtis thinks he’s seen it all, especially when it comes to crime. Until he’s hired to investigate the loss of Ania Thorne’s collection, his every skill put to the test as he chases after a mysterious master-mind responsible for some of the costliest heists in history—and finds himself in a tangled web with a woman he really shouldn’t fall in love with. From the fabled Carlton Hotel to the elegant boulevards of Paris, Ania and Jerome must race against time to catch a thief before the thief catches them. With everything on the line, can they solve the steal or will the steal take more than diamonds from them?

Cannes and Paris! The rich and famous! Jewelry heists! Intriguing escapades! This fun novella had me at the cover, so like Grace Kelly in Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief. And the story captivated from the start. A wonderful diversion!

5 of 5 Stars

Thanks to the authors, Blue Box Press, AuthorBuzz, and NetGalley for the review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

#TheSteal #NetGalley

Designer Ania Thorne has brought a selection of jewelry to Cannes for film stars to wear at the film festival. When they are stolen, the insurance company sends Jerome Curtis to investigate and he quickly determines it was the work of the Leopard, who he has been tracking for years. He convinces Ania to try to entrap the Leopard in Paris, where his plan goes horribly awry.

Disgusted and disturbed, Ania flees to her native Manhattan to disprove Jerome's suggestion that the Leopard is someone she knows and trusts. The ending is not fully resolved, suggesting the book may be the first in a series.

There is so much about this book that I'm a fan of--mid-century historical, beautiful settings, strong female protagonist. Unfortunately, this fell a little flat. Jerome was too stereotypically hard-boiled, plus his incessant smoking, even if historically accurate, was off-putting. Perhaps the authors need to work out their collaboration, because it has tremendous potential, even if it is very reminiscent of To Catch a Thief. Looking forward to a second book with some kinks ironed out. #TheSteal #NetGalley

Ania Thorne, 28, has been a jewelry designer for 9 years now. She trained under her father, Virgil, and has now taken over the jewelry company from him. The year is 1957.

Ania has arrived in Cannes for the annual film festival. Her assistants are attacked with chloroform and the pieces they had brought with for the show were stolen. Their insurance company, Lambert Security, has sent in Jerome Curtis to lead the investigation. They believe that it’s an old thief known as The Leopard that is behind the theft.

Ania is a tough and sophisticated woman and she and Jerome work together to find out what happened and how to protect more jewelry that is being secreted in to help replace the stolen jewelry to be used during the festival.

The two of them head from Cannes to her apartment in Paris and from there, back to the family home in New York. They end up finding out who the thief is. Now, you must read the book and find out for yourself.

This book appealed to me because I lived in Paris for many years and all of the descriptions and places mentioned in the book are “home” for me. If you like to read about the opulence of this beautiful country and New York, you will love this short read. I think you will also like the inevitable relationship between the rumpled investigator and the sophisticated woman.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

There were so many reasons for me to love this book. I read everything C.W writes so it was a must from the getgo. This book is co-authored by MJ Rose and it is told from the perspective of the detective and the woman he is trying to help. I imagine CW wrote the male part and MJ the female lead because the voices were different from one another. The story is all about a jewel heist and the Jermone character is trying to solve who stole the jewels that Ania had designed. The whole book reads like a 1950s who-dun-it old radio show. Specifically, this book reminds me of Johnny Dollar and I often imagined Bob Bailey speaking for the Jerome character.

All in all, I thought this was brilliantly done and hope for this to become a series.

Thank you for the advanced copy. As excited as I was for this book, it was not my favorite. The setting and mystery were great but the characters were hard to empathize with.

The Steal was an intriguing short whodunit mystery. When the jewels of one of the worlds top jewelers are stolen at the most important event of the year, insurance inspector Jerome Curtis is put to work trying to discover who stole the jewels. Through a series of exciting events, Jerome and the jewelry owner, Ania Thorne, find the thief, and maybe even a little bit more.

I thought this book was short but sweet. The plot moved along well, and you really got the sense of the time period and class level you’re reading about. I thought that the authors made a great story, one that you could get through in a sitting and leave feeling like you didn’t waste your time.

Additionally, I thought the characters were likable. Generally, I do not like the “rich woman” character, like Ania. However, she was very well written and as relatable as a very wealthy woman can be. The few plot twists dealing with the characters were also ones that made them more likable.

Overall, I thought this was a sweet read, and I would definitely recommend.