Heist Fiction

Nearly a decade after getting chased out of the Army for fighting back against abuse, Monna Locke's skill and discretion have made her the go-to safecracker for Los Angeles clients who need vaults opened and no questions asked. When a lawyer hires her to retrieve a box from his client's mansion, it seems like an easy payday—until she opens the safe and is immediately attacked by heavily-armed men.

Former federal agent Alexis Parker is tired of death, destruction, and mayhem. She wants to forget her past and focus on the present. She has a new gig guarding a priceless piece of art and a promising future with James Martin, but when she runs into an old friend while working in Paris, her new life comes crashing to an end. Armed thugs, stolen art, and a bag of cash are just the tip of the iceberg. The painting is a fake, and the insurance firm blames Alex for the theft. But the real thief is out there.

And there you have it, sports fans. The game plan in a nutshell. Get The Mark, the very rich Shelby Coleman, to a poker game where, over time, they can take all his money. Get Shelby to the point where he begs them for credit to get even. And let him play a little longer, so he can wipe the smiles off the faces of those he thinks have milked him dry. And each time he begs them for more credit, he’ll be getting in deeper with them. And deeper still. That’s the plan. That’s what they’re getting so very close to pulling off.

Tash and Jamie are back, and no one could be less pleased than her. They accidentally went to 1984 and broke it. But together they sorted out their mess. Or so they thought. Now the hapless sister and brother are back, and this time it's a matter of life or death. How far would you go to save a life? How about stealing a million pounds? Sometimes you just have to do the wrong thing. Lose yourself in Saturday Superstore, Paul Daniel's Magic Show, Sports Review of 1984 and the corridors of BBC TV Centre, this is the ultimate warning if you're ever planning a DIY heist.

Rule number one: Never grift the Illuminati. Fletcher is about to break rule number one. Former con man Fletcher Doyle is finally home after six years in the pen. He’s working a menial job, regaining his bearings in the world, and trying to revive his relationships with his wife and 12-year-old daughter. No easy feat. But when Fletcher and his family go on a mission trip to Detroit - in the company of the condescending church leader who also happens to be his landlord - Fletcher finds his old life waiting for him.

Lying low on the sun-kissed coast of Portugal is a far cry from twenty-four-hour lockdown in a CIA black-site prison. But even in paradise, Gibson Vaughn is a long way from being home free. With the feds hot on his heels, he and his crew of fellow fugitives know they can’t hide in a sunny beach town forever. And before they go on the run again, their generous host - a wealthy drug smuggler - expects to be paid for his hospitality. And paid double. His price? A nearly impossible operation that Gibson and his gang must pull off to retrieve a king’s ransom in hijacked narcotics.

Zara Leighton has risked everything to track down the elusive art thief known as Icon, only to discover him already in her arms: the billionaire tech genius - and her lover - Tobias Wilder. Zara wants to resist Tobias, to deny his fiercely sexy smile and their sizzling chemistry. But instead, she agrees to help him one more time.

Rip-offs are a dangerous game, but heist man Miles Keller thinks he’s found a good strategy: rob rich New York criminals and then retire early, before word’s out about his true identity. New town, new name, no worries. Retirement can’t come soon enough, though. The NYPD is investigating him for the shooting of a hit man named Jack Deen, who was targeting Lucy Gates - a former police informant and Miles’ ex-lover. Miles thinks shooting hit men counts as altruism, but in any case a murder charge would make life difficult.

The Ways of Wolfe focuses on Axel Prince Wolfe, midway through serving a 23-year sentence for a jewel heist that went awry, as he breaks out of prison, tries to reconnect with his estranged daughter, and seeks revenge against the former partners who betrayed Axel during the robbery that put him behind bars.

Davis Way Cole smells T-R-O-U-B-L-E when she's fired from half of her part-time job at the Bellissimo Resort and Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi. The quarter-time job she's left with is lulling her to sleep, exactly what she's doing when Birdy James, centenarian director of the casino's Lost and Found department, disappears. With five million dollars. Davis just can't help believing Birdy didn't do it, if for no other reason, she's too old to spend it.

Louise Wykoff is arguably the most recognizable woman living in Minnesota, known for her presence in over 100 paintings by the late and brilliant Randolph McInnis. Louise, known better as “That Wykoff Woman”, was just a young apprentice when her intimate representation and the fact of the McInnis’ marriage caused rumors to fly - and Louise to hide away for decades. All of McInnis’ paintings are in museums or known private collections, until Louise confesses to having three more that no one has ever heard of - and now they’ve been stolen.

Ever since the ancient Ceteri “blessed” Earth’s inhabitants with Thaumaturgy, Lee has been able to enter the Liminal Realm, where she can influence the world without being seen or heard. But each time she uses her magic, it tears her cells further apart. Fortunately, her ability makes her invaluable to the thieving crew she works for. Unfortunately, the crew is going broke. Lee is determined not to go down with them. But when the crew hires on a new bit of muscle to help out with a last-ditch heist, Lee finds herself being tracked and her motives questioned by the crew.

Millie has one goal: to make a movie in tribute to her late father. At the Manhattan Movie Academy, run by Ricky O’Naire, her favorite director, she’s determined to make it happen. But before she can finish her project, the academy is shut down. Six months later, she sees a preview for the new O’Naire movie—and he’s stolen her idea. Outraged, she reunites her former film crew to steal the movie and hold it for ransom days before its high-profile premiere. Putting their training and film-nerd backgrounds to use, they pull off the heist in extravagant fashion.

Hannah Conway overhears a lot while working behind the bar of a nightclub – friendly gossip, lovers quarrels, bad business deals – but nothing that usually involves anyone she cares about. Until she hears Jez Reilly, a corrupt businessman who runs the club, talking about the street her grandma lives on. Jez wants to buy the land for a new luxury development, and most of the residents and businesses have already agreed to sell up. But for those who refuse, something sinister is in store.

This wasn’t the first time a soggy box with a disgruntled cat inside was left on the doorstep of our shelter. However, this was the first time the cat talked to me. What did the barista put in my coffee? Persephone insists she’s been catnapped, and she’s witnessed an art heist. There’s a huge reward for the safe return of the painting, and the money could go a long way to helping our animals find their forever homes. Now, I have to convince the gallery owner and her associates - including the suspicious, adorable Henry the Hottie - that I can find a priceless painting.

Sloane Harper has sworn off men - for her sanity and her safety. But with or without men, trouble always seems to find Sloane. When her ex's ex-mistress comes knocking for help, Sloane does what she does best: she helps way more than she should. As she investigates London's art scene, Sloane runs into a very handsome but very shady artist, a quirky bunch of thieves, and a cunning old flame. Perhaps Sloane should have sworn off playing private detective instead of men.

For years, Cinna has been forced to serve her wealthy cousins rather than attend society events alongside them. She has waited for the chance to exact revenge. When a ball at the castle is announced, promising to bring many powerful people to town, she seizes the opportunity to strike. She bets her best friend, Johann, a small-time thief and con man, that she can land a greater score the night of the ball than he can. But as their plots unfold, things begin to unravel. By the end of the night, the castle’s on lockdown, a duchess is dead, a mansion has burned to the ground.

On the surface Roman Hawker is the consummate professional. Behind that squeaky-clean façade lies a secret: He's a masterful thief. After a successful robbery, Roman and his partners in crime are ready to celebrate, but that celebration is short-lived when they are shaken by the death of Roman's estranged father. When the facts leading up to his father's death come to light, Roman's friends rally around him to execute their most harrowing plan.

The one place she never wanted to go back to. The one place she can’t escape. When she was just five years old, Lucy Murphy witnessed her mother’s brutal murder in their home on London’s notorious Griffin Estate. The case was never solved. Now a newly qualified police officer, Lucy has been given her first job: She’s going back to the Griffin Estate. She is there to protect the estate’s vulnerable residents, including Shannon and Kian Winters, two kids struggling to deal with their alcoholic mother.

The new year starts with a bang in Sydney's Chinatown - and not just fireworks. While the rest of the country is celebrating, the biggest bank job in Australia's history is taking place. The press called it 'The Great Chinese Take-Away', but in those missing safety deposit boxes is something much more valuable than money. A gold key with a dragon on it. Why does the Chen family want it back so badly? What starts as a routine case soon leads Claudia Valentine into a world of ancient treasures and modern Triad killings, through the sleazy back streets and exotic oriental temples.