by Astrid Arditi
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GENRE: Romantic Suspense
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BLURB:
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.
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EXCERPT
A whooshing sound woke me up with a jolt—like a hairdryer
but much louder. I pulled my head up and found myself staring at a greyish
toilet lid. Yuck!!
I slammed my hands against it to push myself upright and
glanced at my surroundings. No sign of the embroidered towel or cherry soap I
kept in my guest bathroom. This was not my home. This wasn’t even a home I
realized as I spied feet under the door.
This was Aqua’s bathroom stalls, I whimpered, thinking of
all the STDs contained by my toilet-lid pillow.
I glanced at my watch and wept a little bit. 7.30 AM. I had
spent the night here.
My head spun so wildly I had to sit again on the suspicious
toilets to avoid fainting. Sanitary scruples were a moot point at this stage.
I tried to piece out my night but drew a blank. A big, black
hole stood where memories should have been. One minute I was drinking Kamikaze
shots and the next, well, I was here, drooling on a toilet seat. And to think
I’d believed my life couldn’t get any worse!
Flight instincts kicked in. I spied my handbag on the floor
and snatched it—phone, keys, wallet, I inventoried swiftly. I was good to go. I
swung the bag on my shoulder only to realize I was missing one or rather two
crucial pieces of equipment.
No dress and no bra. I was down to my panties, tights and
heels. What the—
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
If Astrid Arditi could have one magical power, it
would be to create time—to write, to enjoy her children, to unpack (she’s moved
five times in four years), to sleep in, to learn how to cook, and to hit the
gym. Or at least, to locate the one nearest her.
While waiting for her magic powers to manifest, she reads, eats
way too many cakes, daydream, and thanks her lucky stars for her whirlwind,
wonderful life.
Born and raised in Paris, Arditi recently moved to Brooklyn
where she lives with her husband and two young children. A Cunning Heist
is the second novel in the Sloane Harper series.
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My review:
4 out of 5 stars
A Cunning Heist by Astrid Arditi is part of the eponymous
‘Sloane Harper’ series featuring the wacky adventures the recent divorcee gets
herself into. A request from frenemy Kate leads Sloane on a self-imposed quest
to find an artist of questionable reputation and connections. Still dealing
with her conflicting feelings about the long-absent Ethan, Sloane fearlessly
pursues her target…no matter what danger she stumbles into, so it’s a good
thing she has allies to help her out—whether she wants them around or not!
This contemporary mystery combines humor and amateur
sleuthing in an entertaining and sometimes laugh-out-loud tale. The
predicaments Sloane gets into are so outrageous I couldn’t help shaking my head
and giving thanks that I was not responsible for trying to keep her out of
trouble, lol. There are some hilarious scenes that feature Sloane’s ability to
use whatever materials are at hand to get herself out of the sticky situations
she manages to get into. I am not crazy about her dependency and definitely
hope she finds a way to get out from under the tyranny of her ex, not to
mention develop a backbone with respect to her best friend/housekeeper, who is
a bit erratic in her assistance. I found some of the events a little too far
out there for credulity, especially with respect to the machinations involving
the conferral of immunity and the sting operation, but Sloane is still an
engaging character and fun to watch.
This book is part of a series yet can be read as a
stand-alone story. I think those who enjoy tongue-in-cheek stories with a
snarky heroine who has a stubborn streak a mile wide but is vulnerable and
loyal, this is the tale for you.
A copy of this title was provided to me for review
