Happy early release day!
Thanks to MIRA Books for the early copy in exchange for my honest review!
THIEF’S MARK by Carla Neggers – releasing tomorrow, August 29th!
My Thoughts: 3.5/5 stars!
This was my first book by Carla Neggers and I think that to do this justice I need to go back and read the other books in this series. THIEF’S MARK is book 7 in the Sharpe and Donovan series, and while it can read as a standalone, I did feel a little lost. With that being said, it was still a good procedural and lighter mystery read.
Oliver York had witnessed the murder of his parents while in their London home. The killers had kidnapped him and held him hostage in hopes of a high ransom. He managed to escape them and has been on the run for almost 30 years. Now, he thinks that one of his kidnappers has resurfaced.
Meanwhile, Emma Sharpe and Colin Donovan are on their honeymoon in Ireland. Emma is alerted to a break in at her grandfather’s home. Wendell Sharpe was an art detective and all signs point to Oliver. Oliver is an expert in Celtic mythology and is an international art thief who has managed to escape Wendell many times throughout the years. Emma and Colin head straight for Oliver to solve this mystery, but when they arrive they find a body and Oliver has disappeared.
Could this murder have something to do with Oliver’s horrific and traumatizing past? Can they trust Oliver? Will they be able to track him down and solve this mystery before the killer strikes again?
While the premise was awesome and had my attention, I felt like it fell flat in some spots. I think for a mystery and procedural there was too much of the romance element for my liking. Neggers did do a great job adding in some background information on Sharpe and Donovan while weaving this new story. I felt that kind of helped with connecting with the characters better. I do think I would need to go back and read some more of the series.
Overall, if you want a slower build and lighter mystery, then this the one for you! If you don’t mind some romance with your murder mystery and a slower pace, then make sure you pick this one up. I did enjoy the writing style and will more than likely be revisiting Neggers’ other novels.
Loving this purple and yellow cover art.
–Jess
Jessicamap Reviews 