Wednesday, December 10, 2008

It Takes a Thief-Liz Wolfe

It Takes a Thief
Liz Wolfe
Medallion, Feb 2009, $7.95
ISBN: 9781934755068

Zeke Alexander is a world renowned thief who took a disability retirement when he became inflicted with Parkinson’s disease. His daughter Zoe is a chip off the old block as a master thief, but has for the most part been out of the family business too except for a few lapses. The Dominican Order wants to hire a master thief to steal documents and objects from museums and private collectors to build a clean energy source that is more effective than fusion, but can also be converted to a weapon of mass destruction.

Their goal is world order of peace and harmony with them in charge. Since the new energy source will provide them with capitol and a weapon, the CIA tried to infiltrate them, but failed. The Order needs a master thief to steal documents and other things so the CIA recruits Zoe for the position.. Drake Leatherman is assigned to be recently recruited Zoe’s handler as she goes undercover. The Order believes she is perfect to steal what they need. However, when they discover she is a CIA mole, they kidnap her mother whom she thought was long dead and the brother she never knew she had to insure she cooperates and finishes the job. Zoe vows to rescue her family while Drake works with her to take down the Order.

Traveling from the United States to Italy and Switzerland and back to America, Zoe helped by Drake tries to prevent the Order from becoming so powerful they cannot be stopped. She is a great heroine who, though a thief,has a strong moral fiber that enables her to easily become a patriot trying to do the right thing against a formidable opponent who believes in their quest making them more dangerous. Although the villains come across cartoonish, Liz Wolfe provides a strong thriller that focuses on IT TAKES A THIEF to stop an organization of deadly single minded thieves.

Harriet Klausner