Title : The Good Thieves

Author : Katherine Rundell

Publisher : Bloomsbury

Genre : Middle grade

My rating : 4/5⭐

Blurb (as on Goodreads):

Fresh off the boat from England, Vita Marlowe has a job to do. Her beloved grandfather Jack has been cheated out of his home and possessions by a notorious conman with Mafia connections. Seeing Jack’s spirit is broken, Vita is desperate to make him happy again, so she devises a plan to outwit his enemies and recover his home. She finds a young pickpocket, working the streets of the city. And, nearby, two boys with highly unusual skills and secrets of their own are about to be pulled into her lawless, death-defying plan.

My Take:

The Good Thieves by Katherine Rundell is a middle-grade novel filled with action, adventure, fun, hope, friendship and all. The story takes off with our protagonist Vita Marlowe who was on her way from Liverpool to Newyork with her mother Julia to meet her grandfather Jack who had been cheated out of his ancestral home by a greedy Newyork millionaire Victor Sorrotore.

On seeing the injustice done to her grandfather, Vita was determined to set things right. So she devises a plan to outwit her enemy (Sorrotore) along with her newly found friends Arkady (an animal tamer), Samuel (a trapeze artist) and Silk (a lock-picker). Together the four set on an adventure to reclaim Hudson Castle from the evil hands of Sorrotore.

Rundell had so vividly presented the 1930’s New york. I liked the setting and the narration. What I loved most about this book were the characters. Vita Marlowe was one of the strongest female protagonists I have ever read in fiction.

Rundell had very strongly registered a message through Vita’s character that with determination anything is possible despite the physical disabilities. Samuel’s character had set an example that with dedication and hard work one would be able to achieve his/her dream despite the limitations.

More than the plot, I liked the moral this book carries. The use of language is very simple and understandable. The writing style of the author is gripping and witty. Overall, reading Rundell’s writing was an absolute pleasure.

My rating: 4/5⭐

Purchase Links: Amazon Kindle | Amazon Hardcover

Thank you so much Bloomsbury India for the gorgeous ARC of The Good Thieves! All opinions are my own.