Thieves Gambit

By: Jamie Steinberg

Kayvion Lewis is a damn good writer. Yeah, I said it. Her book Thieves Gambit immediately captivates and keeps the reader intrigued page after page. The moment you meet Rosalyn Quest (“Ross”) you’ll be hooked on her adventure. Do yourselves a favor and snag a copy of this read because you’ll want to be prepared for when this book surely finds its way to the big screen.

Ross Quest is your average seventeen-year-old who lives with her mother in the Bahamas. That is if your average teenage girl is a part of a highly reputable family of thieves. However, she dreams of truly being a regular teen that attends a typical school rather than job after job with her mother who has instilled in her to “trust no one whose last name isn’t Quest.” Well, things get complicated when a job goes wrong, and Ross finds herself in hot water (okay, ocean water) as her mom is kidnapped and the responsible party demands one billion dollars for her return. It seems not even the Quest family can access that kind of cash so Ross must accept an invitation she’s received to a high stakes international game called “The Gambit” where she and others like her will be put through a dangerous set of international heists that grants the winner one wish – one Ross hopes to use to get the money she needs for the ransom.

Since Ross has been engrained with the “trust no one” dogma, she refuses to make any kind of connections with her competitors. Sure, that’s fine when it comes to her archnemesis Noelia, who is also taking part, but it’s not so easy in regard to handsome and charming Devroe Kenzie. Plus, nothing bonds a crew more than when you’re tasked with snagging some unique items and in unique ways. Should Ross finally let her guard down and make a friend or two – or even a boyfriend? Or, should Ross stick to the family creed since, after all, only one can win The Gambit.

I have already extolled the wonderful writing that Lewis has done in this book, but I’ll gush a little more. There are many fascinating and fun edge-of-your seat moments that make Thieves Gambit quite a worthwhile read. You’ll never guess any of the outcomes and you will even question which characters you truly feel that you can trust. I’ve just put the book down post final page and I’m already envisioning who can play Ross on screen and who would shine along side them as the other characters.

Think of “Ocean’s Eleven” but teenagers who aren’t robbing from the rich but looking for an extreme dream to come true. Thieves Gambit is quite the read and you will find yourself promising “one more chapter” only to wind up way past your bedtime hoping to find out who comes out on top.