The description of OCEAN'S 8 meets Janet Evanovich is dead on perfect for this sometimes funny, sometimes sassy and all of the time bad a$$ former con artist Bee Cardello. When you have a book that contains gangsters, double crossing thieves, an interesting (dare I say eclectic) group of supporting characters and a momma bear who wants out of the game (maybe) you are going to have a winner in my book. This is my first read by this author and I am going back and finding more of her books now. (and hey – I hope this is the first book in a new series – other reviewers seem to think so… I will be watching carefully to see where Bee goes next)

A fun and fast romp.
I was able to finish in one sitting as I kept saying "Just one more chapter"

Not complex
But needed "comfort food" in a time where everything pushed is traumatic

new-series, first-in-series, verbal-humor, grifter, mafia, ex-husband, ex-cons, friends, friendship, action, abduction, romantic, heist, family, family-drama, family-dynamics, thriller, cozy-crime, mystery, bulldog, situational-humor, nanny****

I expected to laugh and enjoy this story as much as the author's other books. BUT. Although the book is a good length it is NOT TTS ENABLED. That really bummed me out. The publisher's blurb is a good one that intrigues without giving anything away. I liked it even though it took me much longer this way.
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Severn House via NetGalley. Thanks

“Bee was retired. Comfortably retired, more or less, and had been for quite some time. ”
Here are reasons to read the Mystery book:

Ex-Con Woman - Bee is now a “retired” con woman living with her son and Nanny
Ambushed - until one night when her house is attacked and an old friend comes to rescue her
Ex-Husband - turns out her ex-husband has stolen money from a mobster and that guy wants to take her and her son as leverage

This author previously wrote the Pinnacle Hotel Mysteries which I really enjoyed, so I had high expectations for this one. It was billed as like an ocean’s eleven, heist type book. And it was in the last part of it. My one critique is that it was very slow to pick up and really get into the main heist part. However, I did like the characters and thought they were fun. It gave Finlay Donovan vibes so if you like the series, you might like this book.

Bee wants nothing more than to live quietly with her son Oliver and to open a bookstore but somehow,, somehow, her mobster ex gets her back into the crime scene when he steals from the wrong guy. The wrong guy who then takes Oliver, This is all about how Bea gets Oliver (a kid with a smart mouth, btw) back with the help of an eclectic group of characters, including a love interest. There's a lot packed into a well paced slim volume with snappy dialogue and just the right amount of twists. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

This was an enjoyable book that I could not put down, quickly becoming a page-turner. The author did a terrific job in staging this fast-paced drama from the introduction of the eclectic cast of character, to the solid plot involving gangsters, double-crosses & thievery, to the conversational dialogue, to the various settings, to the non-stop action and to the visually descriptive narrative that kept me immersed in all that was happening on the page. When it looked like things were on an even keel, the author changed direction and the frenetic pacing racqueted up a notch and I could not go anywhere until the last page was read. This was a fun read.

I am loving heist novels right now, so I was excited for this one! It wasn't bad, but it ultimately felt a bit rushed, and the characters were kind of kept at surface level. I can appreciate a heist/adventure tale wanting to stick to a fast pace to keep the reader engaged, but I wanted a bit more character development than was ultimately provided. It was a fun read, just not quite developed enough to be a favorite. Thanks to the publisher and author for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Bee has divorced her gangster husband and is now just trying to live quietly with her son. But when her husband steals money from the wrong man and his family are targeted as a result, Bee has to adapt ...

This was a fairly fun, quick read. There were a few issues with things moving too fast and there not being enough groundwork, but overall it wasn't a bad read.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Review: Stolen Pieces - S K Golden

*SOME PLOT SPOILERS (no spoilers regarding ending)*

I often found parts of the dialogue to be quite repetitive in earlier chapters where scenes felt dragged out for no real reason. For example, where Bee would be revisiting the same points again and again, particularly in arguments with Charlie or the consistent use of ‘he popped a dimple’ throughout the whole book (this really bugged me for some reason!).

My main struggle with the book was Bee. I struggled to empathise or understand decisions Bee made. The book opens up with both Bee and Oliver almost being killed, I couldn’t comprehend why Bee was so blasé, allowing Oliver to go shopping with Cassie (the niece of man who had put the hit out on them), nor why she allowed him to be supervised by Mr White, (a previous accomplice of the same man). I struggled to grasp the focus on her changing relationship with Adam which I felt at times was more of a concern to Bee than her son’s kidnapping. As a mother, most of these scenes did not resonate with me and I simply could not relate to Bee.

I do feel that Golden was brilliant at descriptions, and I could clearly envisage her characters but the lack of depth to personality made it hard to invest in the characters or form an emotional connection. I did however like Malika and the Ana’s who had more believable and naturally funny dialogue.

The story was fun but I began to lose interest towards the end. I think I would have preferred the fun, lighthearted style more if the subject matter wasn’t as high stakes as a child's kidnapping where Bee’s behaviour wasn’t always realistic. Therefore, parts which I suspect were intended to be humorous, fell flat and bordered on cringeworthy.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me, however I am definitely still interested in reading Golden’s other cosy murder novels to see if these are a bit more up my street.

ROUNDED UP FROM A 3.75 ⭐️

I thought this was a very well thought out and executed storyline, it was mysterious with just the right amount of sexual tension between main characters. While I greatly enjoyed the plot of the book I did find that the voice the author used was maybe not for me. It fit well with the character and made a lot of sense for the book but it just not a style I enjoy reading, so it was a bit of a slog to get through for me personally, but all in all I’m glad I read it and would recommend to any friends who were into spy or possibly even romance books, but would likely not read a sequel due to the fact for me it was unfortunately forgettable .

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for providing this book, with my honest review below.

The comparison of Stolen Pieces to Oceans 8 in the book description I read isn’t wrong - this is such a great read that is very heist-y. Beatrice / Shelby (Bee) is an ex con who has gotten into a pickle when her ex husband (a mobster - that’s her past life) stole from the wrong man (also a mobster), putting a price on her and her son’s heads. Her ex hires Adam, one of her old love interests and ‘co-workers’ from her past to protect them and what follows is a hilarious adventure.

I loved that Bee was owning the situation and using her craftiness to take control. I also loved her friends and how they added more color to the plot as they joined into the hijinks. My only wish was that while there are callbacks to the past to add context to Bee’s past life, and while well done, I think opening up with reference to the past (maybe showing what Bee thought was her happy ending in leaving her past life) would have gotten me into the swing of things a little faster. But with that said, this kept me glued and entertained throughout!

I hope there is a book 2 and this becomes part of a longer series (though it stands on its own with resolution) as I loved the characters and the premise!