Issey is an incompetent thief who has bungled his way through life. After he’s “fired by the head of the crime ring he works for in Boston, Issey makes his way back to his hometown where his brother, Rohl, still lives with his wife and daughter. When Issey is given the task of clearing out his mother’s house he discovers a new spin on his proclivity for stealing.

No doubt about it, Second Pocket First is an unusual book and I found it difficult to adapt to the writing style as well as the story itself. Almost all of the characters unappealing and Issey most of all. The underlying humor just wasn’t there for me and the story seemed to be more depressing than anything else. I can appreciate the fact that the author was attempting to be humorous, and his premise leans heavily on odd personalities and situations. All of this is reflected in the characters’ actions as well as in the fractured dialogues.

This book was not a good fit for me but I can appreciate its uniqueness and the author’s attempts to present a different kind of story. For that reason only, I will give it three stars. But, from a personal point of view and the amount of enjoyment I got from the book, it’s only 2.5 stars at best. NetGalley provided an advance reader copy.

Issey is a career criminal, a bad one sure, but his love for thievery is palpable. He returns to his small hometown in Vermont and promptly starts stealing from the locals. After a fumbling mishap, Issey becomes known as the guy who can find your missing things and the community starts reaching out to find their lost items, all of which are things he stole from them.

Second Pocket First was a little different from what I typically read, but overall it was a very fun book. There is quite a bit of humor that landed for me. The characters are all kind of oddballs who are hard to get a read on, likely, in part, due to Issey's perceptions of them. I found the storyline entertaining as well, but did find certain parts a little repetitive. I didn't mind the repetitiveness, but sometimes did wish the plot would move on.

Thank you NetGalley and Black Rose Writing for the eARC!