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Steal

Review

Steal

STEAL is the third installment in James Patterson and Howard Roughan’s series starring Dr. Dylan Reinhart, a Yale professor of abnormal psychology. The plot layers intelligence agencies with both Italian and Russian crime heads, foreign governments, stolen Nazi artwork, billionaires who think they are above the law, and Reinhart, who used to be a CIA agent.

As with most thrillers, the book is filled with nonstop danger and people who are not what they appear to be. The most obvious case in point is billionaire Mathias von Oehson's son, Carter, who posts a suicide note on Instagram and then disappears. Mathias is convinced that Carter is alive and wants Reinhart to find him. What’s really going on here?

"STEAL should be read for quick enjoyment and by those who love doing puzzles. Be prepared to watch the pieces change even as you think you know where they belong."

As the plot develops, so does a rhythm. The chapters are very short --- usually two or three pages --- and many end with a cliffhanger, ensuring that readers will continue on to see what happens. For example, when Reinhart claims to have saved the life of a Russian mob boss, who asks him why he thinks that, he responds, "Here, I'll show you." The chapter ends, and the action resumes without interruption on the following page.

Elizabeth Needham, an NYPD officer on special assignment, works with Reinhart over the course of the novel, and others from his CIA days support his investigation. We watch as Reinhart almost singlehandedly bests all of his foes, from the Italian mafioso to the Russian crime boss to others who are caught up in the plot. But Patterson and Roughan deviously leave us in the dark about who exactly Reinhart is up against. The plot as presented to us is not the one we end up with. In fact, it changes again and again as we learn more about the characters' motivations and desires.

While Reinhart might have the wool pulled over his eyes once or twice, he does finally catch on. In truly noble fashion, he tries to protect those who, while not completely innocent, are not guilty of heinous crimes. At times, such protection does not serve to help him in his ultimate goal; for that, he earns the derision of others. But Reinhart has morals and does his best to live his life by them.

This is not a book for those looking to deeply connect with characters and observe them as they mature and evolve. Reinhart is who he is, and the plot is the driving force here. Can you outwit the authors and guess what double-crosses they have planned to try to stump you and keep you from guessing the final outcome? There are few shades of gray here; the bad guys are really bad --- even the ones we think might be good guys at the start.

STEAL should be read for quick enjoyment and by those who love doing puzzles. Be prepared to watch the pieces change even as you think you know where they belong.

Reviewed by Pamela Kramer on February 11, 2022

Steal
by James Patterson and Howard Roughan

  • Publication Date: February 8, 2022
  • Genres: Fiction, Suspense, Thriller
  • Hardcover: 400 pages
  • Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
  • ISBN-10: 1538703548
  • ISBN-13: 9781538703540