LOOT

Feisty thieves-in-training Jules and March are faced with a daunting challenge after their father plunges to his death while committing a crime.

The twins only gradually discover the full extent of the problem they face, but each new revelation fits perfectly into the often hair-raising narrative. First March finds out he has a twin sister, then that their mother died during the commission of a crime years ago, the theft of a set of valuable—but cursed—moonstones. The curse has come to rest on them, and it looks like it may be lethal by their 13th birthdays if they can’t recover the full set of gems, each now belonging to a different owner and requiring another clever theft. Aided by oversized Darius and tiny Izzy, whom they meet in a nasty group home, they each bring different talents and ideas to the imaginative crimes. Driven by thrilling, nonstop action and featuring very brief chapters that readily sustain interest, this twisting and turning but ever-so-clever thriller is akin to the best of roller-coaster rides. Pitch-perfect characters, from scheming criminals to a twisted former cop to the twins’ father, move in and out of the narrative, but it’s the four young teens that drive the tale forward with enviable schemes and ingenious plans.

Taut, engrossing and unstoppable.