Reviewed by Ruffina Oserio for Readers' Favorite

Thieves is the seventh book in the James Ford Mysteries by Sandra Olson, a mystery with great historical references and two powerful international settings - 1938 Nazi Germany and 2017 Arkansas. Two powerful plot lines, a crime, and an astute detective investigating a theft that happened during World War II are elements that get the reader intrigued, but there is more to the plot than that.

I was hooked in the very first lines of the story, which introduce a dramatic moment and a curious sense of urgency. The setting in Nazi Germany is brilliantly executed and the sense of danger and fear the characters exhibit at the beginning catches the reader’s interest and pulls them in. I loved Sandra Olson’s characters. They are memorable. I enjoyed the way Bennie — the Arkansas guy who abducts pets and collects reward money for them — is imagined and executed and the part he plays in the story.

The suspense is biting as the reader follows the alternating plot lines. I couldn’t help wondering where and when the two stories would converge and, as I got used to the characters, I wanted to know what happened to each of them, but the author brilliantly leaves the reader both clueless and guessing. The plot moves fast and there are many surprises. The writing is crisp and very accessible, with timely and well calculated paragraph breaks that make reading easier and create great dramatic effect. Readers will adore Sandra Olson’s storytelling stills, her exquisite prose, the interesting characters, and the fast-paced, gripping plot. Thieves was an awesome read for me.