Customer Reviews

Always a Thief

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

As with its prequel "Once A Thief" this book doesn't know if it is a romance or a mystery. In the end, it is neither. While the character of Quinn is fun, the supporting cast is flimsy and unbelievable and what you might call a plot is a complete joke.

As in most romances (which this book originally was - see the author's introduction) the characters are all gorgeous, smart, rich, and incredibly talented. They fall into each other's arms after many pages of stifled emotion and terrible diaologe and ocassionally address the "mystery" at hand.

This two book series could have been interesting with the character of Quinn, but instead it is irritating and boring. Spare yourself and look elsewhere.

I read Once A Thief, what a disappointment. The first book was just an introduction for the second. The preview of Always A Thief ,located at the back of the first book, is still trying to solve the same crime. The characters are the same, still in the same location and still nothing happening. I really got weary of every person and animal described as having witchy green eyes. Remember Snoopy sitting on his dog house roof typing. "It was a dark and stormy night? " Well you would probably be happier with his book!

Credibility goes out the window right from Chapter One as major characters converge on cue to jump-start the plot-- you can almost hear the mechanical plot snapping together like Lego blocks in the first few pages. Cliches infect the writing like the Black Plague sweeping through Europe. This one is for the soap opera crowd; all others, beware.

I have read a lot of Kay Hooper books and this one along with Once a Thief (the companion) are my favorites! I love how dynamic all her characters are. I would reccommend this book to anyone. Read the Shadow and Fear triologies also-- they are even better.

...and that isn't saying a thing. Once A Thief wasn't anything to reflect on. Always A Thief has some good points though once again Kay disappointed me in the ending. She has the habit of writing fabulous stories up UNTIL the ending. Her endings always seem like cop outs to me. Like she's afraid to go as deep as her mind will allow. We hear all this talk about Nightshade and it turns out to be someone right under our nose but it makes no sense.

I had a big problem with Kay jerking my chain several different times. She hinted that Quinn may have been crooked and fooling Morgan. She hinted that Nightshade was a woman. She hinted that a major character may meet their demise before the ending. None of this happened and it just turned her supposed master plot into pure rubberish. What makes this better than Once A Thief is the scenes between Morgan and Quinn. Kay lets them get to know each other and finally make love. Something I was waiting for in Once A Thief. Instead she focused on Storm and Wolff two characters I hope she never brings back in anything because I hate them both. I've read tons of Kay's books and she always provides cop out endings. I don't know if she is afraid to do something major or what. Anyway, I have mixed feelings with this but it is better than Once A Thief. If you actually enjoyed that book you should love this one. Always A Thief wasn't boring like Once A Thief and it focused on the main characters. The love scenes between Morgan and Quinn were tense and exciting yet placed in the wrong parts. I pray the third one ( and it IS coming ) is better. If not this entire series should bite the dust.

First peeve -- when you write a book that seems to rely very heavily on the first the 2nd should not take a whole year to come out. Once a thief was really quite dull & I had forgotten the entire plot. 2nd peeve -- this book was so boring that I could not get through half of it & quit with disgust.
I have read Kay Hooper's books & have enjoy her evil series & shadow series. This is "dud" series that should
not be continued.

A very valuable collection is going to be displayed. A world famous cat burglar (Quinn) is now in town and showing interest in the show's director, Morgan West. But we learn that Quinn is trying to stop another burglar/murderer from stealing the collection. Lots of twists and turns.
Ms Hooper has not fleshed out the other caracters so you may get confused as to relationships, and in this book that is important.
I perfered the ending to the original much better because it did end. Ms Hooper left an opening for a sequel with this re write.
If you like suspense with weak paranormal, this one is ok. But if you like romanace, stick with the old series.

You have Quinn, the supposed-to-be-irristably-charming cat burgalar from KH's first book, ONCE A THIEF. And you have Morgan, the I-am-woman-but-I'll-chase-this-guy-everywhere-and-go-ahead-and-lie-to-me-constantly-baby-it-turns-me-on museum director. And that is it, folks, that is the book, in less than...50 words. And it doesn't end, either. Nope. Absolutely nothing gets resolved in this book. The mystery falls flat, dropped halfway through in favor of the villain who will supposedly carry the next book. There is no secondary romance. There are no security facts, history of cat burgalars, little info on the jewelry, no high society foibles, no background information whatsoever. It is just Quinn and Morgan for 300 or so pages of mass market paperback. When it ends without even a resolution of the *irritating* romance I've been trying so hard to stay awake through for two books I threw it against the wall in disgust.

I love this series and have been wait for along time for the next book to come out. Don't miss the two books with Quinn in them. "Once a Thief" and "Always a Thief" they are both awesome. Please Kay tell us more of Quinn's story. I have no idea where these two and three stars reviews are coming from these books are good, really good. I don't write reviews very often but when I saw the low scoring I had to speak up and let Kay know that not everyone feels this way about Quinn and his story!!! I once read that Kay felt Quinn had other stories to tell so pleeease Kay release the next part in his series.

In Always A Thief, internationally renown jewelry thief Quinn is "encouraged" by Interpol to catch another thief, Nightshade, who has no qualms about murdering those in his/her way. Museum employee Morgan falls in love with Quinn, but Nightshade knows this as well, and Quinn knows Nightshade has this information. Who will catch who?

Author Kay Hooper tries to please readers of two genres with this book: those who read mysteries, and those who read romance novels. Sadly, I think both categories of readers will be disappointed. The mystery is convoluted but shallow, with the "who-dunit" plot seeming forced. You'll really learn nothing of Nightshade or Quinn, but you will learn about Morgan's flirtation with and romance for Quinn.

Shallow characters. Shallow plot. This is a book that I finished because it was easy to follow and I really expected something to happen eventually.

It didn't. The end. Whew!