The Theft (Mass Market Paperback)

by Andrea Kane (Author) "I MUST HAVE BEEN INSANE TO AGREE TO THIS..." (more)
Key Phrases: Lord Tremlett, Lady Mannering, Lady Noelle (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Kane (The Music Box) uses characters from her short story "Yuletide Treasure" for this delightful Regency. Art detective Ashford Thornton, the Earl of Tremlett, is hot on the trail of London's notorious art thief, Franco Baricci. He is keeping close tabs both on Baricci's cohorts and his newly discovered illegitimate daughter, the lovely Lady Noelle Bromleigh. In his efforts to find out more about her father, Ashford plans to get quite a bit closer to Noelle only to realize that Noelle is an innocent in a deadly game. Complications arise as Ashford and Noelle fall in love and she insists on helping him. Well-known for her Regency romances, Kane has created another exciting mystery complete with a spirited heroine, a dashing older hero and plenty of dark secrets. There are lots of good plot twists cleverly woven into Regency mores and styles to keep readers intrigued and entertained. The killer, however, is very predictable.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Nicknamed "Tempest," Lady Noelle Bromleigh first appeared in Kane's Yuletide Treasure's (1995) as the precocious four-year-old adopted daughter of Earl Eric Bromleigh. Now 18, the spunky and impetuous beauty feels compelled to satisfy her curiosity about her biological sire, Franco Baricci, reputed to be an unscrupulous scoundrel. On the train to Baricci's London art gallery, Noelle meets the charming Earl Ashford Thornton, who is investigating Baricci for art theft. Sharing an unabated sense of adventure, they later hatch a plan to unveil Baricci's crimes, and in the process nurture their blazing passions for each other. But their courtship is fraught with the dangers of unraveling both the art thefts and a murder, and Noelle must use her strength and cunning with a dash of help from Ashford to prevent her own murder. Kane's tale is fast paced, and although historical, the language flows easily. The characters are likable: the women are determined and intelligent, and the men appreciate and encourage them. Deborah Rysso

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Pocket (October 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671018876
• ISBN-13: 978-0671018870
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #785,898 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not what you'd expect!, February 21, 1999

By A Customer

Ever gotten to the point, when reading a romance, where you just want to scream "Tell him (or her)!!!" because the heroine or hero is too stubborn/proud/scared to tell the other what is actually going on in their head? From the description of this book, you would think this would be a classic example of that. But you would be wrong. It is so refreshing to read a book where the principle characters don't constantly misunderstand or miss each other - Noelle and Ashford work =together= to achieve their ends. Add that to the fact that Andrea Kane writes some of the most sensuous love scenes in the genre (not in just this, but all her books), and you have a first rate romance!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book, March 18, 2000

By A Customer

Okay, I sort of agree with that last reviewer- Ashford was a bit of a hipocrite for going after Barcalli, when he himself was a thief. But, he had better motives- he gave all the money he got from the stolen paintings to charity. Barcalli kept the money for himself and accomplises- and he stole from anyone- good and bad people alike. Ashford only stole from 'bad people'. (to further understand Ashford's motivation read- "The Last Duke", which was about Ashford's parents.) Further Barcalli actually paid someone seduce his own daughter (Noelle) in order to win her alligence. Ashford was definetly the better man.

Noelle and Ashford were perfect together. And honest about their feelings- they knew they were in love pretty fast- and didn't deny it to themselves or each other.

There should have been more story toward the end and there was no epilogue.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It was a great book well worth reading!!!, November 5, 1998

By A Customer

It was a great book. Andrea makes you simply fall in love with the characters and actually care about what happens in their lives. I couldn't put the book down I was so entranced. I think that anyone who has ever looked for adventure and love would like this book. I own all of Andrea's books and think that this is one of her best!!!