Always a Thief

So where's the next one? This is definitely the _middle_ book of the three-volume novel. There isn't even a full romance in this one - Quinn and Morgan admit love but they're not settled at all. And while the big story - the trap - is done, there's a major loose end left lying about, and the book ends with Quinn going after it. More revelations about relationships and employment, and we do know who Nightshade is - but _still_ not a complete story. I suspect the Loveswept version left out the loose end and just had Quinn and Morgan happily ever after (probably without dealing with the life-changes that would take, too), but... The annoying thing is, as far as I'm aware this is only two books, she hasn't written the third one. Arrrgh!

Hooper Does It Again!

I read Once a Thief a few years ago and as a romantic fan of a 'happy ending' I was a bit disappointed. But as an author, I know the value of a good cliffhanger ending to capture readers and hook them on a series. Kay Hooper has done this in her sequel Always a Thief.

The sparks flew in the first novel between Morgan West, a museum show director and the notorious cat burglar Quinn. Now they're back. When Quinn shows up at her apartment, injured and needing her assistance, what's a girl to do? Especially when an extremely mysterious and devastatingly charming man passes out in her arms.

With more twists and turns than a rat's maze, Always a Thief is a combination of witty humor, high stakes action and sizzling romance. show more Without the complications of too many characters, this Hooper novel has characters that are 3-dimensional, delving into their motives and emotions. How about a ‘Forever a Thief’, Kay?

Cheryl Kaye Tardif,
Canadian suspense author show less

I'm not sure when I got this book, but I nearly put it down shortly after I started reading it. Lemme 'splain. Kay Hooper is on my C list, I think--if I'm remembering correctly how I've arranged my lists. Anyway, I generally enjoy her books, but not enough to actively look for them. So this one was likely bought to round out an order at Half.com. Unfortunately, it's a sequel.

Thief Quinn shows up, shot, on museum director Morgan West's doorstep. They'd obviously met before, and had a connection, but something--Quinn being a thief, perhaps?--kept them apart. Nevertheless, when Quinn was wounded, his instincts send him straight to Morgan.

Turns out Quinn is working with the police to trap and catch another, more ruthless thief. It's like To show more Catch a Thief (Quinn looked, in my imagination, remarkably like Cary Grant), with humor, romance, and a labyrinth of twists and turns.

Always a Thief and its predecessor Once a Thief are, I gather, rewritten from old Loveswepts, reminiscent of Carole Nelson Douglas's Midnight Louie books. How much they're changed, I don't know, but it would be interesting to find out.

At any rate, it was a fun read, and I intend to look for Once a Thief, though I'm not sure I'll be buying it new. show less

Quickie Review

So many good ideas that went absolutely nowhere.

The relationship between Quinn and Morgan is enjoyable though. They have great chemistry and his character is very well developed, but them I'm a sucker for a bad boy :0)

Rendezvous Review: Morgan West is in charge of the Mysteries Past Exhibit. The exhibit is the first showing of the complete Bannister Collection — a collection of jewels and artifacts of worth millions. Mysteries Past is also the bait for an elusive cat burglar. Morgan has a problem. She has already told Quinn, an internationally renowned cat burglar himself, that the collection is indeed a trap. Despite her knowledge of his activities, she trusts him not to make an attempt on the jewels. There are more sinister thieves at work here; thieves that do not hesitate to kill to get what they want. Morgan renews her acquaintance with Quinn when he appears in her apartment window soaked in blood from a bullet wound. Someone is definitely show more playing for keeps. With a delightful mix of humor and suspense Ms Hooper keeps the reader enthralled. The surprises come one right after another constantly keeping the reader off-balance. The surprise ending made me gape like a fish out of water and then brought a great smile of satisfaction. I want more of Morgan and Quinn. -- Pat Kersten (Reviewed 06-01-2003)

Publishers Weekly Review: Before Hooper penned single-title paranormal romantic suspense novels, she wrote series romances for Bantam's Loveswept line. In this uninspired offering, she puts her out-of-print Men of Mysteries Past quartet through a sieve, filters out much of the sex and romance and mixes in elements of the paranormal. What's left is a gaggle of flat characters and a formulaic story line that mirrors Hooper's previous book, Once a Thief, the first entry in this "reimagined" series. When the renowned cat burglar simply known as Quinn comes to exhibition director Morgan West for help after being shot, Morgan promptly calls wealthy, no-nonsense Max Bannister, who's preparing to exhibit his family's collection of priceless jewels and art. Max inexplicably rushes to aid Quinn, who we later learn is working for Interpol in order to catch a murdering thief known as Nightshade. The light bantering between Morgan and Quinn adds a touch of romantic tension to this otherwise tame mystery, but the paranormal aspect—Morgan's weak psychic connection to Quinn—isn't likely to satisfy fans of Hooper's more recent novels. Apart from Quinn, Hooper's characters are sketchily drawn, and many readers may find it far too difficult to grasp the intricacies of their relationships without having read the original Loveswept series. (June 3)
— Staff (Reviewed May 12, 2003) (Publishers Weekly, vol 250, issue 19, p50) show less

Not as good as I've come to expect from her, but that may be because this is a reworking of an earlier category romance. It's a sequel to Once a Thief.

Summary from amazon.ca:
In a deadly game of skill and deception...A master thief is just the first wild card…

The priceless, rarely displayed Bannister collection is about to be exhibited--and the show’s director, Morgan West, can’t ignore her growing uneasiness. She’s certain she hasn’t seen the last of the infamous cat burglar Quinn. But she never expected him to turn up at her apartment one dark night in desperate need of her help--help she can’t refuse. The mysterious master thief is playing a dangerous game, and it’s a game that just might get him killed.

With Morgan’s help, Quinn sets a trap intended to catch someone far more elusive…and more deadly…than a thief. But an unseen threat shadows him in the show more fog-shrouded San Francisco night, an unknown adversary more cunning than any he has yet encountered. Now, just when the stakes are higher than even Quinn can imagine, no one can be trusted--and everything’s at risk. show less