“Sexy, Sassy, and Southern Suspense at its Best.”From The Wall Street Journal bestselling mystery author, Larissa Reinhart, the first in the Finley Goodhart Crime Caper series.She wants to use her criminal past to catch crooks. He wants her back. In the grift. And in his life. Can Finley Goodhart convince Lex that doing good is the greatest hustle of all?Ex-grifter Finley Goodhart may try to stay … all?
Ex-grifter Finley Goodhart may try to stay on the straight and narrow, but walking that thin line becomes wobbly when she believes her friend Penny was murdered. The last thing she wants is to work with her ex-partner (and ex-boyfriend), the brilliant (brilliantly frustrating) British con artist, Lex Leopold. However, when it appears Penny’s demise might be related to an exclusive matchmaking service for millionaires, Fin needs Lex’s help to pull a long con to get the goods on Penny.
Romance is in the air for hustlers, gangsters, and their marks. Unfortunately for Fin and Lex, infiltrating the racket doesn’t make for a match made in heaven. This Valentine swindle could stop their hearts for good.
“Once again, Larissa delivers a humorous tale that shows the struggles of a determined woman who has the guts to do what must be done. Expertly written with engaging dialogue and a fast-paced read, this mystery kept me glued to the pages.” — Dru Ann Love, Dru’s Book Musings
”Once again, Reinhart has managed to spin an intriguing tale.”-Christa Reads and Writes
“This is not the first book I’ve read of Larissa Reinhart, and as always it kept me glued and addicted to the story, trying not to worry too much for our characters.”-Varietats
“One thing I can always count on from this author is her fabulously strong female characters. Fin doesn’t disappoint and the mystery takes many twists and turns to keep a reader guessing to the very end.” -Bibliophile Reviews
”t’s sexy, sassy, and southern suspense at its best.” -Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews
“Hang on to your hat and purse and seat as this is a wild ride. As exciting and fast-paced as this long con is for the first half of the book, at almost exactly 50% the game plan changes!” –Laura’s Interests
”Immediately engaging. Kept me guessing. Solid group of characters that so far are segregated like Atlanta. Lots of surprises.” -The Layaway Dragon
A Finley Goodhart Crime Caper #1
320 pages.
Other mystery series by Larissa Reinhart:
A Cherry Tucker Mystery series
Maizie Albright Star Detective
more
I loved this book. It had compelling characters, mystery, drama, and even romance. I love outcasts so Finley fit perfectly as a character for me. The tough girl that is not as tough as she wants everyone to believe she is. And Lex…I truly loved him and rooted for him as he tried to get back in Finley’s life and she fought him all the way. Highly recommend this book to fans of mystery and romance.
This is a wonderful new series by this author that will have you coming back for more. The main character, Finley Goodhart, is just divine. I definitely hope the next volume will publish soon because I want more of this story. Definitely five stars!
Finley Goodhart made me believe that Sophie Deveraux (Leverage) & Neil Caffrey (White Collar) had a beautiful baby, then set her loose on the world. After spending some time in the world of the grift, Fin now wants to go straight— or at least, only use her talents to help others. Standing in her way are her father, the crookedest Sheriff around; the contacts she may or may not “owe” from past jobs, like Dot the Jamaican; her on-again-off-again partner in grift & love, Lex; & her own past & proclivities. But, she’s trying. Until the day Lex barges his way back into her life with terrible news— her oldest & best friend has died. Fin feels guilt for not keeping up with Penny, who was still very much in the game, but the more she hears, the more she knows that something is very wrong. Fin & Lex start to investigate, using their grifter tricks & criminal contacts to try to make it right. But there are blockades all around, with mobsters, cleaners, & the country club crew. It’s hard to discover who was in on the scam that Penny was mixed up in, & who wanted her dead. I loved every twist & turn as they made their way through, & can’t wait for more Finley Goodhart.
Disclaimer: I received an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Larissa Reinhart has created an absolutely wonderful bunch of new characters in Finley Goodhart’s first book. Finley, the product of a corrupt county sheriff and a deceased mother, has been running from her father for years. The only way to sustain herself with no training is to be on the con. Her favorite con is as a pool shark. However, when she meets her friend Penny, she is taught many different ways to con. Along the way she meets her one love, a British con man, Lex Leopold.
When Penny winds up dead from an apparent overdose, Finley knows that is not the truth and sets out to find out what really happened. Finley searches Penny’s apartment where she finds marks hidden along with some of Penny’s money. She meets Penny’s fiancee’, Mark Davis, while dressed as another person.
Finley and Lex are taken into the underground of Atlanta where there appears to be four different types of mafia operating in and around the city. Lex introduces her to Dot Campbell, a Jamaican, who she cannot decide whether she is male or female.She also talks with Sue Marshall, the leader of a “country” mafia.
Finley has a hard time trusting anyone. She is being chased by a man who is trying to kill her.
This story is so captivating, you cannot put the book down. Larissa has wound this tale around so much you keep guessing who is what. This book has themes of trust, faith, redemption and love.
I highly recommend this book and hope there are more with these characters.
DYNAMIC & COMPELLING!
The Cupid Caper (A Finley Goodhart Crime Caper #1) is dynamic and compelling! The author has created a wonderful new series that will grab you from page 1 and keep you completely engaged until the last sentence. The characters are complex but realistic. The plot is sophisticated and enticing. The author’s vivid descriptions make you feel as though you are a participant and not just a reader. There are three major themes in the book: trust, faith and redemption. The art of the long con, the sting, the grift, the mafia, dirty money, hit men, murder and mayhem and a little romance will provide you with plenty of dynamic and compelling entertainment!
Larissa Reinhart has once again with “The Cupid Caper” come up with more pithy Georgia characters- this time on the other side of the law! Finley Goodhart is out to find out just who killed her con-artist friend Penny. And she uses her con game, hustler smarts to the hilt! She and sometimes friend and paramour Lex get into Trouble with a Capital T! This new group of characters are very off the wall in an arena I hadn’t thought much about. I learned a lot-maybe some stuff I didn’t even want to know! This book pulls you-just like the grift! I received a free ARC of this book and have voluntarily reviewed.
I absolutely loved this book! Finley is a great character. She’s flawed and she’s a con but she has a heart of gold. This book is gritty and exciting and well worth the read. I’m hoping for a book 2!!
The Cupid Caper is a fantastic journey into with world of the long con, but this scam is set off to seek justice. Great heart and the fight for justice are common elements that make Larissa Reinhart’s unique tales such winners. The Cupid Caper started out as a novella but it took a full novel to do the tale justice. Ms. Reinhart is one of contemporary writings masters of unforgettable characters. We can only hope that this series continues is journey as novels.
After years on the grift, mostly as a rebellion against her corrupt, cop father, Fin decide that she can’t live that way but when a friend who taught her many of her questionable skills dies of an “overdose”, she knows that something was off big time, so she turned to those old skills to seek out the individuals responsible for her best friend’s death. THE guy from my past is the one who came to tell me and his talents would come in really handy but I can’t stay on the right side of the law and flirt, or more, with a man who is firmly entrenched in the long scam.
The Cupid Caper, book 1, Finley Goodhart Crime Caper series. Larissa Reinhart latest. What fun!!! Great dynamics!!! Finley Goodhart left the con game life behind. The death of her best friend she brings her back in. She needs to prove Penny’s murder. Lex Leopold lost Fin once. He’ll do what ever she needs. Taking on criminals, it’s hard to tell, who is working with you. Who is not. So many players, who is getting played?!? Atlanta crime bosses, small time gangsters, Dixie Mafia. Questionable law enforcement. Larissa Reinhart creates a masterful story!!! Pages turn nonstop. Unpredictable twists and turn. Action. Suspence. Rekindling romance. Great sardonic humor. Finley can be small town country or big city girl. But can she be without Lex anymore? I received this book as an ARC. I am voluntarily posting this review. Looking forward to Finley next capers!!!
“The Cupid Caper” earns 5/5 Intricately Devised Cons…Engaging Fun!
I am a fan of Larissa Reinhart’s Cherry Tucker Mysteries series, so I was very eager to join in with the first book in her new Finley Goodhart Crime Caper series, and I was not disappointed. Her signature entertaining narrative style, delightful dialogue, rich characters, and engaging mystery all showed up in her new book. Finley Goodhart is, well, was a successful grifter who is trying to navigate the straight and narrow, but the recent death of her friend Penny Forbes may require she revisit the wrong side of the law. She had lost touch with her friend, so she feels compelled to bring the killer to justice. Unfortunately, she may also need to reconnect with her ex-partner/ex-boyfriend and British con artist Lex Leopold to pull off an intricate con within an exclusive matchmaking service for multi-millionaires which seems to have a connection to her friend’s death. So “Remington Steele” meets “The Sting” in this absolutely engaging romp where entertaining personas are created to pull off an intricately devised plan. It was very entertaining to watch everything unfold with some side trips taken which all lead to a satisfying conclusion. Finley and Lex try to set aside the past to work well together creating an engaging dynamic, and the plan creates a fast-paced page turner. I highly recommend this series!
Larissa Reinhart is back with a brand new series, and it definitely looks like this will be a great one!!!
The description for the synopsis is spot on. It’s sexy, sassy, and southern suspense at its best. Reinhart has a way of creating unique and quirky characters, and Lex and Finley are no exception as are all the secondary characters.
I live not too far from Atlanta, so I really liked the setting being in Atlanta and the surrounding areas. It’s always fun to know you have been to some of the locations in a book…at least for me.
This was a great combination of romance and mystery. I loved the element of the “con” and add in the themes of trust, faith, and redemption and you have yourself a great little story. I’m looking forward to reading my next Larissa Reinhart novel.
Finley Goodhart is trying to do good and stay on the straight and narrow. The old ‘con game’ for selfish reasons is a thing of the past for her. But Lex wants her back in the game and with him. When her friend Penny is found murdered, Finley may not have a choice about working with Lex again if she wants to find the killer. Things get complicated and Finley isn’t sure who she can trust. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book and this is my opinion of it.
Larissa Reinhart has created great characters and placed them in an intriguing story. I can hardly wait for more books in this series.
I received an advanced reader copy and voluntarily reviewed this book.