The Frame-Up

November 13, 2023
Bond (Mr. and Mrs. Witch) sketches out a slow-paced art heist in this flawed romantasy. Magical master art forger Dani Poissant has been on the outs with the secret world of magical thieves in which she grew up since she turned in her famous art thief mother, Maria, to the FBI when she was 17. Now Maria’s mysterious former partner, Archer, offers Dani the chance to reconcile with her mother and get back to her old life in her old home if Dani will steal a portrait of Archer from the soon to be auctioned Hackworth Collection kept in “the Fortress of Art,” a place “tougher to get into than Fort Knox.” Dani accepts, going undercover as a security guard and managing to win over her mother’s old team. Along the way, however, she realizes there’s much more to Archer, and his portrait, than meets the eye. What should be a snappy, tightly plotted narrative gets bogged down by an unconvincing love triangle between Dani and the barely sketched out characters of Brad Hackworth, the personalityless heir of the Hackworth Collection, and Elliot, a fellow magical criminal, as well as overwrought excerpts from an 1890s journal written by Dani’s ancestor. Readers looking for excitement will have to find it elsewhere. Agent: Kate McKean, Howard Morhaim Literary.

December 1, 2023

Poissant is an infamous last name for the Poison Angel and her daughter, Dani. When Dani is approached by her mother's mysterious partner, she's unsure if this is the redemption she has been hoping for or a setup for the damage she has caused. Most of the world is unaware that there are humans who are gifted with magic, and not all those who have it consider it a gift. Yet the promised reward and a chance at returning to her only family are too tempting to resist. Thus Dani finds herself planning a heist with her mother's old crew, to steal a portrait from the one mark she prevented her mother from going after, the Fortress of Art. From the beginning things are not all they seem, and Dani has to gain the respect of her family all over again while dealing with revelations from the past. The humorous banter of the characters will delight while readers try to puzzle out the mystery that slowly unspools. VERDICT Hand Bond's new crime caper fantasy (which follows her recent espionage-themed paranormal romance Mr. & Mrs. Witch) to readers who like their magic set in the real world or who enjoy heist novels based around a found-family crew.--Morgan Lockard

Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2024
Dani Poissant has led an unconventional life, being the daughter of famed art thief Maria Poissant--not to mention the Poissant legacy of magic. The duo performs heist upon heist together, until there is a betrayal, sending Maria to prison and leaving Dani utterly alone. Ten years later, a mysterious figure from Dani's past approaches her to do the ultimate heist--stealing a portrait from an ultraprivate collection famously known as the Fortress of Art. Dani's reward: reuniting with her mother. Hesitant but wanting to be a good daughter, Dani says yes. With only a week to pull off the job, Dani must recruit the crew who iced her out and finagle her way into the Fortress of Art. But upon learning the truth behind the painting she's about to steal, Dani needs to decide if the reward is greater than the cost. More than a heist novel, romance author Bond's latest (after Mr. and Mrs. Witch, 2023) is also a contemporary fantasy about the fraught relationships between mothers and daughters as well as regret and forgiveness. Fans of the author will enjoy.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

February 15, 2024
A woman has to run one last big job with her estranged gang in this magical heist novel. Growing up, Danielle Poissant was surrounded by a tight-knit group of career criminals led by her mother, Maria, a master art thief. Along with a mysterious partner, Archer, Maria would orchestrate elaborate heists with the help of her crew, including, when she was older, Dani, who had the magical ability to create a perfect copy of any piece of art. This all came crashing down when Dani was 17 and she gave her mother up to the FBI. Now, years later, Dani's been living on her own with her dog, Sunflower, pulling small cons on people who deserve it to get by. When she's approached by Archer in a bar in St. Louis, he offers her one more job, a job that requires getting the old crew back together, including Dani's former best friend and her ex-boyfriend. The reward is great but time is short as Dani has 10 days to steal a painting, confront her past, and face her mother for the first time in a decade. Bond has created a lived-in world where magic runs just under the surface, from criminals with special powers to average people who hide their abilities. The combination of magic and thievery is fun, simultaneously adding more tricks to the crew's arsenal and causing them more potential trouble. Watching Dani try to reconnect with people who were once her family while trying to pull off a bigger job than she's ever done provides both depth and real stakes, especially in her strained relationship with her mother. There's weight behind the emotions: a decade of hurt to push through. Every moment feels earned. A fun romp with magic, mystery, and big feelings.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.