by Cynthia Chow

This week we have a review & giveaway of The Cupid Caper, A Finley Goodhart Crime Caper By Larissa Reinhart. In this same issue we have a mystery short story by Larissa featuring the same main character. Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win an ebook copy of the book. We also have a link to order it from Amazon, and from an indie bookstore where a portion goes to help support KRL.

After declaring herself to be a reformed con artist, Finley Goodhart believes that she has a long way to go before she can live up to her ironic last name. Her father Sheriff Woody Goodhart set the ethical bar low with his crooked and abusive activities, and ever since she ran away as a teenager Fin lived a life as a grifter surviving through scams and cons. Her partner-in-crime had always been Lex Leopold, a charming master of accents who proved to be far more difficult to leave behind than the criminal lifestyle.

Now “legitimately” working as a pool shark winning bets from misogynistic frat boys, she has been tracked down by Lex as the bearer of bad news. Their former accomplice Penny Forbes has died of a drug overdose, a fate Fin knows is as unlikely as Lex taking an honest office job. Penny detested drugs ever since they killed her mother, and Fin is all too aware of the corruptibility of the coroner’s office. Fin vows to find the truth surrounding Penny’s death, even if that means venturing back into the criminal world she was determined to leave behind.

As bad as they may have been for Finley’s conscious, when together she and Lex were very, very good at pulling off capers. Working together once again, they soon discover that Penny had gotten herself involved in Platinum Partners, a millionaire matchmakers less like the reality television show and much more of an elaborately backed con. Unable to accept that Penny’s resulting engagement to tech company heir Mark Davis could ever have been real, Fin is shocked to discover that Penny had in fact confessed everything about herself to Mark. It was an act that would have placed Penny in danger of those she worked for and owed, which means that Fin will have to return to the life she struggled to leave behind if she wants to find those responsible. The quest for love has never been so profitable, and together with the man who brings out both the best and worst in her, Fin will unravel a snarl of deadly scams and schemes.

Introduced in the short story “Pig’N a Poke,” (which you can find in this issue of KRL) the distrustful con artist Finley Goodhart blasted onto the page with her sharp wit, fast hands, and crafty intelligence. The hard-hearted, larcenous con artist exterior hides a painfully vulnerable core, one that desperately wants to trust and be loved. Her father beat out most of her innocence and faith, and it will take all of Lex’s considerable determination to love her to break down her walls. Even more compelling than seeing Finley’s transformation are the extraordinary cons and identities presented throughout the novel, most of which will fascinate as they surprise and delight readers. This is as fun a novel as it is moving and at times heart-breaking, never the more so when the final page comes and readers are only left wanting more.

To enter to win an ebook copy of The Cupid Caper, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “cupid,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen November 17, 2018. U.S. residents only. If entering via email please include your mailing address (so if you win we can get the book sent right out to you), and if via comment please include your email address. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Also listen to our new mystery podcast where mystery short stories and first chapters are read by actors! They are also available on iTunes and Google Play.

Use this link to purchase the book & a portion goes to help support KRL & indie bookstore Mysterious Galaxy:

The Cupid Caper

You can also use this link to purchase the book on Amazon. If you have ad blocker on you may not see the link:

Cynthia Chow is the branch manager of Kaneohe Public Library on the island of Oahu. She balances a librarian lifestyle of cardigans and hair buns with a passion for motorcycle riding and regrettable tattoos (sorry, Mom).

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases using those links. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.