Thieves' Gambit - Kayvion Lewis

I've said it before - YA fiction is my escapist reading. I've found a great new author with Kayvion Lewis and her just released Thieves' Gambit - the first book in a new series.  

I loved the cover - the maze, the running, the red color that turns up the heat and the title itself -  I was very curious as to what I'd find.

Seventeen years old Ross Quest is already a master thief. She should be - it's the family business. Their last job goes wrong, leaving Ross with only one option - to enter the Thieves’ Gambit, a series of world wide, dangerous heists. And there are seven other participants that want to win just as much as Ross.

We meet Ross in the first chapter. There's a lot of background in this initial chapter that I found a bit busy. With that out of the way, I started chapter two and didn't want to put it down. Ross is a great lead character - she's intelligent, dedicated and tenacious. The supporting cast is just as important to this book. They're a mixed bunch with just as many skills as Ross. Ross has history with one of the other players that's going to muddy the waters. And her attraction to one of the male players might be a problem too. The romance bits are done well and are 'clean'. They only add to the book instead of detracting.

The heists are wonderfully written, with lots of details and I could easily imagine them as they happened. Now, no heist goes the way it supposed to. Everyone lies, cheats, steals and the outcome is anyone's guest. I love the twists Lewis inserts in the plot. Especially that last chapter!

See for yourself - read an excerpt of Thieves' Gambit. 

The stage is set for book number two and this reader will be eagerly watching for it.