The Bait (To Catch A Leopard)
Venice in 1958 is a playground for the rich, and one of those playing there is Ania Throne, a world-renowned jewelry designer. Allegedly in Venice to enjoy the Carnival, Ania’s actually there with her lover and partner, Jerome Curtis, to pull off a daring, dazzling jewelry heist. For Ania’s father is the famous jewel thief known as “The Leopard,” and Ania and Jerome plan to use their heist to trap and unmask the Leopard.
But the course of true love and of jewelry thefts seldom runs smoothly, and the Leopard is always a leap ahead of Ania. When the heist goes wrong, and Jerome is accused of a crime he didn’t commit, it takes all Ania’s cleverness to free him—and try to reveal the Leopard behind the mask.
The Bait is an enjoyable novel, but it reads like a book written in 1958—which is a problem, because it does not read like a historical novel set in 1958. For example, we’re told Ania is wearing a black dress, without specific details that would let someone unfamiliar with 1950s clothing envision that dress. But even though there’s little to indicate it’s set in a particular year, The Bait is a fast, fun read, and I look forward to reading the rest of this series.
