If she could get into the castle and dig out some abandoned treasure, they would use the proceeds from the sale of the gem to get a fancy lawyer and set things straight. This lofty goal would seem all the more difficult to achieve given her apparent limitations: the painful and maldeveloped foot she acquired from her battle with Polio years earlier and her ignorance about the big city that she now must expertly navigate. First of all, I thought the writing style for both ‘The Wolf Wilder’ and ‘The Good Thieves’ were beautifully crafted. It seemed effortless for the author to string sentences together as the whole novel is filled with seamless prose and if you are looking for an example, try reading the quote that I had placed above of this sentence. I have loved the style of her writing and the technique she used to string sentences and words together ever since I read ‘The Wolf Wilder’. The author does not concoct extra information just to prolong the novel or string more sentences together to hit a goal or something, she gives the information so impeccably that everything seems necessary. In addition, I thought the descriptions that she had given in the novel were perfectly measured as it felt so real in my brain that I could touch it, virtually. Speaking of descriptions and feeling it virtually, this brings us to the next point: The Atmosphere.

As in Rooftoppers, there are rationalized lies told by Vita to her family. We get the b.s. "promises" made right to the adult's face that are at that very moment known to be false or hedged. It's a poor trait for a heroine (and for a young reader) and it's lazy for Rundell to be using it again. And all the kids do this rationalized lying - even among themselves! I love writing that really captures the voice of the person writing – we all think differently, which is a spectacular and important thing, and so it makes sense that we would all use language differently. So be yourself!

She is one of four exceptional children on which the narrative is focused, and while they are all fantastic in their own right, they share three qualities: all four have distinct talents, personalities and difficulties, all four are people I wish I could know in real life and all four have courage and resilience that take my breath away. But 1920s Manhattan is ever-changing and full of secrets. It might take more than Vita’s ragtag gang of misfits to outsmart the city that never sleeps. If you enjoy middle grade novels and adventure stories, THE GOOD THIEVES is a great choice. I grabbed it on a whim knowing that it might be too young for me, and ended up really enjoying it. Wait a second." The mostly-devoured loaf of bread still lay on the beer barrel next to the bread knife. She took it, an apple, and an orange, and set them side by side on the mantlepiece.

Historical fiction is one of my top genres, so I was eager to read this book set in depression-era New York City with my Li’l Peach. Just like mum, the budding bookworm is a lover of history. We had only ever read non-fiction books about the past, so this was an exciting read that introduced him to a beloved genre. Disclaimer: An ARC was provided via Bloomsbury Indiain exchange for an honest review. The Thoughts, opinions & feelings expressed in the review are therefore, my own. Hi Katherine! Your newest novel The Good Thieves features circus performers. How did you research the characters?The atmosphere of this novel is a mixture of comedic relief, hatred and anger. It is facetious because of the constant banter between the characters and the arguments seem to never end which I, at times, found myself laughing at the exchange of words between them. Hatred and anger come into play due to certain characters doing nasty businesses and I thought the author did a good job at extracting our emotions out from our body and let it diffuse into the atmosphere. Thus, I admired the crafting of the atmosphere made by the author. Endearing characters, an exciting plot, appropriate pacing, and sheer enjoyment have me rating this middle-grade fiction gem 4.5 peaches and adding Rundell’s other popular offering, Rooftoppers, to my list without delay. fulfilling my 2021 goal to read one book each month by an author i love that i haven’t gotten around to reading yet It is so rarely we are given the opportunity to prove ourselves by laying treasure at the feet of those we love.”