THE FRAME-UP

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.