MONEY RUN

Ashley and Benjamin are two teen partners in crime—real crime, as in major heists—who rely on their youth to avoid suspicion.

A foiled attempt in the prologue makes it seem that they might be inept, but nothing could be further from the truth. Ash is the frontwoman, and shy retiring Benjamin stays connected from his home base, at all times advising, monitoring and supporting. The advising part only happens when Ash lets him, as she has a tendency to act first and talk later. As for romance, there isn’t any, as each time Benjamin asks for a date, Ashley smilingly refuses. It’s part of their game. Their prey today happens to be a billionaire businessman who has sponsored an essay contest with a prize of $10,000 (Ash has won with an essay ghostwritten by Benjamin), but that’s peanuts compared to the $2 million they hope to loot. Like a good movie thriller, the caper includes a villain or two, a somewhat clueless cop and nonstop techno gadgets that make the derring-do possible. It is reminiscent of adventure movies also in that thinking is not only not required, it would hinder the fun. In particular, readers should not look for character depth, realistic settings or even any particular logic to be at work. It’s not that kind of book.

Take a deep breath, go with it, and never look back