Book Review: Night Thief by Lisa Kessler

Night Thief  (Night Series novella) by Lisa Kessler
*Nominated for Best Novella of 2012 by Grave Tells Book Reviews

After the fall of the Mayan civilization, Kane, an immortal Night Walker, has taken refuge in France for over 800 years. The modern world holds little interest for him until the night he meets the Golden Thief and is robbed of much more than his pocket watch.

Marguerite Rousseau is living a double life. By day she is the assistant to an eccentric French artist, Antoine Berjon, and by night she dons elegant evening gowns to woo French dignitaries before lifting their wallets.

Sparks ignite when Kane captures the thief, but Marguerite harbors a dark secret that could ruin them both.

This historical romance caught my attention from the beginning. A woman is using her beauty to beguile men while she pick-pockets them of their riches. Le Voleur D’or is wanted by the French Police for her crimes. When Kane spotted the beautiful woman stealing from a man he is stunned and follows her, but loses her quickly in the crowd. 

Marguerites attention is drawn to a tall handsome man and she cannot take her eyes off him. Taking care of business, she hurries to return home before her master realizes what she is doing.

Kane is intrigued and searches for weeks for the elusive night thief. When he fails he decides the best way find her would be at some of the parties where there will be rich men. And there she was. Taking his favorite watch, he flashes it for her to see while they are dancing. After realizing his watch was taken, Kane follows and confronts her. But Marguerite denies that she is the villain the police are looking for. Claiming she has found the items.

The couple is drawn together from the beginning. Lisa has done an excellent job setting the scene and having it play out. Kane is an Immortal, a Night Walker who is living in France. Originally from a Mayan civilization, his coloring made him stand out. In France he fits, in looks only. He can’t stand the dress and goes against tradition quite a bit and wears his shirts open instead of all buttoned up and stuffy. He enjoys the freedom of showing his chest and abs. Marguerite is a strong woman trying to escape her vampire master. Stealing from the rich to get enough money to buy safe passage for her and her cousin to leave the country.

The one thing that stuck in my mind was how Marguerite’s Master was able to smell that she had been with another man. He beats her and takes her blood. As a Night Walker, Kane was not able to sense the vampire until the woman he loves reluctantly tells him of her situation. As a Night Walker he has the same weaknesses as a Vampire in having to sleep during the day and drink blood to survive. I thought this was a slight flaw in the story line, but other than that, I loved how Kane was protective and respectful of Marguerite. He has mad fighting skills yet he can still be weakened which gives him a needed vulnerability even as an immortal. The love scenes between Kane and Marguerite were sweet, sensual and romantic. For a novella, the author did a good job with the story line with enough action and romance to keep my attention.

4 Sheep

Review By: Author MaryLynn Bast 

The Many Muses of MaryLynn -fb

About the Author:

website-fb-twitter-blog
Lisa Kessler is an award winning author of dark paranormal fiction. Her debut novel, Night Walker, won a San Diego Book Award for Best Published Fantasy-Sci-fi-Horror as well as the Romance Through the Ages Award for Best Paranormal and Best First Book.

Her short stories have been published in print anthologies and magazines, and her vampire story, Immortal Beloved, was a finalist for a Bram Stoker award.

When she's not writing, Lisa is a professional vocalist, performing with the San Diego Opera as well as other musical theater companies in San Diego. You can learn more at http://Lisa-Kessler.com

She loves hearing from readers - LdyDisney@aol.com

Lisa Kessler Night Thief blog tour (giveaway)

The Diner is open and Lisa Kessler is sharing her favorite dish, Night Walker. Take a seat and grab a fork so you can dig into Kane. He is the alpha male from her latest release Night Thief.

Kane (Night Walker) 

Recipe Created by Lisa Kessler 

Night Thief (A Night Series Novella) 

1 – Immortal Soul 
1 – Never buttoned up shirt 
1 – Pair of dark blue eyes that glow crimson when you’ve pissed him off 
2 – Cups of sex appeal 
2 – Cups of deadly 
1 – Cup of arrogance 
1 – Jaguar spirit animal 
A pinch of looking-too-damned-good-on-a-horse 
A dash of Swagger 
Mix together and bake for centuries… 

Recipe yields one 6 foot tall, tan and chiseled, immortal Night Walker who lives to protect, but remains a loner in a world of men…

Until a thief steals more than his gold pocket watch. 

Taste Test

This scene takes place after Marguerite has stolen Kane’s pocket watch and he tracks her… (1840 – Paris) 

She wore her golden hair up in a loose knot, with stray curls falling down her neck and framing her large round eyes and high cheekbones. Nothing about her was subtle or forgettable like a thief should be.

When he took the watch from her hand, he noticed a flush of color rising from beneath the velvet choker on her neck. Enticing. “You are a flamboyant thief.”

He never saw the slap coming.

“How dare you!” Her hands balled into fists at her sides.

Kane smiled and reached for her hand, drawing her soft fingers to his lips. Her struggles were nothing against his inhuman strength. Pressing a cool kiss to her knuckles, he stared into her eyes.

“Forgive me for being so rude,” he murmured. “You are the most lovely, delicate, and beautiful thief I have ever seen.”

This time, he caught her other wrist before her slap made contact with his cheek. Her bright blue eyes widened. “Let me go.”

“Not yet.” He tipped his head slightly. “I have a confession to make.”

“You?”

He released her. “I have been watching you, waiting to make your acquaintance. I wore my watch tonight hoping you might take it from me.”

A crease marred her brow. “Why?”

“Because you intrigue me. I have never met a thief quite like you.”

Her eyes searched his, and for a moment, he thought she might apologize for taking his property.

“I did not steal your watch.” She set her chin. “I found it.”

Marguerite placed the watch in his palm, and she closed his fingers around it. Glancing at his hand, she frowned.

“Your skin is cold.” She released him. “Are you sick?”

He shook his head. “I am well.”

She went back to the table and gathered her other treasures. “It is good fortune that our paths crossed again so that I could return your watch. Sadly, I will still need to find the other owners.”

“We could give the items you found to the police.”

“No!” She snatched up the satchel and hid it behind her skirt. He watched her clear her throat and her composure returned with her charm. “I could not trust another person with these valuables. Tomorrow, I will go back and inquire with the host to see which guests might be missing their belongings. It is the only way to ease my mind and know they will be returned to their rightful owners.”

“How thoughtful of you. With Le Voleur D’or stalking the streets of Paris, they probably fear their belongings are lost forever.”

Her back straightened and her lips pressed together as if she were a royal princess. It was all he could do not to kiss her. What was wrong with him? He should be angered, or in the least, willing to turn her over to the police.

His shoulders tensed at the thought of an officer touching her.

She cleared her throat. “What do you know of Le Voleur D’or?”

He stepped in closer to her and kept his voice low. “I have been told she has golden hair and her beauty is so blinding that no one notices her pluck their wallets from their pockets. I also understand that she charms her victims until they no longer care that she has lightened their coin purses.”

He tipped his head down. The scent of her hair and the sound of her heartbeat enticed him. Kane ached to taste her. Such an unusual woman. He bit back his desire and whispered near her ear. “Is my description far from the truth?”

She met his gaze. The candlelight flickered in the clear sea-blue of her eyes. “Perhaps you were not charmed enough, Monsieur Bordeaux.”

“In my rush to find you, I was nearly run down by a coach.”

She glanced down at the watch in his hand, then met his gaze again. “You do cherish that watch.”

He bent closer to her, until his lips nearly brushed hers. “It was not the watch that I was after.” 

After the fall of the Mayan civilization, Kane, an immortal Night Walker, has taken refuge in France for over 800 years. The modern world holds little interest for him until the night he meets the Golden Thief and is robbed of much more than his pocket watch. 

Marguerite Rousseau is living a double life. By day she is the assistant to an eccentric French artist, Antoine Berjon, and by night she dons elegant evening gowns to woo French dignitaries before lifting their wallets.

Sparks ignite when Kane captures the thief, but Marguerite harbors a dark secret that could ruin them both.

About the Author: 

website-FB-twitterLisa Kessler is an award winning author of dark paranormal fiction. Her debut novel, Night Walker, won a San Diego Book Award for Best Published Fantasy-Sci-fi-Horror as well as the Romance Through the Ages Award for Best Paranormal and Best First Book.

Her short stories have been published in print anthologies and magazines, and her vampire story, Immortal Beloved, was a finalist for a Bram Stoker award.

When she's not writing, Lisa is a professional vocalist, performing with the San Diego Opera as well as other musical theater companies in San Diego. You can learn more at http://Lisa-Kessler.com

She loves hearing from readers - LdyDisney@aol.com

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