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Crissa Stone #4
The Devil's Share
It's been a year since professional thief Crissa Stone last pulled a job, and she's spent that time under the radar, very carefully not drawing attention to herself. That kind of life is safe, but it's boring, and it's lonely, and it's not very lucrative. So when Crissa starts to get antsy--and low on funds--she agrees to act as a thief-for-hire, partnering with a wealthy art collector to steal a truckload of plundered Iraqi artifacts before they're repatriated to their native country. But what's supposed to be a "give-up" robbery with few complications quickly turns deadly. Soon Crissa is on the run again, with both an ex-military hit squad and her own partners-in-crime in pursuit. And what should be the easiest job of her career--robbing a man who wants to be robbed--might just turn out to be the most dangerous.
Audio CD
First published July 7, 2015
About the author
Wallace Stroby
25 books107 followersWallace Stroby is an award-winning journalist and the author of the novels
Cold Shot to the Heart, Gone 'Til November, The Heartbreak Lounge and The Barbed-Wire Kiss..
A Long Branch, N.J., native, he's a lifelong resident of the Jersey Shore. "The Barbed-Wire Kiss," which The Washington Post called "a scorching first novel ...full of attention to character and memory and, even more, to the neighborhoods of New Jersey," was a finalist for the 2004 Barry Award for Best First Novel.
A graduate of Rutgers University, Stroby was an editor at the Star-Ledger of Newark, Tony Soprano's hometown newspaper, for 13 years.
Cold Shot to the Heart, Gone 'Til November, The Heartbreak Lounge and The Barbed-Wire Kiss..
A Long Branch, N.J., native, he's a lifelong resident of the Jersey Shore. "The Barbed-Wire Kiss," which The Washington Post called "a scorching first novel ...full of attention to character and memory and, even more, to the neighborhoods of New Jersey," was a finalist for the 2004 Barry Award for Best First Novel.
A graduate of Rutgers University, Stroby was an editor at the Star-Ledger of Newark, Tony Soprano's hometown newspaper, for 13 years.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
June 2, 2017
I'm a huge fan of Wallace Stroby's Crissa Stone series, and even though I've owned this book for ages, I've put off reading it because there's not another one in the series to look forward to, at least not yet. I finally couldn't resist any longer, though, and basically devoured it in one sitting.
For those who haven't yet made her acquaintance, Stone is a professional criminal. She most often works as part of a crew, and trouble almost always ensues when one of her carefully-planned jobs doesn't come off quite as expected. She's been described as a female Parker and the description is apt. She's a tough, no-nonsense, hardened criminal and every one of the four books in which she's appeared thus far has been a great read.
In this case, Crissa has been laying low for a year or so following her last job. But she could use some excitement and another payday is always very welcome too. Accordingly, she listenes to a pitch from a wealthy art collector in L.A. The guy has come into possession of some antiquities that were smuggled out of Iraq during the confusion surrounding the war there. But the authorities know that he has them and have demanded their return if the guy wants to avoid prosecution.
As fate would have it, just at that moment another wealthy collector has made a nice offer for the pieces. The guy in L.A. would much rather sell the antiquities and ship them overseas rather than having to return them and gain nothing for all his time and trouble. The pieces are being stored in a warehouse in Las Vegas. The collector is supposed to move them to California and from there the pieces will be repatriated.
Rather than do that, the guy wants Crissa to put together a crew and steal the antiquities while they are enroute from Vegas to the coast. They will then deliver the pieces to a dock where they will be shipped to the overseas collector. The collector in L.A. will tell the authorities that he's very sorry the pieces were stolen, but it was hardly his fault. In the meantime, he'll pocket a very large payout from the overseas collector. Crissa's payout promises to be huge as well, and the job will be simple as pie. Save for the planning, the actual heist will only take a few minutes and will not be at all dangerous. What could possibly go wrong?
Crissa is a very compelling character and it's fascinating watching her plan the heist. The way she's worked it out, the job does seem extremely simple and foolproof. Watching the way it all plays out is even more fun. This is a very good hard-boiled novel that should appeal to practically anyone who enjoys their crime fiction with an edge to it. And I hate the fact that I don't have another one of them waiting in the wings.
For those who haven't yet made her acquaintance, Stone is a professional criminal. She most often works as part of a crew, and trouble almost always ensues when one of her carefully-planned jobs doesn't come off quite as expected. She's been described as a female Parker and the description is apt. She's a tough, no-nonsense, hardened criminal and every one of the four books in which she's appeared thus far has been a great read.
In this case, Crissa has been laying low for a year or so following her last job. But she could use some excitement and another payday is always very welcome too. Accordingly, she listenes to a pitch from a wealthy art collector in L.A. The guy has come into possession of some antiquities that were smuggled out of Iraq during the confusion surrounding the war there. But the authorities know that he has them and have demanded their return if the guy wants to avoid prosecution.
As fate would have it, just at that moment another wealthy collector has made a nice offer for the pieces. The guy in L.A. would much rather sell the antiquities and ship them overseas rather than having to return them and gain nothing for all his time and trouble. The pieces are being stored in a warehouse in Las Vegas. The collector is supposed to move them to California and from there the pieces will be repatriated.
Rather than do that, the guy wants Crissa to put together a crew and steal the antiquities while they are enroute from Vegas to the coast. They will then deliver the pieces to a dock where they will be shipped to the overseas collector. The collector in L.A. will tell the authorities that he's very sorry the pieces were stolen, but it was hardly his fault. In the meantime, he'll pocket a very large payout from the overseas collector. Crissa's payout promises to be huge as well, and the job will be simple as pie. Save for the planning, the actual heist will only take a few minutes and will not be at all dangerous. What could possibly go wrong?
Crissa is a very compelling character and it's fascinating watching her plan the heist. The way she's worked it out, the job does seem extremely simple and foolproof. Watching the way it all plays out is even more fun. This is a very good hard-boiled novel that should appeal to practically anyone who enjoys their crime fiction with an edge to it. And I hate the fact that I don't have another one of them waiting in the wings.
August 25, 2015
It’s gotta be hard for anyone writing the main character as a professional thief in crime fiction because the comparisons to Richard Stark’s Parker are going to be unavoidable and most are going to fall short of that very high bar. However, with this fourth book in the series it’s past time where Wallace Stroby’s Crissa Stone is judged on her own merits, and she easily passes that test.
Crissa is contacted by a rich man named Cota who needs a thief. He had gotten his hands on valuable statues illegally taken from the Middle East during America’s recent military actions, but he got found out and is being forced to return them. With a buyer ready to fork over big money for the statues, Cota wants her to steal them as they are being transported so that he can double dip by selling them and claiming the insurance money while also being absolved of the blame of them not being returned. Hey, rich people didn’t get rich by not being greedy.
Cota wants Crissa to work with his guy Hicks, a former soldier turned gun for hire. Things begin smoothly enough as Crissa comes up with a plan, and she and Hicks recruit a team to pull it off. If you think that things don’t go off the rails at some point then I’m guessing that you’re unfamiliar with how these types of stories work.
All the tropes of these kind of novels are in play with the thief just trying to do the job but facing betrayals and complications. From the standpoint of a heist novel it’s a solid example of the genre, but it’s the character of Crissa that makes it more than that.
She is a pragmatic and competent professional who wants to pull off the robbery without anyone getting hurt, but a life outside the normal boundaries of society continues to take a toll on her emotionally. The man she loves is in prison, her daughter is being raised by a relative, and the number of people she can trust shrinks with every book. The question of whether she’s really doing it for the money or the thrill are also raised in this one. All of these factors make Crissa far more sympathetic and interesting than the anti-hero characters you generally get in these type of books.
As usual in this series Stroby has written a top notch crime novel without an ounce of fat in it that still finds time to develop its characters in the midst of its fast paced action.
Also posted at Kemper's Book Blog.
Crissa is contacted by a rich man named Cota who needs a thief. He had gotten his hands on valuable statues illegally taken from the Middle East during America’s recent military actions, but he got found out and is being forced to return them. With a buyer ready to fork over big money for the statues, Cota wants her to steal them as they are being transported so that he can double dip by selling them and claiming the insurance money while also being absolved of the blame of them not being returned. Hey, rich people didn’t get rich by not being greedy.
Cota wants Crissa to work with his guy Hicks, a former soldier turned gun for hire. Things begin smoothly enough as Crissa comes up with a plan, and she and Hicks recruit a team to pull it off. If you think that things don’t go off the rails at some point then I’m guessing that you’re unfamiliar with how these types of stories work.
All the tropes of these kind of novels are in play with the thief just trying to do the job but facing betrayals and complications. From the standpoint of a heist novel it’s a solid example of the genre, but it’s the character of Crissa that makes it more than that.
She is a pragmatic and competent professional who wants to pull off the robbery without anyone getting hurt, but a life outside the normal boundaries of society continues to take a toll on her emotionally. The man she loves is in prison, her daughter is being raised by a relative, and the number of people she can trust shrinks with every book. The question of whether she’s really doing it for the money or the thrill are also raised in this one. All of these factors make Crissa far more sympathetic and interesting than the anti-hero characters you generally get in these type of books.
As usual in this series Stroby has written a top notch crime novel without an ounce of fat in it that still finds time to develop its characters in the midst of its fast paced action.
Also posted at Kemper's Book Blog.
March 16, 2017
If you like your crime fiction hardboiled and you haven’t caught up with Crissa Stone yet, then you’re seriously missing out. This is the fourth book featuring Stroby’s uncompromising professional thief. This time around she’s agreed to work with a shady art collector named Cota. The heist involves Iraqi treasures that are being transported by road and requires careful planning and exemplary execution. This isn’t normally a problem for Stone, who has been expertly tutored by her (currently imprisoned) lover and mentor. But all the best laid plans…
Cota insists that one of his men, Hicks, work with Stone and the relationship that develops between the two is exquisitely drawn. There is suspicion but attraction too. The exchanges between them are some of the best bits in the book.
Stone herself is a brilliant creation. Ok, she’s somewhat lacking in humour but that’s not such a drawback given her chosen career. She’s troubled by the fact that she is separated from her man and is desperate to raise money to help find a way to secure his release. And she sees her only daughter infrequently, for reasons I won’t go into here. So she leads a troubled and lonely life and in this episode this aspect is highlighted more sharply than in the previous books. She has qualities you can’t help but admire. She’s tough and ruthless – willing to do whatever is necessary, however unpleasant it might be. But there’s compassion and loyalty in her make-up too. Stone is a likeable and even admirable anti-hero.
Stroby’s style is to write narrative pared to the bone. There are no surplus words in his books - just a straightforward plot, brilliant dialogue and hectic, violent action. I love his work and I strongly recommend his books to all lovers of crime fiction.
Cota insists that one of his men, Hicks, work with Stone and the relationship that develops between the two is exquisitely drawn. There is suspicion but attraction too. The exchanges between them are some of the best bits in the book.
Stone herself is a brilliant creation. Ok, she’s somewhat lacking in humour but that’s not such a drawback given her chosen career. She’s troubled by the fact that she is separated from her man and is desperate to raise money to help find a way to secure his release. And she sees her only daughter infrequently, for reasons I won’t go into here. So she leads a troubled and lonely life and in this episode this aspect is highlighted more sharply than in the previous books. She has qualities you can’t help but admire. She’s tough and ruthless – willing to do whatever is necessary, however unpleasant it might be. But there’s compassion and loyalty in her make-up too. Stone is a likeable and even admirable anti-hero.
Stroby’s style is to write narrative pared to the bone. There are no surplus words in his books - just a straightforward plot, brilliant dialogue and hectic, violent action. I love his work and I strongly recommend his books to all lovers of crime fiction.
February 23, 2024
4.5 stars
*sky-highly recommended series*
short review for busy readers: Excellent final (?) installment of the Crissa Stone thriller series. Tight writing, great dialogue, great characters. Lots of action, lots of stuff exploding, lots of people getting greedy and lots of people getting even. Very different plot structure than the previous 3. Long build-up, long pay back. Totally gripping.
in detail:
Wallace Stroby, Wallace Stroby, Wallace Stroby. I have no idea why this man isn't more popular/known. He's got some of the best lean writing around. His action sequences are OMG keep-you-up-late-reading gripping and in Crissa Stone, he's got a female series character to beat female series characters.
In my review of the 3rd installment, Shoot the Woman First, I said the only real problem I've found with this series is that the exact same plot pattern had been used in all three books. I expressed hope that Stroby wouldn't continue to use it in future ones.
He must have heard me, because the plot of this one is very different and breaks some new ground.
Yes, it's still about a theft, and yes, things go south really badly and bullets fly all over the place, but the chips scatter in a new way AND her one trusted male partner isn't killed off during the heist leaving her to outrun the bad guys. Talk about pattern breaks!
Another thing that made this different, is that the actual planning and lead up to the theft takes up about 50% of the novel. You just know things are going to go wrong and somebody in the crew is most likely going to get killed, so it's rather stressful biting your nails for so long just waiting for it to happen. 😬
(If you are not familiar with the series, this wouldn't be a problem.)
I'm not sure if Stroby is going to continue the series past this book, as the ending could work either way. As a series stop, or as a segue to another installment. Leaving his options open, clearly.
I read the Crissa Stone series in its entirety for the Serial Challenge 2024, but I definitely plan to read Stroby's other, non Crissa Stone thrillers, too.
He's just too good to resist.
*sky-highly recommended series*
short review for busy readers: Excellent final (?) installment of the Crissa Stone thriller series. Tight writing, great dialogue, great characters. Lots of action, lots of stuff exploding, lots of people getting greedy and lots of people getting even. Very different plot structure than the previous 3. Long build-up, long pay back. Totally gripping.
in detail:
Wallace Stroby, Wallace Stroby, Wallace Stroby. I have no idea why this man isn't more popular/known. He's got some of the best lean writing around. His action sequences are OMG keep-you-up-late-reading gripping and in Crissa Stone, he's got a female series character to beat female series characters.
In my review of the 3rd installment, Shoot the Woman First, I said the only real problem I've found with this series is that the exact same plot pattern had been used in all three books. I expressed hope that Stroby wouldn't continue to use it in future ones.
He must have heard me, because the plot of this one is very different and breaks some new ground.
Yes, it's still about a theft, and yes, things go south really badly and bullets fly all over the place, but the chips scatter in a new way AND her one trusted male partner isn't killed off during the heist leaving her to outrun the bad guys. Talk about pattern breaks!
Another thing that made this different, is that the actual planning and lead up to the theft takes up about 50% of the novel. You just know things are going to go wrong and somebody in the crew is most likely going to get killed, so it's rather stressful biting your nails for so long just waiting for it to happen. 😬
(If you are not familiar with the series, this wouldn't be a problem.)
I'm not sure if Stroby is going to continue the series past this book, as the ending could work either way. As a series stop, or as a segue to another installment. Leaving his options open, clearly.
I read the Crissa Stone series in its entirety for the Serial Challenge 2024, but I definitely plan to read Stroby's other, non Crissa Stone thrillers, too.
He's just too good to resist.
January 12, 2016
Crissa Stone is back and this time she's taken a job in my neck of the woods, in sunny Los Angeles, the City of Angels. She's there to lead the easy heist of millionaire, Emile Cota's prized art pieces as they're being driven from Vegas to the Port of Los Angeles. It's a piece of cake job because Emile Cota himself is the one who hired her! Can't be anything easier than robbin' a dude who's asking to get robbed right...? Wrong. Dead wrong.
One of the things I've been a bit worried about with this series is the potential to become repetitive and boring. But Stroby has been able to keep it fairly fresh with each installment. And this newest novel definitely feels more distinct, and a bit more dangerous for our diligent heroine this time around. This one feels more assured and you can feel the author really getting into the groove of the series in his writing. I really appreciated how the "villain" this time around turned out to not be as one-dimensional and mustache-twirling as the previous ones have been. But I still want to see the series really evolve more and not fall into the usual series trap of not growing and not raising the stakes. Wallace Stroby, if you're reading, what about maybe having Crissa, in her desperation to be with jailed boyfriend Wayne, plan an epic breakout that might go horribly wrong, or maybe have her do a job that becomes really personal, like one that Wayne organizes or something? Something like that would be awesome and really step things up in the future!
But in the meantime, although the writing is as usual pretty straightforward and workmanlike, mostly surface with no frills and no time for real explorations of inner drama, this style really works with Crissa's character. The series is full of exciting action and all the books are quick, fun reads. And The Devil's Share might be the most satisfying and well-imagined book of the series.
One of the things I've been a bit worried about with this series is the potential to become repetitive and boring. But Stroby has been able to keep it fairly fresh with each installment. And this newest novel definitely feels more distinct, and a bit more dangerous for our diligent heroine this time around. This one feels more assured and you can feel the author really getting into the groove of the series in his writing. I really appreciated how the "villain" this time around turned out to not be as one-dimensional and mustache-twirling as the previous ones have been. But I still want to see the series really evolve more and not fall into the usual series trap of not growing and not raising the stakes. Wallace Stroby, if you're reading, what about maybe having Crissa, in her desperation to be with jailed boyfriend Wayne, plan an epic breakout that might go horribly wrong, or maybe have her do a job that becomes really personal, like one that Wayne organizes or something? Something like that would be awesome and really step things up in the future!
But in the meantime, although the writing is as usual pretty straightforward and workmanlike, mostly surface with no frills and no time for real explorations of inner drama, this style really works with Crissa's character. The series is full of exciting action and all the books are quick, fun reads. And The Devil's Share might be the most satisfying and well-imagined book of the series.
May 20, 2018
The weakest of the series so far, for me. Crissa takes on an odd heist with people she shouldn't really trust and it all goes pear-shaped. Given how cautious she usually is and the pains at which Stroby details and describes her caution, I thought she made several glaring errors here which all came back to bite her. I'm sure there was at least one instance in the Parker series, where Parker walks away from a setup because he doesn't like the way it smells. Crissa makes a series of bad calls and people get killed. Still the action scenes are always written with panache and i would rather read a weaker Crissa Stone book than a whole bunch of other stuff.
November 6, 2018
My first reading of Wallace Stroby and thus my first sampling of the Crissa Stone series. This was the book available from my library, so I took the chance that things would gel for me without having to start at the beginning.
I read that this series has been optioned by Showtime for production. It has the distinction of giving us that rare portrayal of a female gangster. It also serves as a lesson that anything and everything can go wrong in the world of "heistdom" despite planning and "crew" selection. I don't know if this is a feature of all the books, but it certainly appeared as though Crissa, or "Red" as she is sometimes called, could not possibly live through the punishment planned and meted out by a key player.
Magically she flies off at the end after deftly disposing of a body and evidence, heading for France and whatever comes next.
The "plan" involved antiquities from Iraq and managing their movement.
I think I will leave the series with just this one appetizer under my belt.
I read that this series has been optioned by Showtime for production. It has the distinction of giving us that rare portrayal of a female gangster. It also serves as a lesson that anything and everything can go wrong in the world of "heistdom" despite planning and "crew" selection. I don't know if this is a feature of all the books, but it certainly appeared as though Crissa, or "Red" as she is sometimes called, could not possibly live through the punishment planned and meted out by a key player.
Magically she flies off at the end after deftly disposing of a body and evidence, heading for France and whatever comes next.
The "plan" involved antiquities from Iraq and managing their movement.
I think I will leave the series with just this one appetizer under my belt.
August 7, 2015
Wow. Just WOW.
This is the 4th novel in NJ crime fiction writer Wallace Stroby's series concerning his career criminal thief Crissa Stone ... and it is utterly fantastic. This novel is lean, mean, thrilling, and tense. There is not one ounce of fat on this cut of Prime Grade A noir fiction. Once again Crissa Stone is involved in a theft, but this time she negotiates a caper to steal something from the owner of rare stolen antiquities from the Middle East that he must turn back over to the government. The tension mounts before and after the vehicular theft on a desert road and you sense impending doom with every sentence. When things go wrong for Crissa Stone (and they do), then things go right for the reader.
I loved this book.I loved it's opening reminiscent of THE BIG SLEEP, the planning of the heist, the peripheral nasty former Marine mercenaries, and two Irish thugs from Boston who are all intent on hunting down Crissa and her underworld contacts who assisted her in this caper. Stroby knows when to ratchet the tension like the wheel handle of a rack ... stretching the moment to a breaking point or easing it back to make you turn the page. He stages a lot of the violence to occur off the page and later to be found out by his anti-heroine. But, he will blast you with action and brutality at the right time, especially in the conclusion that is set in a New Jersey shore town.
I can't think of a book that played out so visually in my mind like a projected movie on the screen of my brain. I shouldn't be surprised. Stroby is a master of plot and vivid character and the concise placement of words that seem so simple, so benign ... and then they explode. This is the kind of read you want to finish fast, but still not want it to end.
This is the best of his Stone series. I highly recommend his very first book THE BARBED WIRE KISS (this is not part of the Stone series), as well. And I am happy to hear he has sold the rights for this character to appear on a limited cable series that will be based on the novels. But, I'm sure it will never surpass the joy and transporting feel of reading his work and playing it out on the stage of your imagination.
This is the 4th novel in NJ crime fiction writer Wallace Stroby's series concerning his career criminal thief Crissa Stone ... and it is utterly fantastic. This novel is lean, mean, thrilling, and tense. There is not one ounce of fat on this cut of Prime Grade A noir fiction. Once again Crissa Stone is involved in a theft, but this time she negotiates a caper to steal something from the owner of rare stolen antiquities from the Middle East that he must turn back over to the government. The tension mounts before and after the vehicular theft on a desert road and you sense impending doom with every sentence. When things go wrong for Crissa Stone (and they do), then things go right for the reader.
I loved this book.I loved it's opening reminiscent of THE BIG SLEEP, the planning of the heist, the peripheral nasty former Marine mercenaries, and two Irish thugs from Boston who are all intent on hunting down Crissa and her underworld contacts who assisted her in this caper. Stroby knows when to ratchet the tension like the wheel handle of a rack ... stretching the moment to a breaking point or easing it back to make you turn the page. He stages a lot of the violence to occur off the page and later to be found out by his anti-heroine. But, he will blast you with action and brutality at the right time, especially in the conclusion that is set in a New Jersey shore town.
I can't think of a book that played out so visually in my mind like a projected movie on the screen of my brain. I shouldn't be surprised. Stroby is a master of plot and vivid character and the concise placement of words that seem so simple, so benign ... and then they explode. This is the kind of read you want to finish fast, but still not want it to end.
This is the best of his Stone series. I highly recommend his very first book THE BARBED WIRE KISS (this is not part of the Stone series), as well. And I am happy to hear he has sold the rights for this character to appear on a limited cable series that will be based on the novels. But, I'm sure it will never surpass the joy and transporting feel of reading his work and playing it out on the stage of your imagination.
March 28, 2017
4+ This is fast moving, taut, well-plotted crime fiction typical of this author. A worthy entry in a very good series featuring a well-drawn and complex protagonist. There is a river of blood and a high body count, so this is aimed at the hard boiled enthusiast over readers who prefer a gentle mystery.
July 11, 2015
Crissa Stone is smart, careful, and tough as nails. But she still works in a male world: armed robbery. And she meets a lot of people (at least one a book, sometimes several) who don't plan on sharing the take around the group. The fact that they all end up dead should be word that gets around but the dynamic has been constant so far in the series. Having said that, each book (four, so far) is expertly written and believably plotted, and I continue to admire her intelligent toughness. Maybe the title of the 3rd book in the series--"Shoot the Woman First" (a phrase out of West German counterterrorism operations)—should be followed as advice by all the would-be double-crossers. I'm glad that it isn't because she is easily my second favorite series person, right behind Jack Reacher.
December 28, 2017
I LOVE this series! Crissa Stone is a professional high end thief. In this one, Crissa takes the lead and sets up the deal, a contract hijacking and theft of stolen major art pieces. Things don't go exactly as planned... This is a page-turner of a book, short, concise with lots of action. Crissa is one kick-ass woman! I love her! Highly recommended!
June 15, 2017
PROTAGONIST: Crissa Stone
SETTING: Nevada
SERIES: #4 of 4
RATING: 4.0
WHY: Professional thief Crissa Stone has been hired to steal a truckload of Iraqi artifacts. The twist is that she's been hired by its owner to do the job. She's in charge of the operation and pulls together her own team and is joined by the owner's operative and his own assistant. Of course, things don't go as planned. In fact, they go just about as bad as it's possible to go. After the fiasco, Crissa sets out to right the wrongs. Lots of action plus good writing make this a good one.
SETTING: Nevada
SERIES: #4 of 4
RATING: 4.0
WHY: Professional thief Crissa Stone has been hired to steal a truckload of Iraqi artifacts. The twist is that she's been hired by its owner to do the job. She's in charge of the operation and pulls together her own team and is joined by the owner's operative and his own assistant. Of course, things don't go as planned. In fact, they go just about as bad as it's possible to go. After the fiasco, Crissa sets out to right the wrongs. Lots of action plus good writing make this a good one.
June 26, 2017
Devil's Share is the best book in an excellent series. Darker in tone and substance than the preceding books. Now to wait for the next Crissa Stone!
June 17, 2017
3.5 stars for this interesting novel. I have, true to form, jumped into this series at the 4th installation, and I will likely read the earlier Crissa Stone stories.
She is a professional thief and a tough-as-nails character with plenty of flaws. Reading this book puts one in the mind of Richard Stark's (Westlake) Parker character, but Chrissa is not as cunning, nor as heartless as Parker. Still, at least in the first 2/3 of this story, she behaves cleverly, professionally, and seems a well drawn and somewhat mysterious character. The reason the book fails to reach 4 stars for me, is Stroby's insistence on having Chrissa suddenly become blind to the obvious, making mistake after mistake, costing people their lives, and succumbing to her need for affection, or at least, a transient substitute for it.
Too many stretches of credulity in the last quarter of the book brought down what was otherwise a well-written and drawn plot. Characters were a mix between believable and obvious caricatures.
In sum, an enjoyable read and enough reason for me to give others in the Crissa Stone series a chance; I remain hopeful they are as good or better than The Devil's Share.
She is a professional thief and a tough-as-nails character with plenty of flaws. Reading this book puts one in the mind of Richard Stark's (Westlake) Parker character, but Chrissa is not as cunning, nor as heartless as Parker. Still, at least in the first 2/3 of this story, she behaves cleverly, professionally, and seems a well drawn and somewhat mysterious character. The reason the book fails to reach 4 stars for me, is Stroby's insistence on having Chrissa suddenly become blind to the obvious, making mistake after mistake, costing people their lives, and succumbing to her need for affection, or at least, a transient substitute for it.
Too many stretches of credulity in the last quarter of the book brought down what was otherwise a well-written and drawn plot. Characters were a mix between believable and obvious caricatures.
In sum, an enjoyable read and enough reason for me to give others in the Crissa Stone series a chance; I remain hopeful they are as good or better than The Devil's Share.
July 25, 2015
Since there are lamentably no more Parker books by the late, great Richard Stark (Donald Westlake), this Crissa Stone series by Wallace Stroby is my next best read. Crissa is a worthy female heir to the career criminal embodied by Parker, and Stroby has mastered a similar way of writing these spare heists-gone-wrong novels. This one is a very good addition to the series, and I hope they continue. I read that they are developing a Showtime TV series on these books, and I hope they bring added readers to Crissa Stone.
January 16, 2017
Stroby Doesn't Write Fast Enough
Stroby is truly one of the under appreciated crime fiction novelists working today. His stand alone novels and his Crissa Stone series(of which this is one) are just tremendous, short punchy, well written and fun books around. The Crissa books are an homage to Richard Stark(Donald Westlake) series of Parker novels--about a thief, his crew and their larcenous adventures. Stark was an ant-hero and so is Stone. She does bad things well and you root for her. True crime fiction , I recommend this and Stroby's other books whole heartedly.
Stroby is truly one of the under appreciated crime fiction novelists working today. His stand alone novels and his Crissa Stone series(of which this is one) are just tremendous, short punchy, well written and fun books around. The Crissa books are an homage to Richard Stark(Donald Westlake) series of Parker novels--about a thief, his crew and their larcenous adventures. Stark was an ant-hero and so is Stone. She does bad things well and you root for her. True crime fiction , I recommend this and Stroby's other books whole heartedly.
November 10, 2019
Crissa Stone, Wallace Stroby's heroine in this stellar series, sure runs into a lot of big-time problems for someone who's considered a "pro's pro" criminal. Guess the capers that went smoothly were too boring to write about, so Stroby focuses on the clunkers. This is certainly one of those.
In 'The Devil's Share', Crissa's living under the radar but needs a little work to keep her occupied. She agrees to be brought in as a sort of (in business terms) Criminal Enterprise Project Manager to plan out a heist for a rich west coast art collector. It seems the collector had purchased a bunch of Iraqi antiquities stolen during the latest war, but was 'caught' and agreed to return them to avoid prosecution. However, he doesn't want to cut them loose without getting his money back. This is where Crissa comes in, highly recommended by those 'in the know' in the criminal world. She talks through the job, agrees to run the project for a price, and begins to assemble her team. The collector's henchman, a youngish ex-military type who's been a loyal do-it-all employee, is her contact and a key member of the group, also responsible for recruiting an additional member.
The plan is to hijack the convoy containing the art as it moves between Nevada and a California port, and as usual Crissa's planning is meticulous. The operation goes smoothly until it doesn't, when an unexpected hitch results in some blood. The art makes it out of the country, but what was initially a pretty easy heist turns into future murder charges for all involved if they're ever tracked down. And in the spirit of 'there's no honor among thieves', things get even worse.
Stroby's writing is again perfect for this type of novel, propelling it forward at just the right pace. The only real issue I had with this one was with a sociopathic character who showed a softer side near the end that got himself killed. Other than that, a fine addition to Crissa Stone's resume'.
In 'The Devil's Share', Crissa's living under the radar but needs a little work to keep her occupied. She agrees to be brought in as a sort of (in business terms) Criminal Enterprise Project Manager to plan out a heist for a rich west coast art collector. It seems the collector had purchased a bunch of Iraqi antiquities stolen during the latest war, but was 'caught' and agreed to return them to avoid prosecution. However, he doesn't want to cut them loose without getting his money back. This is where Crissa comes in, highly recommended by those 'in the know' in the criminal world. She talks through the job, agrees to run the project for a price, and begins to assemble her team. The collector's henchman, a youngish ex-military type who's been a loyal do-it-all employee, is her contact and a key member of the group, also responsible for recruiting an additional member.
The plan is to hijack the convoy containing the art as it moves between Nevada and a California port, and as usual Crissa's planning is meticulous. The operation goes smoothly until it doesn't, when an unexpected hitch results in some blood. The art makes it out of the country, but what was initially a pretty easy heist turns into future murder charges for all involved if they're ever tracked down. And in the spirit of 'there's no honor among thieves', things get even worse.
Stroby's writing is again perfect for this type of novel, propelling it forward at just the right pace. The only real issue I had with this one was with a sociopathic character who showed a softer side near the end that got himself killed. Other than that, a fine addition to Crissa Stone's resume'.
April 7, 2017
This is the 4th and the latest in Wallace Stroby's brilliant Crissa Stone series of novels.
Crissa Stone is a freelance criminal, whose speciality is pulling off heists of various different types. In this latest novel she has been recruited by Cato, an antiquities collector of dubious character, to pull off a heist to 'steal' one of his own pieces, which is being returned to its parent rightful owner but for which Cato already has a buyer. Crissa has to put her own team together but she also has to work with Cato's own security man, an ex-marine named Hicks and his partner Sandoval. Can they pull off the job successfully, will she get paid, can she trust Hicks and his partner, can she trust her own team ?These are all things that worry Crissa but she reckons the pay off is too big to turn down.
This is another great novel from Stroby. This one however is more of a slow burner, as the first half of the novel is taken up with the planning and execution of the crime but the tension throughout is palpable and again the novel ends in a violent and thrilling finale.
There are not a lot of novels out there with such a believable, strong female lead, both physically and mentally, apart from maybe Sam Hawken's Camaro Espinoza. Its been mention by other reviewers but Stone is like a female equivalent of Richard Stark's Parker.
If you haven't already read any of Stroby's work, then get on board, because if you like contemporary hardboiled, violent but smart crime novels then he is your man.
Crissa Stone is a freelance criminal, whose speciality is pulling off heists of various different types. In this latest novel she has been recruited by Cato, an antiquities collector of dubious character, to pull off a heist to 'steal' one of his own pieces, which is being returned to its parent rightful owner but for which Cato already has a buyer. Crissa has to put her own team together but she also has to work with Cato's own security man, an ex-marine named Hicks and his partner Sandoval. Can they pull off the job successfully, will she get paid, can she trust Hicks and his partner, can she trust her own team ?These are all things that worry Crissa but she reckons the pay off is too big to turn down.
This is another great novel from Stroby. This one however is more of a slow burner, as the first half of the novel is taken up with the planning and execution of the crime but the tension throughout is palpable and again the novel ends in a violent and thrilling finale.
There are not a lot of novels out there with such a believable, strong female lead, both physically and mentally, apart from maybe Sam Hawken's Camaro Espinoza. Its been mention by other reviewers but Stone is like a female equivalent of Richard Stark's Parker.
If you haven't already read any of Stroby's work, then get on board, because if you like contemporary hardboiled, violent but smart crime novels then he is your man.
June 25, 2022
Love it, everyone was a bad guy, talking about shades of grey. The action, pacing and plot all worked well. Next…
January 12, 2016
The Devil’s Share
Mysterious Book Report No. 224
by John Dwaine McKenna
I have a theory about book covers that goes like this: The size of the author’s name is in inverse proportion to their fame. In other words, popular best-selling writers like Michael Connolly and James Lee Burke will have their names emblazoned on the cover in much larger type than the title. My favorite example of this is a new novel with TOM CLANCY, who’s been dead for quite some time now, taking up half of the cover space, followed on the bottom with a book title and another author’s name. I’m assuming that that’s because the dead writer’s estate and the publisher want to keep cashing in on the Clancy franchise for as long as we’ll keep buying them. A shame, on them and on us, because it’s bait and switch in my opinion, as well as a diminution of the writer’s talent and legacy for purposes of avarice, greed and cupidity. Now that I got that off my chest, I’m happy to point out that although this week’s author is growing in popularity, the book title is still larger than his name, which shows respect for the writer’s craft.
The Devil’s Share, (Minotaur Books, $25.99, 263 pages, ISBN 978-1-250-06575-9) by Wallace Stroby is his seventh novel and features his Crissa Stone character. She’s a professional criminal with her own set of warped ethics which allow her to operate as an outlaw without any of the moral implications the rest of us observe. She’s an anti-hero who thumbs her nose at all of society’s conventions, yet manages somehow to endear herself to the reader . . . a testament to the writer’s immense, and ever-expanding talent.
In The Devil’s Share, Crissa, who’s been laying low for the past year, contracts with a crooked art collector-dealer to hijack a truckload of ancient Assyrian sculptures that were looted from Iraq after the fall of the Saddam Hussein regime. The collector has plans of double-crossing the new Iraqi regime and the insurance company by having his own shipment stolen—a simple, low-risk takeback with no one hurt and no one wiser—leaving only the insurance company holding the bag. But what starts out as an easy “give-up” turns into a screw-up and Crissa finds herself and her team being hunted by a paramilitary team of professional killers. The tension drips from every page as the spare and precise dialogue moves the plot along at a breakneck pace. Read this one and see for yourself why Wallace Stroby is one of the hottest young authors to come along for quite some time . . . and now’s your chance to get to know him before his name gets as big as a house on the cover!
Mysterious Book Report No. 224
by John Dwaine McKenna
I have a theory about book covers that goes like this: The size of the author’s name is in inverse proportion to their fame. In other words, popular best-selling writers like Michael Connolly and James Lee Burke will have their names emblazoned on the cover in much larger type than the title. My favorite example of this is a new novel with TOM CLANCY, who’s been dead for quite some time now, taking up half of the cover space, followed on the bottom with a book title and another author’s name. I’m assuming that that’s because the dead writer’s estate and the publisher want to keep cashing in on the Clancy franchise for as long as we’ll keep buying them. A shame, on them and on us, because it’s bait and switch in my opinion, as well as a diminution of the writer’s talent and legacy for purposes of avarice, greed and cupidity. Now that I got that off my chest, I’m happy to point out that although this week’s author is growing in popularity, the book title is still larger than his name, which shows respect for the writer’s craft.
The Devil’s Share, (Minotaur Books, $25.99, 263 pages, ISBN 978-1-250-06575-9) by Wallace Stroby is his seventh novel and features his Crissa Stone character. She’s a professional criminal with her own set of warped ethics which allow her to operate as an outlaw without any of the moral implications the rest of us observe. She’s an anti-hero who thumbs her nose at all of society’s conventions, yet manages somehow to endear herself to the reader . . . a testament to the writer’s immense, and ever-expanding talent.
In The Devil’s Share, Crissa, who’s been laying low for the past year, contracts with a crooked art collector-dealer to hijack a truckload of ancient Assyrian sculptures that were looted from Iraq after the fall of the Saddam Hussein regime. The collector has plans of double-crossing the new Iraqi regime and the insurance company by having his own shipment stolen—a simple, low-risk takeback with no one hurt and no one wiser—leaving only the insurance company holding the bag. But what starts out as an easy “give-up” turns into a screw-up and Crissa finds herself and her team being hunted by a paramilitary team of professional killers. The tension drips from every page as the spare and precise dialogue moves the plot along at a breakneck pace. Read this one and see for yourself why Wallace Stroby is one of the hottest young authors to come along for quite some time . . . and now’s your chance to get to know him before his name gets as big as a house on the cover!
May 8, 2016
Three stars for a fairly creative and complex plot. The problem is that the characters do not ring true. The novel reads like it was written by an author who has never met anyone in the criminal subculture. The gang of hold-up artists and Crissa, the leader of the group, talk and largely think like a bunch of young interns in a typical American corporation. Articulate, logical, trying to at least appear to be "team players." I might be able to handle a couple of these thrown in but the whole crew? Gimme a break.
January 6, 2016
He writes good.
April 23, 2020
#4 in the Crissa Stone series. This 2015 series entry by author Wallace Stroby is a masterful addition to the crime series about a hard-boiled female protagonist. After the second in Story's Harry Rane series, Heartbreak Lounge (2005), I was finally convinced in Feb-2020, to try the Crissa Stone series. (I had read the first, Cold Shot to the Heart (2011) in Apr-2011.) I have now, 9 years later. avidly read the 3 unread novels in the series. Since this entry is now 5 years old, I have little hope for a #5.
It's been a year since professional thief Crissa Stone last pulled a job, and she's spent that time under the radar, very carefully not drawing attention to herself. That kind of life is safe, but it's boring, and it's lonely, and it's not very lucrative. So when Crissa starts to get antsy―and low on funds―she agrees to act as a thief-for-hire, partnering with a wealthy art collector to steal a truckload of plundered Iraqi artifacts before they're repatriated to their native country. But what's supposed to be a "give-up" robbery with few complications quickly turns deadly. Soon Crissa is on the run again, with both an ex-military hit squad and her own partners-in-crime in pursuit. And what should be the easiest job of her career―robbing a man who wants to be robbed―might just turn out to be the most dangerous.
It's been a year since professional thief Crissa Stone last pulled a job, and she's spent that time under the radar, very carefully not drawing attention to herself. That kind of life is safe, but it's boring, and it's lonely, and it's not very lucrative. So when Crissa starts to get antsy―and low on funds―she agrees to act as a thief-for-hire, partnering with a wealthy art collector to steal a truckload of plundered Iraqi artifacts before they're repatriated to their native country. But what's supposed to be a "give-up" robbery with few complications quickly turns deadly. Soon Crissa is on the run again, with both an ex-military hit squad and her own partners-in-crime in pursuit. And what should be the easiest job of her career―robbing a man who wants to be robbed―might just turn out to be the most dangerous.
June 20, 2021
This is the fourth Crissa Stone mystery - and not as good as the first three. Crissa, as usual, develops a perfect plan but it goes bad. People are killed and that was not in the plan. Crissa escapes with several of her crew and realizes that the rich man who has hired her planned all along to resteal the goods from her and kill others. She only has half of her pay for herself and the crew. Crissa understands that she and her crew are in danger. The rich man and his head murder man plan to run all the crew down and kill them so no one will know they have sold the stolen goods. Crissa warns her crew - sends them off to hide but not everyone hides. One of her crew does not believe her but is later captured by the rich man's crew and is killed in a painful way after he tells them where to find the others (including Crissa). The book ends with a big shootout and each side using devious ways to kill the other.
Again, this book was ok but did not have the dramatic or hard-hitting of the three other Stone novels.
Again, this book was ok but did not have the dramatic or hard-hitting of the three other Stone novels.
April 30, 2022
I think the third one was the best, but this was still very good. Crissa, somewhat reluctantly, agrees to take a job stealing some Iraqi antiquities. She will be working with a man named Hicks who's the henchman of the guy with the money. Crissa is bringing a few guys to the job and Hicks is bringing a couple. The truck is leaving Las Vegas and allegedly heading for the port in LA, although the plan is that it will be taken long before it gets there. Well, the problem with working with people you don't know is that you can't guarantee how good they are or how trustworthy. Hicks and his people are NOT trustworthy. Lots of action and many dead bodies, but not a lot of gore. I think this is the last in the series and I'm sorry about that. I've really enjoyed it.
March 10, 2020
Crissa Stone is a great character, and author Wallace Stroby nicely walks the tightrope of writing about an appealing character who is also a criminal. This book - the last (of four) that Mr. Stroby has written featuring Crissa Stone - suffers from a lack of suspense in that pretty much from the beginning you know that the particular heist that is its plot subject will not go well. While Ms. Stone has had other matters go sideways (see books 1-3), she develops a particular blind spot in this one, and that's a shame since it leaves this small series on kind of a down note.
May 9, 2020
I just finished an Alexander McCall Smith book, and this is a polar opposite. Ice picks through the hand, a bullet into the lung, dead guys in the desert.
Good characters, good plot, not an extra word anywhere. Spare style fits the genre. It would be impossible to get into the head and motivations of Crissa Stone and still like her. But as a criminal machine with the "to live outside the law you must be honest" ethic, she's great. Kind of a feminist "this gun for hire."
I'll definitely read another one, though I think spacing of a year is probably a good idea.
Good characters, good plot, not an extra word anywhere. Spare style fits the genre. It would be impossible to get into the head and motivations of Crissa Stone and still like her. But as a criminal machine with the "to live outside the law you must be honest" ethic, she's great. Kind of a feminist "this gun for hire."
I'll definitely read another one, though I think spacing of a year is probably a good idea.
August 8, 2024
Can't remember the last time I stayed up past my bedtime to finish a book. Lots of action. Though Crissa is always confident things will go smoothly, they rarely do for this professional criminal. Crissa plans a heist to steal a shipment of museum- worthy art. Explosives, guns and the accompanying violence. This is the fourth in Stroby's Crissa Stone series, and it appears it is the last. This one came out in 2015.
July 25, 2020
I think I liked this one the best of the series or I got used to his style. The fight scenes had me reading faster to see how Crissa got herself out of the jams she inevitably gets into. Hopefully, she will only pick her own crew from now on and only work on projects of her design. But then if she did that where would the series be.
July 26, 2020
Lead character is a female professional thief from NJ with scenes from Monmouth County, my home grounds - different and interesting - this is 4th and I would read a new Crissa Stone novel b'c of nostalgia but he stopped with this one. Not sure how interested one would be if not from locale or interested in twist on female crook not cop.
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