’Til Heist Do Us Part

Desai does it again in this thrilling, laugh-out-loud sequel to To Have and to Heist. Simi Chopra and her ragtag crew pulled off the impossible when they stole the Wild Heart necklace from Mafia boss Joseph Angelini on the day of his daughter’s wedding. Unfortunately, Angelini has discovered who stole the necklace and he wants it back—plus Simi’s now ex-boyfriend Jack and 30% interest on the necklace’s value. Simi and her crew have four weeks to turn all three over, or they’ll all be killed. To complicate things even further, Angelini kidnaps a member of their team to ensure they’ll do the job, and Jack’s ex Clare has stolen the necklace and won’t give it to Simi’s crew unless they help her, in turn, steal the Florentine diamond from a billionaire’s underground bunker. This leads to a thrilling series of clever twists and funny turns, led in large part by scene-stealer Simone, a high society lady who finds it perfectly reasonable to wear a 2018 Gucci ski mask to a robbery. Simi and Jack sizzle in their scenes together as their love rekindles. They prove a refreshingly self-aware pair, and their honesty about their insecurities leads them to grow through repeated challenges, rather than just repeating the same argument. The heist and the love story are equally satisfying, resulting in a fun and funny beach read that will delight Desai’s fans and win her some new ones. Agent: Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary. (Aug.)