“The Heist Before Christmas” was an entertaining read, but I suspect I would have enjoyed it more had I started the Riley Thorn series from the beginning. Jumping in at book five, I felt like I was missing some of the history and character development that might have made me more invested.

For a mystery, the actual mystery felt like an afterthought, taking nearly half the book to become a real focus. Instead, much of the story revolved around Riley’s inner turmoil and her fiancé Nick’s relentless sarcasm. Listen, I LOVE good banter, but Nick’s one-liners often came across as unnecessarily rude rather than charming. It wasn’t until a particularly entertaining encounter in Santa’s workshop that I finally started warming up to him!

I also found myself questioning Riley’s psychic abilities. Has she had them throughout the entire series? And if so, why is she only just now coming to terms with them? Perhaps another reason I should have started with book one!

Now, Natalie Duke? LOVE LOVE LOVE! I’ve been a fan since listening to the “Torrent Witches” series, and she remains an absolute delight. Her character voices are fantastic, and I even recognized a few familiar ones from those earlier audiobooks. Her narration definitely added to my enjoyment!

Overall, a good read with some entertaining moments, but one that left me wanting a little more mystery and a little less family drama and inner turmoil.

📖 The Heist Before Christmas
✍️ Lucy Score
📚 Riley Thorn, Book 5
🎙️ Natalie Duke
🎁 Hambright PR
📅 11/11/26
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨