In the heart of Boston, in the neighborhood of Charlestown, live the best bank robbers in the world. It’s an art passed down from one generation to the next — and Doug is one of the best. So when he and his three friends and fellow robbers hold up a local bank, Doug doesn’t plan on becoming intrigued with the beautiful bank manager, Claire.

He can’t keep away, and after the robbery starts to follow her, befriend her. Fall in love with her. But with a cunning investigator tracing Doug’s tracks back to his tiny, dark apartment, Doug starts to realize that this game of cops and robbers won’t last forever.

This book is AMAZING. It’s been out a while, and they made a movie about it called THE TOWN starring Ben Affleck.

Well…yeah. Anyway, the movie is amazing, too.

I’m sorry, what were we talking about?

Dangit, who keeps inserting those pics? ANYWAY, Prince of Thieves is full of so much Boston (specifically Charlestown) voice that is lifts you away and plops you down in an old Irish bar, holding a pint. It’s a bank robber story, sure, but it’s more than that. It’s a love story between the bad-guy bank robber wanting to be better, and the somewhat naive girl from the other side of the tracks. Who doesn’t love star-crossed romance? The tension is high, the alternating points of view keep you guessing and flipping the pages. It has an unexpected ending that is on point and not schmalzy at all. Thank goodness. If you like romance, if you like heists, if you like atmospheric gritty novels…Chuck Hogan’s got you covered.

Highly recommended.