Book of the Week January 22, 2026
Avalon Dale is a nonchalant, accomplished hacker and thief. She has spent months tracking her latest wealthy target, Primrose, or Prim, Meath. She knows Prim and her husband, Ruben’s, online lives inside out: their conversations, their habits—including Ruben’s lurid affair—and especially their financial lives. She tempts them with lavish trips for ridiculously low prices, and when they take the bait and their home is empty, the game is on. But this time doesn’t go like Avalon’s other heists. She discovers a dead body at Prim’s home, upending the plan and setting Avalon on the run with none other than Prim herself. As they both fear being accused of murder, they’re forced into a tight though antagonistic partnership, one that as it’s pummeled by tough times on the run will lead readers to unexpectedly root for this thief and her new sidekick. It’s a treat to find such an absorbing thriller starring two women; adding to it is the feeling of ambiguousness as Sharpe’s cutting illustrations of each protagonist’s mental struggle—and that of a third woman lurking in the book’s background—leave the reader wondering who the victim is here, if anyone.—Henrietta Thornton
