The Illinois Caper: Book One of The Route 66 Steal
Middle-aged and mostly respectable, Tish O’Donnell and Kat Merevec have lived on promises and prayers long enough. When Tish’s philandering husband, Fitz, walks out on her, and goes back on his promise of security to Kat, they’re both determined to make him pay—by emptying the safe in his Evanston, Illinois, jewelry store.
But when they crack the safe, they’re shocked to find almost a million in cash, a stash of hot diamonds, and a glittering pile of gold ingots. What swindle is Fitz working?
Now Kat and Tish are on the run with far more than they bargained for—and from far nastier villains than a scheming soon-to-be-ex-husband. With directionally challenged Kat behind the wheel of Tish’s classic 1957 Buick convertible, they do what no one will expect—head south and west through Illinois along the unlikeliest of escape routes: the Mother Road—Route 66.
They cleaned out his safe together, but can they trust each other?
They have 2,238 miles to find out.
Plot/Idea: 6 out of 10
Originality: 7 out of 10
Prose: 7 out of 10
Character/Execution: 7 out of 10
Overall: 6.75 out of 10
Assessment:
Plot/Idea: This revenge-fueled melee interlaces a cheating husband, corrupt valuables, and an unsteady female friendship forged on the roads of Route 66, resulting in the first of a series that, though lively, falls into clichés at times.
Prose: The straightforward prose remarkably brings to life Route 66 landmarks, and the banter between Tish and Kat rolls as smoothly across the pages as their 1957 Roadmaster rumbles across the asphalt.
Originality: Though the story's premise harkens back to Thelma and Louise, as referenced by the author, the characters are engaging in their own right.
Character/Execution: Characterization is left slightly undone by the story's ending, and readers will be eager to see Tish and Kat more fully developed in future installments.
Date Submitted: August 09, 2023
