Also by this author: The King, The Virgin, The Queen, The Queen (The Original Sinners: White Years, #4), The Confessions, The Bourbon Thief, The Night Mark, The Red, Michael's Wings: An Original Sinners Collection, The Lucky Ones, The Chateau (The Original Sinners, #9), The Rose, Winter Tales, The Priest (The Original Sinners, #9), The Pearl (The Godwicks, #3)
Published by MIRA on June 28th 2016
Genres: Literary Fiction
Pages: 384
Format: eARC
ISBN: 0778319423
ASIN: B016UEJHTE
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From the internationally celebrated author of the Original Sinners series comes a brand-new tale of betrayal, revenge and a family scandal that bore a 150-year-old mystery
When Cooper McQueen wakes up from a night with a beautiful stranger, it's to discover he's been robbed. The only item stolen—a million-dollar bottle of bourbon. The thief, a mysterious woman named Paris, claims the bottle is rightfully hers. After all, the label itself says it's property of the Maddox family who owned and operated Red Thread Bourbon distillery since the last days of the Civil War until the company went out of business for reasons no one knows… No one except Paris.
In the small hours of a Louisville morning, Paris unspools the lurid tale of Tamara Maddox, heiress to the distillery that became an empire. But the family tree is rooted in tainted soil and has borne rotten fruit. Theirs is a legacy of wealth and power, but also of lies, secrets and sins of omission. The Maddoxes have bourbon in their blood—and blood in their bourbon. Why Paris wants the bottle of Red Thread remains a secret until the truth of her identity is at last revealed, and the century-old vengeance Tamara vowed against her family can finally be completed.
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Robbie’s Review
“You know what a bourbon thief is, Mr. McQueen?”
“It’s a sampling tube,” McQueen said. “You stick it in the bunghole of a bourbon barrel and extract the contents for tasting.”
I’m sure all of you have figured out by now how much I like doing date-appropriate posts. So, since Hurricane Season begins today, June 1, this is definitely an appropriate date to post my review of author Tiffany Reisz’s soon-to-be released novel, The Bourbon Thief. And what does Hurricane Season have to do with The Bourbon Thief, you may ask? It’s the fact that any book by Tiffany Reisz is a force to be reckoned with.
While I have loved every book in the Original Sinners series, I don’t mind saying I had questions? Hopes? I couldn’t help wondering? If, in spite of her superior writing ability, would Ms. Reisz turn out to be a “One Hit Wonder” when faced with telling tales that didn’t include the characters from her best-selling series? I realize One Hit Wonder is a term usually associated with the music business, but I’ll bet each of you can name an author who suffered from this same syndrome. Blew it all with one book. Blew it all with one series. Never to be seen or heard from again except in the one or two star ratings. Are you worried? Are you shaking in your shoes about what I’m going to say in my review? Am I trying to rival Ms. Reisz as the Queen of Mind Games? Not a chance! ?
The Bourbon Thief isn’t just good, it’s exceptional. The story captured my imagination; the characters captured my heart. I held this book in my mind long after I finished and, if you know me at all, you know I started re-reading it as soon as I finished! Right now, I’m looking forward to the audio version so I can listen to the words being read.
For me, this is a five star read, so that means, obviously, the basic elements are present: impeccable writing and editing, an intriguing storyline told with creativity and wit, and engaging characters. What sets this story apart is definitely the characters. No, they are not like any people I know, although I would like to know them. I loved the story of Tamara Maddox and Levi Shelby. They are like all Ms. Reisz’s characters…they are sinners, even though they’re not the Original Sinners. Their relationship is sweet and erotic. It broke my heart and healed it at the same time. And woven through the mesh that inexorably binds Levi and Tamara together is the dark thread of slavery and the snaking ambition of a family that will stop at nothing to hold on to what is theirs. As Tamara and Levi spend an idyllic time together, a male Scheherazade begins to unravel the past for the couple just before the mind games truly begin and the author has her way with them. The quote above is not really a spoiler, but it will give you some insight into the source of the title. Bear in mind, however, nothing is ever exactly as it seems with Ms. Reisz.
I’m so excited for all of you who have yet to read this book! With it, one of my favorite authors firmly establishes herself in the world of literary fiction. As much as I hated to let Tamara and Levi go, they are still in my heart and, even though I can live with a standalone book, the door is certainly wide open for more stories to come out of The Bourbon Thief. As is her custom, the author asks as many questions as she answers.
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