Violence is not my escape. The Accomplice has more than its share. Sure, it’s a cops and robbers (literally) story, but I was like, one more head explosion and I’m going to tap out.
The plot moves, which is good. The premise of a fraternal order of thieves stealing from the rich and the deplorable to blackmail and embarrass them is interesting, but the details of how it formed and who works for whom got a little muddied in the speeches about power.
Desmond aka Al, the robber, is the most interesting character. He’s the “hero.” He has a backstory, a family he has loved and failed, an astute sense of survival. But the book is structured as if the hero should be Nia, the first black woman Texas Ranger. The other characters acknowledge Nia as history but unfortunately, Nia is written rather lazily.
The male characters get all these words to flesh out their character, strengths, and weaknesses, while we get a series of Nia’s weaknesses. She's so naïve. As an accomplice trying to do the right things, she gets injured, demoted, and blackmailed. She loses her relationship and ends up a drug addict which we find out in a passing sentence. She has no substantial scenes where she is the main character. There are absolutely no wins for her. It’s really disappointing.
The novel ends with a massive cliffhanger. Perfect for book two in the series in which Nia again will be manipulated by others and not choose her own destiny. I will not be reading.