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Riley Wolfe #2
Fool Me Twice
From the international bestselling author of Dexter comes a brilliant new thriller starring Riley a master thief, expert at disguise, and not averse to violence when it's needed.
'The Dexter creator's new hero-thief is a blast . . . Far-fetched, foulmouthed and very funny.' The Times
***
An impossible crime.
Riley Wolfe, heist artist and thief extraordinaire, has the mission of his life.
The world's most demanding - and dangerous - collector has a job for someone with his special set of skills.
An impossible target.
The target? 'The Liberation of St. Peter'. The challenge? It's a fresco, painted on a wall, and it's in the Vatican itself.
An impossible choice.
But Riley is soon offered a double-cross by an arms dealer - who is watching Monique, expert art forger and the love of his life. The threat is clear. The job is all-in. And Riley know they both have only one way out . . .
***
Praise for the Riley Wolfe
'Another blockbuster from a can't-miss master. Enjoy the ride' David Baldacci
'A lot of fun . . . Fans of Lindsay's Dexter novels will not be disappointed' Booklist
'A witty caper mystery' The New York Times Book Review
'The Dexter creator's new hero-thief is a blast . . . Far-fetched, foulmouthed and very funny.' The Times
***
An impossible crime.
Riley Wolfe, heist artist and thief extraordinaire, has the mission of his life.
The world's most demanding - and dangerous - collector has a job for someone with his special set of skills.
An impossible target.
The target? 'The Liberation of St. Peter'. The challenge? It's a fresco, painted on a wall, and it's in the Vatican itself.
An impossible choice.
But Riley is soon offered a double-cross by an arms dealer - who is watching Monique, expert art forger and the love of his life. The threat is clear. The job is all-in. And Riley know they both have only one way out . . .
***
Praise for the Riley Wolfe
'Another blockbuster from a can't-miss master. Enjoy the ride' David Baldacci
'A lot of fun . . . Fans of Lindsay's Dexter novels will not be disappointed' Booklist
'A witty caper mystery' The New York Times Book Review
368 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 2020
150 people are currently reading
874 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Lindsay
81 books4,300 followersJeff Lindsay lives in Florida with his wife, author Hilary Hemingway, daughter of Leicester Hemingway, Ernest Hemingway's brother.
Lindsay is best known for writing the Dexter series of novels. Several of his earlier published works include his wife as a co-author.
Jeff graduated from Middlebury College, Vermont, in 1975, and Celebration Mime Theatre's Clown School the same year. He received a double MFA, in Directing and Playwriting, from Carnegie-Mellon University, and has written 25 produced plays. He has also worked as a musician, singer, comedian, actor, TV host, improv actor, and dishwasher.
Lindsay is best known for writing the Dexter series of novels. Several of his earlier published works include his wife as a co-author.
Jeff graduated from Middlebury College, Vermont, in 1975, and Celebration Mime Theatre's Clown School the same year. He received a double MFA, in Directing and Playwriting, from Carnegie-Mellon University, and has written 25 produced plays. He has also worked as a musician, singer, comedian, actor, TV host, improv actor, and dishwasher.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 155 reviews
May 26, 2023
Another cracker read not writing a big review but enjoyed this to the max, thrills & spills everywhere you look Riley Wolfe is kidnapped but by who & why?
This series gets better & better with each instalment can’t wait to see what happens next highly recommended.
This series gets better & better with each instalment can’t wait to see what happens next highly recommended.
December 10, 2020
Fool Me Twice
Jeff Lindsay
reviewed by Lou Jacobs
readersremains.com | Goodreads
With a spectacular display of misdirection and disguise, one of the most gorgeous and rare Faberge Eggs is unceremoniously lifted from a high security museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. Just a walk in the park for master thief Riley Wolfe.
Once Riley has procured the Faberge Egg, he finds himself double-crossed by his getaway boat driver, Arvid. He has used this Swedish, sometime fisherman, on numerous jobs and anticipates a seamless escape into the Baltic Sea. Instead, after the payoff, he is treated to a tranquilizer dart in the chest and is delivered to a remote island owned by the notorious Patrick Boniface. Patrick has a notable reputation as the biggest, badass weapons dealer in the world, bar none. Riley finds himself surrounded by an elite force of French speaking mercenaries who escort him into a basement cell.
After several days, the cell door creaks open and slithers in is a rather lithe young woman. Somewhat in shadow the right side of her face is close to perfect with high cheekbones, a cute little button nose and dark green eyes. However, as she turns to face him the horrific left side comes into focus. It’s a mess, dominated by parallel scars that ran from eyebrow to chin. And, when she attempts a smile (or sneer?) it scares the hell out of Riley. She casually grips his little finger and savagely pulls it backward until he hears a snap. Hello to the Queen of Evil, Bernadette, Patrick Boniface’s trusted enforcer and pet bull dog.
The inevitable meeting with Boniface reveals his intentions. Riley is ordered to steal Raphael’s “The Liberation of St. Peter,” a fresco, literally part of a wall ensconced in the Vatican.
Riley is certainly arrogant, and acknowledges himself as the greatest thief in the world. But, even he realizes that plenty of things are just impossible to steal—even for him. He accepts the impossible task under the threat of imminent demise.
Shortly after leaving Boniface’s fortress of doom, he unhappily finds himself captured by the Australian arms dealer, Bailey Stone (actually, a Southern redneck, speaking in a gentle Virginian accent and putting on airs).
Bailey has clawed his way up the heap of everyday arms dealers and wants to be top dog.
He sees a way to use Riley to assemble an assault on Boniface’s lair and eliminate him with prejudice. Riley finds himself caught between the grip of two of the most vicious, violent, and efficient men in the criminal world.
Jeff Lindsay proves to be a masterful storyteller as he weaves Riley’s impossible and intricate plan to steal a wall (and also the painting) with multiple twists and reveals, using chemistry and a heavy dose of chicanery. Throughout his compelling and suspenseful plot, Lindsay peppers the reader with his wry sense of humor. His impeccable timing results in a propulsive page-turner. The Best Supporting Character Award goes to Bernadette, with the terrorizing skills of “Chucky” of horror film fame and the tenacity of the Terminator, she dominates the narrative.
This standalone is the second in a series, that hopefully will lead to further adventures of Riley Wolfe. Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group / Dutton for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.
December 17, 2020
Fool Me Twice
By Jeff Lindsay
Fool Me Twice is the second book in the Riley Wolfe series. I had not read the first one but I feel that it still worked for me sans the particular details of some of the plot points that was described in this installment. nonetheless, I feel that I still enjoyed this mystery/thriller read that was fast paced and read like a blockbuster action movie. I enjoyed reading about the impossible situations our MC is placed in and the way he is able to maneuver himself out of tight spots. The supporting characters were also fun to read. Overall, I felt compelled to look forward to future books and to pick up the first book in this series.
By Jeff Lindsay
Fool Me Twice is the second book in the Riley Wolfe series. I had not read the first one but I feel that it still worked for me sans the particular details of some of the plot points that was described in this installment. nonetheless, I feel that I still enjoyed this mystery/thriller read that was fast paced and read like a blockbuster action movie. I enjoyed reading about the impossible situations our MC is placed in and the way he is able to maneuver himself out of tight spots. The supporting characters were also fun to read. Overall, I felt compelled to look forward to future books and to pick up the first book in this series.
September 2, 2021
What a book !!!
This book is about a thief - Riley Wolfe, who steals, and steals Arts, steals something that cannot be stolen by anyone else. And he is doing great.
Until one day he is abducted and taken to a remote island, which is owned by world biggest Arms dealer, who assigns him a job of stealing something, that is unimaginable and impossible task and from an impenetrable place.
Not only the task is impossible, but also comes with a threat to harm him and all around him including his bedridden mother.
He dies, if he fails and there is no assurance of his remaining alive, even if he pulls up the job. Riley has difficult choices to make.
What follows are lots of chases, outwitting the opponent and planning, that would keep you turning pages. If you fancy a good heist, this book is the one you'll love. Go ahead and read it.
Thanks Sanjeev for recommending this one. It was a great shift from my usual reading of murder mysteries.
This book is about a thief - Riley Wolfe, who steals, and steals Arts, steals something that cannot be stolen by anyone else. And he is doing great.
Until one day he is abducted and taken to a remote island, which is owned by world biggest Arms dealer, who assigns him a job of stealing something, that is unimaginable and impossible task and from an impenetrable place.
Not only the task is impossible, but also comes with a threat to harm him and all around him including his bedridden mother.
He dies, if he fails and there is no assurance of his remaining alive, even if he pulls up the job. Riley has difficult choices to make.
What follows are lots of chases, outwitting the opponent and planning, that would keep you turning pages. If you fancy a good heist, this book is the one you'll love. Go ahead and read it.
Thanks Sanjeev for recommending this one. It was a great shift from my usual reading of murder mysteries.
September 30, 2021
2.5 stars, review coming soon
May 24, 2021
Riley Wolfe is what you would call an antihero that is a thief. He does it for the thrill of the impossible. It starts in St. Petersburg where he steals a Faberge egg. However when he is making his escape everything goes wrong. He is kidnapped and is forced to steal a mural which is on the Vatican wall. HE does it or dies. Another problem is he is kidnapped again and for the second time has to help or die. The choice pull of the impossible crime or die.
December 23, 2020
With just three books to go before completing my goal of reading a book a week this year, I'm finding that the end of this journey is looking much like it began. My reading has taken me through many more genres than I typically encounter, but I'm falling back into a more comfortable territory to close things out. I started the year off by reading Just Watch Me, the start of a new series by Jeff Lindsay. Lindsay shot to fame for his best selling Dexter series, and his newest character proved to be just as fascinating. When his publisher offered me a copy of Fool Me Twice, the second novel to feature Lindsay's burglar protagonist Riley Wolfe, I jumped at the chance to read it. I'm pleased to report that this sequel more than delivered everything I grew to love about the first book.
Riley Wolfe is really good at his job. He's meticulous in the preparation, execution, and clean up of each job he undertakes. He has to be. When you devote your life to pulling off the kind of heists that even the most competent thieves wouldn't even dream of attempting, there's really no room for error. In fact, that's why Riley is so frustrated with himself at the start of this novel. You see, despite all the precision and careful planning, the disguises, the fake names, and the payoffs, Riley has been double-crossed. He finds himself in the exact position he has worked so diligently to avoid. He's at the mercy of another crook.
Held captive for several days, chained in place, his finger broken, Riley is pretty much done with whatever the heck is going on. He's not used to this kind of treatment, and he's ready to do whatever it will take to gain back his freedom. It is soon revealed that his captor, notorious arms dealer Patrick Boniface, is ready to make a deal. Boniface is prepared to trade Riley's freedom in exchange for a heist. But this isn't just your ordinary theft. What Boniface wants is impossible. He wants Riley to bring him a famed fresco by Raphael that is directly painted onto a wall within the Vatican. Fortunately for both Riley and Boniface, Riley has a knack for achieving the impossible.
With Fool Me Twice, Jeff Lindsay is two for two in providing clever thrills and intriguing drama in his series. Like his more famous character Dexter, Riley Wolfe is a classic anti-hero. The man literally lies, cheats, and steals his way through life, and I couldn't get enough of him. There's something delightfully irresistible about Wolfe. It is fun in the way that any heist story is. You know what the protagonist is doing is technically wrong, but you're so caught up in the thrill of the attempt that you can't help but root for them. While reading the first book will provide more insight into the existing relationships between the main characters (there's a noticeable lack of continued character development in this book compared to the previous one), not reading it won't disqualify you from enjoying the main story of this one. That being said, the first book is really fun too. Do yourself a favor and read both! As for me, I'll be anxiously awaiting the next book to feature this fun character, and quickly reading a couple more books to finish my book a week goal.
Riley Wolfe is really good at his job. He's meticulous in the preparation, execution, and clean up of each job he undertakes. He has to be. When you devote your life to pulling off the kind of heists that even the most competent thieves wouldn't even dream of attempting, there's really no room for error. In fact, that's why Riley is so frustrated with himself at the start of this novel. You see, despite all the precision and careful planning, the disguises, the fake names, and the payoffs, Riley has been double-crossed. He finds himself in the exact position he has worked so diligently to avoid. He's at the mercy of another crook.
Held captive for several days, chained in place, his finger broken, Riley is pretty much done with whatever the heck is going on. He's not used to this kind of treatment, and he's ready to do whatever it will take to gain back his freedom. It is soon revealed that his captor, notorious arms dealer Patrick Boniface, is ready to make a deal. Boniface is prepared to trade Riley's freedom in exchange for a heist. But this isn't just your ordinary theft. What Boniface wants is impossible. He wants Riley to bring him a famed fresco by Raphael that is directly painted onto a wall within the Vatican. Fortunately for both Riley and Boniface, Riley has a knack for achieving the impossible.
With Fool Me Twice, Jeff Lindsay is two for two in providing clever thrills and intriguing drama in his series. Like his more famous character Dexter, Riley Wolfe is a classic anti-hero. The man literally lies, cheats, and steals his way through life, and I couldn't get enough of him. There's something delightfully irresistible about Wolfe. It is fun in the way that any heist story is. You know what the protagonist is doing is technically wrong, but you're so caught up in the thrill of the attempt that you can't help but root for them. While reading the first book will provide more insight into the existing relationships between the main characters (there's a noticeable lack of continued character development in this book compared to the previous one), not reading it won't disqualify you from enjoying the main story of this one. That being said, the first book is really fun too. Do yourself a favor and read both! As for me, I'll be anxiously awaiting the next book to feature this fun character, and quickly reading a couple more books to finish my book a week goal.
December 26, 2020
Riley Wolfe is pissed off at Russia. This is based purely on what he has been hearing on the street and in the bars, barbershops, etc. He uses this stance to fuel his next heist, which is to confiscate the famed Rothschild Faberge egg directly from under the Russians' noses. He does this by disguising himself as one of his usual alter-egos, a Frenchman named Hervé Thierry, and swipes the priceless item directly from the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg.
Thus begins Jeff Lindsay’s second novel featuring master thief Riley Wolfe. The author of eight books in the popular Dexter Morgan series, Lindsay clearly loves his antiheroes, and you can’t help but find yourself pulling for both characters.
Riley is all about turning a profit and moving on to the next heist. He is wanted by everyone from the FBI to Interpol and remains slippery enough to avoid apprehension by them. Once he has the Faberge egg, he is looking to quickly sell it and go back home to plan his next move. He has worked with the buyer before, a Swede named Arvid. When he gets on a private boat, he is surprised when Arvid pulls what looks like a gun on him and fires, hitting him in the chest.
When Riley wakes up, he realizes that he was struck with some sort of tranquilizer dart. He now finds himself a captive, chained up and heading toward an unknown destination. His captors appear to be French, and he is taken to what might be an island somewhere off the coast of France. He is locked up inside a stone maximum-security cell and is there for a handful of days before a frightening and strong-looking woman breaks his finger in a creative way. Eventually, his captor reveals himself to be Patrick Boniface, who is possibly the most dangerous arms dealer in the world.
Boniface has a heart-to-heart with Riley and explains that he is well aware of his special skills. He has a proposition, and if Riley does not accept, he will turn him over to that scarred-looking woman whose name he now knows is Bernadette. However, the job that Boniface proposes would be nearly impossible to pull off. He shares with Riley his love of classic artwork and has much on display within his island keep. His favorite piece is Raphael's The Liberation of St. Peter, the original of which is in Vatican City, Rome. The issue, as Riley kindly points out to Boniface, is that it is a fresco, which means that part of it is actually painted onto the wall where it hangs.
Riley now has to come up with a scheme to pull off the impossible --- steal a wall with a legendary fresco on it, get it out of Vatican City and deliver it to his buyer. He doesn't have any true friends, and the closest he has to a partner is Monique, a young black woman for whom he also has a serious thing. She is a well-known underground art forger, so, of course, they often run in the same circles. Disguised as Canadian tourists, they visit Vatican City to take a look at this potential job --- and leave realizing it cannot be done.
Before going back to Boniface and throwing in the towel, a move that will certainly result in Riley being handed over to Bernadette, he does some research and finds out about a process involving a type of gel that might be able to detach the fresco from the wall. He meets again with Boniface, lays out his impossible plan, and asks for a large sum of money to pull it off. Even though Boniface and his people do not trust Riley, he complies and gives him what he wants.
The remainder of FOOL ME TWICE is a nearly breathless rush involving perhaps the most ingenious heist ever conceived, a rival mega-thief trying to jump in on the scheme, as well as assassinate Boniface, and a team of FBI agents who have been after both Riley and Boniface for many years. All I can say is that the end result makes for some of the most fun I had reading this entire year.
As much as I want Jeff Lindsay to resurrect Dexter Morgan, I just love Riley Wolfe and cannot wait to spend more time with him. For those readers who are about to pick up FOOL ME TWICE, I envy the thrill ride you will be going on!
Reviewed by Ray Palen
Thus begins Jeff Lindsay’s second novel featuring master thief Riley Wolfe. The author of eight books in the popular Dexter Morgan series, Lindsay clearly loves his antiheroes, and you can’t help but find yourself pulling for both characters.
Riley is all about turning a profit and moving on to the next heist. He is wanted by everyone from the FBI to Interpol and remains slippery enough to avoid apprehension by them. Once he has the Faberge egg, he is looking to quickly sell it and go back home to plan his next move. He has worked with the buyer before, a Swede named Arvid. When he gets on a private boat, he is surprised when Arvid pulls what looks like a gun on him and fires, hitting him in the chest.
When Riley wakes up, he realizes that he was struck with some sort of tranquilizer dart. He now finds himself a captive, chained up and heading toward an unknown destination. His captors appear to be French, and he is taken to what might be an island somewhere off the coast of France. He is locked up inside a stone maximum-security cell and is there for a handful of days before a frightening and strong-looking woman breaks his finger in a creative way. Eventually, his captor reveals himself to be Patrick Boniface, who is possibly the most dangerous arms dealer in the world.
Boniface has a heart-to-heart with Riley and explains that he is well aware of his special skills. He has a proposition, and if Riley does not accept, he will turn him over to that scarred-looking woman whose name he now knows is Bernadette. However, the job that Boniface proposes would be nearly impossible to pull off. He shares with Riley his love of classic artwork and has much on display within his island keep. His favorite piece is Raphael's The Liberation of St. Peter, the original of which is in Vatican City, Rome. The issue, as Riley kindly points out to Boniface, is that it is a fresco, which means that part of it is actually painted onto the wall where it hangs.
Riley now has to come up with a scheme to pull off the impossible --- steal a wall with a legendary fresco on it, get it out of Vatican City and deliver it to his buyer. He doesn't have any true friends, and the closest he has to a partner is Monique, a young black woman for whom he also has a serious thing. She is a well-known underground art forger, so, of course, they often run in the same circles. Disguised as Canadian tourists, they visit Vatican City to take a look at this potential job --- and leave realizing it cannot be done.
Before going back to Boniface and throwing in the towel, a move that will certainly result in Riley being handed over to Bernadette, he does some research and finds out about a process involving a type of gel that might be able to detach the fresco from the wall. He meets again with Boniface, lays out his impossible plan, and asks for a large sum of money to pull it off. Even though Boniface and his people do not trust Riley, he complies and gives him what he wants.
The remainder of FOOL ME TWICE is a nearly breathless rush involving perhaps the most ingenious heist ever conceived, a rival mega-thief trying to jump in on the scheme, as well as assassinate Boniface, and a team of FBI agents who have been after both Riley and Boniface for many years. All I can say is that the end result makes for some of the most fun I had reading this entire year.
As much as I want Jeff Lindsay to resurrect Dexter Morgan, I just love Riley Wolfe and cannot wait to spend more time with him. For those readers who are about to pick up FOOL ME TWICE, I envy the thrill ride you will be going on!
Reviewed by Ray Palen
April 3, 2024
I read The Fourth Rule as my final book of 2023, finishing my reading goal for the year with 94 minutes to go, and thought I was hooked on this fairly new Riley Wolfe series. Well, not so fast. This one has a ridiculous plot where our hero has to steal a fresco (read: entire wall) out of the Vatican, and he’s got not one, but two psychopaths after him, ensuring that he does so. There were just too many leaps of reality. The fringe characters weren’t doing it for me to like this book more than the 3 stars I gave it. But I will persist…even if I am reading this series out of order. With Riley Wolfe, I think we’re just supposed to suspend belief and go along for the ride.
November 10, 2021
Fool Me Twice is an absolutely sensational sequel. The stakes are even higher this time for Riley Wolfe and the resulting blend of thrilling suspense and dark humor are extremely successful. Jeff Lindsay's tone-particularly in Riley's chapters-is incredibly fun. The chief villains Boniface and Stone are despicably creepy but also sharply funny in a timely and brilliantly therapeutic sense.
January 10, 2022
This is the 2nd book in the series about Riley Wolfe and he now is going to steal a fresco from the Vatican.
Seems impossible,not for Riley .
Enjoyed this one and hopefully there will be more from Mr Lindsay soon .
Seems impossible,not for Riley .
Enjoyed this one and hopefully there will be more from Mr Lindsay soon .
May 25, 2025
Decent read
February 7, 2021
I discovered Riley Wolfe #1, Just Watch Me, last year and I was hooked. So, I've waited.. and waited.. patiently waited for his return. Which is here and was it worth the wait!
Riley is one of those characters that you fall in love with. Arrogant, cocky and rich while still a momma's boy at heart.
In Fool Me Twice, after a successful heist of a Faberge Egg, Riley is making his escape, flush with success, when the tables turn. His getaway boat driver has sold him out and everything goes black.
He wakes up on another boat, heading who knows where with a taciturn French thug as his guide.
In short order he arrives at The Isle of Cabbage, yes, really, and is thrown into a dungeon by biggest arms dealer in the world, Patrick Bonniface who also happens to be a connoisseur of pretty things especially art.
So, in exchange for his life, he must steal something, that is REALLY impossible. A fresco attached to a wall in the Vatican. With Bonniface's, sadistic henchwoman Bernadette the prize if he fails.
So, Riley is in deep doodoo.
On the way back to civilization, he is kidnapped again by the 2nd largest arms dealer, Mason Stone who, of course wants to be #1. Who convinces Riley, through blackmail in the form of the life of his crush, the masterful art forger Monique, to keep Stone in the loop so that when Riley delivers the fresco, he can take the Isle of Cabbage and Bonniface. Oh, I failed to mention that the Isle of Cabbage has teeth, missile batteries, mines and a heavily armed contingent of baddies.
So, now Riley is in even deeper doodoo.. Steal what can't be stolen and keep himself and Monique alive in the process. Not mention the persistent efforts of FBI Agent Frank Delgado in trying to capture the elusive Wolfe.
This book is FUN.. It moves swiftly and is an absolute blast. No spoilers here.
Riley is one of those characters that you fall in love with. Arrogant, cocky and rich while still a momma's boy at heart.
In Fool Me Twice, after a successful heist of a Faberge Egg, Riley is making his escape, flush with success, when the tables turn. His getaway boat driver has sold him out and everything goes black.
He wakes up on another boat, heading who knows where with a taciturn French thug as his guide.
In short order he arrives at The Isle of Cabbage, yes, really, and is thrown into a dungeon by biggest arms dealer in the world, Patrick Bonniface who also happens to be a connoisseur of pretty things especially art.
So, in exchange for his life, he must steal something, that is REALLY impossible. A fresco attached to a wall in the Vatican. With Bonniface's, sadistic henchwoman Bernadette the prize if he fails.
So, Riley is in deep doodoo.
On the way back to civilization, he is kidnapped again by the 2nd largest arms dealer, Mason Stone who, of course wants to be #1. Who convinces Riley, through blackmail in the form of the life of his crush, the masterful art forger Monique, to keep Stone in the loop so that when Riley delivers the fresco, he can take the Isle of Cabbage and Bonniface. Oh, I failed to mention that the Isle of Cabbage has teeth, missile batteries, mines and a heavily armed contingent of baddies.
So, now Riley is in even deeper doodoo.. Steal what can't be stolen and keep himself and Monique alive in the process. Not mention the persistent efforts of FBI Agent Frank Delgado in trying to capture the elusive Wolfe.
This book is FUN.. It moves swiftly and is an absolute blast. No spoilers here.
January 11, 2021
I kept wanting this to be good. I love heist novels. I can put up with completely unlikeable "heroes" like Riley Wolfe, but this book was pretty terrible. It is filled with useless fillers that do not move the book nor make it at all interesting. I think I was at page 111 when I thought something of note might happen. The characters are dull for all their "uniqueness". The plot could have been very good if not great but it was dulled down by so much useless uninteresting "stuff". None of it educated the reader. None of it was funny - although I think Wolfe was supposed to be darkly amusing. None of it did anything other than use up ink and pages. A shame.
March 6, 2021
Def. Not Dexter!
December 19, 2020
Riley Wolfe was pissed off at Russia. He based this opinion purely on what he had been hearing on the street and in the bars, barbershops, etc... He uses this newly found opinion to fuel his next heist which is to confiscate the famed Rothschild Faberge Egg directly from under the Russians' noses. He did this by disguising himself as one of his usual alter-egos, a Frenchman named Herve Thierry, and swiped the priceless item directly from the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg.
Thus starts the latest novel from author Jeff Lindsay that features master thief Riley Wolfe entitled FOOL ME TWICE. After eight successful novels in the Dexter Morgan series, FOOL ME TWICE is the second in the Riley Wolfe series. It is obvious that Jeff Lindsay loves his anti-heroes because you cannot help but find yourself pulling for both Dexter and now Riley.
Riley was all about turning a profit and then moving on to the next heist. He was wanted by everyone from the FBI to Interpol and remained slippery enough to avoid apprehension by them. Once he had the Faberge egg he was looking to quickly sell it and go back home to plan his next move. The buyer was someone he had worked with previously, a Swede named Arvid. When he gets on a private boat with Arvid he is surprised when Arvid pulls what looks like a gun on him and fired, hitting him in the chest.
When Riley wakes up he realizes he was hit with some sort of tranquilizer dart. He now finds himself as a captive, chained up and heading towards an unknown destination. His captors appear to be French and he is taken to what might be an island somewhere off the coast of France. Riley is locked up inside a stone, maximum-security cell. He is there for a handful of days before a frightening and very strong looking woman comes into his cell and breaks his finger in a creative way. Eventually, his captor reveals himself. He is a man named Patrick Boniface, known to Riley as being possibly the most dangerous arms dealer in the world.
Boniface has a heart-to-heart with Riley and explains that he is well aware of his special skills. He has a proposition for Riley and, if Riley does not accept, Boniface will turn him over to that scarred-looking woman whose name he now learns is Bernadette. However, the job that Boniface proposes is nearly close to impossible in being pulled off. He shares with Riley his love of classic artwork and he has much on display within his island keep. His favorite piece is Raphael's The Liberation of St. Peter. The original of this painting is found in Vatican City, Rome. The issue, as Riley kindly points out to Boniface, is that this piece is a fresco which means that part of it is actually painted onto the wall where it hangs.
So, Riley now is sent off from Boniface's island having to come up with a scheme to pull off the impossible --- steal a wall with a legendary fresco on it, get it out of Vatican City and deliver it to his buyer. Riley doesn't have any true friends, he cannot in his business, and the closest thing to a partner is a young black woman named Monique who he also has a serious thing for. She is a well-known, underground art forger --- so of course, they often run in the same circles. Riley and Monique, disguised as Canadian tourists, visit Vatican City to take a look at this potential job. They leave realizing it cannot be done.
Before going back to Boniface and throwing in the towel, a move that will certainly result in Riley being handed over to the brutal torturer Bernadette, he does some research and finds out about a process involving a type of gel that might be able to detach the fresco from the wall. He meets again with Boniface, lays out his impossible plan, and asks for a large sum of money to pull it off. Even though Boniface and his people do not trust Riley Wolfe, he complies and gives him what he wants.
The remainder of FOOL ME TWICE is a nearly breathless rush involving perhaps the most ingenious heist ever conceived, a rival mega-thief trying to jump in on the scheme as well as assassinating Patrick Boniface, and a team of FBI Agents who have been after both Wolfe and Boniface for many years. All I can say is that the end result makes for some of the most fun I had reading this entire year. As much as I want Jeff Lindsay to resurrect Dexter Morgan, I just love Riley Wolfe and cannot wait to spend more time with him. For those readers who are about to pick up FOOL ME TWICE, I envy the thrill-ride you are about to go on!
Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter
Thus starts the latest novel from author Jeff Lindsay that features master thief Riley Wolfe entitled FOOL ME TWICE. After eight successful novels in the Dexter Morgan series, FOOL ME TWICE is the second in the Riley Wolfe series. It is obvious that Jeff Lindsay loves his anti-heroes because you cannot help but find yourself pulling for both Dexter and now Riley.
Riley was all about turning a profit and then moving on to the next heist. He was wanted by everyone from the FBI to Interpol and remained slippery enough to avoid apprehension by them. Once he had the Faberge egg he was looking to quickly sell it and go back home to plan his next move. The buyer was someone he had worked with previously, a Swede named Arvid. When he gets on a private boat with Arvid he is surprised when Arvid pulls what looks like a gun on him and fired, hitting him in the chest.
When Riley wakes up he realizes he was hit with some sort of tranquilizer dart. He now finds himself as a captive, chained up and heading towards an unknown destination. His captors appear to be French and he is taken to what might be an island somewhere off the coast of France. Riley is locked up inside a stone, maximum-security cell. He is there for a handful of days before a frightening and very strong looking woman comes into his cell and breaks his finger in a creative way. Eventually, his captor reveals himself. He is a man named Patrick Boniface, known to Riley as being possibly the most dangerous arms dealer in the world.
Boniface has a heart-to-heart with Riley and explains that he is well aware of his special skills. He has a proposition for Riley and, if Riley does not accept, Boniface will turn him over to that scarred-looking woman whose name he now learns is Bernadette. However, the job that Boniface proposes is nearly close to impossible in being pulled off. He shares with Riley his love of classic artwork and he has much on display within his island keep. His favorite piece is Raphael's The Liberation of St. Peter. The original of this painting is found in Vatican City, Rome. The issue, as Riley kindly points out to Boniface, is that this piece is a fresco which means that part of it is actually painted onto the wall where it hangs.
So, Riley now is sent off from Boniface's island having to come up with a scheme to pull off the impossible --- steal a wall with a legendary fresco on it, get it out of Vatican City and deliver it to his buyer. Riley doesn't have any true friends, he cannot in his business, and the closest thing to a partner is a young black woman named Monique who he also has a serious thing for. She is a well-known, underground art forger --- so of course, they often run in the same circles. Riley and Monique, disguised as Canadian tourists, visit Vatican City to take a look at this potential job. They leave realizing it cannot be done.
Before going back to Boniface and throwing in the towel, a move that will certainly result in Riley being handed over to the brutal torturer Bernadette, he does some research and finds out about a process involving a type of gel that might be able to detach the fresco from the wall. He meets again with Boniface, lays out his impossible plan, and asks for a large sum of money to pull it off. Even though Boniface and his people do not trust Riley Wolfe, he complies and gives him what he wants.
The remainder of FOOL ME TWICE is a nearly breathless rush involving perhaps the most ingenious heist ever conceived, a rival mega-thief trying to jump in on the scheme as well as assassinating Patrick Boniface, and a team of FBI Agents who have been after both Wolfe and Boniface for many years. All I can say is that the end result makes for some of the most fun I had reading this entire year. As much as I want Jeff Lindsay to resurrect Dexter Morgan, I just love Riley Wolfe and cannot wait to spend more time with him. For those readers who are about to pick up FOOL ME TWICE, I envy the thrill-ride you are about to go on!
Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter
June 10, 2024
"Fool Me Twice" by Jeff Lindsay is a suspenseful yet uneven thriller that struggles to live up to the promise of its intriguing premise. While the novel features moments of clever plotting and dark humor, it ultimately falls short due to pacing issues and underdeveloped characters.
The story centers on Riley Wolfe, a master thief and con artist, who is forced into an elaborate art heist with high stakes. Lindsay excels in crafting the intricate details of the heist, with meticulous planning and clever twists that keep readers engaged. The setup promises an exciting ride, blending elements of crime, deception, and high-risk maneuvers.
Riley Wolfe is a compelling anti-hero, characterized by his cunning, resourcefulness, and moral ambiguity. His interactions with the world of art theft and the various characters he encounters are often laced with sharp wit and tension. Lindsay's portrayal of Wolfe's internal struggles and motivations adds depth to his character, making him a standout in the narrative.
However, the novel's pacing is inconsistent, with sections that drag and others that feel rushed. The buildup to the heist is prolonged, with repetitive scenes and dialogue that slow down the momentum. When the action does pick up, it sometimes feels hurried, leaving readers craving more suspense and detailed execution.
The supporting characters in "Fool Me Twice" lack the complexity needed to fully support Wolfe's dynamic presence. Many of them are one-dimensional or serve merely as plot devices, making it difficult for readers to connect with or care about their outcomes. This lack of depth detracts from the overall impact of the story.
Lindsay's writing style is engaging, with moments of dark humor and clever dialogue that enhance the narrative. However, the plot twists, while entertaining, can sometimes be predictable, reducing their effectiveness. The novel's resolution, although satisfying in some aspects, may leave readers wanting more surprises and emotional payoff.
In conclusion, "Fool Me Twice" by Jeff Lindsay is a thriller with potential, anchored by a fascinating protagonist and intricate heist details. Yet, it is hindered by pacing issues and underdeveloped supporting characters. Fans of heist stories and morally complex anti-heroes might find enjoyment in Wolfe's escapades, but the novel falls short of being a standout in the genre.
The story centers on Riley Wolfe, a master thief and con artist, who is forced into an elaborate art heist with high stakes. Lindsay excels in crafting the intricate details of the heist, with meticulous planning and clever twists that keep readers engaged. The setup promises an exciting ride, blending elements of crime, deception, and high-risk maneuvers.
Riley Wolfe is a compelling anti-hero, characterized by his cunning, resourcefulness, and moral ambiguity. His interactions with the world of art theft and the various characters he encounters are often laced with sharp wit and tension. Lindsay's portrayal of Wolfe's internal struggles and motivations adds depth to his character, making him a standout in the narrative.
However, the novel's pacing is inconsistent, with sections that drag and others that feel rushed. The buildup to the heist is prolonged, with repetitive scenes and dialogue that slow down the momentum. When the action does pick up, it sometimes feels hurried, leaving readers craving more suspense and detailed execution.
The supporting characters in "Fool Me Twice" lack the complexity needed to fully support Wolfe's dynamic presence. Many of them are one-dimensional or serve merely as plot devices, making it difficult for readers to connect with or care about their outcomes. This lack of depth detracts from the overall impact of the story.
Lindsay's writing style is engaging, with moments of dark humor and clever dialogue that enhance the narrative. However, the plot twists, while entertaining, can sometimes be predictable, reducing their effectiveness. The novel's resolution, although satisfying in some aspects, may leave readers wanting more surprises and emotional payoff.
In conclusion, "Fool Me Twice" by Jeff Lindsay is a thriller with potential, anchored by a fascinating protagonist and intricate heist details. Yet, it is hindered by pacing issues and underdeveloped supporting characters. Fans of heist stories and morally complex anti-heroes might find enjoyment in Wolfe's escapades, but the novel falls short of being a standout in the genre.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 12, 2021
I've read all the Dexter stories so was happy to see Jeff Lindsay at it again with a new anti hero: Riley Wolfe.
Enjoyed the first one a lot (Just Watch Me).. but I didn't like it when Riley killed some people for no real reason: unlike Dexter who only killed bad people law enforcement couldn't capture and hold.
This one was more 'meh' until the last 25% or so.
A lot of hemming and hawing and overthinking: like big bad (Boniface) guy throws Riley in a dungeon and tells him he has to steal a fresco from Rome (which is a stone wall..).. or well he'll be thrown to Bernadette (lifted from the half melted face ballerina type enforcer on "The Spy Who Dumped Me".)
I never did figure out why the insanely rich need to collect original art, but we're here to be entertained so.
Next Riley is kidnapped by a less bad guy, Stone, who wants to "help" when Riley delivers the fresco so he can follow him and kill the bigger bad guy, Boniface. (who lives under a rock on the most remote island in the world)
FBI is after Riley too.
What happens next is predictable: 2 sets of bad guys plus FBI after you and you cannot cannot hide from the bad guys no matter what. Of course you have to get them to fight it out and somehow slip out during the firefights.
It wasn't hard to figure out how he "stole the fresco" .. clues were all there. I like Monique, but as other reviewers have said her character isn't 100% fleshed out: she only exists to react to Riley Wolfe. You want to root for him but after he kills some innocent people (while he's on the "dark side") you do want to throw him to Bernadette.
I do agree with Jeff Lindsay's take on the Vatican: they got their "treasures" by scaring people into paying to escape burning in hell. Like all organized religion and smaller cults who brainwash people into thinking they represent "god".
Enjoyed the first one a lot (Just Watch Me).. but I didn't like it when Riley killed some people for no real reason: unlike Dexter who only killed bad people law enforcement couldn't capture and hold.
This one was more 'meh' until the last 25% or so.
A lot of hemming and hawing and overthinking: like big bad (Boniface) guy throws Riley in a dungeon and tells him he has to steal a fresco from Rome (which is a stone wall..).. or well he'll be thrown to Bernadette (lifted from the half melted face ballerina type enforcer on "The Spy Who Dumped Me".)
I never did figure out why the insanely rich need to collect original art, but we're here to be entertained so.
Next Riley is kidnapped by a less bad guy, Stone, who wants to "help" when Riley delivers the fresco so he can follow him and kill the bigger bad guy, Boniface. (who lives under a rock on the most remote island in the world)
FBI is after Riley too.
What happens next is predictable: 2 sets of bad guys plus FBI after you and you cannot cannot hide from the bad guys no matter what. Of course you have to get them to fight it out and somehow slip out during the firefights.
It wasn't hard to figure out how he "stole the fresco" .. clues were all there. I like Monique, but as other reviewers have said her character isn't 100% fleshed out: she only exists to react to Riley Wolfe. You want to root for him but after he kills some innocent people (while he's on the "dark side") you do want to throw him to Bernadette.
I do agree with Jeff Lindsay's take on the Vatican: they got their "treasures" by scaring people into paying to escape burning in hell. Like all organized religion and smaller cults who brainwash people into thinking they represent "god".
June 3, 2021
“Fool Me Twice” (FMT) is the second book the the Riley Wolfe series by Jeff Lindsay.
Master of disguise, thief extraordinaire, heist artiste, and classic anti-hero Riley finds himself caught between a rock (a very, very bad man) and a hard place (someone who wants the ver, very bad man’s title) and he’s being forced to commit a seemingly impossible crime to commit - to steal The Liberation of St Peter by Raphael. The problem...it’s a fresco...painted on a wall...in the Vatican!
Add an FBI taskforce hot on his trail and even Riley Wolfe may find this just a little too difficult to achieve.
Lindsay has written a very entertaining and easy to read heist novel full of action and adventure; of James Bond movie-esque thrills and spills; with legendary bad guys and arch nemeses. As the reader progresses through the story Lindsay slowly reveals the solutions to these impossible situations with the need to suspend belief only just a little bit.
In the first Riley Wolfe book I must admit to not being a huge fan of the main character; he came across as a completely uncaring narcissistic arse hat prepared to hurt anyone, innocent or not, to get what he wanted. In FMT Riley is still quite self centred and arrogant but at least he seems to have developed a few more feelings. Which makes him that little bit more of a character you care about whether he succeeds or not. This made FMT in some ways a much more enjoyable book to read than the first book.
While Lewis Carroll’s Queen of Hearts could believe in several impossible things before breakfast Lindsay takes the reader on a journey where Riley will actually do those impossible things. FMT is an fast paced rollicking challenge and I’m looking to seeing what the next unbelievable adventure Riley faces next.
Accordingly, FMT gets 4 impossible things out of 5.
Master of disguise, thief extraordinaire, heist artiste, and classic anti-hero Riley finds himself caught between a rock (a very, very bad man) and a hard place (someone who wants the ver, very bad man’s title) and he’s being forced to commit a seemingly impossible crime to commit - to steal The Liberation of St Peter by Raphael. The problem...it’s a fresco...painted on a wall...in the Vatican!
Add an FBI taskforce hot on his trail and even Riley Wolfe may find this just a little too difficult to achieve.
Lindsay has written a very entertaining and easy to read heist novel full of action and adventure; of James Bond movie-esque thrills and spills; with legendary bad guys and arch nemeses. As the reader progresses through the story Lindsay slowly reveals the solutions to these impossible situations with the need to suspend belief only just a little bit.
In the first Riley Wolfe book I must admit to not being a huge fan of the main character; he came across as a completely uncaring narcissistic arse hat prepared to hurt anyone, innocent or not, to get what he wanted. In FMT Riley is still quite self centred and arrogant but at least he seems to have developed a few more feelings. Which makes him that little bit more of a character you care about whether he succeeds or not. This made FMT in some ways a much more enjoyable book to read than the first book.
While Lewis Carroll’s Queen of Hearts could believe in several impossible things before breakfast Lindsay takes the reader on a journey where Riley will actually do those impossible things. FMT is an fast paced rollicking challenge and I’m looking to seeing what the next unbelievable adventure Riley faces next.
Accordingly, FMT gets 4 impossible things out of 5.
Read
March 19, 2022 One of the things Jeff Lindsay does in his novels is to take a character who breaks laws left, right, and center, then gets away with it. We end up cheering for that person to succeed. We found that in the Dexter television series of which Lindsay was part of.
With FOOL ME TWICE, we meet Riley Wolfe for the second time. He is a master thief who will do anything for a price. Sometimes though, people get in way over their heads. Wolfe may have done that, now with a target on his chest.
Patrick Boniface, an arms dealer has abducted Wolfe, and if he wants to stay alive, he must pull off one of the greatest thefts of all time, which is Raphael’s The Liberation of St. Peter. It is a fresco painted right onto a Vatican wall. To make things even more unsettling, his sidekick Bernadette is there to teach Wolfe the rules by sadistically crippling him with great glee.
And things go from bad to worse when a second arms dealer Bailey Stone also wants the fresco. His threat revolves around Riley’s close friend Monique, who will die if he fails. Wolfe definitely feels the pressure. He also must deal with FBI Agent Frank Delgado, who has always had it out for Riley. To arrest him would be the highlight of his career. Because there are so many people gunning for Riley, he barely has time to catch his breath. He is on the defensive from page one, trying to keep Monique alive and elude Bernadette, who simply does not want to die.
No fooling around. FOOL ME TWICE is a brilliant book, making us anticipate what can happen to Riley Wolfe in future novels.
With FOOL ME TWICE, we meet Riley Wolfe for the second time. He is a master thief who will do anything for a price. Sometimes though, people get in way over their heads. Wolfe may have done that, now with a target on his chest.
Patrick Boniface, an arms dealer has abducted Wolfe, and if he wants to stay alive, he must pull off one of the greatest thefts of all time, which is Raphael’s The Liberation of St. Peter. It is a fresco painted right onto a Vatican wall. To make things even more unsettling, his sidekick Bernadette is there to teach Wolfe the rules by sadistically crippling him with great glee.
And things go from bad to worse when a second arms dealer Bailey Stone also wants the fresco. His threat revolves around Riley’s close friend Monique, who will die if he fails. Wolfe definitely feels the pressure. He also must deal with FBI Agent Frank Delgado, who has always had it out for Riley. To arrest him would be the highlight of his career. Because there are so many people gunning for Riley, he barely has time to catch his breath. He is on the defensive from page one, trying to keep Monique alive and elude Bernadette, who simply does not want to die.
No fooling around. FOOL ME TWICE is a brilliant book, making us anticipate what can happen to Riley Wolfe in future novels.
December 16, 2020
A much different story than the first book. This one starts off the same as he is going to take a Faberge egg. Really or is something else at the museum. Leaving like he does he is thinking everything is good when he is shot with a dart and later wakes in the clutches of Patrick Boniface, turns out this man is the biggest arms dealer and badass around. Most people are afraid of what he can do. After many days and finally agreeing to his terms which is stealing a fresco from the Vatican, he is taken again this time by the man who wants to take over Boniface trade.
Here is when the story goes on for a ride he is accosted by the FBI and later finds out that what he thought was all of his secret hiding places those two men already know about. It is like Boniface knows everything. The story moves along like the first one switching back and forth between the different characters all the while you are wondering how or if Riley is going to get out of this situation?
Monique was part of this story this time which was more than in the first book, you get to see some of her personality, I was hoping for more. You do see the care and want that Riley has for her yet he is always hoping for more. Delgado the FBI agent is once again upset, frustrated with Riley which makes for a good story. There are times when the story drags a little, was in the first book it just straight through and felt like an easy read. Overall a good book and the characters were well defined. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 4 stars. Follow us at
www.1rad-readerreviews.com
Here is when the story goes on for a ride he is accosted by the FBI and later finds out that what he thought was all of his secret hiding places those two men already know about. It is like Boniface knows everything. The story moves along like the first one switching back and forth between the different characters all the while you are wondering how or if Riley is going to get out of this situation?
Monique was part of this story this time which was more than in the first book, you get to see some of her personality, I was hoping for more. You do see the care and want that Riley has for her yet he is always hoping for more. Delgado the FBI agent is once again upset, frustrated with Riley which makes for a good story. There are times when the story drags a little, was in the first book it just straight through and felt like an easy read. Overall a good book and the characters were well defined. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 4 stars. Follow us at
www.1rad-readerreviews.com
February 14, 2021
I really, really need this to be made into a movie and I need it to be cast with the same people who played the recurring roles in Burn Notice.
This was SO much fun, another perfectly plotted heist thriller from Jeff Lindsay in the Riley Wolfe series.
I enjoyed Just Watch Me—the first novel in the series—as well, but this book improved upon its predecessor. The writing is tighter and the humor is better, and while the actual heist itself in Just Watch Me was pretty much flawlessly constructed, this one was even more clever given the setting, the supporting cast, and the actual object being targeted.
I love Lindsay’s brand of humor, and the cleverness of the plot (both generally speaking and in its details) is a huge cut above most action thrillers. Fool Me Twice was at once intense and light, which is a rare but ideal combination of characteristics for this genre for me.
I also really appreciate the way that Lindsay has written Wolfe’s foil, Agent Frank Delgado. Most action fiction in which we’re supposed to root for the criminal paints law enforcement as either corrupt and evil or as bumbling and dim. Delgado is neither of those. He’s a worthy foe for Wolfe, a good agent who juiuuust isn’t quite good enough to catch our man in the act.
The female characters in this are still pretty cringily written, but aside from that, Lindsay seems to have taken the many good things about the first book in the series and made them even better here. The third book can’t come soon enough!
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
This was SO much fun, another perfectly plotted heist thriller from Jeff Lindsay in the Riley Wolfe series.
I enjoyed Just Watch Me—the first novel in the series—as well, but this book improved upon its predecessor. The writing is tighter and the humor is better, and while the actual heist itself in Just Watch Me was pretty much flawlessly constructed, this one was even more clever given the setting, the supporting cast, and the actual object being targeted.
I love Lindsay’s brand of humor, and the cleverness of the plot (both generally speaking and in its details) is a huge cut above most action thrillers. Fool Me Twice was at once intense and light, which is a rare but ideal combination of characteristics for this genre for me.
I also really appreciate the way that Lindsay has written Wolfe’s foil, Agent Frank Delgado. Most action fiction in which we’re supposed to root for the criminal paints law enforcement as either corrupt and evil or as bumbling and dim. Delgado is neither of those. He’s a worthy foe for Wolfe, a good agent who juiuuust isn’t quite good enough to catch our man in the act.
The female characters in this are still pretty cringily written, but aside from that, Lindsay seems to have taken the many good things about the first book in the series and made them even better here. The third book can’t come soon enough!
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
June 10, 2021
FOOL ME TWICE is an excellent thriller and heist novel.
Riley Wolfe is a master thief and con-man who has managed to steal the impossible. In this second novel, he is confronted by a challenge proposed by the world’s premier arms dealer Patrick Boniface. Despite how ridiculous the job appears to be, Riley has no choice but to accept it, since his refusal would result in a prolonged and painful death. After accepting the challenge, Riley’s life becomes even more complicated when he is kidnapped a second time by a competitive deadly arms dealer, who wants to eliminate Patrick Boniface.
As always, Riley is also aware that he is being hunted constantly by FBI agent Frank Delgado.
How will Riley pull off this impossible theft and still wriggle out of the consequences?
Following Riley’s strategies, the reader sees how this audacious caper unfolds. There are enough twists and turns that highlight how truly complicated and impossible this heist is.
All in all, this is an excellent and absorbing story that shows how Riley cannot act alone. FOOL ME TWICE contains a great array of supporting characters, most of whom become worse off after meeting the protagonist, Patrick and his competitor. They have become pawns to be used against and to control Riley Wolfe. This is an interesting development for the third novel. Now to wait for it......
Riley Wolfe is a master thief and con-man who has managed to steal the impossible. In this second novel, he is confronted by a challenge proposed by the world’s premier arms dealer Patrick Boniface. Despite how ridiculous the job appears to be, Riley has no choice but to accept it, since his refusal would result in a prolonged and painful death. After accepting the challenge, Riley’s life becomes even more complicated when he is kidnapped a second time by a competitive deadly arms dealer, who wants to eliminate Patrick Boniface.
As always, Riley is also aware that he is being hunted constantly by FBI agent Frank Delgado.
How will Riley pull off this impossible theft and still wriggle out of the consequences?
Following Riley’s strategies, the reader sees how this audacious caper unfolds. There are enough twists and turns that highlight how truly complicated and impossible this heist is.
All in all, this is an excellent and absorbing story that shows how Riley cannot act alone. FOOL ME TWICE contains a great array of supporting characters, most of whom become worse off after meeting the protagonist, Patrick and his competitor. They have become pawns to be used against and to control Riley Wolfe. This is an interesting development for the third novel. Now to wait for it......
January 30, 2023
Another twisting, turning thrill ride from Jeff Lindsay! This time Riley Wolf is tasked w/ an impossible challenge: stealing a fresco from the Vatican. The price of failure? Death. Then another wrinkle is thrown into the plan. Now he’s risking his life and Monique’s.
As I read, my mind swirled. This heist canNOT be done! But Wolf’s axiom comes through: there’s always a way. Of course, Riley finds the way, but not without sidetracks, complications, reversals of fortune aplenty, plot twists, surprises, and pressing suspense. I love heist books and movies, and Jeff Lindsay is at the top of his game once again.
My only criticism is the steady stream of vulgar language. Sure, a character might face a calamity where “fiddlesticks” just doesn’t capture the emotion. But Riley and Monique spew filthy language at a rate that might make Scorsese blush. I’m not easily offended, having spent over 50 years around both the military and law enforcement. But the language in this book was shocking.
Other than that rather significant caveat, I enjoyed the plot, the character development (including peripheral characters), banter, the twists and turns, and everything else that comes w/ this fun series. I highly recommend it … with the adore-mentioned caveat notwithstanding. Oh, and a warning: not all stories/novels have happy endings …
As I read, my mind swirled. This heist canNOT be done! But Wolf’s axiom comes through: there’s always a way. Of course, Riley finds the way, but not without sidetracks, complications, reversals of fortune aplenty, plot twists, surprises, and pressing suspense. I love heist books and movies, and Jeff Lindsay is at the top of his game once again.
My only criticism is the steady stream of vulgar language. Sure, a character might face a calamity where “fiddlesticks” just doesn’t capture the emotion. But Riley and Monique spew filthy language at a rate that might make Scorsese blush. I’m not easily offended, having spent over 50 years around both the military and law enforcement. But the language in this book was shocking.
Other than that rather significant caveat, I enjoyed the plot, the character development (including peripheral characters), banter, the twists and turns, and everything else that comes w/ this fun series. I highly recommend it … with the adore-mentioned caveat notwithstanding. Oh, and a warning: not all stories/novels have happy endings …
December 29, 2020
#2 in the Riley Wolfe series. This 2020 entry by author Jeff Lindsay is an exciting caper novel. Master thief Riley Wolfe is betrayed by two different arms dealers who each threaten him to perform unlikely tasks. Meanwhile he is ambushed by the FBI and he double crosses them in turn. Complex caper but it certainly holds your interest. BTW, Rafael's The Liberation of St. Peter actually is a fresco housed in the Vatican.
Wisecracking master thief Riley Wolfe is forced, by an is ally's betrayal, to work for Patrick Boniface, "an arms dealer who scares the crap out of the other arms dealers." Boniface, who's also an art collector, wants Wolfe to steal Raphael's Liberation of St. Peter, a fresco painted on a wall inside the Vatican. Wolfe agrees to this lunatic scheme in order to avoid being tortured by Boniface's sadistic sidekick. To make matters worse, Wolfe's meeting with Boniface comes to the attention of a rival crook, Bailey Stone, who abducts the thief and threatens to harm Wolfe's love-interest, art forger Monique, unless he double crosses Boniface. Stone wants Wolfe to commit the theft, and then use the delivery of the fresco to Boniface as a cover for Stone and his team to kill Boniface. Meanwhile, Wolfe remains the quarry of a dogged FBI agent.
Wisecracking master thief Riley Wolfe is forced, by an is ally's betrayal, to work for Patrick Boniface, "an arms dealer who scares the crap out of the other arms dealers." Boniface, who's also an art collector, wants Wolfe to steal Raphael's Liberation of St. Peter, a fresco painted on a wall inside the Vatican. Wolfe agrees to this lunatic scheme in order to avoid being tortured by Boniface's sadistic sidekick. To make matters worse, Wolfe's meeting with Boniface comes to the attention of a rival crook, Bailey Stone, who abducts the thief and threatens to harm Wolfe's love-interest, art forger Monique, unless he double crosses Boniface. Stone wants Wolfe to commit the theft, and then use the delivery of the fresco to Boniface as a cover for Stone and his team to kill Boniface. Meanwhile, Wolfe remains the quarry of a dogged FBI agent.
February 24, 2024
I struggled with this review. It was almost a two star. I read the paperback (approximately 400 pages) and it took about 260 pages for anything significant to happen. The bulk of the book is the main character whining. It got exhausting. There is a section where the main character cuts himself on a piece of plastic then goes on a three page rant about the evils of plastic in our society. I can't imagine Mr. Lindsay is in any need of money following the success of his dexter series but he writes like a man getting paid by the word. So much of the book was unnecessary and overly drawn out. My final issue with the book is due to the stark contrast the author exhibits in his climactic scenes between the first and second book. In the first book in the series, the author went to great pains to make sure the picture was clearly painted and understood by the reader. In this book, the author seemed to phone it in. It almost seemed like he didn't care. Towards the end, it read like a bad 80"s horror movie. I don't know why I am so surprised, the author had the same trend with the dexter series.
December 6, 2020
I had a hard time reading this it was just too slow moving. Just not my style. You may feel different. The author tries hard to keep you amused at the same time as developing the story. Riley Hood is a thief. A very good thief as he hasn’t been caught and goes after famous works of art for the collector who doesn’t really care if it’s stolen they just want it for their own gratification. Riley is kidnapped right at the beginning. He is to trade his life for the ultimate theft of something not possible to steal. Then he is put in another difficult position with a treat to someone he cares deeply for. How he can get out of this alive remains to be determined. It doesn’t look good. I can’t say I enjoyed it I had to keep forcing myself to read it. It didn’t pull me in. This maybe my own preference for on the edge mysteries instead of light hearted satire humor. Thank you NetGalley,Jeff Lindsey, Penguin Group Dalton for allowing me to read this ARC. It was an interesting twist on writing. It’s good just not my style.
December 13, 2020
Good, but not as good as the first. It centers too much on the threats to Riley's life and not enough on the actual story.
So far, my only nitpick is Padre Matteo not catching that the Catalan rebels were using the Anglicized name of their region—true Catalans would say Catalunya, not Catalonia. (Or Cataluña if using Spanish.)
At least the author was right about the closest city being Perth—Cape Town is 132 miles farther from the Kerguelen Islands.
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The Day After
WOW, this book lost those last two stars quick!
Down to two stars: Ripping off your own books? Really?! Are you that uncreative?!
Down to one star: You fucking RIPPED OFF SCHWARZENEGGER?! You absolute MEATHEAD! How the hell has your ass not been sued for quoting the Terminator and not giving any credit?!
Dear Goddess, what a disaster. 🤦🏼♀️
ETA: Okay, so he finally attributed it a few chapters on, but YIKES.
So far, my only nitpick is Padre Matteo not catching that the Catalan rebels were using the Anglicized name of their region—true Catalans would say Catalunya, not Catalonia. (Or Cataluña if using Spanish.)
At least the author was right about the closest city being Perth—Cape Town is 132 miles farther from the Kerguelen Islands.
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The Day After
WOW, this book lost those last two stars quick!
Down to two stars: Ripping off your own books? Really?! Are you that uncreative?!
Down to one star: You fucking RIPPED OFF SCHWARZENEGGER?! You absolute MEATHEAD! How the hell has your ass not been sued for quoting the Terminator and not giving any credit?!
Dear Goddess, what a disaster. 🤦🏼♀️
ETA: Okay, so he finally attributed it a few chapters on, but YIKES.
December 19, 2020
Second book in the series, obviously I liked the first to read the second. We start off with one of Riley's thefts of a precious artifact and then betrayed after he succeeds. Riley was more off his game in this one as it isn't his idea of what to steal, he is being forced. The bad guys are really bad in this edition, especially Bernadette, yikes! In reality Riley isn't really likable, he is very interesting and his skills are incredibly high achieving, and isn't above murder to get his plan in action. His accomplice seemed awfully naive for someone who lives as she does, I have to say Special Agent Delgado is growing on me and he really doesn't give up his pursuit of Riley easily. This starts out with a bang, slows when Riley gets acquainted with his new clients and the goes full speed ahead with how he's going to survive this job. Fun, fast read of a morally questionable master thief, at least he's good to his mother.
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