A Review of Wanted by Nick Stephenson

This is the first thriller I’ve read by Nick Stephenson and it certainly won’t be the last. I’m a huge fan of thrillers and I found that this author truly delivered on action, suspense and a gripping tale of greed and betrayal.

Let’s meet Leopold Blake, a billionaire and an expert criminology consultant for the FBI. He is hired by Jean Dubois, the Louvre’s senior art director to perform a full security sweep of the place. However, Leopold discovers the theft of a painting (The Virgin and Child with St. Anne) and sets out to find out who stole it. Unbeknownst to Leopold and his bodyguard, Jerome, Jean Dubois and a few others are gunned down by a ruthless German assassin. The assassin plants Leopold’s fingerprint onto the abandoned rifle and leaves the scene, making Leopold a wanted man by the French police for questioning.

The stakes ramp up when NYPD police sergeant, Mary Jordan gets caught up in the chaos, thinking she’d enjoy a vacation with Leopold in Paris. Instead, she becomes part of the escape plan with Leopold, Jerome and Sophie Bardot (who Leopold interviewed as a suspected art thief – she was innocent). On the hunt for Leopold is Capitaine Anton Rousseau who is determined to get to the bottom of the situation and vows to find and arrest Leopold.

Overall, this was a fast-paced read with plenty of action. I felt like I was watching a movie with the characters quickly trying to escape from a hired assassin. The characters were well-developed, the dialogue was realistic, the action scenes were well-executed, and the settings were vividly depicted. The twist at the end was fantastic. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next installment.

Two thumbs up! Great read!

Rating: 4 stars

Some of my favorite lines:

He grinned, not feeling the cold quite so much anymore. “With everything that’s happened since you met me, all the close calls and near misses, do you think there will ever be an end to it all?”

“Like, do I think you’ll ever learn to settle down?” She punched him playfully on the arm. “That doesn’t sound like the Leopold Blake I know.”

He forced a smile. “No, I mean: do you ever think people will stop coming at me? Stop trying to destroy the people I care about?”

“It’s been getting worse, hasn’t it?” She didn’t phrase it as a question.

“Yes.”

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