There is something uniquely entertaining about a well-planned heist. Like in Ocean’s 11, it’s so satisfying when all the planning and preparation finally click and the crime comes together like a masterful work of art. The only thing that could possibly make a good heist story even better would be if it were set in a gorgeously fleshed out fantasy world complete with swordplay and magic. Thankfully, Scott Lynch had this exact thought when he wrote The Lies of Locke Lamora, the first book in his Gentleman Bastards series.
The Lies of Locke Lamora follows the titular character Locke and his best friend and partner-in-crime Jean Tannen, from their humble beginnings as lowly pick-pockets to their burgeoning careers as master thieves. As highly-trained “priests” of the God of Thieves, Locke and Jean view thievery as a higher calling, treating it more as an art form than a necessity to survive. With danger lurking around every corner, they take pride in their work and are very good at what they do.
This series isn’t extremely well known and most people have probably never heard of it unless they are huge fantasy buffs. I can’t recommend this book and it’s sequels highly enough though. Any fan of fantasy or heists absolutely needs to read these books and I can guarantee they will not be disappointed. My only complaint is that it’s an ongoing series and Mr. Lynch is taking his sweet time to finish the next book. There are currently three finished books in the series though, which should keep the average reader busy for a decent amount of time.