Stone Cold Fox by Rachel Koller Croft

I looooove a good con artist-centered story… especially when said artist is a woman. The pace of what I will call a suspense drama (not quite a thriller but definitely a pa(i)ge-turner) kept me engaged & entertained—I was completely unwilling to put it down. Tension built the entire time, especially between a man’s fiancé and his lifelong BFF. The juiciest drama ensued.

Bea, the protagonist, is neither kind nor genuine, yet the author develops her so well, I did find myself rooting for her from beginning to end. And it was fun to root for the anti-hero! She’s rock solid under pressure, unwavering, relentless—all qualities I, a golden retriever of a person, simply do not possess. As for the manipulative, maniacal tendencies, those all stem directly from childhood injury/survival mechanisms, so it’s very hard to dislike her. Definitely could benefit from a good therapist. 

Stone Cold Fox was a debut novel! The author is a comedy screenwriter in LA. It was cool for me to see a well-executed transfer of skills, and I hope Ms. Croft writes more pages for us to devour. 

My only qualm: I thought the ending could have been a bit more developed. Felt just a bit weak. Not sure how I would fix it, so this is not a very constructive criticism. I do really think we deserve a sequel, though.  

Also—what was the gift at the end????? Please help me.