We look forward to seeing you on your next visit to the library. Find a location near you.

A Gift for Guile
(Adobe EPUB eBook, Kindle Book, OverDrive Read)

Book Cover
Average Rating
5 star
 
(0)
4 star
 
(1)
3 star
 
(0)
2 star
 
(0)
1 star
 
(0)
Series:
Published:
Sourcebooks 2016
Status:
Available from OverDrive
Description

She's a liar.

She's a con.

She's a thief.

And God help him, but he'll do anything to keep her safe.

Beautiful and conniving, maddening and brilliant, Esther is everything private detective Samuel Brass shouldn't want. Esther knows she's put herself in terrible danger, but nothing will stop her from making amends—not her family's enemies, not old fears, and certainly not the domineering, interfering, and undeniably handsome former officer of the Scotland Yard. Yet whenever he's near, Samuel makes her long for a life that can never be hers...and wish she were worthy of being saved.

Second in an exciting late Victorian romance series from a RITA Award nominee!

Thief Takers Series:

A Talent for Trickery, Book 1

A Gift for Guile, Book 2

Dangerous Deceit, Coming Soon


"From the first page, Johnson seizes readers' attention... Losing none of her witty dialogue or clever plotting, she pulls readers this way and that as the story swiftly turns from suspense to romance and back again."—RT Book Reviews on A Talent for Trickery

Also in This Series
Formats
Adobe EPUB eBook
Works on all eReaders (except Kindles), desktop computers and mobile devices with reading apps installed.
Kindle Book
Works on Kindles and devices with a Kindle app installed.
OverDrive Read
Need Help?
If you are having problem transferring a title to your device, please fill out this support form or visit the library so we can help you to use our eBooks and eAudio Books.
More Like This
Other Editions and Formats
More Copies In LINK+
Loading LINK+ Copies...
More Details
Format:
Adobe EPUB eBook, Kindle Book, OverDrive Read
Street Date:
07/05/2016
Language:
English
ISBN:
9781492620549
ASIN:
B01BX1PIOM
Reviews from GoodReads
Loading GoodReads Reviews.
Citations
APA Citation (style guide)

Alissa Johnson. (2016). A Gift for Guile. Sourcebooks.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)

Alissa Johnson. 2016. A Gift for Guile. Sourcebooks.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)

Alissa Johnson, A Gift for Guile. Sourcebooks, 2016.

MLA Citation (style guide)

Alissa Johnson. A Gift for Guile. Sourcebooks, 2016.

Note! Citation formats are based on standards as of July 2022. Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy.
Copy Details
LibraryOwnedAvailable
Shared Digital Collection11
Staff View
Grouped Work ID:
8f13cda2-4604-96c8-077b-c48e1eee658e
Go To Grouped Work
Needs Update?:
No
Date Added:
Jun 12, 2018 19:57:00
Date Updated:
Jan 27, 2023 07:45:19
Last Metadata Check:
Apr 28, 2024 11:39:38
Last Metadata Change:
Aug 20, 2023 12:49:00
Last Availability Check:
Apr 28, 2024 11:39:42
Last Availability Change:
Feb 08, 2024 17:19:23
Last Grouped Work Modification Time:
May 04, 2024 19:51:24

OverDrive Product Record

readingOrder
2
images
    • cover:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-100/0174-1/{F005E46F-EAED-42C1-9D74-861D4894E2CB}Img100.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • thumbnail:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-200/0174-1/{F005E46F-EAED-42C1-9D74-861D4894E2CB}Img200.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover150Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-150/0174-1/F00/5E4/6F/{F005E46F-EAED-42C1-9D74-861D4894E2CB}Img150.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover300Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-400/0174-1/F00/5E4/6F/{F005E46F-EAED-42C1-9D74-861D4894E2CB}Img400.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
formats
      • identifiers:
            • type: ISBN
            • value: 9781492620549
      • name: Adobe EPUB eBook
      • id: ebook-epub-adobe
      • identifiers:
            • type: ASIN
            • value: B01BX1PIOM
      • name: Kindle Book
      • id: ebook-kindle
      • identifiers:
            • type: ISBN
            • value: 9781492620549
      • name: OverDrive Read
      • id: ebook-overdrive
otherFormatIdentifiers
      • type: ISBN
      • value: 9781492620532
mediaType
eBook
primaryCreator
    • role: Author
    • name: Alissa Johnson
title
A Gift for Guile
seriesId
988085
dateAdded
2016-11-18T22:20:00Z
contentDetails
      • href: https://link.overdrive.com/?websiteID=141&titleID=2794630
      • type: text/html
      • account:
          • name: Sacramento Public Library (CA)
          • id: 1151
sortTitle
Gift for Guile
crossRefId
2794630
series
The Thief-takers
id
F005E46F-EAED-42C1-9D74-861D4894E2CB
starRating
3.7

OverDrive MetaData

isPublicDomain
False
formats
      • fileName: AGiftforGuile_9781492620549_2794630
      • partCount: 0
      • fileSize: 1102809
      • identifiers:
            • type: ISBN
            • value: 9781492620549
      • rights:
            • type: Copying
            • value: 0
            • type: Printing
            • value: -1
            • type: Lending
            • value: 0
            • type: ReadAloud
            • value: 1
            • type: ExpirationRights
            • value: 0
      • name: Adobe EPUB eBook
      • isReadAlong: False
      • id: ebook-epub-adobe
      • onSaleDate: 7/5/2016
      • samples:
            • source: From the book
            • formatType: ebook-overdrive
            • url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=f005e46f-eaed-42c1-9d74-861d4894e2cb&.epub-sample.overdrive.com
      • fileName: AGiftforGuile_2794630
      • partCount: 0
      • fileSize: 0
      • identifiers:
            • type: ASIN
            • value: B01BX1PIOM
      • name: Kindle Book
      • isReadAlong: False
      • id: ebook-kindle
      • onSaleDate: 7/5/2016
      • samples:
            • source: From the book
            • formatType: ebook-overdrive
            • url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=f005e46f-eaed-42c1-9d74-861d4894e2cb&.epub-sample.overdrive.com
      • fileName: AGiftforGuile_9781492620549_2794630
      • partCount: 0
      • fileSize: 1102854
      • identifiers:
            • type: ISBN
            • value: 9781492620549
      • name: OverDrive Read
      • isReadAlong: False
      • id: ebook-overdrive
      • onSaleDate: 7/5/2016
      • samples:
            • source: From the book
            • formatType: ebook-overdrive
            • url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=f005e46f-eaed-42c1-9d74-861d4894e2cb&.epub-sample.overdrive.com
keywords
      • value: smart heroines
      • value: private detective
      • value: Victorian England
      • value: Scotland Yard
      • value: Fiction
      • value: suspense
      • value: mystery
      • value: murder
      • value: revenge
      • value: danger
      • value: forbidden love
      • value: opposites attract
      • value: enemies to lovers
      • value: plot twists
      • value: criminal mastermind
      • value: police inspector
      • value: famous detective
      • value: lost loves
      • value: witty dialogue
      • value: infamous thief
      • value: intelligent heroes
      • value: man of the law
      • value: female criminal
      • value: fledgling romance
      • value: clever mystery plots
      • value: adult historical romance
      • value: the thief-takers series
      • value: righting wrongs
creators
      • role: Author
      • fileAs: Johnson, Alissa
      • bioText:

        Alissa Johnson is a RITA nominated author of historical romance. She grew up on Air Force bases, and attended St. Olaf College in Minnesota. She currently resides in the Arkansan Ozarks where she spends her free time keeping her Aussie dog busy, visiting with family, and dabbling in archery.

      • name: Alissa Johnson
imprint
Sourcebooks Casablanca
publishDate
2016-07-05T00:00:00-04:00
isOwnedByCollections
True
title
A Gift for Guile
fullDescription

She's a liar.

She's a con.

She's a thief.

And God help him, but he'll do anything to keep her safe.

Beautiful and conniving, maddening and brilliant, Esther is everything private detective Samuel Brass shouldn't want. Esther knows she's put herself in terrible danger, but nothing will stop her from making amends—not her family's enemies, not old fears, and certainly not the domineering, interfering, and undeniably handsome former officer of the Scotland Yard. Yet whenever he's near, Samuel makes her long for a life that can never be hers...and wish she were worthy of being saved.

Second in an exciting late Victorian romance series from a RITA Award nominee!

Thief Takers Series:

A Talent for Trickery, Book 1

A Gift for Guile, Book 2

Dangerous Deceit, Coming Soon


"From the first page, Johnson seizes readers' attention... Losing none of her witty dialogue or clever plotting, she pulls readers this way and that as the story swiftly turns from suspense to romance and back again."—RT Book Reviews on A Talent for Trickery

seriesId
988085
reviews
      • premium: False
      • source: Publishers Weekly, STARRED Review
      • content: "In a witty, quirky, and altogether fun sequel to A Talent for Trickery, Johnson...balances light romance, clever sleuthing, slowly building intimacy, and heart-racing suspense. This series is pure pleasure."
      • premium: False
      • source: RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars
      • content: "Johnson draws readers into an intriguing mystery romance as disparate characters join forces to combat the demons of their pasts. The quick pace, sexual tension, touch of poignancy and the well-drawn backdrop seamlessly merge, allowing her characters and their conflict to take center stage."
      • premium: False
      • source: Historical Novel Review
      • content: "A Gift for Guile is an engaging romance that makes for a quick and enjoyable read."
      • premium: True
      • source: Publisher's Weekly
      • content:

        Starred review from April 11, 2016
        In a witty, quirky, and altogether fun sequel to A Talent for Trickery, Johnson continues to explore the entanglement of the children of William Walker, a criminal turned police informer, with the thief-takers of Victorian-era Scotland Yard. “Curmudgeonly giant” Sir Samuel Brass spots “prickly, unpredictable, infuriating” Esther Walker-Bales waiting alone in Paddington Station, even though she’s not supposed to be in London at all. She’s wearing a widow’s veil and he suspects she’s running some kind of scam, but when he confronts her, somehow she talks him into helping her locate her natural father and make overdue amends. Despite Sam’s overprotectiveness and Esther’s tendency to offer “a bite with the sweet,” the two of them have a teasing warmth together and solve their interpersonal problems with sensible discussion as often as with quarrels. Hilarious moments—including Samuel worrying that he has developed a foot fetish, a game of badminton in which the players make up the rules as they go, and a half-shot-off beard—fill out a story arc that balances light romance, clever sleuthing, slowly building intimacy, and heart-racing suspense. This series is pure pleasure. Agent: Emmanuelle Morgen, Stonesong Literary.

      • premium: True
      • source: Kirkus
      • content:

        May 1, 2016
        A gentleman investigator in Victorian England finds himself beguiled by a headstrong woman searching for her natural father. Johnson (A Talent for Trickery, 2015, etc) returns with the second installment in her Thief Takers series. The children of the notorious thief Will Walker are thriving, years after his death. But middle child Esther Walker-Bales still has more than a few secrets. The most pressing is that she knows Will was not really her father. She has traveled to London alone from her cottage in Derbyshire to try to track down her true father. Unfortunately, she is discovered by Sir Samuel Brass, one of a trio of gently bred private investigators who helped nab Will Walker and eventually became friends with the Walker siblings. Samuel thinks very little of Esther's plan to search the city's most dangerous neighborhoods on her own. Esther and her siblings have been accosted by Will's associates in the past, and Samuel appoints himself Esther's keeper while she's in the city. Esther's tart personality appeals to Samuel, and she finds that his company is a balm for her habitual loneliness. The pair traipses around London with the reader in tow, making very little progress in their investigations and fending off attacks from mysterious foes. The prose tries painfully to sound British, with too many awkward contractions (saying "I've a keen memory" instead of "I have a keen memory" is one of many examples), and the secondary characters are almost completely colorless. Johnson's demonstrated skill at writing intriguing mystery stories is missing in this novel, although the main characters' complex personal histories make the book a better read than it could have been otherwise. All but the most devoted Johnson fans should skip this novel and wait for her next offering.

        COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

      • premium: True
      • source: Booklist
      • content:

        June 1, 2016
        As the youngest daughter of William Walker, one of England's most infamous thieves, Esther Walker-Bales always believed crime was in her blood. Now, after discovering that William is not actually her biological father, Esther has come to London to find her birth father and to make amends for her criminal past. Unfortunately, Samuel Brass is going to ruin everything. Known as the Thief Taker Almighty, Samuel is quite familiar with Esther and her family, and he can't believe she's risking everything by coming back to London. At first, Samuel does his best to dissuade Esther from going through with her search, but when that doesn't stop her, Samuel reluctantly switches gears. But just because Samuel agrees to help Esther, that doesn't mean he has agreed to help her put herself in danger. The second installment in Johnson's beguiling Thief Taker series (A Talent for Trickery, 2015) is another superbly written historical romance that will win over readers with its engaging characters and a skillfully constructed plot that deftly mingles equal measures of danger and desire.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

popularity
192
links
    • self:
        • href: https://api.overdrive.com/v1/collections/v1L1BWwAAAA2I/products/f005e46f-eaed-42c1-9d74-861d4894e2cb/metadata
        • type: application/vnd.overdrive.api+json
id
f005e46f-eaed-42c1-9d74-861d4894e2cb
starRating
3.8
readingOrder
2
images
    • cover:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-100/0174-1/{F005E46F-EAED-42C1-9D74-861D4894E2CB}Img100.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • thumbnail:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-200/0174-1/{F005E46F-EAED-42C1-9D74-861D4894E2CB}Img200.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover150Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-150/0174-1/F00/5E4/6F/{F005E46F-EAED-42C1-9D74-861D4894E2CB}Img150.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover300Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-400/0174-1/F00/5E4/6F/{F005E46F-EAED-42C1-9D74-861D4894E2CB}Img400.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
isPublicPerformanceAllowed
False
languages
      • code: en
      • name: English
subjects
      • value: Fiction
      • value: Romance
      • value: Historical Fiction
publishDateText
07/05/2016
otherFormatIdentifiers
      • type: ISBN
      • value: 9781492620532
mediaType
eBook
shortDescription

She's a liar.

She's a con.

She's a thief.

And God help him, but he'll do anything to keep her safe.

Beautiful and conniving, maddening and brilliant, Esther is everything private detective Samuel Brass shouldn't want. Esther knows she's put herself in terrible danger, but nothing will stop her from making amends—not her family's enemies, not old fears, and certainly not the domineering, interfering, and undeniably handsome former officer of the Scotland Yard. Yet whenever he's near, Samuel makes her long for a life that can never be hers...and wish she were worthy of being saved.

Second in an exciting late Victorian romance series from a RITA Award nominee!

Thief Takers Series:

A Talent for Trickery, Book 1

A Gift for Guile, Book 2

Dangerous Deceit, Coming Soon


"From the first page, Johnson seizes...

sortTitle
Gift for Guile
crossRefId
2794630
series
The Thief-takers
publisher
Sourcebooks
bisacCodes
      • code: FIC027170
      • description: Fiction / Romance / Historical / Victorian