All That Glitters

The town of Wickerwire, Iowa has become the target of a jewelry thief with the ability to get by completely undetected. The only trace he leaves behind is candy in place of what he steals. The media gives him the nickname "The Candy Caper" after this calling card. He won't give up until he finds an item believed to be blessed with ancient magic...unless someone else gets in his way.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Jackie Sonnenberg shares the story of a jewelry thief who is only looking for one ancient item in her novel, All That Glitters. When Nick Allen was a child, he was diagnosed with Kleptomania. Now as an adult, he struggles to control it, often losing against his urge. But it has come to his attention that there is an ancient magic in an unidentifiable piece of jewelry that helps the person who has it with overcoming their problems. Now he's on the hunt to find this invaluable piece that will allow him to stop his uncontrollable urge to steal, by robbing jewelry stores until he finds it. 

Nick Allen is the main character and the jewelry thief. By day, he works as a dentist and by night he is, what the newspapers have dubbed him, the Candy Caper. An ironic twist by Sonnenberg that Nick leaves candy in place of what he steals. Everyone knows dentists don't enjoy candy. Though his background information is scarce, almost as if he has no past, character traits can be picked up through context clues. Nick is a very nervous man, incredibly self-conscious, and shy. He has trouble talking to people, even those he calls friends because Nick's always afraid that someone will find out his Kleptomaniac-secret. Though he knows it's wrong, stealing jewelry makes him feel invincible. Nick is able to put on the mask and be someone who isn't scared of what he is. Though I feel readers will have trouble forming a strong connection with Nick, there will be an air of intrigue and interest that will help readers enjoy the story. 

All That Glitters focuses on Nick as the Candy Caper and his ambition to find the ancient piece of jewelry that will solve his problem. Readers watch as Nick avoids the cops, plans his next heist, and falls for a jewelry store owner. While this is occurring, there is another character, an absolute jinx, who is also looking for the ancient piece to wear as a lucky charm. Though the plot is very intriguing, I think the character connections could be a lot stronger. I would have liked a deeper look into the past of Nick, the jinx, and especially the store owner that steals the Candy Caper's heart.

Rating: 2.5/5 Cups