Vita set her jaw, and nodded at New York City in greeting, as a boxer greets an opponent before a fight.

Fresh off the boat from England, Vita Marlowe has a job to do. Her beloved grandfather Jack has been cheated out of his home and possessions by a notorious conman with Mafia connections. Seeing Jack’s spirit is broken, Vita is desperate to make him happy again, so she devises a plan to outwit his enemies and recover his home.

She finds a young pickpocket, working the streets of the city. And nearby, two boys with highly unusual skills and secrets of their own are about to be pulled into her lawless, death-defying plan. Together, the four children carry out a daring and exhilarating heist and through Katherine Rundell’s fantastic narrative and gift for drawing characters, readers are at their sides and willing them onwards every breathless step of the way.

The Good Thieves is Katherine Rundell’s fifth novel. Her previous titles include Rooftoppers, The Wolf Wilder and The Explorer, all of which have featured in CCB’s Top Children’s Books.