Published September 2026 via Amazon Original Stories
When Nora steals, it fills something of a gap within her. She steals things that make her happy, and so far she hasn't been caught. But the spider silk scarf is something else entirely—a rarity, yes, and one she knows she has to have, but one that will require breaking into an old woman's home. And, surprising perhaps no one, things do not go to plan.
What interests me most here is what is asked of the reader: Nora's not a bad person, but she is also, objectively, a criminal; some of her thefts are petty, but others are markedly more significant. And yet the story asks you to sympathize with Nora, at least partially, to hope that she doesn't get caught and (maybe) that she'll come away with her booty. And on the whole, it works: I found myself, if not entirely supporting Nora, at least hoping that she wouldn't be caught in too ugly a way; I didn't really want her to be able to steal the scarf, but...well, it's some interesting work.
Again, things do not really go to plan for Nora. I figured out well before she did what might be going on, which in this context of this story makes some sense. Nicely ambiguous ending, too, or if not ambiguous exactly then at least not all tied up with a bow.
<i>Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.</i>
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