Stealing the Marbles by EJ Knapp

At the turn of the 19th century Lord Elgin stole pieces of the Parthenon and shipped them to England.

At the turn of the 21st century Danny Samsel is going to steal them back.

Danny Samsel is a thief in love with thieving – but that’s not the only reason he’s determined to pull off the heist of the century. Stealing The Marbles is a bold, daring caper thriller in the tradition of Michael Connelly and Elmore Leonard. Newcomer E.J. Knapp has crafted a fast-paced, edge-of-your seat story guaranteed to keep you reading – and guessing – all night! — Karen Dionne – Author of Freezing Point and Boiling Point

EJ Knapp’s scene-setting descriptions are vivid and intense, and engage all the senses. He not only talks about what the character sees; but describes it in detail, right down to the colours of the flowers and the table cloths. He writes about the warmth of the sun, and the scent of the breeze and the light slap of leather shoes against cement in an alley. The characters feel exhaustion and pain, they have feelings and morals and a conscience, and they even need the bathroom. When they discuss something over a meal, he not only mentions what they eat and what wine they are drinking, but he also describes the taste and the smell and the texture. This made me feel more involved in the story, and not just a mere casual observer. — Jacki Janse van Rensburg – for Women 24

***

EJ was born during a thunderstorm in Detroit, Michigan, several years before the Motor City discovered fins. Raised in a working-class, blue-collar neighborhood, he morphed into the stereotypical hoodlum a teenager, growing up on the west side of Detroit, was expected to be. Dropping out of high school at sixteen, he hit the road in his 1960 Chevy and has, in one way or another, been rolling down that road ever since.