The Ultimatum by Karen Robards

Thief. Manipulator. Con artist. Call it what you will—Bianca St. Ives is the best in the business.

Growing up, Bianca St. Ives knew she was different from all her friends. Instead of playing hopscotch or combing her dolls’ hair, she studied martial arts with sensei masters and dismantled explosives with special-ops retirees. Her father prepped her well to carry on the family business. Now a striking beauty with fierce skills, the prodigy has surpassed the master.

She’s known as the Guardian. Running a multinational firm with her father, she makes a living swindling con men out of money they stole—and she’s damn good at it. She does things on her own terms. But her latest gig had a little hiccup—if you count two hundred million dollars and top secret government documents going missing as little. Her father also died on the mission. The thing is, the U.S. government doesn’t believe he’s really dead. They’ll stop at nothing to capture Richard St. Ives, a high-value target and someone who has been on most-wanted lists all over the world for over two decades, and they mean to use Bianca as bait. With only a fellow criminal for backup and her life on the line, it’s up to Bianca to uncover the terrifying truth behind what really happened…and set it right, before it’s too late.

New York Times bestselling author Karen Robards discussed her latest novel, THE ULTIMATUM, with The Big Thrill:

What do you hope readers will take away from this book?

I hope they’re entertained by Bianca’s story.

How does this book make a contribution to the genre?

It has a very different protagonist with a wry, amusing world view.

Was there anything new you discovered, or surprised you, as you wrote this book?

I was surprised by how much I liked and empathized with Bianca.

*****

Karen Robards is the New York Times, USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of more than fifty novels.

To learn more about Karen, please visit her website.