A matter of death and life

British SF and thriller author Green is probably best known for his Ishmael Jones series, but with The Best Thing You Can Steal (2021), he introduced a fascinating new character. Gideon Sable is a con man and a thief, but not the ordinary kind. He specializes in stealing things no one else can steal, things of an otherworldly, supernatural, or just plain weird nature. His target this time is an ancient Egyptian relic. And to get it he'll have to travel from London to--shudder--Las Vegas. Like the first Sable adventure, this sequel is a fine caper novel. The heist is meticulously planned but rather less meticulously executed--as is traditional in most good caper novels--but what makes the Sable books especially interesting is their setting: an alternate version of our world, where ghosts and people with unique abilities coexist with ordinary humans. It's a wonderfully imagined setting, which will be no surprise for those familiar with Green's oeuvre. The Sable novels make perfect fare for fans of urban fantasy, thrillers, or caper novels (or, especially, blends of all three).