I haven’t run into a lot of other characters like Molly Miranda- until recently, that is. I was recently contacted by author John L. Monk who recently published Thief’s Odyssey, a novel about- you guessed it- a thief! We bonded over our mutual fascination of real burglars and our love of Bill Mason, writer of Confessions of a Master Jewel Thief.
We recently interviewed one another about our recent projects and more.
Tell me a little bit about your thief, Bo Mosley. A bit of back story, specialties, etc.
Bo Mosley is a former foster kid, now 27 years old, who grew up idolizing famous thieves like Blane Nordhal and Bill Mason. Most kids look up to sports stars and astronauts or pop singers for their career aspirations, but not Bo. He grew up admiring how Mason and Nordhal and others thumbed their noses at square society, surviving by their wit, doing what they wanted. Despite all that, Bo isn’t a completely bad guy. He’s capable of love and is brave in defense of his friends.
What genres does Thief’s Odyssey fall into?
I tried my best to have the book fall solidly into “crime fiction,” whether in the “Action and Adventure” category or the “Mystery” category. That said, readers of other genres will enjoy the human story of a troubled man trying to fill his life with an unhealthy obsession (stealing) while staying true to his better nature.
What books did you read to research thievery? Are there any real thefts that caught your interest?
Probably the most important book from purely an inspirational sense was Confessions of a Master Jewel Thief, Bill Mason’s fascinating first-person memoir. Highly recommended. Beyond that, I bought a bunch of books on safe cracking, lock-picking, and even a book on how to become a private eye. There are a number of private detectives in the book, and though the book wasn’t about private eyes, I nonetheless wanted to get the details I covered as correct as possible. I also spent a great many hours watching YouTube videos on how to break into things. For example: garage doors. If you have a garage door with a window, you’ll want to read “Thief’s Odyssey.”
As for real thefts that caught my interest, I mention Bill Mason’s famous robbery of Johnny Weismuller (who played Tarzan in the 30s and 40s) in the very first chapter — for a very good reason (no spoilers!).
How realistic are the criminal activities featured in the book?
Research was a big deal for me because I wanted to give the reader crystal clear visibility into the life of a high-tech burglar. I wanted her/him to see just how technical cracking a safe could be: by using graph paper and knowledge of how the safe actually works, right down to the internals of the wheel pack. I fully expect some readers to want a story where the camera sits farther back. But there are enough stories like that out there, and yes, I love them too. This book was for the folks who want to sit right there with Bo as he realistically compromises email accounts, disables alarm systems with wire and cold solder, and shrugs off the extra minutes needed to “bump” his way past mushroom pins in a warded lock.
If Bo Mosley could steal anything in the world, what would it be and why?
Bo doesn’t steal for greed, he steals for the challenge. So anything challenging that people value a great deal would do. And yet, he’s not the type that would want to steal the gold from Fort Knox. Not that he wouldn’t if he somehow devised a plan, of course. Bo’s interests, however, are turned more toward wealthy society: the fat cats, the celebrities, the people who wake up every day on the winning side of life. He’s turned stealing into a game, and the more players the better.
Learn more about John at: John-l-Monk.com
