Red Glove by Holly Black YP FIC BLACK

Cassel Sharpe thought he was the only normal one in a family of curseworking con artists, but that was the biggest con of all.  He has the most powerful curse of all: transformation. Anything he touches changes into whatever he wants.  Now that the love of his life is transformed back into herself she’s also been cursed to love him. So now her love is as phony as his old life.  when the Sharpe family loses one of its own, Cassell is recruited by the Feds to catch the killer all while dodging the mob and keeping two steps ahead of the feds and out of their cuffs. Cassel is finding out that love is the biggest con of all, but can he pull it off?

Holly Black writes fantasy that almost anyone can enjoy.  Her world seems real even when it deals with the unreal.  She does this by thinking about all the details that would exist in a world where magic is commonplace and also understanding how to bring a criminal lifestyle to the page.  She has vibrant characters with real motivations and depth and she knows how to pace a novel as well as the best thriller authors.  This is the sequel to White Cat, so definitely read it first (which works out nicely because it is also excellent!).  What makes these novels so enjoyable is the mix of danger, intrigue, and the satisfaction of a well pulled off con (which both novels end with a doozy of a big twist con). Last but not least, I really love that Black always includes loads of characters from a multicultural background that don’t exist to represent an ethnicity (tokenism!) and are in n way stereotypes.  It helps to see people of color in fantasy.  all in all this is a compelling series that could appeal to book lovers of many stripes.