Genuine Gold (Cantor Gold Crime Series Book 3)

Fay J here. This third Cantor Gold book is just as exciting and deliciously written as the first two - but far more emotionally engaging. The anti-hero Cantor confronts her Coney Island past here, while chasing the bad guys (well, badder guys, as she's an outlaw, too).The tale is fun and sexy, with a side of meaningful - great combo. Author Aptaker adds sparkling, clever dialogue, rich descriptive language and a pace that keeps you engrossed to the point of missing happy hour - something Cantor Gold never does!!!I loved this story and am now hungry for the next one!

Genuine Gold is just that gold. From Greece to Fifth Avenue to Coney Island, Cantor Gold must walk carefully. It’s the third in the Gold series and moves at a fast pace. Murder, a mysterious woman, passion and memories float through this fascinating read. In 1952 New York’s Times Square and Coney Island were not the glitzy places they are today. The grime of corruption ran rampant and Gold always must be one step ahead of the police and the thugs. Art thief Cantor Gold navigates the highs and lows of the city with charm, wit and innate intelligence. She’s rich because she produces. Aptaker shows the dark side of NY and yet one wishes she were there. It seems a time when the city had more glamour than now. Glitz does not equal glamour. Gold lives life on her terms and takes what is thrown at her. She’s open about who she is and almost dares anyone to change her. She likes, no loves women. In this third book, Gold is still looking for the love of her life stolen from her. Help is illusive. However, while the memories of Sophie plagued her she still does the job: stealing art for the rich and powerful.

Cantor Gold is suave, debonair and by far a stud! In my opinion she is the ultimate black and white film noir character with the exception, she is a lesbian. With every story I feel as if I get to know Cantor and her cohorts better and better. One of my favorite art thief’s who enjoys the finer things in life!

Just okay, not able to get into, slow moving.

"Every time there's a buzz on my apartment door, my heart rate speeds up. Sophie? .....but some other person walks in, and my heart goes back to its normal rhythm. Next time maybe..." These are just a few lines in the book about how Cantor Gold feels every time there's an unexpected knock on her door, but strangely, it also pretty much sums up how I feel about the book.It's a long story. And it goes back a couple of books. Cantor Gold is an art and antiquities dealer. She procures rare pieces for museums and private collectors, by whatever means necessary. It's the 1950s, but she dresses as she pleases: custom-tailored suits, silk ties and fedoras. She also fancies the ladies. She lives on the edge--of the law, of respectability. She makes people uncomfortable. Cops, criminals, her rich clients. But money, the right connections and her uncanny ability to deliver the most sought-after finds make people look the other way. Underneath the cool, confident swagger, though, lies a very broken heart. The tragedy of a great love lost, stolen from Cantor right under her nose. But life has to go on. There's money to be made. Clients to be placated. And great art to be discovered, retrieved and delivered. Yet not a day goes by that Cantor doesn't think about Sophie, not even when she's in the arms of other beautiful ladies.And so we come to the latest of Cantor Gold's adventures. In this third book in the series, Cantor once again gets her hands on a priceless piece of art and is on her way to a very lucrative deal. And of course, it's going to go south very fast. Welcome to the New York underworld, circa 1950. Cigar-chomping crime bosses, two-bit gangsters and their molls, slimy cops and double-crossing henchmen....these are some of the colorful characters you'll meet in Cantor's world. And of course, the ever-present damsels in distress--Cantor's number 1 weakness--and the ultimate driver of all of her adventures.This book is very similar in style, theme, and structure to the first two but for one additional element: it's a homage to the old Coney Island. Much of the drama and action takes place there, where Cantor grew up. In this respect, it is the most 'historical' of the three books. What's interesting is that the author was able to capture the soul of the old Coney Island, and not just the physical appearance. Coney Island then was a magical place for it's visitors, which in turn, was a magical opportunity for people who made it so. Everyone could cash in on the magic (or the con, depending on which side you're looking at), and the enterprising child Cantor was already showing great promise, filching little trinkets off unaware tourists and pawning them off for small change, working her own little piece of the con.Possible plot spoilers.As a thriller and whodunit, this is pretty good, by lesfic standards. But compared to the excellently-plotted first two books, this feels slightly underwhelming and been-there, done-that. For one, there is no gut-punching opening scene that just grabs the reader by the jaw and says 'pay attention!'. Cantor got punched in the gut alright, literally ;), but that doesn't really compare to the stunning scenes that launched her first two adventures. There are a few plot holes too, pesky little things that bothered me. I don't like holes in my plots. I like them neat and well thought out. That alone was enough to slough almost a star off.But what is probably the main reason I didn't feel major tingles with the plot was because I didn't really care for any of the victims, none of whom were particularly worth rooting for or feeling sorry for. Lilah had a lot of potential, and early on I warmed up to her dreadful situation.In the first two books, the damsels were in real distress, and part of the fun (and the game) was to try to figure out what they were all about--whether they were going to be Cantor's next great love or be stabbing her in the back. Like I said, Lilah had a lot of potential...but I think the author lost me somewhere when Lilah's questionable actions and decisions turned an initially sympathetic character into a callous/stupid one. There is a subtle but significant difference between the author's treatment of Cantor's damsel-of-the-book here than in the previous two books and that makes all the difference in this reader's empathy towards the character.So what earned the book's rating? The excellent writing. Because I didn't care too much about the convoluted plot this time (and because really, this wasn't any of Cantor's business), it was a good thing I had the writing to fall back on. This book doesn't offer much in terms of moving the overall story arcs forward for any of the original characters in the series, nor were there any compassionate new characters I could root for. That tantalizing bit of plot development that came at the very end felt more like a teaser to the next book. Not that it's not welcome or overdue. Much as I'd love to read more about Cantor Gold's artful misadventures, I can't stand anymore of her pining for a lost love. This book felt more-of-the-same, and coupled with unsympathetic characters, I lost interest at one point.But the excellent writing brought me back, and made the whole trip much less of a chore than it would have been otherwise. Her perfect take on Cantor Gold, the honorable thief with a deadly weakness for beauty, be it art or women, and all the complicated women in her life always makes for enjoyable reading. Her in-depth knowledge of art and history has made all three books engaging trips back in time and into the secretive and seductive world of art dealing (and stealing). I would have preferred that she wrote more about Cantor's successful exploits rather than her failures (she keeps losing her catch, even the bad guys notice, lol) but then I suppose Cantor wouldn't have so much fun trying to get them back then.4.25 starsARC from Netgalley and BSB.Ooops, I almost forgot to explain my cryptic opening statement. Spending three books with a character you love (grew to love, in this case) means that you fall into a certain kind of affinity with them. I seldom follow series books beyond the second or third book (I grow bored easily and there are many I've abandoned over the years) unless there's something new or compelling that keeps me coming back. Unlike other lesfic series, Cantor carries the weight of all three books on her own mighty shoulders. There's no significant other. Lots of candidates but no winners...yet. I guess that is the ultimate appeal of this series, to see if Cantor can ever have her HEA (and hopefully Rosie as well) or will it be a tragedy of Greek proportions. And if so, will there ever be anyone good enough for Cantor to replace the almost mythical Sophie? I'm pretty much committed to see this through, and enjoy her shenanigans on the side. So...every time I pick up a new book in the series, I feel like Cantor getting that unexpected knock on the door, we both feel a bit of a spike in the heartbeat. Will it be this time? ....And when it's not, the heartbeat goes back to normal. Life goes on. More artworks for Cantor to steal. More books for me to read. Oh well, until the next time then. But please, let's stop stringing poor Cantor along already and give her some solid leads to go on. She deserves it.

Oh, how I love Ann Aptakers writing! This book continues the Cantor Gold series and is just delicious.Cantor Gold is a silk suit wearing butch in 1950's New York and Coney Island when the police like nothing better than to arrest lesbians and 'put them right' whilst in custody. She is in the business of smuggling antiquities into the city under the noses of the police and mob bosses alike.This story is about a shipment that Cantor picks up in Greece and everything goes wrong between Greece and final delivery to the client in New York. It finally leads to Coney Island whereCantor grew up.Aptaker is still painting a canvas with words, sweeping descriptions that ensure you are there in the picture. Thoughts that are Cantor Gold's, whilst she is strutting her stuff with a woman on her arm.If you don't have this series, go buy it! I can't wait for Book 4!

These just get better, and better!!!Back in New York with Cantor Gold after a priceless artefact recovered on a trip to Greece is stolen in the dead of night. But as usual, it isn’t as simple as it seems and Cantor finds herself wrapped up in Coney Island dramas. Walking footsteps of the past, with old acquaintances appearing, and ghosts lurking everywhere, Cantor is keen to recover her goods and get her pay from her client, but finds herself deeply embroiled in more than she bargained for with new femme fatale, Lilah Day!This is 100% my favourite series ever. Crime Noir at it’s very best, and Ann brings it to life in a way I am going to struggle to put into words because it is just amazing. Every time I find myself back in the seedy underworld of gangsters and mobsters with Cantor Gold, I fall just a little bit further in love with the ‘glamour’ of it all! The way Ann users Cantor narrate her own story, as if she recounting her adventures to you in the present day is just wonderfully vivid. I can always see the scenes playing out in my head, as if they were on the big screen in the heydays of Black and White, Sepia toned Hollywood Noir. Ann has a real talent for this stories, and I adore every one of them.I loved the little insight into Cantor’s past, the connections and memories as she compares the past with her present surroundings. The memoir feel is just beautiful and brings a uniqueness to the story telling. I was excited to start reading this before I’d even read the first page. I just know what I am getting with Ann and Cantor, and I LOVE it!!! I think everyone should read these, even if you think crime/noir/romance isn’t your thing, because this will change your mind. The talent to write in first person like this is something I aspire to, and Ann is great inspiration.Then there is these femme fatales that keep getting in Cantor’s path. Although heartbroken about Sophie, she really is swept away by these ladies and they are all amazing, and Lilah Day has to be the best one yet!!! I was so unsure, and she had me guessing how much she was going to be behind things in this adventure. I was really surprised with every turn of a page, it was so unpredictable I couldn’t even start to call this one out and guess who was behind everything!!! Just amazing!!! Now, I am more excited than ever to read the fourth book in the series, and that Ann is continuing Cantor’s adventures with another novel too!!! If you haven’t discovered this series yet, then I can highly recommend it (disclaimer* It’s addictive!!!) and what are you waiting for!!!