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Series · romantic caper

To Catch a Leopard

by C.W. Gortner

The To Catch a Leopard series by C.W. Gortner has 3 known books (3 published). It is best read in publication order, starting with The Steal (2021). The Heist is the latest book with a fully recorded publication date.

Books
3 known books (3 novellas)
Published
3
First published
2021
Status
completed
Shelved under
Romance , Mystery & Crime
Start here: The Steal (2021) — then read straight through in publication order.
Book one
Cover of The Steal
The Steal (2021)

Reading order

The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.

  1. The Steal

    Novella
    The Steal, published 10 August 2021, opens the To Catch a Leopard trilogy at 141 pages, co-written by C.W. Gortner and M.J. Rose, as a theft in Cannes throws jewelry designer Ania Throne into the orbit of a notorious jewel thief known as the Leopard.
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  2. The Bait

    Novella
    The Bait followed roughly five months later, on 4 January 2022, the shortest entry at 125 pages, picking up a year on in Venice during Carnival as Ania stages a heist of her own to lure the Leopard out.
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  3. The Heist

    Novella
    The Heist closed C. W. Gortner and M. J. Rose's To Catch a Leopard trilogy on 2 August 2022 at 116 pages, concluding jewelry designer Ania Throne and Jerome's pursuit of the elusive jewel thief the Leopard across Hollywood glamour and a Los Angeles-canyon chase. Like The Steal and The Bait before it, this novella-length entry pairs the authors' shared interest in real jewelry history with a fast-moving, romance-forward late-1950s caper plot.
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Key facts about the To Catch a Leopard series

Our list has 3 books in the To Catch a Leopard series. Since all 3 are out now, you can read the whole list today.

Start with The Steal, since it opens the publication order in 2021. The Bait is book 2, from 2022. The Heist is book 3, from 2022.

The list keeps the books in date order, while each title links to its own page. Each book page shows its dates and editions.

The Heist is the latest book with a full release date, out on 2 August 2022. Since the catalogue marks the series as complete, we list no next book.

The books came out between 2021 and 2022, while their length runs from 116 to 141 pages. That is a run of 1 year.

C.W. Gortner has 16 books on our list. Additionally, they write The Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles. We shelve the books under romantic caper.

About the To Catch a Leopard series

To Catch a Leopard is a late-1950s romantic caper trilogy co-written by historical novelists C.W. Gortner and M.J. Rose, following jewelry designer Ania Throne's running cat-and-mouse game with a notorious jewel thief known only as the Leopard. The Steal (2021) opens in Cannes, where a shocking theft from Ania's stunning new collection throws her into the Leopard's orbit and an unexpected partnership with Jerome, a man with his own stake in the hunt. The Bait (2022) picks up a year later in Venice during Carnival, where Ania and Jerome stage a spectacular heist of their own to lure the Leopard out, and The Heist (2022) concludes the trilogy across Hollywood glamour and a Los Angeles-canyon chase.

Each novella-length entry combines Gortner's and Rose's shared interest in real jewelry history and Gilded Age-adjacent glamour with a fast-moving, romance-forward caper plot, published through Blue Box Press, the imprint Rose co-founded.

Frequently asked questions

How many books are in the To Catch a Leopard series?

Three novellas: The Steal (2021), The Bait (2022) and The Heist (2022). The trilogy is complete.

What order should I read To Catch a Leopard in?

Publication order: The Steal, The Bait, The Heist. It's one continuous story following Ania Throne and Jerome across roughly three years, not standalone entries.

Who is Ania Throne?

A jewelry designer and the trilogy's protagonist, whose collections and life are repeatedly targeted by a jewel thief known as the Leopard across all three books.

Is To Catch a Leopard connected to M.J. Rose's other books?

Not directly in plot -- it's a genre collaboration with C.W. Gortner, distinct from Rose's solo Reincarnationist, Daughters of La Lune and standalone historical novels, though it shares her recurring interest in jewelry and craft history.

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