Allie Burns
crime fiction
Series · romantic caper
To Catch a Leopard
The To Catch a Leopard series by C.W. Gortner has 3 known books (3 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with The Steal (2021). The latest book with a fully recorded publication date is The Heist.
- Books
- 3 known books (3 novellas)
- Published
- 3
- First published
- 2021
- Status
- completed
- Shelved under
- Romance, Mystery & Crime
- Last checked
Start here: The Steal (2021) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
The Steal
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.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Steal - Book 2:
The Bait
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.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Bait - Book 3:
The Heist
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.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Heist
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.
If you like the To Catch a Leopard series
Reading order last verified .