Bandette returns to steal readers' hearts once again! The teenaged master burglar has thrown down the gauntlet with the Great Thieving Race, and friendly rival Monsieur has stepped in to take the challenge. This second charming collection of the award-winning digital series sees the two competing to steal the most priceless artifacts from the criminal organization FINIS and turning over whatever they learn about its plans to the long-suffering Inspector B. D. Belgique. But FINIS's response could make this Bandette's final crime spree! Collects the digital comics, Bandette #6-#9 , plus a new prose tale, guest-drawn Urchin Stories , and more! Gr 7 Up—This volume picks up hot on the heels of the first "Bandette" collected volume, Presto! (Dark Horse, 2013), with master thieves Bandette and Monsieur in the middle of their contest to take back stolen treasures and expose the criminal organization FINIS, and its ruthless leader, Absinthe. Unknown to Bandette, Absinthe has unleashed his most feared assassin, Il Tredici (Italian for 13), to remove her from the picture permanently. It is a race to see if Bandette, Monsieur, and their team of stalwart allies can bring an end to FINIS before Bandette meets her demise at the hands of her unlucky 13. Bandette, the self-proclaimed greatest thief in the world, does not miss a beat. The protagonist remains as irreverent and joyful as ever. Writer Tobin and his wife, artist Coover, have created genuinely fun and well-developed characters, from the gruff Inspector Belgique to Bandette's band of allies led by the lovelorn Daniel. Each gets to shine in a series of short vignettes about the supporting characters at the book's conclusion. The art meshes with the feel of the story perfectly and adeptly contrasts the vibrancy of Bandette and her crew with the malevolence of Absinthe and Il Tredici. Interesting background material on some of the actual items that Bandette and Monsieur steal is also included in the back matter. The engaging narrative is perfectly in sync with the art, populated with fun and enjoyable characters and an especially strong and unique female lead. VERDICT This volume will find an audience in every collection.—Erik Knapp, Davis Library, Plano, TX Paul Tobin is a New York Times-bestselling author. His writing includes Bandette ; Colder ; and many other comic books, graphic series and works of fiction. Bandette , drawn by Colleen Coover, was awarded the Eisner Award for Best Digital Series in 2013; again in 2016; and was a finalist for the Oregon Book Award for Graphic Literature in 2016. Paul's graphic novel I Was the Cat , created with artist Benjamin Dewey, was nominated for an Eisner in 2015. The Genius Factor: How to Capture an Invisible Cat , first in Paul's series of five novels for middle-grade readers, debuted in 2016 from Bloomsbury Kids in the USA, the UK, and worldwide. The second book in the series, How To Outsmart A Billion Robot Bees , came out March 2017. Colleen Coover is an Eisner Award-winning comic book artist based in Portland, Oregon. Her comics include the adult title Small Favors and the all-ages Banana Sunday . She has been published by Dark Horse, Top Shelf, Marvel, and many others. She works with her husband, writer Paul Tobin, on the Eisner-winning series Bandette .