Series · romantic caper
To Catch a Leopard
The To Catch a Leopard series by C.W. Gortner has 3 books and is best read in publication order, starting with The Steal (2021).
- Books
- 0 novels + 3 novellas
- First published
- 2021
- Status
- completed
- Last checked
Start here: The Steal (2021) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.
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.
Reading order last verified .