Review — The Gentleman Thief Steals a Blanket by Mark Nutter | iRead Book Tour
“Between priceless Chinese vases, Branson souvenirs, and a state-of-the-art mower, Danny’s misadventures prove crime might not pay—but it sure is hilarious to watch.”
Welcome to my stop on the iRead Book Tour for The Gentleman Thief Steals a Blanket by Mark Nutter. This PG-13 humorous caper turns midlife chaos into laugh-out-loud larceny. Frustrated novelist Danny reconnects with his college roommate—now a self-styled “gentleman thief”—and gets hired to chronicle the capers. One stolen vase, a suspiciously valuable Branson blanket, and a police tail later, Danny’s juggling a lawn-and-garden tycoon, a washed-up Vegas magician, and a crush on the magician’s assistant—all racing toward an audacious lawnmower heist. Keep reading for the author’s guest post and the tour giveaway!
👇 Keep scrolling for the giveaway.
📝 All About the Book
The Gentleman Thief Steals a Blanket
By Mark Nutter
Published by BOOKBABY on June 2025
Genres: Humorous, Mystery
Formats: eBook, Paperback
Pages: 296
Source: iRead Book ToursFrustrated novelist Danny is resigned to writing material for trade shows, promoting garage doors and non-stick cookware. His ex-wife threatens legal action for non-payment of alimony. Danny never dreamed the answer to his troubles could be larceny.
But then wealthy, charming Packard Hale III reenters his life. He was Danny's college roommate, and like Lupin and Raffles, he now fancies himself a gentleman thief. Packard hires Danny to write about his capers.
Danny follows Packard as they break into a mansion and steal, among other things, a priceless Chinese vase and a curiously valuable souvenir blanket from Branson, Missouri. However, it's not Packard who is pursued by the police, but Danny.
Simultaneously, he struggles to please his client, a lawn-and-garden CEO with an erotic attraction to lawnmowers. Danny also endures abuse from Soren, a boozy has-been Vegas magician. He tolerates the mistreatment because of Crystal, the magician's assistant. He's falling for her.
When he learns Soren screwed Crystal out of rights to magic tricks she's created -- and in spite of the cops on his tail -- Danny plots revenge. He and Packard attempt the daring theft of a state-of-the-art lawnmower—during a live performance in front of 400 people.
🛒 Where to Find The Gentleman Thief Steals a Blanket
Available on Amazon
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✨ My Thoughts on The Gentleman Thief Steals a Blanket
Quick take: A funny, cozy-adjacent caper with zany twists, big heart, and more LOLs than I expected.
What hooked me first is the unique premise: Danny, a beleaguered writer, has his life upended when his old college roommate—now a self-styled “gentleman thief”—crashes back into the picture. Chaos ensues, and it’s the delightful kind: madcap set pieces, a suspiciously valuable blanket, and a caper that keeps topping itself.
The characters are a treat. Everyone pops, from scene-stealers to side players, and the banter flies. The book is a bit dialogue-heavy, which gives it the snappy rhythm of a stage play—and I mean that as a compliment. It reads fast, feels theatrical, and keeps the laughs coming.
As a cozy mystery fan, I loved the low-grit, high-fun vibe. There are genuine stakes, but the tone stays buoyant; I found myself laughing out loud more than once. Add in a few zany twists and you’ve got a hard-to-put-down read.
Review at a Glance
My Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
A great light read and a perfect palate cleanser between heavier books—especially for readers who enjoy humorous heists, snappy dialogue, and a cozy-ish mystery with heart.
Genre: Humorous fiction / cozy-adjacent caper
Vibe: Light, zany, dialogue-forward; reads a bit like a play
Pace & Style: Brisk, banter-driven; madcap set pieces
What I Loved: Unique premise; college-roommate-turned-“gentleman thief”; laugh-out-loud moments; delightful ensemble
Heads-Up: PG-13 (some language; one non-explicit post-coital reference)
I received a copy of the book for the tour. This review represents my honest and unbiased opinion.
🖋️ Guest Post from Mark Nutter
I’m pleased to welcome author Mark Nutter today! He’s sharing two game-changing books that helped him write more—with less stress. Enjoy!
TWO BOOKS TO MAKE YOU MORE PROLIFIC
Mark Nutter
Prolific (adj.) marked by abundant inventiveness or productivity.
If you're an independent author like me, you'll encounter an overwhelming amount of advice on how to market your books: conduct readings at independent bookstores, embark on lecture tours, and saturate social media. These ideas are excellent, but the one that most appealed to an introvert like me was — write more.
In my quest to learn how to do exactly that, I researched the prolific authors of the pulp era in the 1930s. Magazines like Black Mask, Amazing Stories, Love Story Magazine, and Western Stories Magazine thrived during that decade. Over a thousand different titles appeared. A writer who wanted to make a living had to know how to churn out stories to meet the demand.
The first book I’ll recommend is The Pulp Jungle by Frank Gruber, a fascinating story told from the trenches of pulp writing. Gruber experienced years of rejection before finally breaking through.
Okay, I thought, I'll churn out stories as if I were a pulp writer. But how do I learn to churn, in practical terms?
Which brings me to the second book: The 7 Secrets of the Prolific: How to Overcome Procrastination, Perfectionism, and Writer's Block, by Hillary Rettig.
This book is a gem, offering a ton of good advice for writers. I'll share two bits that work for me:
- Don't feel you have to be Jump in anywhere and write what tickles you at the moment. Starting at the beginning and slogging through your project linearly is a symptom of dreaded perfectionism. And it's not much fun.
- Trial and error is your work method and your Now when I’m working, my internal monologue goes something like this: “I don't know what to write next.” “Write anything.” “It won't be any good.” “Do it anyway. If it sucks, try something else. Keep repeating until what you've written feels right." “Okay, let’s do it.”
While my output is nowhere near that of a pulp writer, I'm a little more prolific. And I'm having a lot more fun.
✍️ Meet Author Mark Nutter
Mark Nutter grew up in a motel near Joliet, Illinois (less glamorous than it sounds!) and writes comedy across page and stage. He’s the author of the humorous heist novel The Gentleman Thief Steals a Blanket and three short-story collections—Giant Banana Over Texas, Dancer on the Ceiling, and Sunset Cruise on the River Styx. His theater work includes music & lyrics for Re-Animator the Musical, which earned both the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award and the LA Weekly Theater Award. On screen, he’s written for TV (Saturday Night Live, 3rd Rock from the Sun) and film (Almost Heroes).
🎁 Giveaway!
Enter below for your chance to win an author-signed copy of The Gentleman Thief Steals a Blanket!
Be sure to follow the tour. There are more chances to win at every stop!
Here's the Full Tour Schedule for you!
📝 Blog Stops (click to expand)
- Sep 2 – Liese's Blog
- Sep 5 – Hall Ways Blog
- Sep 5 – Deal Sharing Aunt
- Sep 5 – Working Mommy Journal
- Sep 9 – Deborah-Zenha Adams
- Sep 15 – StoreyBook Reviews
- Sep 15 – Gina Rae Mitchell
- Sep 16 – Paws.Read.Repeat
- Sep 19 – FUONLYKNEW
- Sep 23 – Locks, Hooks and Books
- Sep 25 – Book Corner News and Reviews
- Sep 26 – GetUrBook
📱 Social Media Stops (click to expand)
- Sep 2 – @RebeccaReviewedIt
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- Sep 4 – The Endless Pages
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- Sep 5 – @bookscape__
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- Sep 11 – @Leannebookstagram
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- Sep 16 – @thisreadergirl
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- Sep 18 – @i_bee_reading
- Sep 19 – @jilljemmett
- Sep 22 – @lizzies.reading.recs
- Sep 22 – @whatsenalireads
- Sep 24 – @adriftinfictionalworld
- Sep 26 – @respecka
- Sep 27 – @nissa_the.bookworm
- Sep 29 – @theratherslowreader
- Sep 29 – @liztheliterary
- Sep 29 – @anjiscape
- Sep 29 – @this.human.reads
- Sep 29 – @speedreadstagram
- Sep 29 – @onemorechap
- Sep 29 – @readsandmusic
THE GENTLEMAN THIEF STEALS A BLANKET Book Tour Giveaway
🌟 Closing Notes & Kudos
Huge thanks to Mark Nutter for the delightful guest post and to iRead Book Tours for inviting me to participate in this tour for The Gentleman Thief Steals a Blanket. If you’re just discovering the book, be sure to visit other hosts (see the Tour Schedule toggles above) and enter the giveaway while you’re here.
If you’ve read it—or plan to—tell me in the comments: what’s your favorite funny heist or comedy-caper book or movie? I love your recs!
📌 Quick Book Tour Recap
Book Title: The Gentleman Thief Steals a Blanket by Mark Nutter
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 296 pages
Genre: Humorous Fiction
Publisher: BookBaby
Release date: June 2025
Content Rating: PG-13: Some language and a non-explicit post-coital scene
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