Romance, Jewels, and Italian-Style Crime

My family watched The Italian Job last night, at my brother's recommendation. Cool movie. Loved it. I enjoy movies with lots of neat gadgets and inventive heroes. I got a book several months ago for my birthday (The Jewel in the Crown) which promised the same thing, but I never got caught up in the emotions of trying to catch the double-crosser. Maybe The Italian Job gripped me more because more was at stake and more was lost.

In The Jewel in the Crown, the group of various experts were trying to salvage their security company by breaking through the Tower of London defenses and stealing the Queen Mother's crown (proving that their company was needed). Then the guy from the Scotland Yard who hired them makes off with the loot, and they have to get it back while being chased by police.

In The Italian Job, it wasn't a near stranger who stole from them, it was someone they'd worked with for a while who stole the gold, killed their head guy, and left the rest for dead (my apologies to anyone who hasn't watched the movie - but that's only the kick-off event). Or maybe I just liked the underplayed romance in The Italian Job, while the book had opportunities for hints of romance and completely ignored them. Oh, well, guess I shouldn't expect too much from a male author (sorry, guys, but I don't see any of you writing for Love Inspired or Heartsong Presents).