The Sacred Art of Stealing

By way of a bad way to turn 30, Angelique de Xavia gets caught in the middle of a surreal bank robbery, and finds her loyalties sorely tested. And that's just the start of her and everyone else's troubles. Also provides a quick crash course for outsiders in the way Protestant/Catholic divides in Scotland align with football fandom. The second of the three De Xavia Christopher Brookmyre novels.

Tropes used in The Sacred Art of Stealing include:

• Awesome McCoolname: Angelique de Xavia
• The Caper: Has a brilliant heist involving clowns and banks. And a bus, or am I getting confused?
• Fair Cop: Angelique de Xavia
• Gentleman Thief: Jarry and Co.
• I Know You Know I Know: Subverted
• Jerkass: Mr. Athena.
• Magnificent Bastard: The way the leader of the thieves plays everyone for his revenge is breathtaking.
• Monster Clown: Subverted and then some
• Pregnant Hostage: One of several signs the supposed bad guys are gentlemen. Except Mr. Athena.
• Serious Business: Missing the football.
• Single Woman Seeks Good Man: Played with and then some.
• UST
• Waiting for Godot: Among other ways to help the hostages pass the time during safebreaking, two of the bankrobbers stage a version of this.