On Tour 06/15/25-07/31/25 “Second Pocket First” by Gregory Grosvenor

Release Date: March 1, 2025

About The Book:

Issey considers himself a masterful and elegant thief. He’s just as meticulous with his lockpicking tools as he is with his ankle boots and slimming turtlenecks. He’s also easily confused, stupid, and maybe not so good at being a thief.

Unforeseen circumstances bring him back to his childhood town, the wonderland that is Vermont’s Bell River Valley. With the holidays on the horizon, he sets his sights on the town’s open doors. But just as his thieving begins, with accompanying shapewear and accessories, something unexpected happens—he falls backwards into becoming the town hero. The sudden hero role ushers in wealth, adoration, and a love interest so mysterious he hardly knows her name.

However, before he can get too cozy, an uninvited associate from his past reappears—as does every last item Issey has ever stolen.

Second Pocket First shoehorns comedy, crime, and small-town charm into this delightful romp as Issey must decide between old habits and a sudden devotion to the town’s goodwill.

About The Author:

Gregory Grosvenor grew up in Ansbach, Germany. He moved to the US, earning an MFA from Old Dominion University. For two decades, he has taught writing and the art of the short story at various colleges in Virginia, Maryland, and Massachusetts. Grosvenor currently lives in Somerville, Massachusetts with his three cats, Dinah, Theo, and Bramlet Abercrombie. Second Pocket First is his debut novel. Mr. Grosvenor is available for interviews, podcast, speaking engagements, and book signings.

Social Media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gregory.grosvenor/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gregory.schneider.5811

Book Blurbs:

“In the tradition of the great comic novels. Original, quirky, bighearted, I loved this book!”-Janet Peery, National Book Award Finalist

A lighthearted jaunt alongside a lovable loser whose rise and fall will keep readers turning pages.

–Kirkus Reviews

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/gregory-grosvenor/second-pocket-first/

“Catches the reader’s attention with its simplicity and humor from the very first chapter to the very last page and an ending that is unexpected but wholly satisfying.”

–Bernadette Longu, Readers’ Favorite

https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/second-pocket-first

“Subversive in its usage of the English language, and always hilarious, Second Pocket First offers an absurdist, ultra-stylish window into the declining mind of a professional thief. Unpredictable to the last. Underneath its calendar beauty, New England never really makes up its mind about outsiders.”

-Del Blackwater, author of Dead Egyptians

“Second Pocket First is a twenty-first century picaresque novel. In the guise of gentleman thief Issey, Gregory Grosvenor has created an interesting protagonist whose peculiarly wayward moral compass marks him out as not quite of our times.”

–Craig Jones, IndieReader

https://indiereader.com/book_review/second-pocket-first/#review

“With all the serious news and tragedies taking place, Second Pocket First provides a light, fun diversion.”

-JD Jung, Underrated Reads