'Can we try escaping just a little slower?'

For fans of Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club and Ocean's 11 comes a witty Australian cosy crime caper about art, rebellion and second chances.

Fact: In 1986, Picasso's Weeping Woman was stolen from the National Gallery of Victoria. To this day, the culprits have never been identified.

Here's what happened.

Maybe.

Phoebe is about to turn 70, and has grown sick of retirement. She enrols in an evening art course, where she befriends fellow retirees Eva and Dave. They also happen to be studying across the road from a two-million-dollar Picasso.

The trio make a promising start, only to find that the school is to be closed due to arts cuts implemented by a blundering government minister. The protests of a student activist group - under 30s only - fall on deaf ears.

Enter Phoebe, Eva and Dave, who decide to take matters into their own hands ...

'Art is theft. All artists steal.'

Praise for The Picasso Ransom:

'I can't find the words to describe how good this book is! The Picasso Ransom is fun, witty and thoroughly original, by far one of the best debuts I've read in years. A.T. Prewett has created an eclectic group of characters that are impossible not to love and champion.' RACHAEL JOHNS

'An absolute delight! The Picasso Ransom is the perfect escapist read, a quirky and charming "late-in-life" escapade.' AMANDA HAMPSON

'Wickedly clever and laugh-out-loud funny, The Picasso Ransom reimagines an enduring Australian mystery as a delightful crime caper. A.T. Prewett has crafted a joyful story full of friendship, rebellion and late-life reinvention. It's the most fun I've had in ages.' REBECCA ARMITAGE