The Heist: Monaco

The Heist: Monaco is the first and the only book of The Heist: Monaco series.

Summary
Case the joint, assemble a crew, and make off with the score of a lifetime...

Chapter 1: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
"As the leader of a crew of thieves, your next job may get you the payday of a lifetime, payback on your enemies... and the crown jewels of Monaco!"

Chapter 2: Are We Really Doing This?
"The Monaco Job is on! All that's left to do is case the joint and build a crew... But not before visiting a friend..."

Chapter 3: Pros and Cons
"The plan's barely off the ground, and Ansel already knows you're here! How will you keep him off your trail?"

Chapter 4: Go Directly to Jail
"On your first job, you break into the heart of Trask Island Prison... Will you break Eris out, or end up behind bars?"

Chapter 5: Please Point That Somewhere Else
"Your escape has gone awry! Will you get away, or will your plans be cut short?"

Chapter 6: You Think We Need One More?
"With your safehouse in ruins, you need to regroup... and add one more member to your crew!"

Chapter 7: Who the Hell is Ulrich?
"Ansel has commissioned a custom vault system to protect the crown jewels... and it's made by an expert in unbreakable designs."

Chapter 8: Grift Happens
"Ulrich has the plans to the security system on a flash drive, and you need to steal it... at the most glamorous casino in the world!"

Chapter 9: Of Course It's A Masquerade
"The stakes are high when you and your crew pull a job at a masquerade gala... Will Ansel and Sonia see through your mask?"

Chapter 10: Now's Probably A Bad Time
"Your cover is blown! Time to get out, and get out fast..."

Chapter 11: Hit Me As Hard As You Can
"Ansel is hiring a notorious private security group... but he's not the only one with some muscle on his side!"

Chapter 12: Not Furious Per Se
"The day of the royal wedding is getting closer. It's time to go full throttle!"

Chapter 13: I Love Hacks
"In less than a day, every Triton guard will know your face and name. Will you and your hacker be able to change the memo in time?"

Chapter 14: Hope We Didn't Get Dressed Up For Nothing
"It's the day of the wedding. The crew is ready. The job is on...Time to go to work."

Chapter 15: Smash And Grab (And Run Like Hell)
"You've just been tied up with a major snag in the plan... Can you still escape with the jewels?"

Chapter 16: Did You Think We Were Done Here?
"Time to escape Monaco a much richer thief... But what happens to you and the crew afterward?"

Heist Score
Certain choices throughout the story can increase your Heist Score. The score will determine which one of the three endings you will get at the end of the book.

Trust Score
Each crew member's Trust Score will determine which ending (good or bad) each will receive in the end.

Spoilers

 * On November 13, 2018, was the first time players got the first details on new books PB is releasing, they told a player to keep an eye out for some hints in the newest blog post they'd release later that day.
 * They also confirmed that they have 1-2 more books coming out this winter!
 * One of these new books was teased in the aforementioned blog post by the writers saying that Winter's nearly here, and that means more of Choices -- you'll need your skills, your wits, and the right people for the job in our next Choices book!
 * On November 26, 2018, one of the secret winter project books that PB was working on was revealed to be The Heist: Monaco which will be released sometime in 2018.
 * It was also confirmed via an Instagram response that the player will get to pick the gender for Your Character.
 * In addition, on this same day, PB confirmed that we can play as a hero or heroine.
 * Andrew Shvarts, one of the writers for PB, also confirmed on this same day that this was not the secret project he was working on. His is still in the works!
 * On November 28, 2018, a second sneak peek was released; this time featuring an image with a plan for the perfect heist.
 * On November 29. 2018, PB revealed to a player on their official Facebook page that the actual cover for the book has yet to be revealed!
 * On November 29, 2018, the book cover was revealed along with the official release date being Monday, December 10, 2018.
 * Chelsa, one of the writers for PB, also revealed that she knew more than us players, but that it's still cool to see the final product.
 * On November 30, 2018, a sneak peek was released featuring a character named Eris Huang.
 * Additionally, the description for Chapter 1 was revealed.
 * On December 3, 2018, the second character sneak peek was released featuring a new character named Rye.
 * On December 5, 2018, another sneak peek was released; this time (presumably) featuring the whole band of thieves.
 * On December 6, 2018, PB released a sneak peek featuring Tillie and Fabien who are the players' choices for our driver.
 * In addition, the book was promoted in PB's latest blogpost.
 * On December 7, 2018, a blog post featuring an interview with the writers for this book was released ahead of its debut on December 10, 2018.
 * The writers for this book appear to be: Owen, Iris, and Jen, and Shae was in charge of the interview.
 * The Heist: Monaco is PB's take on a classic heist-style caper!
 * You play as a master thief preparing for one big job, but along the way, you're going to assemble a crew of specialists from a really fun cast of characters.
 * One of the objectives of this book will be to travel around the world meeting cool, ridiculous, bad-ass criminals, and then decide which of them gets to be on your team that you assemble.
 * Each potential crew member you'll meet has a specific skill set as well as a unique personality, and whoever you choose will be with you for the rest of the book... The good news is, you can always play it again with a completely different group of characters.
 * As the leader of a crew, you'll get to hand-pick people for these roles.
 * In regards to the brainstorming process, Jen says that there's a lot of moving pieces to manage.
 * Whereas Owen says it involved a lot of maps, charts, devious scheming, and brainstorming fun character voices.
 * Iris said in the interview that early brainstorms involved many diagrams, which were scribbled on whiteboards. But that her favorite part was thinking about how different crew members will banter with each other in fun, personality-clashing ways.
 * In regards to some final tips for players ahead of the book's debut: Owen encouraged players to try playing it a second time with a completely different crew, and see the different interactions and conversations you unlock.
 * Or... Play it again and do poorly. He teased that they've planned MULTIPLE endings, so players can see what trouble your characters get into if your plans go awry...
 * Jen advised players to try and remain calm under pressure since there's going to be a lot of tense moments in here with some quick decision making.
 * On this same day, a third trailer was released which features your crew and hints at a Royal Wedding.
 * On December 10, 2018 PB celebrated the new update, the launch of this book and the December Birthdays.
 * On December 17, 2018, PB did a livestream on Instagram, where they confirmed that this book was definitely inspired by the Ocean's heist movies.
 * They also confirmed that the love interests for this book are: Rye, Eris, and Tillie and Fabien... For now.
 * On January 4, 2019, a sneak peek for Chapter 6 was released.
 * On January 25, 2019 PB released a sneak peek for Chapter 9.
 * On January 29, 2019, PB confirmed to a player via a tweet that the character of Sonia is Brazilian.
 * On February 15, 2019, PB released a sneak peek for Chapter 12.
 * On March 8, 2019, PB released a sneak peek for Chapter 15.
 * On March 11, 2019, PB confirmed that the next chapter of this book will update as normal.
 * On March 15, 2019, PB released a sneak peek for Chapter 16 where they also confirmed that Chapter 16 is the final one in this book.
 * It was confirmed via a Twitter response to a player that this book is a Standalone.

Trivia

 * A version of Your Character and Sonia appear on the cover.
 * This is the second series to feature a male version of a customizable protagonist on the book cover, the first being the High School Story series.
 * The series takes place in Monaco and seems to draw inspiration from heist movies like The Ocean's film franchise.
 * Similar to Most Wanted and The Crown & The Flame, you can earn points based on making the right decisions.
 * Similar to the LoveHacks series, the title of the following chapter is revealed at the end of the current chapter.
 * The title of Chapter 13 is a reference to this series.
 * In Chapter 1, it is revealed that Scrooge McDuck and therefore Disney exist in this universe when Eris Huang makes a joke that Barrett Carlisle is a lot like him.
 * In Chapter 2, Rye references the show Orange Is The New Black by telling Eris that she is "looking like Orange is the New Monster Truck Ralley."
 * If you choose to recruit Anton Edison to your team, he will make references to the Avengers, saying things like "Heist Crew: Assemble!", starting in Chapter 2.
 * If you also recruit Uppercut Jones, Anton will call him a Hulk, another reference to the Avengers.
 * There also other Marvel Comics references such as: Trask Island, the prison that Eris is held in, has a SENTINEL security system, a reference to X-Men: Days of Future Past. In this movie, a man named Bolivar Trask wants to create Sentinel Robots to take down the X-Men, and the names of the prison/security system reference this.
 * In Chapter 3, it is revealed that you can earn trust points, which will influence how members of your crew treat you.
 * Chapter 4's title is a reference to the board game, Monopoly.
 * In the same chapter, Sybil reveals that she once stole a wax statue of Sir Patrick Stewart if you recruited her.
 * Also in this chapter, Rye's self-given alias is Trojan Horse.
 * If you also recruited Samira, she will comment on how she didn't want to ambush the prison guards as they slept, saying that she read the Iliad.
 * If you have recruited Anton instead, he suggests the alias Shadowhawk for himself - which is also the name of a comic book anti-hero by Image Comics. ShadowHawk first appeared in the Youngblood series. Coincidentally, Jones called Anton youngblood in Chapter 2.
 * Also in Chapter 4, Anton compares Trask Island to The Phantom Zone and Arkham Asylum, both of which are prisons in DC Comics, as well as to Azkaban and Alcatraz.
 * The Phantom Zone is another dimension where Superman sends his Kryptonian enemies.
 * Arkham Asylum is located in Gotham City and is meant to hold the Criminally Insane, most of whom are enemies of Batman.
 * Azkaban is the prison in the Harry Potter franchise that Sirius Black escapes from in the third instalment.
 * Alcatraz was a real prison about one mile off the coast of San Francisco.
 * When your driver complains about the vehicle choice in Chapter 4, you reply that they "don't need fast or furious at the moment", referencing the movie series The Fast and the Furious.
 * Chapter 12 is named "Not Furious Per Se" and heavily revolves around your driver, this is most likely another reference to said movie series.
 * In Chapter 6, Rye mentions he used to work with a group called Brimstone. Back when the founders of Pixelberry worked at Electronic Arts, they introduced a group of hacktivists called Brimstone in one of their games, Cause of Death. It is unknown if this is the same hacktivist group or if it is a coincidence.
 * The title of Chapter 6 is a reference to a famous quote made by George Clooney's character Danny Ocean in the movie Ocean's Eleven.
 * In Chapter 7, it is revealed that The Rooks leave a wooden Rook chess piece to summon members to meetings if you recruited Eddie Quick.
 * In Chapter 9, if you have recruited Tillie and Anton, Tillie will recommend drinking a Raptor Energy Drink and start citing their slogans. One of them is "It gives you claws!" which is similar to Red Bull's slogan "gives you wings".
 * If you unlock the good ending and choose "become Hollywood's Most Wanted" option, Rye will make a reference to Most Wanted, Book 1 by stating that Los Angeles' Major Crimes Task Force has members of Interpol and the US Marshals.
 * If you unlock Peter Graves bad ending, he makes a reference to Taylor Swift and her Look What You Made Me Do music video by telling Carson Stewart "That Peter can't come to the phone right now, because you killed him!" when he's told that he's not coming for America's Most Eligible: All Stars.
 * It's a personalized quote from when Taylor in said music video says that, "I'm sorry, the old Taylor can't come to the phone right now...Why? Oh, 'cause she's dead!"
 * Diamond purchases made for a character-type will work in playthroughs for both characters (except for Chapter 16). For example, if Thieves Tools were purchased with Sybil, they will remain purchased for a playthrough with Niles. If your character went with Fabien on a drive through Monaco or entered Dumont's garage after the race, the purchase will allow you to play the scenes with Tillie without purchasing them again.
 * Diamond purchases made for a character-type will work in playthroughs for both characters (except for Chapter 16). For example, if Thieves Tools were purchased with Sybil, they will remain purchased for a playthrough with Niles. If your character went with Fabien on a drive through Monaco or entered Dumont's garage after the race, the purchase will allow you to play the scenes with Tillie without purchasing them again.

Your Character, Rye, and Eris
Bad Ending (2000 Heist Points and below): If during the course of the book, you do not gain enough Heist Points, your character, Rye, and Eris will end up with the bad ending for the book. In this ending, the heist fails for you and your crew. As a result, Your Character has to go on the run and can never truly rest. Rye is forced to work demeaning low-pay jobs and Eris works various jobs including as a substitute teacher for kindergartners. Ansel is still famous and has enough resources to pursue you and your friends, so the three of you must stay on the run for the foreseeable future, never achieving true peace. Meanwhile, Carlisle gets engaged to another heiress since his wedding to Marguerite was interrupted and canceled.

Average Ending (2100 to 4700 Heist Points): If during the course of the book, you only gain an average amount of Heist Points, you will unlock an average ending for you and your crew. You do not end the book in total ruin, but you are far from happy. In this ending, Your Character continues to pull off some small yet successful heists. You also have a decent amount of money to enjoy, while you reside in Dubai and Spain. In this ending, Rye ponders a career in sports while Eris works for the government. The average ending ends with you and your original crew promising to do one last heist.

Good Ending (4800 Heist Points and above): If during the course of the book, you gain enough Heist Points, you will unlock the good ending. In this ending, you, Rye, and Eris run an international organization of thieves out of the Caribbean. You can choose if you want your next heist to be on the Cordonian Royalty, Hollywood or Eros. You can also call on certain members of your crew even if they did not participate in the Heist: Monaco. Ansel is out of a job and his reputation is ruined; and Carlisle is sent to prison, but claims to be a victim in spite of it all.

Note: It is possible to achieve the Good Ending on a non-diamond path (maximum 5000 Heist Points)

Recruited Crew Members
Bad Endings (depending on Trust): In their respective bad endings, Anton works a demeaning job as tech support at ClickIt; Samira becomes a "soccer mom" without retaining her Blackbird status; Sybil is on the run for stealing maple syrup; Edison ends up at a retirement home where he tries to steal a watch without success; Lena is forced to work as a mall cop; Jones returns to the world of wrestling but must take up another mantle as "Fat Bubba Smashfist”; Fabien is arrested after trying to set a record for the longest police chase across country; Tillie goes on the run after rescuing animals; Miranda goes on the run from palace guards; and Graves is eliminated from "America's Most Eligible". If Sonia doesn't trust you, she will join Interpol on the hunt for you.

Good Endings (depending on Trust): In their respective good endings, Anton starts a relationship with the barista and also joins the Rooks; if his father was on the team, Edison is reinstated into the Rooks and presents Anton with his signet ring. Sybil successfully steals the Ember of the Sea and thereby becomes a pirate; Samira attends her daughter's soccer match and brings down a criminal businessman. Lena opens a new security company; Jones starts his own wrestling league. Fabien happily lives his life his way and rejects a job to race in the F1 circuit; Tillie opens her dream animal sanctuary. Miranda reunites with Marguerite and runs away with her; Graves becomes a successful actor in a movie based on the events, directed by Tommy Phelps. If Sonia trusts you enough, she will tell Interpol that she has no idea where you went.

Click here for the walkthrough of this book: The Heist: Monaco Choices.