The Art of Failing Upward

Theodore “Theo” Jenkins has mastered exactly three things in life: Renaissance-era pigments, Byzantine metallurgical techniques, and the ability to trip over absolutely nothing. As the chronically clumsy Assistant Curator of Historical Preservation at the Millbrook Museum, he’s spent his career trying to be invisible—a feat made impossible when he accidentally knocks over a display case and unwittingly foils a sophisticated art theft.

This single clumsy act catches the attention of Vivienne Constantine, an elegant art dealer with a secret criminal empire who mistakes Theo’s spectacular accident for a brilliant disguise. Suddenly, Theo finds himself mistaken for a master thief, recruited for heists he never intended to commit, and caught in a dangerous game between rival criminals.

As Theo stumbles through increasingly complex situations—literally and figuratively—he discovers that his scholarly knowledge, observational skills, and even his infamous clumsiness might be unexpected assets. With help from his journalist best friend Sadie, his mentor Professor Hamilton, and a skeptical museum security guard named Bernie, Theo must navigate a world of high-stakes art theft, Byzantine mysteries, and criminal masterminds, all while trying to clear his name and avoid dropping priceless artifacts.

In this charming comedy of errors, the most unlikely hero will learn that sometimes the most extraordinary strengths emerge from apparent weaknesses, and that failing upward might be the most sophisticated skill of all.