Heist Society by Ally Carter

Katarina Bishop comes from a family of world class thieves. Her parents and her Uncle Eddie are some of the most cunning criminals out there, but Kat is determined to leave behind the family business. At fifteen, as her last con, she scams her way into an elite boarding school, sure that she’ll no longer have to deal with the complications and politics of coming from a crime family. But turning her back for good on her past is much easier said than done, especially when she finds out that her father may now be on a dangerous mobster’s hit list for stealing his priceless art collection. It makes no difference that Kat’s father did not do that job; the mobster will go after him anyway—unless his art is returned. This leaves Kat with only one choice to save her father: track down the paintings and steal them back. With a ragtag teen crew and a rapidly approaching deadline, it’ll be a miracle if Kat can pull off her biggest heist yet unscathed.

I am a huge fan of Carter’s Gallagher Girls series and stories involving activities on the other side of the law, so I knew that I had to read Heist Society. As I expected, this novel is just full of espionage, carefully laid plans, and lots of sneaking around. This makes for a plot that is undoubtedly exciting and action packed, yet also well balanced with the politics and family life of elite crime. Carter also presents readers with a rather varied cast of characters whose little personality quirks liven up the story. I actually found Kat’s character an unusual protagonist for this story as she doesn’t initially seem like a girl who can lead a team in one of the trickiest heists ever attempted. When the story opens, Kat seems more like a girl who would do anything to be just normal, but gradually her sense of loyalty to her family force her to use her wits. Heist Society is a truly fun and enjoyable read, but if I had to pick between Carter’s series, I would honestly say that I still prefer the Gallagher Girls series, even if the Heist Society series is shaping up to be really good.

Heist Society will be enjoyed by fans of the Gallagher Girls series, also by Ally Carter, Model Spy by Shannon Greenland, and the Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz.

Rating: 4.0

Review copy from publisher Disney-Hyperion