Motive:

"A bookstore is one of the only pieces of evidence we have that people are still thinking." Jerry Seinfeld

2/10/10

Evidence 005: Heist Society by Ally Carter

In a nutshell, Ocean's 11 The Prequel. Which is exactly why I loved Heist Society (besides the fact that Ally Carter is a YA genius).

Katarina Bishop comes from a long line of thieves and, at a very young age, follows their footsteps in the art heist world. She decides enough is enough and relishes a "real teenage life" in the hallowed halls of Colgan School. Her reprieve is short-lived; Kat is framed for a prank-beyond-all-pranks that thrusts her back into the world she longed to escape. When W.W. Hale, a rival-turned-accomplice, arrives to bring her back to the family business, Kat questions whether she should have left at all.

Kat's father has been accused of stealing priceless works of art from Arturo Taccone, a notorious mastermind Hale calls "evil" and who proudly lives up to the moniker. Taccone gives Kat two weeks to save his paintings and her father. Kat's loyalty to her family trumps her loyalty to the business and she gathers a multi-talented, dysfunctional crew reminiscent of Danny Ocean's. A worldwide wild goose chase leads Kat and her crew down dead ends, riddling conundrums, and into the lair of Visily Romani, the most notorious of thieves. Taccone's constant surveillance and her father's fate weigh heavy on Kat and keep the story moving at a quick pace. There are many hold-your-breath moments and the final heist is full of action, suspense, and humor. The underlying flirtation between Hale, Kat, and crew member Nick isn't a distraction - something so rare in suspense novels.

I will read anything Ally Carter writes - I'm chomping at the bit for Gallagher Girls #4, and now I'm eagerly awaiting Heist Society #2. Carter has a knack for dialogue and plotting that moves the story along at a page-turning pace. She's a perfect author for a reader looking for good story, light romance, and lots of humor.

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