Review: Heist Society by Ally Carter

Heist Society by Ally Carter (September 2011, Orchard, ISBN: 1408309556)

Review: Ally Carter, author of the popular Gallagher Girls series, turns her attention to a new series about a thief. A good thief who "repatriates" stolen art to their rightful owners.

At the beginning of the book, fifteen-year-old Katarina (Kat) Bishop has decided to leave the family business of thieving and has used her skills to secure a place at an exclusive boarding school where she can have a normal life. However it's not long before she's accused of destroying the headmaster's car and expelled. She's picked up at the school gates by her friend Hale (with an unknown first name) who is gorgeous and rich and there seems to be an unspoken thing between them which provides plenty of banter.

Kat's dad is being accused of stealing four paintings from a very unpleasant man, Taccone. Taccone wants his paintings back and will hurt Kat's dad if he doesn't get them. Kat's dad doesn't have the paintings but Taccone doesn't believe him so he gives Kat ten days to get his paintings or else...

Heist Society is about Kat getting a crew together and planning and executing an audacious heist in the world's most protected gallery, which happens to be in London.

Heist Society is a fun and breezy read, with stops in Vegas and major European cities before settling down in England. Kat is clever and a natural leader and Hale is glued to her side. As well as the two leads there are several other friends/thieves whom I hope to see in later books. One small thing - I'm not sure how many English boys would be called Hamish or Angus.

I really enjoyed the technical side to the heist and fans of Alias should enjoy this book.

I have had Ally Carter's books recommended to me by the older members of my children's reading group and I'm glad I've finally read one and I'm looking forward to the sequel, Uncommon Criminals.