Uncommon Criminals - Ally Carter

Uncommon Criminals (Heist Society #2) 
                                                      - Ally Carter
Grade: YA
Rating: 5/5 stars

Katarina Bishop has worn a lot of labels in her short life life. Friend. Niece. Daughter. Thief. But for the last two months she’s simply been known as the girl who ran the crew that robbed the greatest museum in the world. That’s why Kat isn’t surprised when she’s asked to steal the infamous Cleopatra Emerald so it can be returned to its rightful owners.

There are only three problems. First, the gem hasn’t been seen in public in thirty years. Second, since the fall of the Egyptian empire and the suicide of Cleopatra, no one who holds the emerald keeps it for long, and in Kat’s world, history almost always repeats itself. But it’s the third problem that makes Kat’s crew the most nervous and that is simply… the emerald is cursed.

Kat might be in way over her head, but she’s not going down without a fight. After all she has her best friend—the gorgeous Hale—and the rest of her crew with her as they chase the Cleopatra around the globe, dodging curses, realizing that the same tricks and cons her family has used for centuries are useless this time.

Which means, this time, Katarina Bishop is making up her own rules. (Description from Goodreads)
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Ally Carter has done it again – she has created a perfect, fun mystery and adventure story that I could not put down. Kat, Hale and their other thieving friends take danger and excitement to a whole new level. I couldn’t have asked for anything more. There is nothing better than knowing you can pick up a book by a favourite author and not have to worry that it won’t be what you expected.

Kat Bishop is an epic teenage thief; racing around the globe to steal one of the most famous and mysterious treasures that the world has ever seen: The Cleopatra Emerald. But she’s not stealing it for herself; no, Kat’s an “uncommon criminal” – she steals stolen objects and returns them to their rightful owners, despite potential danger and cost! I love Kat’s lifestyle. She’s grown up surrounded by a life of crime and when she can’t escape the pressures of her family’s thieving history or the rush of adventure she gets for successfully pulling off heists, she decides to use her finely tuned skills for good...mostly. She may do it in a strange way, but her heart is in the right place.

Part of what I love so much about this book (and the one before it: ‘Heist Society’) is the fact that there are so many switches in point-of-view. I love seeing not only Kat’s thoughts and missions, but her friends’ movements too. But they’re not the only ones to feature in this series. There’s something strangely entertaining about seeing the POV of those being conned: the museum owners, the event organisers, the people in possession of the jewels. We get to experience how these people see Kat and her friends – we’re present for every little movement throughout the story. I find it makes everything more exciting - there are no parts left out.

The series isn’t just set up for an individual heist that’s wrapped up at the end of each book. What makes the series so thrilling is that there’s a continuing mystery unfolding slowly over each new story. There is a secret and super skilled thief running around leaving strange calling cards and often causing the characters to panic a bit. The thief is Visily Romani. He’s not new to the series, featuring more in the previous book, but he does pop up again in ‘Uncommon Criminals’. The mystery surrounding his identity and mission in the criminal world leaves me with so many questions. I love when a series has these amazing plot arcs connecting the books. One day we will hopefully discover who Visily Romani is and I know it will be a big reveal!

Like with ‘Heist Society’ I can’t end the review without mentioning Hale. He worried me a little in this book. While completely devoted to Kat, there were moments when I questioned his patience with her thieving style – I shouldn’t doubt his loyalty. Hale is a charming and caring young thief, who can always bring a smile to me face. I loved the continued tension between Kat and Hale and I’m so glad we got to see some sort of resolution for that.

Can’t say enough to show how much I loved this book. Looking forward to the next one.

5/5 stars


Kim
(Originally Posted on Goodreads)