Review: Double Crossed by Ally Carter

Double Crossed: A Spies and Thieves Story (Gallagher Girls #5.5, Heist Society #2.5)
By: Ally Carter
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
ASIN: B00AMQ6U3S

Review:

Over Christmas 2011 I discovered Ally Carter's writing and absolutely devoured the first two books in her Heist Society series, Heist Society and Uncommon Criminals. People, I am head-over-heels in love with those books -- they are so much FUN. So it was with eager anticipation that I looked forward to the release of the third installment of Kat and Hale's thieving adventures, Perfect Scoundrels. Thankfully, my always-overwhelming TBR pile delayed my diving into that new release, time in which I discovered Carter's short story release, bridging not only the gap between Heist Society #2 and #3, but featuring characters from her other well-known young adult series -- the spy-centric Gallagher Girls.

Having not yet started Carter's Gallagher Girls series (despite my love of spycraft in film and fiction), I was a little worried that the novella would lose me by introducing a world and characters with which I was totally unfamiliar. But I needn't have been concerned -- this novella is an absolute delight from start to finish. By narrowing the focus from each series to two characters -- the charismatic and dishy Hale from the Heist books, and Macey McHenry, society darling and spy-in-training. With two characters from such familiar socio-economic backgrounds but very different lifestyles, it was a brilliant stroke to reveal both series take place in the same world, with endless possibilities for future crossover adventures.

Within the short-span of the novella format, Carter packs all of the ingredients that makes her Heist Society novels such fun -- high stakes targets, danger, and a dash of humor and romance in the vein of films like To Catch a Thief -- though as a firm Hale/Kat-shipper, Hale and Macey's banter adds spice and humor to their interaction while only confirming that Hale's heart is very much taken by one brilliant thief named Kat. AS IT SHOULD BE. *wink*

It's such fun seeing Carter juxtapose the very different worlds of her two series -- one ostensibly dedicated to promoting law and order and the other always on the lookout for their next mark. Forced to work together in order to survive, the tension that results positively sparks from the page and leaves me hoping that further crossover adventures -- whether short stories or full-length novels -- will be in the offing, perhaps each focusing on different sets of characters from each series. Double Crossed is a charming addition to the world of both series, sure to please existing fans -- and create new ones -- with its glamour, cracking pace, and oh-so-memorable characters.

About the book:

Macey McHenry—Glamorous society girl or spy-in-training?

W.W. Hale V—Heir to an American dynasty or master thief?

There are two sides to every coin. Whether these two can work together is a tossup.

Born into privilege, Macey and Hale are experts at mingling with the upper class. But even if they’ve never raised an eyebrow at the glitz, neither teenager has ever felt at home with the glamour.

When Macey and Hale meet at a society gala, the party takes a dangerous turn. Suddenly they’re at the center of a hostage situation, and it’s up to them to stop the thugs from becoming hostile. Will Macey’s spy skills and Hale’s con-man ways be enough to outsmart a ruthless gang? Or will they have to seek out the ultimate inside girl to help?

The worlds of Heist Society and the Gallagher Girls collide in Ally Carter’s fast-paced, high-stakes and tantalizing new story. Get a behind the scenes glimpse as Ally delivers an irresistible thriller that is full of her signature style and savvy twists.

Review: Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter

Uncommon Criminals (Heist Society #2)
By: Ally Carter
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
ISBN: 978-142314795-4

About the book:

Katarina Bishop has worn a lot of labels in her short 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...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 and realizing that the same tricks and cons her family has used for centuries are useless this time.

Which means, this, Katarina Bishop is making up her own rules.

Review:

After the resounding success of her first major heist, where she led the teenage crew that robbed the most secure museum in the world, Kat Bishop, to the consternation of her family and friends, has transformed herself into a most unusual thief. Instead of stealing because that's the family business, Kat specializes in recovery -- returning priceless art to its original owners or their heirs, righting the wrongs of wars long past. When an old woman approaches her with a tantalizing story -- her parents discovered and were robbed of the fabled Cleopatra Emerald, a priceless gem unseen for over forty years, Kat can't resist the challenge. Against the advice of her friends, and sure she can succeed, Kat stages a brilliant heist and delivers the jewel. High on the con's success, Kat's world is rocked when she discovers that she's been the victim of a carefully staged con, decades in the making. In order to right a terrible wrong Kat must travel halfway around the world and take on the best in the business, and along the way must decide where she fits in her quirky family, and if a girl raised on the con can make herself vulnerable enough to trust those who want to love her most.

To put it simply, Uncommon Criminals rocks. Taking place a mere two months after Heist Society, Carter's second outing featuring Kat & Crew is every bit as fun as the first. Only this time around, the cons are bigger and the stakes are higher, making Uncommon Criminals every bit as entertaining and compulsively readable as its predecessor and then some. Whether sixteen or thirty-one (like yours truly), Kat's glamorous, danger-tinged lifestyle and budding romance with the ever-loyal Hale is sure to appeal to anyone craving a wickedly funny and clever slice of escapist fantasy. Thanks to her rather unorthodox upbringing, Kat has the savvy and smarts of a seasoned pro, but Carter tempers this gloss of maturity with a smattering of realistic teenage angst -- and it is this unlikely combination of jet-setting know-how and winsome, occasionally clueless, good intentions that make Kat such a winning heroine.

One of my favorite aspects of this story is how Carter chose to reveal tantalizing glimpses about Kat's family history, hints that suggest how she became the budding master thief and con artist that she is today. I loved the revelations about the enigmatic and all-knowing Uncle Eddie, and how his past heartbreak and the choices he made as a reaction to that proved to be a powerful illustration of the power of their familial bond. His actions help free Kat to become the best version of herself, allowing her to embrace her history instead of running from it. The supporting cast of characters that make up Kat's "crew" is likewise well-drawn and compelling. Carter continues to flesh out the group dynamic, whose banter and camaraderie are the equal of the best ensembles in heist films, with an energy and verve that makes the novel just plain fun to read. And the budding romance between Kat and Hale -- Oh. My. WORD. Carter masterfully creates a sizzling chemistry between her leads, and frankly Hale rivals the best romantic heroes found in escapist fiction of this ilk -- Hale is a teenage Bond with heart.

I absolutely adored this book -- the only downside to reading it so quickly is that the wait for book three is prolonged. Uncommon Criminals cements Carter's reputation in my view as a go-to author for page-turning, pulse-pounding escapist fiction -- this is the definition of a rollicking good read. I for one can't wait to join Kat on her next heist!

Review: Heist Society by Ally Carter

Heist Society (Heist Society #1)
By: Ally Carter
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
ISBN: 978-142311639-4

About the book:

When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her to the Louvre...to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria...to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own -- scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving "the life" for a normal life proves harder than she'd expected.

Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring her back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has good reason: a powerful mobster's priceless art collection has been stolen and he wants it returned. Only a master thief could have pulled off this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught beween Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat's dad needs her help.

For Kat there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and, hopefully , just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in her family's (very crooked) history -- and with any luck , steal her life back along the way.

Review:

Katarina Bishop is anything but your typical teenager. From earliest childhood she was raised by her parents to be a world-class thief, adept at every trick, every con, except that of living anything resembling a normal life. Kat pulled the biggest con of her life to "steal" an education from one of the world's most elite private schools, determined to be a normal teenager. But as good as that con was, Kat finds it impossible to escape her past when Hale, her former (ridiculously wealthy) partner and the boy she might just be in love with gets her kicked out of school in order to save her father's life. Kat's father is the sole suspect in the theft of five priceless paintings from the collection of the very dangerous Arturo Taccone, a man who doesn't care that her father isn't guilty, he just wants his paintings back at any cost. Kat finds herself squaring off not only against Taccone but against Visily Romani, a legendary thief so brilliant, so audacious, he couldn't possibly be real -- could he? With just two weeks to save her father's life, it's left to Kat to assemble a teenage crew and plan the heist of the century, proving that the girl might leave the thieving life, but you can't take the thief out of the girl...

Heist Society was RIDICULOUSLY fun. I've always loved a good caper story -- everything from Ocean's 11 (the original and the remake), and Audrey Hepburn's How to Steal a Million, to the Timothy Hutton-led show Leverage. Kat and company bear more than a passing resemblance to the Leverage crew, as she's definitely a thief with a heart of gold and the motley crew she assembles is very much a family, albeit an atypical one. This is a pure slice of escapist fun, a frothy confection that translates the romance of a classic heist film to the page, trading adult antiheroes for an appealing collection of too-smart-for-their-own-good, brilliant, loyal teens. If you're looking for danger and intrigue and gadgets galore, Heist Society delivers in spades. And Kat's potential romantic interests are Bond-like spies in the making -- particularly Hale, whose good looks, charm, and unswavering devotion to Kat are completely and utterly swoon-worthy.

While this is my first Ally Carter novel, it certainly won't be my last. Her writing positively crackles with an electric wit. Like the best on-screen heist, the storyline unfolds at a rapid pace with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing as to exactly how Kat will manage to pull off the biggest job of her young life. And just when you think this is "only" going to be a teenage caper story, Carter throws a curveball and ups the ante, making the paintings Kat seeks casualties of World War II, stolen by the Nazis and never returned to their rightful owners. Kat's desire to see justice over sixty years overdue meted out adds a layer of unexpected depth to the novel.

Heist Society is page-turning, unputdownable escapist fiction of the highest order that delivers pure, adrenaline-filled, romance-laced action in spades. Kat is a highly likable heroine, all the moreso because despite her unusual skill set she's a very authentic teenager. *wink* I can guarantee I'll be reading her next adventure!