Ally Carter’s Uncommon Criminals is the second book in the Heist Society series.
Taking place a few months after the events of Heist Society, Katrina Bishop is once again traveling the world as a thief. Developing a rather Robin-Hood like vibe, Kat manages to steal several stolen works of art and returns them to their original owners. For months she has been known as the girl who robbed the Henley, but one day she receives a request asking her to steal another impossible artifact. This new one is the infamous Cleopatra Emerald, an item both feared and cursed. A string of death and failed cons surround this emerald, but Kat is not only determined to steal it, but to return it to its rightful owner.
This second installment in the Heist Society series provided Kat with some much needed character development. In Heist Society, Kat spent most of her time planning for the Henley and catching up on the time she missed while she attended school. The book begins with Kat flying solo. She feels protective of her family members and doesn’t want them to get involved in extremely dangerous heists. Over the course of the book, she relearns how to trust and rely on others. She also must learn to deal with her growing affection between her and Hale.
Uncommon Criminals was another great story by Ally Carter. The action remained fast paced, but still found time for slower and more meaningful scene. Mild humor was sprinkled throughout the book to keep the story light. The characters were fun and confident. Each one was extremely talented by themselves, but stuck with Kat and her shattering ego. In this installment, Kat was essentially given a rival to push her to her limits. The heists became harder and more complex. Each one was clever and amazing to read about.
I give this 298 page book 4 stars.
Series Analysis
Despite the possibility of a fourth installment, we're going to do our series analysis now because this mystery installment hasn't been given a title in the 3 years since Perfect Scoundrel's publication. The Heist Society series centers around Kat Bishop. Kat belongs to a family of gifted thieves and has participated in heists since she was small. One day, Kat decides she has had enough of her spy life and enrolls herself in a prestigious school. Unforeseen circumstances force her back into a life of thievery and elaborate cons. Good reads gives this series an average of 4.116, while this site gives it an average of 4 stars.
Heist Society
Katrina Bishop comes from a family of art thieves. With her crew of teenage thieves, Kat travels around the world looking for her next job.