When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip 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 Kat back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has a good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat’s father isn’t just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between 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 history–and, with any luck, steal her life back along the way.
I like a good heist movie. You know the kind. They have a great ensemble cast, a convoluted plot, and somehow the real bad guy gets stuck in the end. Sure, you may be thinking of the Oceans movies, but my favorite heist film has to be The Sting. Of course, there are others that are good.
That said, this book kind of reminded me of a teen version of a heist movie. There are some improbable circumstances, improbable cons, and the cast is filled with fun. This is one of those books you can read and just get away with the story. You don’t need to think much. You just need to enjoy.
There was one thing I would say I didn’t care for and that was near the 75% mark where a new character is introduced and brought into the team quickly. I didn’t see a purpose in that character except just to be there. The character seemed like an afterthought or just a quick minute addition. Honestly, I think the heist would have happened just the same if that character wasn’t there and it just brought about a relationship tension that didn’t actually serve a purpose.
This is book one in the series and, really, I can see it being a fun ride. I’m just not sure I would want to own the series, but if it was in my library to borrow and I just want to have some fun, I can see myself continuing with it.
Final Rating: 3/5
Casia's Corner 