Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Uncommon Criminals

It had been so long (four years!) since I read Heist Society, the prequel to Ally Carter’s Uncommon Criminals, that I just could not remember the huge cast of characters. So many people came in and out of the story that I just did not recall, but that Carter assumed I did, that I often found myself confused and floundering. Overall, the plot of Uncommon Criminals can stand on its own, but to understand the characters, readers really need to have recently read the prequel.  

Uncommon Criminals finds Kat once again trying to use her skills as a thief for the good. This time, she agrees to return the Cleopatra Emerald, a cursed jewel, to its original owner. Of course, all does not go according to plan, so Kat must assemble her cast of thieves to help with a seemingly impossible job.

The book is a fast and a fun read. I am amazed by Carter’s imagination and impressed by the clever scenarios she develops. Clearly, I do not have the ingenuity to be a thief—which is, I suppose, exactly why I read.