Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter

Title: Uncommon Criminals (Heist Society #2)

Author: Ally Carter

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Release Date: June 21, 2011

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

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 time, Katarina Bishop is making up her own rules.

After having finished Heist Society, I rushed to the bookstore to get myself a copy of Uncommon Criminals and started reading it straight away. I had a lot of trouble putting it down and I enjoyed every single page of it.

Kat Bishop is back in the thieving business, but not quite in the traditional sense. Instead of stealing for the sake of stealing, Kat now steals art pieces that were stolen by Nazis in order to return them to their rightful owners. So when Kat is approached by an old woman and her grandson about stealing the Cleopatra Emerald, Kat accepts to help. But the emerald is cursed. And as soon as Kat has the emerald in her possession, she loses it. But everything may not be quite as it seems. With the help of Hale and their crew, Kat has to steal the emerald back and return it to its real rightful owner. But doing so may prove to be a little easier said than done, what with the emerald being cursed and all.

Much like with the first book, Uncommon Criminals is a very fast paced book and there is never a dull moment. And things also never seem to go the way they are planned. The story was also interesting. What I particularly liked about it was that not only did I learn more than I ever cared to know about pulling off heists, but there was also some history woven into it. I also liked that there was a little more romance in the story, especially between two of the characters, but I don’t want to give too much away.

I loved getting to know better the characters I met in the first book. Kat once again kept me on my toes and I never know what to expect from her. She was as unpredictable as ever. But I also liked that she opened herself up to others a little more. And I especially loved her budding relationship with Hale. Though I like Hale a lot, there is still so much about him that I don’t know. And that may just be a part of his appeal, he’s mysterious and doesn’t really give anything away. As for the rest of the crew, they are still as crazy and interesting. Though they don’t play as important a role in the story as Kat and Hale, I don’t think the story would be quite the same and quite as interesting without them.

Uncommon Criminals was a fantastic read. It was fast paced and filled with twists and turns. I am now eagerly awaiting the next book to find out in what crazy mess Kat and her friends will find themselves in.