The Reading Date

I'm a big fan of Heist Society and have been eagerly anticipating the sequel. Uncommon Criminals happily does not disappoint and delivers the same brand of fun, adventure, romance and mystery found in the first book. I love when the sequel lives up or improves upon the original as in this case. This series is one of a kind, and so refreshing and fun. In Uncommon Criminals the familiar cast of characters is back ready to embark on another caper to exotic locales. I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure and surprises in this one as Kat and her crew attempt an impossible heist. Ally Carter once again expertly weaves a fabulous story with the twists and turns you would expect from a classic caper movie.Katarina "Kat" Bishop is a professional thief, though she doesn't rob for her own gain, only to return objects to their rightful owners. Kat just pulled off an impressive robbery at the famed Henley museum. She has been spending her time since then traveling solo around the world on retrieval missions. Her reputation gets the attention of a new client who is tracking down the elusive Cleopatra Emerald. The same Cleopatra Emerald that is said to be cursed, and hasn't been seen in decades. To pull off this risky mission, Kat will need the help of her friends. Along for the ride are love interest Hale, Gabrielle, and Simon. Unfortunately the villain in this con is always one step ahead. Has Kat met her match?Kat has grown in maturity and confidence with her thief skills but in her relationships she has some learning to do. She is still avoiding her family, particularly her father. Hale remains steadfastly by her side as her faithful friend and love interest, but he doesn't hesitate to call her out on her people skills. This book does see some development in their relationship, and provides more romantic moments than in the first book. Hale is still sophisticated and kind, and a great match for Kat.The audiobook production is top notch as narrated by Angela Dawe who also performed Heist Society. Ms. Dawe does an excellent job with the character voices and dialect. She masterfully handles multiple accents in her reading of the book, from British to Southern accents. She performs Kat's voice with a quiet confidence and vulnerability that I would expect. She also handles the male characters voices with ease. I'm a new fan of this narrator, but she has over 60 titles listed on Audible.Uncommon Criminals soars with mystery and surprises, fabulous characters, romance and adventure. If you aren't going on holiday this summer at least you can live vicariously through Kat and her friends as they travel around the world. This is a good crossover series for teens, adults who like caper films, males and females. This series should be an easy transition to film and I'm excited to see how the movie turns out. Check out this sophisticated, original and refreshing series this summer.