For as long as she can remember, fifteen-year-old Katarina Bishop's family has been in the art business - the business of stealing art, that is. But when Kat decides to leave the family fold and go to boarding school instead, she finds that trying to live a normal life isn't as easy as she thought it would be. Priceless paintings are stolen from a European mobster, and he's certain that Kat's dad is the master thief who pulled the job. Unless the artwork is returned, Kat's dad's life is in danger. The only way that she can save her dad is to return the paintings herself. But doing so would require her to pull off the most spectacular heist in her family's history...

Heist Society is a wholesome and fun "caper" read (a la Ocean's 11, or The Thomas Crowne Affair), by the author of the Gallagher Girls series. The ethics of Kat's career choice are smoothed over nicely when it is revealed that the paintings in question were actually stolen from Jewish families by the Nazis at the beginning of WWII. So, in effect, Kat is helping to return them to their original owners. The story is full of smart teens, who are all part of the same loosely defined "family" that is presided over by patriarch and legendary, semi-retired thief, Uncle Eddie. Kat has tried to leave the group to live the straight life, but finds that in a crisis, her family comes through for her. Readers will enjoy the mini lessons on the art world, and the view from behind the scenes on the planning of the big heist. Because of the complexity of the plot, the book is probably best suited for teens or older tweens.

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