Bishop's Second

Uncommon Criminals


Written by: Ally Carter

Released: June 21, 2011 by Hyperion

Summary: 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.

Oh I love Ally Carter’s writing and I am so happy that I was able to get a signed copy of this novel while at BEA! I could not wait to start reading and find out what happened next for Kat and Hale and everyone else. I needed to know if something was going to happen between Kat and Hale (my fingers were crossed) since after Heist Society nothing between them was really settled.

This book started off with a bang and just kept up the fantastic pace until the end. I was biting my nails at times, thinking that something would go horribly wrong and not be able to be fixed. I was so worried that things would go south and everyone would end up in jail! Of course, that would be a horrible ending, so my fears were unjustified. But still, as a reader you get so caught up in the main character’s world that you can’t help but hold your breath.

I love the characters that Carter has created. They are funny and interesting to read about; there is definitely never a dull moment. While this novel seemed like the final with these specific characters, I wouldn’t mind another one. I’m giving this book an 8.5/10. If you haven’t read these books yet, you should!