Perfect Scoundrels (Heist Society Novels) (1.6.2013)

Brilliant!! As usual! Ally Carter has done it again!

Once again this book follows the exciting life of Katarina Bishop! Except this time the plot is revolving around her boyfriend W.W.Hale the fifth. Which hits a little closer to home for our friend Kat. And due to a recent death in the Hale family, our Hale has just inherited a company and the fortune that come with it. But word leaks out the it may be a con from a person who plans to steal the company's fortune. Will they be able to fix what has been wronged? (Seriously you have to find out!)

I bought this book this morning and just completed it! It took me less than a day to read! (Quite proud of myself really) This book is full of laughs, awww-moments, some sadness, and adventure! Worthy of reading and buying! Reading these books including Gallagher Girls always makes me feel capable of doing anything!

For those just finding the series I highly suggest starting from the beginning!! Also if you started with this series and have not read Gallagher Girls then those books are just as good as these ones!!
Seriously read these books!! :)

I absolutely love Ms. Carter's writing, and ever since I picked up the first Gallagher novel in middle school I was hooked. Several years have passed, I've since gained a high school diploma and gone off to college and as my reading tastes have grown I can't leave any of Ally's characters behind. I love the growth in this book especially Kat and Hale grow into the young adults they are. Can't wait for more!!

So obviously I pre-ordered this book. I have been waiting for it for forever. It always seems I forget when my all time favorite books are coming out and I never remember until the next day. Well, for this book, I got home turned on my kindle and screamed. Then I proceeded to jump up and down. (What can I say, I was really excited!) After I calmed down a bit. (Not very much, but enough to sit still) I began to read. And I read and by the end I sat there stunned into stupidity because Ally Carter has done it again. She has written possibly one of the best series I have ever read and I highly doubt she will dissappoint me now. So here's my very deep thoughts on the book.
THE PROS
1. Kat as always was amazing. She is fierce yet vulnerable and I just love her to pieces. I'm not even kidding about this. I really think I might be in love with her. (Okay I'm not weird....at all, but Ally Carter writes such amazing characters that you can't help but fall a little bit in love with them.)
2. Kat and Hale. I love these two together. They really are the best. I loved getting to see their relationship together. I just love them.
3. The Heist. This heist just blew my mind. How Ally Carter comes up with these ideas is beyond me. Really, I'm shocked every heist is different and captivates the reader.
4. The rest of the crew. Just gotta love them especially Angus and Hammish. Everyone makes me laugh and that in a book is always good.
5. The different heists they want to run. The names for them are so funny. I mean come on the Basil E. Frankweiler. That's just good.
THE CONS
1. I felt like there wasn't enough Nick in this book and I really missed some of the funnier moments. Nick was able to add a different kind of lightness that none of the others could. I mean he still is in the book, but not as much as I would have liked him to be.
2. Hale annoyed me a tiny bit but I get why he was portrayed that way and he totally made it up in the end.
OVERALL
I love these books but they drive me crazy. I read this until really late and then the next morning I had to get up at five!! That does not work well and I was ready to fall asleep at school! Well it was worth it!!!
WOULD I READ THIS BOOK: WITHOUT A DOUBT
WOULD I BUY THIS BOOK: If I only had ten dollars left and I had to make a choice as to what to use it on, I would buy this book! (It is that awesome)
WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK: I've already recommended the whole series to my mom, and I only recommend the best books (in my opinion) to her...So this book is a must.
WILL I READ MORE: I WILL READ ANYTHING ALLY CARTER WRITES WITHOUT HESITATION.
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! BUY THE BOOK!!!
Thank you for reading my incredibly rambly, gudhing, fangirl sounding review. I hope you make the correct choice and read the book.

If you like action packed books with some romance here and there, this is the l we PERFECT book for you. I liked this book because you have the stealing and the the action, but with the romance it adds a certain touch to it that made it the perfect book for me.

Review in a tweet: Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter | 4⭐️| Another fun Heist Society book! Saw the ending coming but LOVED it!

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REVIEW IN A TWEET is a feature that I need from time to time when I don’t have a ton to say in a review. Sometimes even mini-reviews are too long to write when you finished a book months ago and didn’t write a single note down on Goodreads. But the good news is that I started tweeting and saving very, very mini book reviews thanks to a concept that Lindsey at Bring My Books introduced me to! I’ve saved all of my super duper quick reviews to my timeline and under a hashtag (my 2017 books are under #bookadd17) for my own person way to review all of my books read this year at a glance.

Today’s Review in a Tweet is PERFECT SCOUNDRELS by Ally Carter. I LOVE the Heist Society books and HEIST SOCIETY was one of the first-ever books I listened to on audio so it always holds a special place in my heart. I enjoyed the audiobooks so much that I didn’t even want to read them in print. I read the first two books via audio but… the third one was nowhere to be found! I actually found out that it wasn’t even available as an audiobook and then ONE DAY IT WAS. So I immediately grabbed the audio, started listening, and sort of binged it so therefore, I didn’t end up with a lot of notes as I was reading. Instead of a full or even a mini-review, here’s a review in a tweet!

Perfect Scoundrels (Disney-Hyperion, 2013) is the third and final full-length book in the spectacular Heist Society trilogy by Ally Carter.

This time, it’s personal. There’s a con at play, but Kat Bishop and her gang aren’t the ones running it. Instead, the mark is one of their own: Kat’s boyfriend, Hale. When Hale’s grandmother dies and leaves her billion dollar company to the youngest, underage Hale – Kat’s Hale – his butler, Marcus, solicits Kat’s help. Marcus believes the grandmother’s will is a fake, and he wants Kat to find the real will. What’s Kat to do? She wants to help the butler and his sister, yet doing so might mean Hale discovering that he didn’t mean as much to his grandmother as he’d thought. For him, it’s not about the company or the money; he just misses is grandmother, and is deeply honored that she trusted and chose him. Kat feels terrible taking that away from him. But the truth is out there somewhere, and she decides ultimately to bring the situation to justice, with or without her boyfriend’s knowledge. (Which, knowing how Hale hates to be left out… Well, you can imagine where this is going!)

Perfect Scoundrels took the story and all my favorite characters in fun and frightening new directions. Hale’s family lawyer, Garrett, was probably the most aggravating villain in the series, and I enjoyed the complexity of his daughter, Tiffany. There was a little bit of overlap with the plot of Book 2 (Uncommon Criminals) – as in, the cons who get conned – but this volume was original enough to keep me invested. We also delve more into Kat’s and Hale’s respective families, and learn the sad truth about Hale’s abandonment by his parents; although we still never do find out what happened to Kat’s mother, which I wonder if Carter will address in a future book.

I’m sad that the official series is over for now, as I’ve grown quite attached to these characters and I think I liked this series even better than Embassy Row, but I’ve purchased Grift of the Magi on my Kindle and am glad that I get one last, short adventure with Kat & company. Five “stolen” stars to this kick-butt, truly original teen heist series! I cannot wait to dive into Gallagher Girls.

Perfect Scoundrels is the third installment in Ally Carter’s amazing Heist Society series. In this book Kat has managed to find her niche in the thieving world as her own kind of Robin Hood, stealing back precious family heirlooms that have been lost to time and returning them to their rightful owners. Things only get better due to the fact that she and Hale are finally a couple. Nothing could go wrong…could it?

Then in the middle of a heist Hale leaves Kat hanging, literally. The chain of events that follows will take Kat into unknown territory: Hale’s world of the rich and famous. Faced with corporate espionage, old girlfriends, and Hale’s family can Kat struggles to steal back the one thing she really cares about.

As the third book in this series I found Perfect Scoundrels to be a little bit slower to get going than the first two. It focuses primarily on the relationships between all of the characters and less on the actual heists. We get to see Hale’s family for the first time, and we are treated to more of Kat’s family in this volume, which I really enjoyed.

This book is very character driven, more so than the last two. Both Kat and Hale have their own struggles and issues that they have to deal with both together and apart. Thankfully Ally Carter chose to focus on family and finding one’s place in the world to propel the tension instead of relying on tricky love triangles and overdone teen angst like many YA books do.

The story is filled with great tidbits, like how Kat and Hale first met and Kat pulling her first ‘big store’. All which make for delightful fun bits. As usual Ally Carter’s writing is strong and witty, and despite the stories overall heavier tone it was still filled with bits that made me laugh and pull the book close with delight.

Perfect Scoundrels takes its place perfectly in line with the rest of the books in the Heist Society series. It gives readers more Kat, Hale, and delightful thievery while also tackling the questions many of us face when we lose someone we care deeply for. I’d recommend it to anyone who’s already in love with this series, and if this review has piqued your curiosity and you haven’t read the other books I highly recommend you pick up the first book, Heist Society and dive right in.

My Thoughts: I have really enjoyed this series! I love Kat and her friends! And I especially love Hale!

We are back with the gang in Perfect Scoundrels and this time its Hale’s legacy that is up for grabs. His Grandmother passes away and leaves the company to him. But, his trustee isn’t who he seems. And this sets off a chain of events!

In the beginning of this one, a lot of people really get the shaft. Hale might have ended up getting the company but he can’t have it yet and everything else is slowly taken away from him too. His life is in the pits. But Kat won’t let that happen. She has her own plans on getting his fortune back and helping out others in the process.

I really love this series! I love how they steal stuff and how professional they are! They are just teenagers but so smart! I’m always excited and on pins and needles as they almost get caught! And, I love all the code names!

This series is a must read! I’m so glad I just finished this one, not sure why I put off reading it for a year after its release date!

Overall: I enjoyed this! If you like fun suspenseful books, I highly recommend this! I really like Kat but I also really like her family and friends too! A great set of characters!

Cover: Like it! Still loving the sunglasses! I could see Kat looking like this girl!

What I’d Give It: 4/5 Cupcakes
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Taken From Princess Bookie

This was the most dramatic book in this trilogy, which had me worried at times about Hale and Kat's relationship. I'm glad to say, however, that the ending was really good, and everything was resolved in the best way possible. Like the previous books, the story's twists and turns took me by surprise, and I was happy to see all the characters from the previous books again, especially Kat's cousin Gabrielle and the adorable Henry. I really hope the author writes another book in this great series, I'm in love with Hale. :)

Ally Carter is one of my favourite authors, right behind Sarah Dessen. She’s so talented, telling stories about kickass teenagers risking their lives and having dangerous lifestyles for the heck of it. I wish I could be like them, beating up bad guys and stealing things and giving them to the rightful owners. But Perfect Scoundrels is something that surprised me. However, it wasn’t a good surprised, it surprised me because I could always predict what was going to happen before it did. Every trick, twist, con, everything. Instead of feeling like apart of Kat’s gang and on a brand new adventure, I felt like the puppet master, always one step ahead. Carter does a good job of entertaining readers with tales about teenage con artists but does a harder job of keeping things fresh.

Perfect Scoundrels just feels really forced. From the second Kat’s crew gets together to the very last page, it feels contrived and not natural in the slightest. I get that Carter is going for the funny, ‘we’re here!’ approach but it doesn’t work well in her favour. Another thing I find really annoying is how predictable the bad guy is. Unlike in the other novels, it took some time and shocked me, but this time it’s too obvious to find any pleasure figuring it all out for myself. The overall plan for the heist/con/whatever is also predictable. It’s very straightforward even without being told exactly what the plan is. Some of the characters are choppy and only serve one purpose in the novel (to help Kat) especially the new ones. With no back story of any sorts, they make the story feel more flimsy and forced.

As I said before, Ally Carter has a craft for creating believable worlds with unmistakable writing that I have come to know and love. It’s smooth and convincing, drawing readers into a world most likely unlike their own with theft and romance. The relationship between Kat and Hale is one of my favourite things about the novel because it’s put to the test and it’s quite realistic with the kind of obstacles that they have to face–Kat trying to fit into Hale’s world while Hale is forced to leave hers.

Overall, not a bad read, its downfall being that it’s very predictable and a few parts feel contrived. Nonetheless the writing is better than ever and some of the characters really grow. I recommend this to anyone who has read Carter’s part work or are looking to get lost in the world of cons, heists, and theft with a fun crew to guide the way.

Perfect Scoundrels was a well structured & well executed sequel to Uncommon Criminals, I was blown away by how perfectly each event in the story was planned. I always play the guessing game while reading this series, but I never get the right answers. One thing I've learned from this experience is that nothing about this series is predictable. Well I know they'll get their jobs done by the end, but the hows & when are always unimaginable. I love the thrill of seeing a heist enfold and waiting for that moment where everything in the story makes sense.

Kat and Hale are finally exclusive. Applaud for that tiny progression because it took way to long for them to realize it, but timing was perfect. Perfect Scoundrels is all about Hale and Hale Industries. Hale's grandmother, Hazel dies making him the heir of the industries, and Kat is left to believe that the will is forged; when someone hires her to find the original will, Kat being a good con artist prepares her team for another adventure. I love Kat, she is so supportive of Hale even if he is being a jerk. It shows loyalty and true love, and Oh. My. God. Kat's family is THE BEST. I love Uncle Eddie & Bobby Bishop. They are such great actors, I loved the role they played in the con. Simply hilarious. I was a little upset with Hale in the beginning. He lost his only close relative and I get that he was emotionally disturbed, but I wished he wasn't so rude & ignorant towards Kat. That really hurt me, but he did manage to get his mind in the game later on, so it's all good.

My favorite element in this book is the third person narrative. I love when certain scenes are observed from a passerby's perspective, that makes the story so much more exciting and adds that wow factor. That is also the reason why Heist Society has to be read as a series instead of standalone. The writing is so beautiful and to the point that if you randomly pick up this book, it might sound confusing and rushed. You have to get use to the style to enjoy it to the fullest. Also, the story interlocks, especially in Perfect Scoundrels where there are so many references to the previous cons and character, so it's much better to have a history.

Perfect Scoundrels has lived up to it's name and hype. I love this series, it's so different and eventful all the time, and it never gives us a chance to be bored or distracted. It is highly recommended to readers who enjoy heist stories with a great cast of character and a really sweet romance. Heist Society reminds me of Ocean 13 movies with younger characters and if you love that movie like I do, then you need to buy yourself this series and start reading it.

I finished Perfect Scoundrels a week ago, and it was a perfect, light read. I finished pretty quickly, because there’s just something about Ally Carter’s books that make you unable to stop reading! (Although there’s also the slight problem of not remembering much from previous books too, unfortunately). Once you start one of Ally’s books, though, you get sucked in immediately into her world of thieves and/or spies.

I loved that the first chapter finally shows us the scene where Kat first meets Hale. It was so adorable and sweet, and you just know that they’re amazing together. The only bad part of the book was when Kat and Hale had their fight. I, of course, knew that THERE WAS NO POSSIBLE WAY THAT HALE AND KATE WOULD BREAK UP FOREVER, so I wasn’t too worried. Hale is as incredible as ever, but now, he has tons of pressure put onto him once he is labeled the sole heir to the multi-billion dollar Hale family company. It’s in this book that we finally get to see the side of Hale he tries so hard to hide from Kat, the world of the rich, the glamorous, and the heartless. Even Hale turns a bit cold towards Kat when he is reintegrated with the rich. I got so mad at Hale for this, and Kat gets so depressed by this, but she has a new mystery to solve (which involves a heist, naturally).

The best part of the book for me (besides Kat+Hale of course!) is Kat’s family and the relationships within her family. Her heist crew is hilarious and lovable, with the Bagshaw brothers being as crazy as ever, Gabrielle being her gorgeous self, and Simon being his dorky, nerdy self. Her father, Bobby Bishop, and her Uncle Eddie, are quite possibly my favorite secondary characters in this series. The love they have for Kat is just so heartwarming, and Uncle Eddie saying “I’ll be here when you get back” just exemplifies everything about the love they share. Kat’s family is her support, her foundation, and without them, she wouldn’t be the strong, tough, clever girl we know her as.

The end of the book is SO. INTENSE. We get this big buildup and then Kat does her thang and everything turns out brilliantly. BUT we still don’t know what Hale’s initials stand for! So I’m really hoping the there’s another book in the series. I don’t want to say more without spoiling, so I’ll just let Cathy and Shirley say what they think of the book!

Originally posted here: [...]

Two years ago--before Katarina Bishop put together her own heist society and robbed the most secure museum in the world--Kat tried to steal a Monet. Except it was a fake. And instead of a painting she wound up stealing a boy who happily threw himself into Kat's world.

Stolen or not, W. W. Hale the Fifth isn't a part of Kat's world. Not really.

When Hale unexpectedly inherits his grandmother's billion dollar company, Kat realizes it was, perhaps, inevitable that Hale would eventually return to his own world of wealth and privilege--the one place Kat can't follow.

Things get worse when Kat learns Hale might be a mark in an elaborate con instead of an unlikely heir.

Saving Hale and his company could be impossible. But Kat's been told a lot of things are impossible in her short life. And her family is behind her all the way. The only problem is saving Hale Industries may not be the same thing as saving her Hale. And if Kat has to choose, she isn't sure there is a right answer in Perfect Scoundrels (2013) by Ally Carter.

Perfect Scoundrels is the third book in Carter's Heist Society series. It is preceded by Heist Society and Uncommon Criminals. (There is also an e-novella featuring characters from this series and Carter's Gallagher Girls series called Double Crossed which is available online.) Set mere months after Kat's most infamous heist, Perfect Scoundrels takes a small step back from all of the scheming and planning to provide a welcome look at the characters who readers know and love from this series.

Fear not, there are still quite a few heists, cons, and surprises to be found in this installment. The job might be personal but Kat still has plenty of tricks up her sleeve that will surprise her crew as well as readers in a reveal that makes pulling off the perfect job seem effortless as Perfect Scoundrels ticks away to an ending that readers might not see coming. Kat's singular family also features prominently in the second half of the story when the pace really picks up after a more character-driven start.

Carter's enviably sleek writing and careful focus on characters and their relationships (particularly Kat and Hale's evolving one) make Perfect Scoundrels a page-turner with as many laughs as surprises. And it has Bagshaws, of course. Because as Kat's cousin Gabrielle will tell you, everything is better with Bagshaws.

Possible Pairings: The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life by Tara Altebrando, White Cat by Holly Black, Strings Attached by Judy Blundell, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg, The Disreputable History of Frankie-Landau by E. Lockhart , Leverage (television series), White Collar (television series), The Italian Job (movie)

Ally Carter is awesome. Her series follow a fantastic pattern by starting out light and fun before progressively growing darker and more intense. I love it, because I grow more concerned with each book, so the series never loses its shine. Perfect Scoundrels stays true to form as the most intense Heist book to date. The stakes are higher than ever in every possible way. The typical don’t-get-caught suspense abounds but is compounded by the thorny dilemma of treating Hale as a mark. Throughout the book, Kat questions if what she is doing is right. What if she loses Hale forever? What if she hurts him irrevocably? Ms. Carter also adds a level of physical danger that is both new and welcome. I’ve never truly feared for Kat’s life before, so the tingles of fear up and down my arms were a welcome addition.

Ally Carter is and always will be my go-to for fun, adventure, and awesome hijinks. I’m so glad she kept the ball rolling for Kat and the gang in Perfect Scoundrels, and I look forward to their next adventure.

Even as it follows a general formula Ally Carter set up in book one, this third book in the series feels just as fresh, new, and fun as the first--even as the stakes are raised and more personal than ever.

I can easily say that I can't think of any other series that makes me as happy as this one. It doesn't matter that it's improbable and silly. The characters are so appealing and memorable. The heists are elaborate but easily followed. I can read each of these books in one sitting (and did so!) and they bring so much pleasure; I'm always in a good mood upon finishing one.

With this third installment, though, we finally get a bit of peek behind Hale's mask. He's still a bit of an enigma (What do those W's stand for, for goodness sake??) but he becomes so much more than Kat's closest friend and the guy with the money. His vulnerabilities are exposed and the stakes of the heist will affect him more than anyone else.

The Heist Society books are just pure fun. In all three reviews I've written thus far, I haven't come up with a better word and I doubt I will. Even as I'm just as emotionally invested as I might be in a larger, more "serious" book, I never stop enjoying myself. There's something to be said for books that bring such joy.

In Perfect Scoundrels we are met face to face with Ally Carter's Heist society Team which includes Kat Bishop and her extended family along with W.W. Hale the fifth . In Perfect Scoundrels we discover how Kat came to meet Hale and how the next two years it was the two of them working together to solve crimes and orchestrate thefts around the world from paintings to the Cleopatra Emerald. In Perfect Scoundrels though, Hale's family is struck with tragedy as his grandmother passes away. Soon it is discovered though, that someone in the Hale families's organisation is up to no good and wants to bring down the Hale fortune for themselves. With family dynamics at a stretch after the reading of Hazel's will , Kat in order to save her best friend and assist her friend's butler Marcus she must enlist the help of her WHOLE family in order to pull off the biggest heist ever and a heist that if anyone not experienced enough and not having contacts in high places would see as impossible.
Unlike the previous novels, Perfect Scoundrels goes back and forth in time and flips between two storylines which at the same time are connected and intertwined.
With a series of up's and down's and OMG moments , it makes you wonder whether Perfect Scoundrels will be the last Heist Society book or will we be lucky enough to stay tuned for more.
Also in other news, the book Heist Society has been optioned into a film and to be produced by Drew Barrymore, So lets hope that goes ahead.

#This was a Library Book.

This is another amazing series that I love and just need more of. This books are so easy to lose yourself in and feel like you are right there beside the characters on their missions. I love Ally Carter's writing and how she proves that to be a thief that you must always be a step ahead. This series is just so fun and easy to read. I love that there are so many amazing characters with their own unique traits which makes it really easy to remember who is who. I also love how everyone is so willing to help each other out with their big jobs and almost always with no questions asked. Sometimes the are so good at their jobs that you think the aren't even going to do it and then the next thing you know is the job is done.
Heist Society is one of my favourite series and it is just plain amazing. I really hope it goes on forever. I really need to read Carter's other series. I would recommend this series to thrill seekers and mystery lovers.

As Reviewed on The Lost Book Reports

I loved Pretty Scoundrels so much more than Uncommon Criminals and I think a lot of it has to do with the emotional elements that are really in this book. Especially, with meeting Hale's family and seeing his progression as a character and the progression in his and Kat's relationship. It was nice to see some progression in Kat as well.

The other thing I liked was that I really didn't know where the con was going to go this time and I really felt like I was apart of the team this time. My heart sinking at failed attempts, my heart racing during the heist and my heart cheering at the successes. Pretty Scoundrels was a great book in the series and I cannot wait to read more and continue the progression.

Towards the beginning of the book Hale's grandmother passes away and he inherits Hale Industries, passing over his father W.W Hale the Fourth, even though he is a minor. From the time the will is read, Marcus believes the will was tampered with and Hazel's wishes are not being carried out. Kat doesn't want to hurt Hale, but she believes Marcus and takes on the job of finding the real will.

Kat and Hale later discover that Hale Industries has been working on a prototype of a new energy product that should generate a fortune for the company. The problem is, someone has stolen it and the plans and replaced it with a fake. As Hale begins to spiral out of control, Kat realizes that successfully completing this job is not just about saving Hale Industries, but Hale himself. If she wants to save the boy she loves, she needs to complete the biggest job of her life.

Kat Bishop has been in a lot of sticky situations, but she may be a little in over her head in this one. When Hale inherits his family's company after the sudden death of his grandmother, Marcus (Hale's loyal and ever-present butler) alerts Kat that not all is kosher at Hale Industries. He suspects the will may have been tampered with and this time Hale isn't in on the con... he's the mark. If Marcus's theory is true, Kat will have to risk everything, including her relationship with Hale, to right the wrong and catch the bad guy.

Ally Carter continues to be awesome with her newest novel in the Heist Society series. She brilliantly writes seamless storylines and unbelievable complex cons with a loveable group of characters and her signature wit.

Though this is different from the other HS novels in one respect: Hale is simply not the same Hale every female reader fell in love with. Don't get me wrong, his grandmother died and his inheritance was a lie. The kid has a reason to be upset. But Hale's usual snarkiness and sense of humor was definitely missed. If anything, though, it gave more dimension to his character. Hale isn't just some handsome, rich, teenage playboy. He has another side of him that does care what his family thinks, despite what he claims. So even though I was disappointed to not see the Hale I know and love, I can appreciate learning more about his character.

On the plus side, we're introduced to almost everyone in Kat's thieving family (including a hilariously naked Uncle Felix) while Kat tries to run the biggest con of her teenage life. But we also get an inside look at Hale's family as well. Parents, cousins, aunts, uncles (including a long lost uncle which may or may not be Uncle Eddie) are all introduced. Family dynamics are a big theme in this novel, and by the end we have a better understanding of Hale's real family (FYI: A very kind note from an unexpected character may make you tear up).

In typical Ally Carter fashion, Perfect Scoundrels is full of brilliant plans, witty quips, and a full cast of quirky characters. Despite having a bit of a darker element than the other Heist Society novels, this one is just as fun as the others. It's sure to draw readers in for a quick, easy read that's full of intriguing and hilarious con-men action. I give it 9/10.

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.

Quick & Dirty: Carter weaves yet another thrilling mystery with more than a few twists to keep you on your toes and begging for more. Plus there's more insight on the history of the amazingly gorgeous (and rich) W.W. Hale.

Opening Sentence: Of all the people who knew about the big house in the middle of Wyndham Woods, very few had ever been inside.

The Review:

Kat and Hale's relationship has been drifting past the border of friendship for some time, but in this book it seems that they are secretly dating-well, secretly to Hale's family. But it's when Hale unexpectedly leaves on a heist that their relationship goes from sweet and warm to an icy shoulder. Then Kat sees the headline on the next day's newspaper: the Hazel Hale, CEO of Hale Industries and Hale's beloved grandmother, died that night, about the same time Hale left her stranded in a window. Now the entire Hale family has convened for the funeral - and most importantly - the reading of the will. But Hale's mostly silent but always reliable butler hires Kat and her crew for the most unlikely of cons. He thinks that the will has been forged and now Hale, who just inherited the entirety of Hale Industries, is the mark. As Hale grows more distant, Kat has to decide if her usual partner in crime is able to follow through with the plan - and the possibilities that come with its success. Ally Carter spins another wonderfully intricate and clever tale that is sure to keep you guessing.

This by far is the best Heist Society book yet. The plot, as always, never goes the way you think, and the multiple missions throughout are cleverly developed. I'm always a fan of Carter's writing, but I think that the highlight of the book were the characters. We're given more insight into Hale's family and the environment he grew up with. AND Hale and Kat's first meeting is described perfectly (see Notable Scene), introducing Hale and Kat's relationship and the catalyst of the story - Hale's grandmother.

Despite Kat's face on the cover, the spotlight character of this book is the handsome fellow in the reflection of the sunglasses. W.W. Hale's history has always been an enigma, but in this book its splayed out for everyone to see. Beside's Hale's loyal and rich exterior, we finally get to view his vulnerable side - the side that's affected by the constant disappointment from his parents and the competition between family members. I loved that Carter delved deep into his character development and wasn't afraid to turn our self-controlled rich boy into a grief-stricken teenager that just lost the only family member that saw the potential in him. And I pity Kat for having to put up with him.

I appreciate Kat in this book. Although she struggles with her want to keep Hale close to her, she's always trying to do what's best for him, even when he's constantly pushing her away. This book not only tests Hale, but it also tests Kat as she deals with the responsibility of the con and the constant waiting for Hale to finally come to terms with the hand he has been dealt. My heart broke for her a few times throughout the book (my heart heals fast) and when I would have given up, she kept pressing on, trying the impossible - and pulling everyone in with her.

Overall, I loved this book. There was more of Uncle Eddie (who is my favorite minor character because of his infamy in heists), the return of several old characters and, of course, the freaking heart-stopping-I-can't-believe-that-happened ending that I refuse to spoil. No cliffhangers, but I can definitely see potential for new books in the future. Hopefully Carter will be able to continue the series, but in the meantime, read this book (or the entire series) if you know what's good for you!

FTC Advisory: Hyperion Books for Children provided me with a copy of Perfect Scoundrels. No goody bags, sponsorships, "material connections," or bribes were exchanged for my review.(less)

I love the Heist Society series. Ally Carter's reveals in this book in particular are genius. It makes me wonder how she comes up with this stuff. Please, please write more Heist Society books Ms. Carter!

I loved this ending so much. I was really impressed by this ending and also the heist. I just loved how side characters became a focus and also all the hi-jynx along the way. I think Kat is one of my favorite ally carter characters. I was so impressed by this story and some parts really suprised me. It was such a fun fast read. I rec. this series if you love heist book but also strong females :)

When Hale's grandmother dies, he is pulled back into his family life, giving up heists with Kat. The crew then must save his company without his help. We also get to see a flashback of how Hale and Kat met.

Things I loved about his book:
1. The closer look we got to see of Hale's family. It was fun to see how different Kat and Hale's families are and how it has shaped them. Kat's family is full of thieves, but they are all so close and she can trust every single one of them. Then there's Hale's family. They are less trustworthy than Kat's, less trustworthy than a family of thieves. Through these circumstances, we get to see Hale grow and develop even more than in the other books.
2. Kat and Hale's relationship. Since they are finally together, I was expecting a book full of their mushy relationship that had completely taken over their friendship. But it wasn't like that. They are still best friends and continued to act as such, with their romance just another layer to their relationship.
3. Natalie. Ally Carter could have thrown in Natalie as the third point of the love triangle like other YA novels, but Natalie is so much more than that. She's an actual character that has a point in the series outside of the romance. At least for now.
4. Basically Everything. The pacing, the plot, and the minor characters are all so well done, making this book as good, if not better, than the first two. I can only hope there will be many more books in this series.

Source: Library

As I read Heist Society and Uncommon Criminals, of course I wanted to finish the series (it is my understanding that this is only a trilogy but I would be happy to read another installment). I'm so glad I picked it up because I thought this book was absolutely delightful, the best in the trilogy! Every book has had a con of some kind and this one was just so so satisfying.

My one complaint about this book was the shifting of narration. Sometimes it would go to "the girl" or "the boy" meaning Kat or Hale instead of saying their names. It felt like a distancing technique and I hated being away from the wonderful characters.

Other than that, I loved everything. The book opens throwing Hale into a sad situation that drastically changes their circumstances and brings Kat from her world of cons to Hale's world of money and...well actually there are a lot of con people in the business world too as realized by Kat and which instigates their latest heist.

Have you seen The Sting? (If you haven't, you should check it out: Robert Redford and Paul Newman-enough said.) That's what this book ended up making me think of, which is a very high compliment. Of course it was only after I had read everything that I made this connection because before that I was too caught up in Carter's exquisite plotting. What they pull off in this book impressed me to no end and is the main reason for my love.

There are also all the wonderful characters we already know and love-Kat, Hale, Gabrielle, Marcus, Simon, Angus, Hamish, etc. in addition to introducing some other members of Kat's "family." Kat and Hale's romance is further tested by these new circumstances (to my dismay as I love the couple) but I am happy with the way everything is resolved here. We also get a lot more background on Hale and his upbringing, proving that money cannot buy you love and happiness as his birth family was pretty crappy at providing those two things. I felt so sorry for the guy but happy for him falling in with Kat's crew.

Overall: Another confection from Carter-I was seriously so blown away by the plotting and the light writing. That takes such great skill and is seriously under-appreciated in my opinion.

SPOILER ALERT: If you haven't read the previous two books, don't read this review!

Perfect Scoundrels, the third book in the Heist Society series, really ups the stakes and is probably the best book of the series so far. Ally Carter continues to impress me with this series.

So Kat and Hale finally moved from friends to something more and now that brand new relationship is on the line. Perfect Scoundrels starts off light and fluffy with Kat, Hale, and Gabrielle pulling some crazy con but things quickly take a turn for the worse. Hale is called home when he finds out that his grandmother has passed away. Things only get crazier when Hale finds out that his grandmother named him as heir to the company. It's not that Kat doesn't believe that Hale would be left the company, it's the fact that someone else stands to benefit from this too, Kat's just not sure how. When Kat starts digging behind Hale's back, things don't exactly go as planned. Instead of pulling a con, this time Kat and her crew may just have to stop one of their members from being the target of one.

Perfect Scoundrels is really Hale's story. Readers finally get to hear the story of how Kat and Hale initially met and how Hale ended up part of the crew. Not only do we get a lot of Hale's history though, we also get to see a very different side of him. He's not the fun, lovable guy this time around. He's going through a lot and he doesn't exactly know how to handle it. He comes off as a bit of a jerk at times but he definitely redeems himself by the end of the book. Then there's Kat. She's so adorably awkward this time around. Her new boyfriend is acting very weird and she has no clue how to handle it. She's not exactly on her A game and she really has to rely on her friends to help get her through this. And of course those friends are just as awesome as ever.

And once again, the story is fabulous. Ally Carter's books are fun, fast-paced stories that are such quick reads. It probably helps that it's pretty much impossible to stop reading once you've started. Once you're into the story you won't want to stop reading until you find out if everything is going to work out.

Overall, Perfect Scoundrels will not disappoint fans of the Heist Society series. It's everything I could have hoped for and more. I can't wait for the next book in the series.

SPOILER ALERT: If you haven't read the previous two books, don't read this review!

Perfect Scoundrels, the third book in the Heist Society series, really ups the stakes and is probably the best book of the series so far. Ally Carter continues to impress me with this series.

So Kat and Hale finally moved from friends to something more and now that brand new relationship is on the line. Perfect Scoundrels starts off light and fluffy with Kat, Hale, and Gabrielle pulling some crazy con but things quickly take a turn for the worse. Hale is called home when he finds out that his grandmother has passed away. Things only get crazier when Hale finds out that his grandmother named him as heir to the company. It's not that Kat doesn't believe that Hale would be left the company, it's the fact that someone else stands to benefit from this too, Kat's just not sure how. When Kat starts digging behind Hale's back, things don't exactly go as planned. Instead of pulling a con, this time Kat and her crew may just have to stop one of their members from being the target of one.

Perfect Scoundrels is really Hale's story. Readers finally get to hear the story of how Kat and Hale initially met and how Hale ended up part of the crew. Not only do we get a lot of Hale's history though, we also get to see a very different side of him. He's not the fun, lovable guy this time around. He's going through a lot and he doesn't exactly know how to handle it. He comes off as a bit of a jerk at times but he definitely redeems himself by the end of the book. Then there's Kat. She's so adorably awkward this time around. Her new boyfriend is acting very weird and she has no clue how to handle it. She's not exactly on her A game and she really has to rely on her friends to help get her through this. And of course those friends are just as awesome as ever.

And once again, the story is fabulous. Ally Carter's books are fun, fast-paced stories that are such quick reads. It probably helps that it's pretty much impossible to stop reading once you've started. Once you're into the story you won't want to stop reading until you find out if everything is going to work out.

Overall, Perfect Scoundrels will not disappoint fans of the Heist Society series. It's everything I could have hoped for and more. I can't wait for the next book in the series.

The third book, Perfect Scoundrels, might just be the best of the Heist Society books. I'm not so sure if this is the last, because of it's open ending, but I don't think I'd mind reading another book about those amazing characters. In Perfect Scoundrels, we start off with the tragic death of Hale's grandmother, Hazel. During the reading of the will, it turns out that Hale has inherited his grandmother's company, but with a trustee, who is Garrett. Garrett is the family's lawyer, and he will be his trustee until Hale turns twenty-five. The interesting part is that this time, the problem is within the family itself. There is something fishy about the will, and that's when they realize that someone has switched the real will with a fake, to benefit themselves for a reason. It was interesting that for once, they had to do a con for the family, and not for someone outside their little circle.

I think I really enjoyed the con itself, and how everything played out. It was definitely action packed, and the characters were just SO awesome. In this book, we kind of get to know more about both of their families. It felt nice to kind of get a peak at their personal lives, and not just their thief-lives. As usual, it was fun reading about the team working together again. In Perfect Scoundrels, Hale and Kat's relationship goes through a bit of a rough patch, and I liked how Ally Carter spiced it up a bit. There were some crazy shocking events in the book that really surprised me, but again, I still enjoyed it very much.

Overall, Perfect Scoundrels was a fantastic read that was action packed to the end. Perfect Scoundrels had me hooked, and I never wanted to stop reading! I know a lot of people who didn't enjoy Uncommon Criminals, but I am sure that this one won't disappoint! If you haven't started the Heist Society series, I highly recommend it as well! Perfect Scoundrels got me laughing, my heart racing, and me smiling! If this is the final book, I don't think I'd be that upset, but if there is another book, then I am excited to see what happens next with Kat and Hale!

Ally Carter knows how to get the perfect combination of fun and heart. Her books always leave me wishing her characters would pop out of the pages and be my friends, or that I could go in and live their life. Perfect Scoundrels was no exception. Kat and the gang are so much fun to read about, and their hijinks always make me go "They're doing what?!?!" in the best way possible.

This book, the third in the series, has a slightly more personal focus than the other two. The plot revolves around Hale and his previously mysterious family. We learn a lot (though still not as much as any Hale fan would like) about the Hale's and how our Hale came to be part of the Kat's world. Maddeningly, we still don't learn Hale's first name.

Reading about Hale and having that personal connection was a nice change of pace. However, it took away from the fantastic dynamic between the secondary characters that I love so much. Most of this book revolved around Kat and Hale, and their worlds colliding. The beloved secondary characters were all featured, but not as much as they have been before. I hope that they will be up front and center in the next novel.

The plot, of course, involves a heist. A heist that grows continuously more complicated as the novel goes on. I will tell you, there was a scene in this book that made me gasp out loud because it was so intense, but also completely brilliant. If I ever need to rob anyone, I'm going to ask Ally Carter to plan the heist for me, because girl has some ideas. The plans Kat and her friends come up with are extremely entertaining.

Perfect Scoundrels has set up the tone for the next books in the series to possibly be a bit more serious; a bit less frivolous. By learning more about Hale, we are also investing ourselves more in these characters. Hopefully the next novels continue to work off that character development. Perfect Scoundrels is a fast, fun read that is full of so much heart yours might burst. It is a solid addition to the series, and I am looking forward to the next one immensely.

Darn you, Ally Carter. You really need to stop writing books that keep me up until two in the morning on a work night. It’s seemingly impossible for me to read for “just half an hour” because inevitably it’ll turn into “just one more chapter” and that turns into “oh well, midnight 1am is not so bad?” which then morphs into “but I’m at 80%!”

In other news, I read Perfect Scoundrels in one go on a night before getting up early for work. As you do. I blame Ally Carter entirely.

As you can see from the rating, I really really loved this book. It was better than the second in the series (Uncommon Criminals), which wasn’t bad but simply not as good as the first. Perfect Scoundrels, however, was AWESOME. Kat, Hale and Gabby are in the middle of a job when he’s unexpectedly called away and in the resulting drama around the will of his grandmother Kat learns a lot of new things about her boyfriend and his family.

I really loved the insight we got into Hale’s family this time around. We know all these things about Kat’s family — blood relations and makeshift family alike — but Hale’s a total mystery aside from the fact that he’s a total charmer and a great asset to Kat’s crew. Like Kat we don’t even know his full name! Which is quite hilarious (and sad) when she calls for Hale who stands in the middle of a group of other people whose last name is Hale.

Carter did a fab job with the plot this time, it was intriguing and kept me on my toes from start to finish. (On that note: WOMAN, THAT THING YOU DID BEFORE THE END WAS NOT OKAY, THAT WAS NOT AN OKAY THING TO DO!) Plus, it also allowed the characters to grow by leaps and bounds. I’m also really glad that Ally Carter has a way of writing teenagers that doesn’t make me despise them. I often struggle with teenage characters and teenage drama because a lot of the time they end up being caricatures of randomly assembled stereotypes, but I enjoy Carter’s books because these kids feel real.

“And so that means…”
“We have to rob the Henley,” Simon said.
Kat sank onto a truly uncomfortable sofa. “Again.”

While Kat and her crew aren’t necessarily what you would call a normal representation of a group of teenagers these days, they’re not plagued by overly dramatic character traits. Kat and Hale have girlfriend/boyfriend issues amidst the whole mystery surrounding his grandmother’s will and it doesn’t feel fake at all. Whether or not these kids are planning a heist or travelling to the moon or the chosen ones who are meant to lead the revolt that will revenge the planet or something, they still act like teenagers would act and that’s a thing I don’t see all that often in teen/YA literature, actually. Which is why I am continually impressed with Carter’s books.

I also adored the topic of family in this book. There’s all sorts of mentions of who somebody’s family is (obviously Kat has a whole bunch of uncles who aren’t related to her because hell yeah crime families) and who you can call your family and it made me tear up a bit because that’s just so important! The fact that Kat’s family (and not just her crew, but other members of her family) help Kat to try and fix this mess is not only entertaining (why hello there, Uncle Felix, I heard you look good in drag!) but also shows Kat and the reader that they still care about her despite the events of Heist Society and Uncommon Criminals.

All in all, I think 5 stars are totally deserved. I just really loved this book and don’t care about pragmatic ratings and weighing pros and cons because LALALALALA I CAN’T HEAR YOU OVER HOW MUCH I LOVE THIS BOOK

The best part about this book was all the information we learned about Hale. He had been Kat's mysterious and cute friend in the past books, but this time I got to delve into his family and world. It was great to get to know his crazy family like we've gotten to know Kat's.

I didn't have to read this story every second of the day. I wasn't hooked or attached to Kat or the side characters, except for Hale. At the start of the series Kat changed from being a thief to a Robin Hood, still a thief just for a better reason. Most of the side characters are thieves though, and I just don't relate or feel attached to them. I still gave this book 4 stars because it was well written and an entertaining story.

There was a lot of excitement and a little more romance this time which I loved. If you loved Heist Society and Uncommon Criminals then you'll love this final installment in the series. At least I think it's the final book. It came to a nice and complete ending anyway. Enjoy!

Content Ratings:
sexual: very mild
language: none
violence: very mild
other: mild

I simply adore the heist books, ally carter has a way of making you get sucked right in no matter how much time has passed since you've read the books. The characters are all amazing and for once a family is actually involved in a ya characters life. And can I just say how much I love angus and hamish those two lighten up the book whenever they're around and every book I look forward o reading about them. And let's not forget Hale our stories hero. In this book we learn more about him and how Kat an him meet. Though this story was entertaining I wasn't completely enamored with it just because this time around there wasn't really a big heist. But overall this has become one of my favorite series and I'm looking forward to the next book.

I love the Heist Society books for a few different reasons:
1. They are always fast paced
2. The story lines run smoothly from book to book
3. Ally Carter is an awesome author!
4. Carter's character's are relatable for ages 11+

When you do a great many things for strangers, how far will you go for your friends?

Katerina Bishop has stolen emeralds and paintings, broken into some of the most secure museums, cracked uncrackable safes, she even stole a whole other life and maybe an elephant or two along the way, but by far her best lift had to be when she went in for a Monet and walked out with a Hale.

When tragedy strikes the moonlighting billionaire heir's other life, Kat senses there's more at play than the death of a great woman and the standard feeding frenzy of family over Inheritance. The loss has hit Hale hard, and Kat can't decide what's worse, feeling him slip away or knowing he's the perfect mark.

In a world where one should always be prepared to walk away, possessions are a luxury not to indulge in, but Kat has found something she doesn't want to lose.

Not to long ago Hale saved her from a life most ordinary but gave her a way back in. Can Kat return the favor?

It's a mark of great author who can build a world beyond their words. Whenever I pick up one of Carter's books I'm enveloped by the heart and wit written between the lines. She has a way of infusing fun and lightness into her books even through the darkest parts. Perfect Scoundrels doesn't disappoint. It has all of Carter's signatures smart, funny writing, fast paced story lines, and loads of likable characters.

For the first two books Carter established her world and characters, especially Kat. In Perfect Scoundrels she delves a bit further into Hale's character and background which was a nice change of pace. My only gripe was that there wasn't enough Nick. I was really hoping he would show up in the second half of the book. I think his character is one of the most compelling in the series and hope he's featured more in the next book.

Perfect Scoundrels is the perfect fun, fast paced, feel good read sure to steal your heart and leave you longing for the next great heist.

This was probably my favorite of the three heist society books!! :) I loved it! It was such a good book. Everyone should pick up a copy if they haven't already. I couldn't put this book down all day. I read it in about 5 hours.