Heist Society is the story of Kat Bishop, a student who is trying to reinvent herself and not give into the family business of being a thief. Heist Society begins with Katarina “Kat” Bishop being expelled from the prestigious Colgan School. Kat's crime was placing the headmaster's prize possession – a vintage Porsche – atop the school's fountain. The fact is that Kat was framed. The expulsion is particularly difficult for Kat since she had planned carefully to con her way into the Ivy League prep school. Now someone has ruined her only chance to reinvent herself. Kat comes from a family with a very specific set of skills – thievery. Kat had spent her youth involved in her uncle and father's schemes and she craved normalcy.
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On the day Kat leaves Colgan she learns that the person who framed her was her old friend Hale. Hale had framed Kat to get her to return to her family. Hale had received word from Kat's Uncle Eddie that her father, Bobby Bishop, is in deep trouble with Arturo Taccone, a powerful and ruthless man. Taccone thinks that Bobby has stolen five priceless paintings from his Italian villa and has kidnapped Bobby. Taccone meets with Kat and tells her that she has only two weeks to return the paintings or she will never see her father again. Kat has no choice but to put her skills to use.
Kat meets with Uncle Eddie and some of her old cohorts including Simon, Hamish and Angus Bagshaw, Hale, and her cousin Gabrielle. Uncle Eddie tries to dissuade Kat from taking on the challenge because it cannot be done. Kat could also get hurt or killed. Uncle Eddie is too old to be fully involved in the caper but remains in the background for support and to keep in touch with Kat.
The two weeks of the mission take the characters to Rome, London, New York and Paris as they chase down clues. They learn that the person who really stole the paintings is a master thief only known as Visily Romani. No one knows his real identity. Romani had stolen the paintings from Taccone with the hopes of returning them to the families that had owned them before they were “liberated” by the Nazis during World War II. Romani has secreted the pieces in a museum that is so secure that it is considered to be impenetrable. Kat needs to find a way to rob it.
Kat and her team create an elaborate ruse and manage to retrieve four of the paintings. Taccone releases Bobby but demands the fifth painting. While planning their next move, Bobby and Kat are tracked and nearly caught by Interpol.
Kat knows that she must get rid of Taccone. She and her crew implicate Taccone in the theft and have him arrested.
After the heist, everyone returns to New York. Kat receives a package from Romani. It is the fifth painting accompanied by Romani's good wishes.
Kat decides that, for now, she will stay at home with her family. Although she wants more from her life than a career of being a master thief, she knows it could certainly be an option.
Best part of story, including ending:
I like Kat because she is smart and cunning. She learns to balance her past and future.
Best scene in story:
I like the scene in which Kat faces up to Taccone and shows that she is not afraid.
Opinion about the main character:
I like Kat's ingenuity and ability to fly by the seat of her pants.
