New York's charity balls mean boredom for Macey, daughter
of a senator and a cosmetics heiress. She's been there,
done that. At the latest one however, while she's staving
off tedium by putting her security training to work, she
spots a young man pickpocketing the Mayor. Intrigued, she
follows him and learns that he's also wealthy. So why did
he steal a cellphone?
DOUBLE CROSSED is in a series called Spies and Thieves
about teenagers with special security training. The charity
ball is crashed by gunmen who herd the bejeweled dancers
together and force them to surrender their phones and
portable wealth. Macey and her curious new acquaintance
Hale can only watch - but Hale is in secret communication
with someone outside, Kat. Managing to leave the group of
hostages, the pair hurry down empty corridors and eavesdrop
on a few of the terrorists who aim to bypass an apartment
security system. Kat has been used in the thieving game
many times in her fifteen years, and when Macey's security
teacher makes contact with her they start to swap
information. Mrs. Calloway's yellow diamond is the main
target for the intruders, and they don't care that blowing
the uncrackable safe open will rupture gas lines and
endanger everyone.
The series posits a school called the Gallagher Academy for
Exceptional Young Women in which genius girls are allowed
to develop unusual talents and encouraged to work to good
purpose. With lessons in advanced encryption and fourteen
languages, the girls are pushed towards being spies. I did
think that Macey could do with a lesson in staying
unnoticed, as she is all too keen to show off both verbally
and physically to an unknown young man the minute she meets
him. But girls will be girls, and it is hard for teenagers
not to demonstrate their abilities.
Certainly it's extremely positive to see young adult books
in which using one's brain and learning self-defence are
supported, not just field sporting ability or beauty
enhancements. Ally Carter has clearly had a good time
planning this book about a jewel heist, and put a lot of
thought into her series. Try DOUBLE CROSSED on a bright
young lady near you - and watch out!
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