Money Run

Ash and Benjamin are best friends, but they're also partners in crime. As the most precocious teenage thieves in the world they've pulled off some impressive jobs, and now they're onto their biggest one yet: stealing $200 million from the headquarters of one of the most powerful companies on the planet. But as Ash infiltrates the building she finds herself involved in a situation beyond her control as powerful factions in business and the government battle it out in the building. She will struggle to escape with her life, let alone the money! This makes for an interesting start to a new series. It's very readable and a lot of fun, and some of the moral issues are skirted around by having the teenagers follow some kind of thieves' 'code of honour' and confronting villains who are far more ruthless than they are. The ending of the book also sets up further instalments to follow a more morally clear path, but hopefully not by diluting any of the excitement of the first book. Ash is one of the book's best selling points: a female heroine who is every bit as gutsy and inventive as her male counterparts like Alex Rider and Young Bond - flying a helicopter and breaking into a secure vault are just two of her escapades. But the author also pits some intriguing adversaries against her, like the merciless hitman Michael Peachey and Damien Wright, a detective who is perhaps the only one with much chance of outsmarting Ash. Thanks to this Money Run should have strong appeal for both girls and boys. (295 pages) Age 11+ / Years 7-9.

Suggested Reading Age 11+