Title: Money Run (Ashley Arthur #1)
Author: Jack Heath
Release date: April 1, 2013
Publisher: Scholastic
Pages: 256
Source: Netgalley/Publisher
Reading level: YA
Challenge: YA Contemp Challenge
When a heist goes wrong, teen thief Ash finds herself in a high stakes game of cat-and-mouse.
Ashley “Ash” Arthur is a teen thief. Motivated by the thrills as much as the money, she’s pulled off some amazing heists with the help of her childhood friend Benjamin, who acts as tech support. Now she’s got the world’s richest man in her sights, convinced that Hammond Buckland has 2 million dollars hidden away in his corporate HQ.
Ash isn’t the only one with an interest in Buckland. The Australian government gets his fortune if he dies on their soil, so they’ve sent their #2 assassin, Peachey, to kill him. With Ash and Peachey both sneaking around the office building and working at cross purposes, it’s only a matter of time before their paths cross and Peachey decides Ash has seen too much to live.
Once it’s a matter of life and death, can Ash keep her eye on the prize?
Set over the course of a single night within a single building, this is a page-turning thriller with gadgets, guts, and summer-blockbuster action.
I don’t know what I expected from Money Run but what I got was a fun, fast-paced read that reminded me a lot of Ally Carter’s Heist Society series. Ashley Arthur is a character whose story is far from over and I can’t wait to read more about her.
Ashley is a cunning, brave, sometimes idiotic thief. She works with her best friend, Benjamin, who is the brains behind the heists. He’s funny and smart and works very well with Ashley, even if he is just behind the scenes. There are also three other people who play a big part in the story. First is Hammond Buckland, the guy that Ashley and Benjamin are trying to steal 2 million dollars from. I expected him to be a rich, pompous jerk and I was really surprised when he was actually a down to earth person. Then there was Peachey, the assassin sent to kill Buckland. It was really creepy reading from his point-of-view. Last but not least there was the detective investigating a murder at the Buckland corporation headquarters that ended up right in the middle of everything going down. I really liked him even though he was working against Ashley. He was smart and very obviously a good guy.
Money Run is a rather short book and it’s a supremely quick read. There’s always something going on which makes it almost impossible to put down. The situations that Ashley gets into and the shenanigans that ensue are crazy and totally hilarious. There is some more serious stuff going on (I mean, there is an assassin) but it never weighs down the story. Money Run will leave you with a smile on your face!
Jack Heath’s writing is nothing special but it’s good. Also, Jack Heath is an Australian author and it’s clear through his style of writing. Personally I love reading Australian and British writing but I know some people don’t so I just thought I’d put that out there. It’s nothing that will detract from your enjoyment of the book but it is noticeable.
Overall, Money Run is the perfect read for a rainy day. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable read and I can’t wait to continue the series.
What others have to say about Money Run:
The Book Zone’s review:
“Money Run has its weaknesses but it is so much fun that it is very easy to ignore these and enjoy the ride, although and you will need to suspend your disbelief at times.”
I don’t know if I’ve read any YA Heist books but they all sound like a lot of fun! Thanks for putting this on my radar!
I love reading Australian/British authors. This sounds really interesting. I love a good fast read. Great review 🙂
This one sounds interesting and action packed for sure!
Want it !
Love it when thrillers have teen criminals! There’s always a lot of humor and the stakes are higher 🙂
I love Heist Society, so if this is as good as that, then it means it’s a series to love 🙂
Thanks for telling us about the writing style 🙂
Oh!
You should try How to Lead a Life of Crime by Kirsten Miller – you’d like it I think. Lots of moral and ethical issues too 🙂