Young teenage jewel thieves March, Jules, Darius, and Izzy have gone straight. But after Darius unwittingly invests their money with a con man, they lose everything. Hamish, their yoga-obsessed fence, who was a good friend of March and Jules’s dad, convinces them to steal three legendary—and cursed—sapphires. “Fortune and hearthstone, then fealty fly,” reads the curse. And it’s true. They’ve lost their money. They’ve lost their apartment. And March’s anger at guilt-ridden Darius creates a rift in their self-made family. The Top Cats, a ruthless European gang of thieves, is after the jewels as well, creating an added level of danger. As in Loot, the heist in this sequel is complex, multifaceted, unbelievable, and a delight. Also as in the original, the emotional storyline is richly developed, with each of the four teens struggling with the significant shortcomings of their various parents. March is eventually able to acknowledge that as much as his dad loved him and Jules, Auggie also made choices that put the two of them in jeopardy over and over. What’s harder is for March not to do the very same thing. A triple-cross climax ramps up the fun of a book that also invites reflection on the meaning of family and forgiveness. (Ages 8–12)

Rule Number One for Cat Burglars:Never Do a Favor for a Friend.

So why is March McQuin dangling upside-down twenty feet above a stone floor in the middle of the night, instead of tucked in bed like a regular kid? Along with his twin sister, Jules, he’s set on stealing a set of stunning diamonds. It should have been an easy job, in and out. Except another thief got there first. March and Jules are lucky to escape with their lives, and one measly stone.Now the botched heist has created a world of trouble. The stone they grabbed was the Morning Star, one of a trio of famous sapphires, and it’s cursed. The theft puts the twins and their friends in the crosshairs of Interpol, the FBI, and a vicious adult gang of criminals. And worst of all, the only way to break the curse and set everything to rights is by pulling off two more impossible heists... and stealing the other two sapphires in the set.Break out the black gloves. Lay out the masks. There’s a full moon coming, and jewels to steal...