Put together a team of thieves, an elaborate plan, and an impossible mission—it’s the perfect combination for a heist book! Admittedly, some of them can be formulaic but when they deliver, whoa.
The best heist books are full of suspense because of the high stakes, constant mental maneuvers, and unexpected twists. They’re the type to make you think “what a ride” by the time you’re finished reading.
Best Heist Books
From the classics to the contemporary, here are the greatest books about heists that you can read.
1. Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead
Behind Ray Carney’s facade of normalcy lies a family history of crooks. So when cash gets tight and his cousin Freddie comes along with suspicious jewelry, Ray doesn’t ask questions.
But Ray falls in with a crowd with big plans—plans that get bungled so bad he falls into the cracks they make. Now he’s living a double life playing with shady cops, gangsters, and the other baddies of Harlem.
Now he’s got to figure out a way to save himself and his cousin, and still get away with some loot. But it’s hard when he still needs to maintain his reputation as a flawless furniture seller.
2. The Great Train Robbery by Michael Crichton
In 1855, a shipment of gold bound for the war front mysteriously disappears. The public is in an uproar and those responsible for the gold are in a bitter fight amongst themselves.
Who would ever think that a gentleman is behind the crime? But can he and his accomplices stay free long enough to enjoy their wealth, or will loose lips lead to their downfall?
3. Heist Society by Ally Carter
Katarina comes from a family of thieves. It’s the only business she’s known since she was a kid. But she’s over it now and leaves for a normal life.
But then a mobster’s art collection is stolen and her father’s the only suspect. For a chance to survive, he’ll need Kat’s help. And she only has two weeks to assemble her team, make a plan, and pull off the biggest heist in her family’s history.
4. The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
To the rest of the underworld, the Gentlemen Bastards are only a small crew of two-story thieves. Little do they know the magnitude of thievery that this group actually does.
As they amass a fortune stealing from prohibited targets, another troublemaker brews chaos in the city. One that threatens to destroy both criminal and noble life—and the Gentlemen Bastards are in the center of this man’s plots.
5. The Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton
Made mute by tragedy, Michael finds solace in unlocking everything that is locked. Still struggling with his trauma, he allows himself to fall further into the ruthless underworld.
Now he’s known as the best safecracker in the business, something that makes him valuable to all the wrong people. He only has one chance to escape this life of crime—one that will see him gamble everything away and confront the trauma that’s silenced him all these years.
6. The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi
It is 1889 and all eyes are on Paris. The Exposition Universelle has brought something dangerous to the city, one that even outshines the many marvels on display. Tasked with its recovery, Séverin Montagnet-Alarie is promised a treasure that he can never refuse—his true inheritance.
To acquire such a dangerous artifact, he must call upon a band of unlikely experts to his cause. What they expect to find will change history, but only if they survive to achieve it.
7. The Hunter by Richard Stark
Parker is a criminal with few redeeming qualities apart from his ice-cold efficiency. He does live by one principle though: no double-crossing another criminal unless they double-cross him first.
They should have been more thorough. Shot and left to burn after a successful job, Parker survives nonetheless. Now he’s out for payback and won’t stop killing, scamming, and stealing to get it.
8. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Kaz Brekker and his misfits are on a mission to perform a heist that could change the world. Pulling it off won’t be that easy though.
A thief, a spy, a runaway, a sharpshooter, a convict, and a Heartrender—six incendiary souls just about ready to explode on each other. Whatever could go wrong?
9. Thick As Thieves by Sandra Brown
In the dead of night, four individuals manage to get away with half a million dollars. By morning, one is dead, another is injured, a third is in jail, and the last disappears with all the money.
Twenty years later, Arden Maxwell, the daughter of the man who disappeared, returns to town looking for answers. Little does she know that her father’s remaining accomplices are keeping a close eye on her, waiting for a chance to finally exact revenge.
10. Death Prefers Blondes by Caleb Roehrig
Day and night, Margo Manning is always the talk of the press. The former, as a teenage socialite, and the latter as a cat burglar with her team of drag queens.
Dodging paparazzi and security cameras is fun until Margo’s personal life is derailed and a burglary goes wrong. She and her team must decide if a life of crime is worth it before they can no longer back out.
11. The Quantum Magician by Derek Kunsken
It is the 25th century and humanity has begun exploring the stars by way of wormhole gates left behind by a long-dead alien race. But moving cargo through space is absurdly expensive, so a criminal group turns to con artist and homo quantus Belisarius Arjona for assistance.
If he succeeds, Belisarius will either bring forth an age of war or humanity’s long-awaited evolution. But first, there’s the little matter of bringing a squadron of warships across an enemy wormhole.
12. The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson
Twenty-year-old Edwin Rist is on his way to becoming one of history’s greatest flutists. But, right after a performance at London’s Royal Academy of Music, he commits an act that cements his fame as a thief instead.
Just two years later, Kirk Wallace Johnson learns of Rist’s feats while on a fishing trip. Enthralled by the story, he investigates what lead to the theft of one of the world’s most valuable ornithological collections and the reason behind it.
The Lure of The Heist
The heist is a trope that could be played straight or turned into a literary labyrinth that readers can lose themselves in. Whatever the case, its formula naturally breeds the excitement and curiosity that leads people into turning pages.
There’s one prevailing question about these stories: how will it go? Will the thieves get away with their prize or will they fail, either by betrayal, misfortune, or pure incompetence? Either way, the suspense of an eagerly awaited outcome will still be there.
Add in some unexpected twists and turns and you have yourself a story that catches a person’s interest and holds it all the way to the end.
What’s your favorite book about heists? Share them in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:
- What is a Caper Story?
- 16 Best Spy Novels to Keep You on the Edge
- 12 Thriller Book Series To Get Your Heart Pumping
Cole is a blog writer and aspiring novelist. He has a degree in Communications and is an advocate of media and information literacy and responsible media practices. Aside from his interest in technology, crafts, and food, he’s also your typical science fiction and fantasy junkie, spending most of his free time reading through an ever-growing to-be-read list. It’s either that or procrastinating over actually writing his book. Wish him luck!
