Because apparently I’m mildly to moderately obsessed with superior thievery. Why…? I have no clue. It wasn’t until recently that I discovered that this was a thing for me. A book about stealing something: Pray tell, who is the author! A TV show about heists and grifts: Yes please! If there’s an ensemble of thieves and con men, then basically, my mind wants to go to there. It’s as if there is a tiny in the back of my head searching for adventurous thieving plots.

And, I’m not going to lie. This has always been one of my favorite PostSecret post cards:

So what was the catalyst that revealed to me this mild obsession? Leverage!

Yes, I’m a little behind in discovering this gem (it aired from 2008-12), BUT it was a wonderful discovery when my fear that weren’t any new and amazing shows that I hadn’t seen yet on Netflix streaming had begun to set in (And for the record, I’m pretty sure this is a real fear). Strangely enough, I discovered it right after finishing White Collar – another favorite of mine – which if you haven’t seen it, it is about con man working for the FBI… annnnnnddddd you should watch it. It was then, after watching two shows about stealing things that it dawned on me that maybe I liked most plots about con artists, heists, jobs and of course, good characters who happen to enjoy doing bad things –  you know the “I solemnly swear I’m up to no good” kind. Then in a linear thought pattern (which is normally rare for me) I realized that a few of my favorite shows and books have featured such amazing fugitives of which I will share a few avec vous.

1. Leverage (TV Show):

   In a nutshell, Leverage is about a group of fugitives (normally the bad guys) who band together to help people take down the big corporate bad guys. Doing “bad” things to help people. The cast of characters – a hitter, a hacker, a thief, a grifter, and a mastermind – are each amazing, and their interactions only evolve into more amazingness for those who continue to watch to the end. They steal everything from an election to a teddy bear, so it shouldn’t be missed. Also! There are plenty of nerdy pop culture references: Ellie Sattler anyone? And there are some amazing,

   

   and very distinctive ones:

   

   Not that I’m insisting that the quality of a show should be based on its gifs or memes, although, Supernatural gives an incredible argument for this case.

2. White Collar (TV Show)

   Also delicious; in both plot and in con men, which would make sense as to why it’s one of my favorites. The show centers around a conman who is serving his prison sentence by acting as a consultant to the FBI in order to catch other con men. Neal, Peter, and Mozzie are characters you’ll absolutely cherish – I know I do. There’s lots of fine art involved and there’s also tons of this:

   

3. The Lies of Locke Lamora et al (Book Series)

   This series is one of my absolute favorites. There are currently three books out and I have read the first two so far… However, Scott Lynch is an amazing author, and puts together the stories of Locke in such a perfect structure, you might think he’s related to the incredible architectural minds of the TV show Fringe. The book is about a group of thieves that were rescued from the streets and raised and trained as thieves and con men. Everything Lynch tells you is mostly for a reason, so pay attention!

4.  The Heist Society (Book and Trilogy)

   

   These I discovered from a list somewhere on the interwebs, and I will admit that they are Young Adult (YA), BUT they’re also fun and relatively quick reads. Focusing on the daughter of a conman, in a family and tight knit network of criminals, the protagonist, Kat, and her crew, pull off some amazing jobs particularly for their age. Again, I am smitten with the dynamics of the crew ensemble – perhaps this is also why I like this genre: I have a soft spot for tight knit and efficient ensembles who are sporadically hilarious!

5. The Black Donnelly’s (TV Show)

   Okay so this one isn’t about stealing things so much as organized crime, but I feel like they steal a lot in it, and I don’t feel like the show gets a lot of exposure, but it is fast paced and confusing if you’re not really paying attention. In short, it’s one of my favorites. That and I wanted to list five things in my list and my personality practically demands at least one non-sequitur in here somewhere.. But, if you’ve never seen the show, and are looking for something intense and with an incredible cliff-hanger, and Voila!

   

And now I would like to put this out there: What shows or books do you love that are about thefts, heists, or cons (ESPECIALLY if I didn’t list them here)? And are you obsessed? Tell me all!