116) Tricky Twenty-Two by Janet Evanovich

The Blurb :

Something big is brewing in Trenton, N.J., and it could blow at any minute.

Stephanie Plum might not be the world's greatest bounty hunter, but she knows when she's being played. Ken Globovic (aka Gobbles), hailed as the Supreme Exalted Zookeeper of the animal house known as Zeta fraternity, has been arrested for beating up the dean of students at Kiltman College. Gobbles has missed his court date and gone into hiding. People have seen him on campus, but no one will talk. Things just aren't adding up, and Stephanie can't shake the feeling that something funny is going on at the college - and it's not just Zeta fraternity pranks.

As much as people love Gobbles, they hate Doug Linken. When Linken is gunned down in his backyard it's good riddance, and the list of possible murder suspects is long. The only people who care about finding Linken's killer are Trenton cop Joe Morelli, who has been assigned the case, security expert Ranger, who was hired to protect Linken, and Stephanie, who has her eye on a cash prize and hopefully has some tricks up her sleeve.

My Thoughts :

Twenty-two books into the series and some readers may think that things in Plum Land are getting old and boring.  Sure you know that Stephanie is going to save the day and solve the mystery but the question of how she will do it is always open and it is always entertaining.

This new installment keeps the entertainment level high with all your favourites and more.  Lula is being Lula with her outrageous outfits, comments and actions. Grandma Mazur is promising people she doesn't have a gun and using Stephanie's details to do some catfishing.  Morelli is acting strange and Ranger is being as strange as always.

There is a certain amount of done deals in every Plum books.  Cars are ruined, Cluck in a Bucket gets a visit and Vinnie is locked in his office.  Some things don't change but the how, who and why is always fresh and funny.  You will roll your eyes, laugh out loud and do some giggling.  You can't help it.  Evanovich and Plum are a great team

I will always pick up another chapter in this series because not only is like visiting an old friend, it is also one of the funniest series I have read.  I love the humour and the characters are each hilarious in their own way.  There was a little action from Stephanie's mother this time around and it may even look like Stephanie has picked a guy and will settle down.  Although I won't hold my breathe on that one!

Keep writing these and I will keep reading.  Things maybe seem a little boring after twenty-two installments but this is way too funny to miss.

97) The Scam by Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg

The Blurb :

Nicolas Fox is a charming con man and master thief on the run. Kate O’Hare is the FBI agent who is hot on his trail. At least that’s what everyone thinks. In reality, Fox and O’Hare are secretly working together to bring down super-criminals the law can’t touch. Criminals like brutal casino magnate Evan Trace.

Evan Trace is running a money-laundering operation through his casino in Macau. Some of his best customers are mobsters, dictators, and global terrorists. Nick and Kate will have to go deep undercover as high-stakes gamblers, wagering millions of dollars—and their lives—in an attempt to topple Trace’s empire.

It’s a scam that will take Fox and O’Hare from the Las Vegas strip, to the sun-soaked beaches of Oahu’s North Shore, and into the dark back alleys of Macau. Their only backup—a self-absorbed actor, a Somali pirate, and Kate’s father, and an ex-soldier who believes a rocket launcher is the best way to solve every problem. What could possibly go wrong?

My Thoughts :

The fourth installment in the Fox & O'Hare series was one of the better ones.  Maybe I am just used to the characters now or maybe I understand the con better with each experience, whatever the reason, I liked The Scam more than I thought I would.

My other experiences with this series have also been good but I was a little curious about how the series would continue and if it could continue to have that spark that was there in the first couple of books.  I also wasn't sure if I could put up with Evanovich's usual style of 'should she or shouldn't she' with Fox & O'Hare's relationship.  However it may turn out that Goldberg is a good influence on her or is just writing more of the book than she is.

The con this time around was as elaborate as the previous ones with a personal aspect slipped in to keep things interesting.  Once again the con takes the reader around the world and shows them a side of life that is usually reserved for mobsters and terrorists.  If the side the authors are showing is a true picture of what really goes on is not for me to comment on but it makes for great reading and comes across as realistic.

While this series could sound serious and more thriller than cozy mystery, it does have that air of mystery and definitely has the humour and hint of romance that a cozy usually has.  While the humour isn't the constant laugh out loud kind it is a subtle giggle kind.  The romance is part of the humour and isn't too in your face but very present and underlying.

I like the characters and enjoy the situations they get themselves into.  Over the last four books I have gotten to know them all pretty well and look forward to meeting up with them again.  Especially after the cliffhanger ending that the book left me peering over hoping to find at least one more chapter.  It seems the authors have some good ideas that will keep this series from getting boring and will have the readers coming back for more.

96) Still Life in Brunswick Stew by Larissa Reinhart

The Blurb :

Cherry Tucker’s in a stew. Art commissions dried up after her nemesis became president of the County Arts Council. Desperate and broke, Cherry and her friend, Eloise, spend a sultry summer weekend hawking their art at the Sidewinder Annual Brunswick Stew Cook-Off.

When a bad case of food poisoning breaks out and Eloise dies, the police brush off her death as accidental. However, Cherry suspects someone spiked the stew and killed her friend. As Cherry calls on cook-off competitors, bitter rivals, and crooked judges, the police get steamed while the killer prepares to cook Cherry’s goose.

My Thoughts :

This is the second book in the Cherry Tucker Mystery series but the fourth book I have read.  You see I read the third and fourth books first and then went back to the first two.  A silly thing to do but sometimes review books are offered/look very good and you don't know or are not informed that the book is not the first in the series.  I have fallen into this trap way too often!

Anyway, I am finally up to date with the series and even though I read these in the wrong order I don't think it made a huge difference.  To be utterly honest I had forgotten the details of the on-going story despite remembering the mysteries.  So there wasn't much for me to get confused about.  I knew who all the characters were and felt very at home with the location and general feel of the series.

This installment came across as slow.  I am not sure if the narrator was purposely slow but I felt she  could have sped up a little.  It all felt very drawn out and it was frustrating and off putting at times.  The mystery was also a little slow but then again I thought it was pretty obvious right from the beginning what had happened.  The when the details came out about the various suspects I also thought it was obvious who had committed the crime.

Cherry came across as slightly annoying in this book in regards to her art work.  I really just wished she would just get her painting done and stop using the excuse of not having a model.  I admit I am not an artist and know nothing of their process but to me it came across as procrastination.  

Still Life in Brunswick Stew was a nice mystery but a poor audio book.  I don't think I would have ever gotten around to getting up to date with this series unless doing so via audio so I am not saying it was the worst but I definitely wouldn't recommend listening to the books.  I think reading them is more fun.  And this series is certainly fun and quirky.

129) The Heist by Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg

The Blurb :

FBI Special Agent Kate O’Hare is known for her fierce dedication and discipline on the job, chasing down the world’s most wanted criminals and putting them behind bars. Her boss thinks she is tenacious and ambitious; her friends think she is tough, stubborn, and maybe even a bit obsessed. And while Kate has made quite a name for herself for the past five years, the only name she’s cared about is Nicolas Fox—an international crook she wants in more ways than one.

Audacious, handsome, and dangerously charming, Nicolas Fox is a natural con man, notorious for running elaborate scams on very high-profile people. At first he did it for the money. Now he does it for the thrill. He knows that the FBI has been hot on his trail—particularly Kate O’Hare, who has been watching his every move. For Nick, there’s no greater rush than being pursued by a beautiful woman . . . even one who aims to lock him up. But just when it seems that Nicolas Fox has been captured for good, he pulls off his greatest con of all: he convinces the FBI to offer him a job, working side by side with Special Agent Kate O’Hare.

Problem is, teaming up to stop a corrupt investment banker who’s hiding on a private island in Indonesia is going to test O’Hare’s patience and Fox’s skill. Not to mention the skills of their ragtag team made up of flamboyant actors, wanted wheelmen, and Kate’s dad. High-speed chases, pirates, and Toblerone bars are all in a day’s work . . . if O’Hare and Fox don’t kill each other first.

My Thoughts :

The O'Hare and Fox series has been on my radar for a while and I even read the two novellas that accompany this series.  However I hadn't managed to read any of the full length novels and still decided to request to review the latest release.  I will admit that I thought the new release was the second book in the series and I only needed to catch up on one book....turns out it is the third and now I am having a bit of a O'Hare & Fox marathon!

To start off I have to say I'm glad I decided to visit this series via Audio.  At first I was put off by the male narrator because I am so used to female voices but after a couple of chapters it was obvious that he was the man for the job.  I like his style and he does some great voices for the characters.

The concept it fresh and interesting.  Within a few chapters I was hooked and I was really enjoying the 'cons' and general shenanigans. The characters were very likable and even the ones on the sidelines were worth getting to know.  The plot was maybe a little over the top at times but such an elaborate plan couldn't work without some crazy ideas.  What really impressed me was the background and research the authors obviously did for the book.  They took the time to check out the places they used and there was some interesting stuff in there.  Some of it had me checking Wikipedia for more details.

I would class this one as a mystery but it is also a Thriller and a romance with some humour. However Evanovich fans need to know, this isn't a Morelli vs. Ranger romance.  The flirting is more subtle and not too in your face.  The banter is fun and fits into the story without over powering it.  There are no crazy Stephanie and Lula scenarios but more grown-up and FBI moments.  Actually I don't feel much of Evanovich in the story and it makes me wonder how much each author contributed and how they wrote this together.  How did the process work? In the same room?  Passed the book back and forth?  

After just one book I would, of course, like to see Fox & O'Hare become a couple at some point and it is obvious that eventually things will go that way.  Right now the idea is hanging out in the background with some flirty comments thrown in here and there.  It isn't the main focus and that is fine with me.  Kate isn't the kind of woman who would just give in to Nick straight away.  There will be some time and effort exerted before something really happens.

All in all I really enjoyed this one and I am already listening to book two.  Actually I would like to listen to book three as well but I have a Kindle copy....which will be weird after listening to the first two books.  Anyway, great read, nice story and plot, interesting, thrilling and well worth checking out.   Expect my review of book two within a couple of days!

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1) Death, the Devil & the Goldfish by Andrew Buckley

The Blurb :

From the Bahamas to Heathrow airport, to the rain soaked streets of London the dead have ceased dying.

This is inconvenient for a number of reasons but what’s the real reason behind the chaos?

In London we find Nigel Reinhardt, a disgraced, confused, and gifted London police constable who owns a prophetic goldfish. In Ireland the Angel of Death questions the value and position of his current employment. At Majestic Technologies Celina McMannis works diligently on a top secret project. At the South Pole there lives a very unhappy penguin.

When the Devil hatches a nefarious plot to take over the world by possessing a cute little kitty and seizing a factory of robotic Christmas elves it’s up to Nigel and his group of unlikely companions to save the world or die trying… or both.

My Thoughts :

I can't remember what made me pick up this book. I am sure the blurb combined with the cover had something to do with it but I have to say I was expecting something different. Was I left disappointed? Far from it! I was surprised and in awe! This book may not of been what I was expecting but it certainly was an amazing read. Maybe not for everyone but it certainly made me happy!

Death, the Devil & the Goldfish is a super title for this book but it fails to also hint at what other delights are inside its pages. There is a penguin who doesn't stay a penguin. Some elves and a Santa. There is also a few non-deaths, god and a very rich man or two. As these characters all come together in some strange and weird ways the reader can only giggle and laugh at what happens to everyone involved and laugh at the absolutely ridiculous but entertaining story.

I could only laugh every time the goldfish discovered his castle again and again. I had a laughing fit when death ended up in the wrong place. The wacky and surreal story was totally far fetched and could never happen but it was funny and amusing. There was no way I could have put this book down and not read it to the end. There was just too much craziness! I had to know how things would end.

Highly entertaining! Think Douglas Adams & Ben Elton then add some supernaturally cool elements. British humour and Monty Python like comedy. This is a writer that I can only hope will continue to write about these mad cap characters. The ending suggests a sequel and I will be looking out for it on a regular basis. I want more of this well written and thought out silliness! So long and thanks for the Goldfish!