Janet Evanovich

The misleadingly titled Going Rogue (Rise and Shine Twenty-Nine) has so little of the zing that made millions fall in love with the Stephanie Plum series that I was forced to conclude it had been ghostwritten, perhaps by a work experience kid. Either that, or Janet Evanovich has run out of ideas and is just trying to cling on long enough to get to ‘Thank God It’s Thirty’ and bring the whole thing to a merciful close. The dialogue is flat and dull, beloved and familiar characters are show more pale and lifeless imitations of themselves, and the obligatory ‘whacky side characters’ are underused and under-painted (crazy grandma Bella finally gets centre stage and has a few good lines but is essentially a lazy sketch brought along for a few cheap gags, her charges - the premise upon which she is dragged into the story - left unresolved). Despite multiple members of the core crew being kidnapped and held by perpetrators who don’t make an appearance until almost the end, the pace is glacial, with next to no real tension and barely any sustained action. While Connie and Vinnie’s respective captivities stretch into days, a strangely two-dimensional Stephanie is doing her hair, eating doughnuts, tootling around on unrelated, largely boring captures and (as per usual) enjoying sexy date nights with Morelli while simultaneously trying to decide whether or not to bonk Ranger - apparently having been able to shrug and put the hostages out of her mind while waiting to hear from the kidnappers with their latest one line message that leads nowhere. There’s nothing new in her stagnant character arc, unless you count finally learning how to name the different parts of a gun (and even then…what was the point of that? There was barely any payoff to this waste of time scene). She’s touted in the blurb as Going Rogue like it’s some kind of brave departure but all she does is fail to tell Morelli a few details - hardly unusual in their half-hearted relationship. Unless you’re some kind of masochistic completist Plum fan (like me…barely hanging in there, it must be said), you won’t miss much if you skip this desultory episode. show less

Gabriela Rose makes her living as a recovery agent, finding lost items for individuals and corporations. But this new case is personal. A hurricane has devastated her home town of Scoon and, without money, the town and her family and friends will be left with few options, either leave and start elsewhere or stay and try to live with the devastation. But Gabriel's grandmother has a solution received from a very unusual source. Gabriela must find Blackbeard's treasure map leading to the Ring show more of Solomon. Unfortunately, the map is buried in her old house which she gave to her ex-husband, Rafer, in the divorce and he won't let her have it unless he can come along.

It's been a while since I read a Janet Evanovich book and I was a bit leery about this one. She used to be one of my favourite writers but, for whatever reasons, I had stopped reading a lot of old favourites. I have picked up a few after a long time away and was disappointed. But, in this case I needn't have worried. Although this was the first in a new series, I enjoyed it as much as I used to enjoy the Stephanie Plum series.* The story opens with a bang and never lets up and it kept me glued to the page from beginning to end.

The Recovery Agent is one roller coaster ride of an adventure taking the unlikely pair across much of South and Central America pursued by fanatical worshippers of the God of Death, fending off deadly snakes and bullets, and, perhaps, hardest of all, having to find a way to work together throughout without killing each other. There is plenty of action to keep the story moving at breakneck speed with a nice touch of humour, just a little nod to the supernatural, and characters easy to root for or, conversely, root against. Enjoyed every minute of it and recommend it highly to fans of Evanovitch or anyone who lives a fun fast story.

*Note to self: go back and read Stephanie Plum books you missed.

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review show less

I think just about everyone who might possibly read this has read Evanovich’s Plum series, and everyone knows they are the literary equivalent of slapstick comedy, and they can often be hit or miss. I’ve stuck with the series this long because at least once a year I need slapstick in my life, and because I also appreciate Evanovich’s interesting decision to embrace the status quo when it comes to Plum’s romantic life. This is a rare case of what I wouldn’t be able to abide in real show more life, I can enjoy in the fictional one, especially as it’s all above board.

Anyway, this one was a hit for me. The plot was good, the tension was sharp, and the humor was laugh-out-loud in several spots. At one point, MT looked over at me and asked it I was going to be ok, because I was gasping with laughter. For many Lulu is what makes them laugh (and she had at least one moment in this one), but for me it’s the oldies the bring tears of laughter to my eyes. Evanovich has a way with the oldies, and I can only imagine what her family dinners must be like.

I hope these last two books are a sign of things to come, because it feels like Plum and company (and their author) have found their stride, and I’m already looking forward to #30. show less

Aaaaah, I love this series. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. I just can't get enough of Stephanie's crazy antics, Grandma Mazur's quips, and Lula's larger-than-life personality. And the men, of course. Ranger and Morelli are both intriguing in their own rights, and I'm always eager to see who Stephanie picks in each instalment.

I loved the eighth book in the series. The bad guys have been getting nastier, and the crimes grittier, which I'm definitely not complaining about. The writing is on point, and the show more humour top notch. I had a bunch of laugh-out-loud moments... one in particular (involving a mishap with a laundry dryer) had me laughing so hard I was in tears, and I had to read that particular page aloud to my husband.

My only slight complaint is about the ending... I would have liked Stephanie to play a larger role in dealing with the villain. But that's a minor grumble.

I can't wait to get my hands on the next book! show less