LEE GOLDBERG/JANET EVANOVICH - PROS AND CONS

Synopsis/blurb…..

A short story introducing FBI special agent Kate O'Hare and international con artist Nicolas Fox: soon to appear again in THE CHASE.

Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg have teamed up for a dynamic new series featuring an FBI agent who's on the hunt - and a master con artist who's enjoying the chase. The con is on in this eBook original short story that's a triumphant prequel to The Heist.

FBI special agent Kate O'Hare has made it her mission to nail international con artist Nicolas Fox. When she discovers his plot to plunder a venture capitalist's twentieth-story Chicago penthouse of all its cash and treasures while the self-proclaimed 'King of Hostile Takeovers' is getting married, Kate is 85 per cent - okay maybe 92 per cent - sure that she's finally going to bag Nick Fox.

Problem is, first Kate has to convince her boss, building security, and maybe even herself, that wedding planner Merrill Stubing is actually Nicolas Fox. Second, she has to figure out how to corner and capture him without disrupting the event of the year. And third, what's going to happen once O'Hare finally gets her hands on Fox? It's going take a pro to catch a con before the fireworks over Lake Michigan go off.

Includes a sneak peek of The Heist, the first novel in the bestselling new series from Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg!

A couple of new authors for me here, operating in tandem. I’m well aware of both but thus far in my reading experiences have yet to sample either.

Janet Evanovich, one half of the double act has written over 20 books with her protagonist Stephanie Plum starring…..as well as about a zillion other novels.

Lee Goldberg, the other half has a similar output with his most familiar character – Mr Monk of TV series fame – having 15 books and also some Diagnosis Murder titles in addition to standalone novels and other series. Goldberg works in TV as a writer and producer. His recent project - Brash Books has seen him adding the title of publisher to his CV – bringing back an old favourite of mine, Tom Kakonis and other neglected, forgotten authors.

Our short story concern a serial con-artist, Nicolas Fox and the fledgling FBI agent, Kate O’Hare who is tasked with thwarting his scheme. As an introduction to the two characters, I really enjoyed this. There’s an appeal to both characters and a light humour which I really enjoy. We are introduced to a couple of O’Hare’s colleagues; Carl Jessup - her boss and an irritating fellow agent, Cosmo. Cosmo, diminutive in stature keeps standing on a box and popping his head over the office partition, usually commenting on something O’Hare happens to be eating. O’Hare does seem to eat a lot of the time.

Fox, our conman oozes charm and personality. He’s handsome and confident and has a sense of humour as evidenced by his actions after O’Hare manages to thwart his scam. There’s a chemistry and an attraction between the pair currently operating on opposite sides of the law.     

Probably lighter fare than I’m used to reading, but I’m going to try the series out as I reckon I will enjoy some light entertaining reads. Not too grim, not too violent, not too deep, not too edgy…… decent reads with a spike of humour and some action and probably a bit of far-fetched plotting if this story is anything to go by. I get the feeling that both authors had a lot of fun writing these.

4 from 5

As far as the authors and Fox and O’Hare go; there’s another short story called The Shell Game available (already read and enjoyed) with three full length novels so far; The Heist, The Chase and the recently published The Job.

I got this one on Amazon recently for kindle.