Book Review: The Heist

Author: Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg

Publication Date: June 18, 2013
Publisher: Bantam

From Janet Evanovich, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Stephanie Plum novels, and Lee Goldberg, bestselling author and television writer for Monk, comes the first adventure in an electrifying new series featuring an FBI agent who always gets her man, and a fearless con artist who lives for the chase.
 
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.

“Don’t!” she yelled, launching herself at him, hoping to take him down with a flying tackle before he could make a suicidal mistake. Too late. She missed him by inches, and hit the concrete hard just as Nick leapt off the building toward the hovering chopper. Her heart stopped for a couple beats while he was in midair, and resumed beating when he latched on to the helicopter’s landing skid. He held on with one hand, blew her a kiss, and the chopper veered off toward the Las Vegas Strip.

 

Kate stared glumly at her reflection in the mirror and started to take off her Kevlar vest. And that’s when she noticed it. She didn’t believe it at first, and had to look over her shoulder to confirm it, but there it was: a Toblerone bar on her pillow.

 

Kate O’Hare’s favorite outfit was her blue windbreaker with letter FBI written on the back, worn over a basic black T-shirt and matching Kevlar vest. The ensemble went well with everything, particularly when paired with jeans and accessorized with a Glock.

FBI Special Agent Kate O’Hare is obsessed with catching the elusive con man, Nick Fox. Evanovich definitely put her own unique touch on this novel, along with the help of Lee Goldberg. The action is jam-packed, per usual for any Evanovich novel, and the characters are full of attitude, passion, and plenty of laughs. O’Hare and Fox were made for each other, honestly. I knew right from the start of the novel that I wanted to see them working side by side. Turns out Nick’s greatest con so far was asking the FBI for a position working right alongside Agent Kate O’Hare! You can imagine the fireworks that went off in my brain at this point. From there on it was just one big rollercoaster ride!

 

Kate O’Hare was a tough cookie. I kept finding myself comparing her to Stephanie Plum, but I must say that Kate had a bit more edge than Stephanie. When Kate had a gun attached to her hip I wasn’t worried that she was going to blow something up, I was worried she was going to blow someone up! Kate has the talk and the walk and it was interesting to see a different heroine that still had some traits of the previous heroine created by Evanovich. Kate is obsessed with capturing Nicolas Fox, and I could tell straight from the beginning that this was going to result in a problem for her. Nicolas was not only tall, dark, and handsome, but also extremely charming and cunning. Not a good mix for any girl with weak knees. Watch out, Kate!

 

Nicolas Fox was what movies are made of! By saying that I mean to say that as soon as his character comes on scene and we see the way she plays with Kate’s mind, I could picture this being made into a movie right away! I really hope they make this book into a movie just like they did with the first Stephanie Plum novel. Nick is sly and clever and has little tricks up his sleeve that sends Kate over the edge. There is a running joke in the novel with Toblerone bars, and I think it is just the perfect touch to their crazy relationship. When these two team up the novel gets even better! If you are an Evanovich fan be sure to pick up a copy of this novel today!

 

***A copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Bantam in exchange for my honest review***