Book Review: The Scam

Author: Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg

Publication Date: September 15, 2015

Publisher: Bantam

Series: Fox and O’Hare # 4

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 career hinges on my ability to control you and your larcenous personality.

You’re only allowed to break the laws when you have permission from the FBI. You can’t go around breaking the law on a ‘lark.’

“For the greater good,” Kate said, thinking that was kind of lame, but it was the best she could do to justify their actions. “Fine. We’re gambling with this money for the greater good,” Nick said. “And for the free drinks.”

This series just continues to get better and better! I absolutely loved this book the best out of all four that have been published so far. I love the collaboration between Goldberg and Evanovich. Evanovich writes with such dry humor and she is always able to keep readers guessing up until the very end. She throws several “grenades” into the story that make for some interesting plot twists. I do not want to reveal too much because you need to discover all the action and adventure on your own, but I will say that Kate and Nick just get better and better each and every time. Their relationship and their ability to work alongside each other is fascinating to read about; they complement each other in all the best ways. These two are after a man that is using his casinos to launder money for terrorists. He is a particularly nasty man who takes pleasure in the pain of others.

I loved seeing Kate’s dad, Jake, take part in this case. He is hilarious and adds a rock solid character to the plot. His experience in the field makes him all the more likeable; Kate looks up to her dad and their relationship is very endearing. If you liked the first three books, you are sure to like this one as well. If you have not read the first three books in this series, then you are surely missing out. Things get dicey very quickly in these novels; I guarantee you will be on the end of your seat anxious to know where our main characters will go and what will happen to them. I am always invested in Kate and Nick’s cases and I think about both of them long after I have finished the book.

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