Words by Sooz

The Chase was a gripping thriller, blurring the lines of the law to get justice. Even though Kate O'Hara and Nicholas Fox were once on opposite sides of the law, they don't let that get in the way of their relationship. They work well together, picking up traits from each other along their journey. I didn't read the first book of the series, but the good thing about The Chase was there was enough background information that didn't leave me confused as to how an FBI agent and a career criminal ended up working together. Evanovich and Goldberg did a nice job of recapping their history without making it feel bogged down. The Chase was a fun read, and reminded me of the TV show Leverage where -- to borrow a line from the opening credits -- sometimes bad guys make the best good guys. I'll probably read the first book to get the full picture of how these two started on their path of catching the worst crooks in the world and doing crazy heists all in the name o...

Reading the last five, six or seven books in the Stephanie Plum series made me sad for the main character. The books didn't make me feel good for the heroine. I wanted more for Stephanie Plum, more than it seems Janet Evanovich wants to give her, and don't think she will ever find it. After reading Sparkle Hayter's “ What's a Girl Gotta Do ,” I was reminded again of how stagnant Stephanie Plum has become. Hayter's book is about a television journalist, Robin Hudson, who for better or worse, cannot get out of her own way. Every time something good happens in her life, it seems as though she does something to sabotage that. That's not to say she's not an endearing character. The book opens with readers feeling a bit bad for her because we quickly learn her husband has left her for a younger, prettier news anchor at her own station.

I feel cheated. I spent an entire night reading Explosive Eighteen and at 6 a.m. when I finally put the proverbial book down, I simply shook my head. All the elements were there for - FINALLY - a fantastic Stephanie Plum novel by Janet Evanovich , but instead of digging deeply into the characters that many have fallen in love with, we were still left with so much surface nonsense. I wonder if the characters actually feel anything. Perhaps I'm being a bit too harsh, but there was no introspection. You would think after a woman has had her life flash before her eyes about a dozen times, she would at least get some clarity in her life. The book starts with Stephanie on the way back from Hawaii. I actually found the opening of the book to be a strange start because nothing really happens. She's on a plane. She's drunk and annoyed. But we find out something did happen and leads to the crazy run around Stephanie has to deal inevitably deal with. O.K. Fin...