This new book series will steal your evening.

By MELISSA WELLHAM

Janet Evanovich – the author of the immensely popular Stephanie Plum series – is back with a vengeance.

Occasionally, when watching indescribably bad action films, I like to momentarily entertain the thought that I would have made an awesome spy, or FBI agent, criminal mastermind, or alluring con-woman. Good guy or bad guy, it wouldn’t matter. I just want to live a life of international intrigue.

Just as an FYI, you should know that this post is sponsored by Hachette. But all opinions expressed by the author are 100% authentic and written in her own words.

I then always promptly remember that none of these careers would have suited me – I have a terrible poker face, and would probably look terrible in Kevlar. But I also wonder why on earth I think a dangerous life of crime and/or crime-stopping is so attractive in the first place?

The answer: because of authors like Janet Evanovich.

Janet Evanovich – the author of the Stephanie Plum series (which if you haven’t read, I highly recommend as fun, fast-paced fiction) writes electrifying books where the criminal capers are thrilling, the dialogue is witty and mile-a-minute, and the female characters kick some serious arse. There is also usually an inexplicably attractive male antagonist along for the ride, who makes the whole thing just that much more delicious.

If you have been hanging out for more of Evanovich’s wicked style since her last Plum novel, Notorious Nineteen, then never fear: the talented mistress of comic crime has released another novel to fill the void. In The Heist, the first of a new series written with Lee Goldberg – another bestselling author and television writer for Monk – we are introduced to FBI Special Agent Kate O’Hare.

O’Hare is known for her discipline and dedication to the force – and the fact that she never lets a man (read: bad guy) get away. Until Nicolas Fox, that is.

The appropriately named Fox is audacious, handsome and dangerously charming, and known for pulling off impossible scams on famous figures. He has managed to elude O’Hare for the past five years – but he won’t be able to for much longer. Especially because he seems to be going out of his way to show up on her radar.

But the biggest twist (that is not a spoiler, promise) comes when the two adversaries must team up to stop a corrupt investment banker – somebody much more evil than a mere conman, obviously. And – assuming they don’t kill each other first – they start to make a pretty good team.

Evanovich’s crime stories deal with classic plots – but wrapped up with a madcap, comic style that is entirely her own. The Heist is no different. It is over-the-top, completely implausible, and utterly fun because of it. You just have to suspend disbelief, buckle yourself into the metaphorical rollercoaster, and hold on for the ride.

If you’ve never read any of Evanovich’s books before, The Heist is a good place to start. While the number of books in the Stephanie Plum series seems a little overwhelming for newcomers (19 and counting!), this venture is the first in a new series – so you definitely haven’t missed anything.

The Heist has everything you could want out of an entertaining, devour-it-in-one-sitting read: Strong female characters. Dashing bad boys. Wit aplenty and snappy dialogue to spare. It will steal your evening.

Other books by Janet Evanovich:

If you would like to read and extract or purchase The Heist by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg, click here. 

From Janet Evanovich, 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. FBI Special Agent Kate O’Hare is known for her fierce discipline. While Kate has made 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 and dangerously charming, Nicolas Fox is a natural con man who manages to convince the FBI to offer him a job, working side by side with Special Agent Kate O’Hare.

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