The Heist

October 28, 2013
This first book in a new series by Evanovich and Goldberg follows hard-nosed FBI agent Kate O’Hare, who is on the hunt for charismatic conman Nick Fox, who besides being her query is also (unfortunately for Kate) her “dream man.” Kate finds Nick, catches him, he escapes, and the next thing she knows, they’re teamed at the FBI to bring down an even bigger threat. Scott Brick does a fine job narrating the book—his reading is brisk and clear. Brick especially excels at depicting the sexually charged banter between Kate and Nick. He imbues both characters with distinct personalities. Kate is uptight, struggling with her baser instincts around Nick. And Nick is magnetic—both coy and wisecracking. For readers who want a breezy adventure, this is the perfect production. A Bantam hardcover.

June 15, 2013
The chronicler of Stephanie Plum (Notorious Nineteen, 2012, etc.) teams up with screenwriter Goldberg (Mr. Monk Goes to Germany, 2008, etc.) to kick off a lighthearted new series pairing an FBI agent with the con artist who's been her chronic prey. When nonpareil scam-meister Nicolas Fox escapes from custody shortly after Special Agent Kate O'Hare finally hauls him off to jail, she begs to be put back on his case. But there's a great reason she isn't: The Feds want her to partner with Nick in tracking down playboy investment banker Derek Griffin and retrieving the $500 million of his company's money he took with him. Kate and Nick assemble a crew as dutifully as the cast of Mission: Impossible for the caper, and soon, rock-bottom thespian Boyd Capwell, Texas trucker Wilma Owens and special-effects tech Chet Kershaw are setting up a sting to trick Neal Burnside, Griffin's scalawag attorney, into revealing his boss' whereabouts. Since every other FBI agent in America is hunting for Nick, Kate's career, maybe even her freedom, depends on shielding him from all her colleagues. So it's nice for them both when Griffin turns out to be lying low in Indonesia, where pirates roam the seas unchecked and extradition treaties are no more than a pipe dream but at least the landscape is clear of other FBI types. Kate plots to bag Griffin and the loot; Nick dreams of getting into Kate's pants and taking off with the money himself. The duo is meant to be as adorably romantic as Nick and Nora, but the only elements missing to make their adventure a sitcom are a laugh track and some laughs. Amiable international intrigue that's less James Bond than Matt Helm.

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