The Chase (Fox and O’Hare #2)

Following The Heist, this is the second book about con-artist Nicolas Fox and FBI agent Kate O’Hare by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg.  Although I like Janet Evanovich, I have to say that this book is refreshing and I credit that all to Lee Goldberg.  Evanovich doesn’t vary much from her set themes in other books, or her stereotypical characters (like the funny old lady, the thirty-something feisty heroine, and the yummy-but-somehow-problematic love interest.  This book felt like it broke out of that mold a bit – thought not completely.

Kate is secretly working with master felon, Nicolas Fox, to bring down bigger names than he – the world’s most wanted but trickiest criminals.  This time, Carter Grove, ex-chief of staff at the White House and heartless leader of a private security agency, is their target.  Carter has in his possession a stolen and very rare Chinese artifact from the Smithsonian, and one that needs to be recovered ASAP, to save relations between the U.S. and China.

Nick and Kate put together another random crew, including a few members of their previous con, and a few fresh faces including a Geek Squad techie and buddies of Kate’s dad.  Together they must pull off multiple scams, switches, heists, and robberies in order to nail Carter Grove.

My initial thoughts:

• Fast, exciting, suspenseful.  It left me thinking “how are they going to pull this off??” several times, so of course it’s a bit unrealistic.
• Kate is the epitome of a strong character.
• Nick is charming and cunning. He clearly has a lot up his sleeve.
• Jake (Kate’s Dad) is mysterious and awesome. He clearly is bored with retirement.
• Just enough humour to get over the stereotypes.  I will admit that I love bad jokes and puns, so I probably fit the target audience.  Someone less tolerant might find the jokes inane.
• Exactly what you’d expect – a clichéd action-packed good-guys-working-with-questionably-bad-guys-for-the-greater-good type of novel.  This is not a thinking book, it’s chick-lit mixed with action (but mostly a chick-lit).

I’d give it a 4/5 for being exactly what I was looking for in that kind of book.