Janet Evanovich is one of America's foremost authors of The Good Read, having earned a solid reputation as a writer of pithy dialogue and edge-of-the-seat mystery plots that end up fully resolved…and often in bed. Her latest novel, Metro Girl, is no exception. It combines everything a reader wants for a great reading escape: terrific dialogue, sexy characters, and enough humor to evoke steady laughter.
Alexandra Barnaby (Barney to her friends) is a down-to-earth and charming twenty-something who leaves the safety of her Baltimore existence to travel to the seedier back alleys of Miami in search of "Wild" Bill, her rebellious brother who has more sex appeal than sense. Following her scant leads-she learns that that Brother Bill skippers a luxury boat (aka The Happy Hooker) owned by a race car driver-she stumbles onto that driver, the very confident and attractive Sam Hooker. Sam's not just a driver, but a star on the NASCAR circuit who's as accustomed to women throwing themselves at him, to him, and onto him as he is to winning. In fact, the poor guy can barely appear in public without being accosted and suffocated by female flesh (much of which he gladly signs with the marker pen that magically appears). It's charming all around, with more than a touch of sexual tension between Sam and the take-no-prisoners Barney.
Will he bed her or won't he? There are 304 pages in this perky novel, with more than 300 of them dedicated to Barney telling Sam No and the reader thinking Why in the hell not!
By the time Barney and NASCAR Guy decide to work together, brother Bill, the boat, and a young woman being sought by the bad guys have disappeared. Desperate to find her brother-Sam's equally as desperate to find his boat-the sparring couple find themselves lurking around cigar factories, sneaking into assorted dives and cheap motels around Little Cuba, and finally diving for Cuban gold and an explosive device left behind during the Cold War. We never actually meet Fidel Castro, but there's a delightful serving of ghouls and murdering thugs who show up at those exact moments when Barney lets down her guard and figures she's got everything under control. Which she never does.
By the time Barney and NASCAR Guy decide to work together, brother Bill, the boat, and a young woman being sought by the bad guys have disappeared. Desperate to find her brother-Sam's equally as desperate to find his boat-the sparring couple find themselves lurking around cigar factories, sneaking into assorted dives and cheap motels around Little Cuba, and finally diving for Cuban gold and an explosive device left behind during the Cold War. We never actually meet Fidel Castro, but there's a delightful serving of ghouls and murdering thugs who show up at those exact moments when Barney lets down her guard and figures she's got everything under control. Which she never does.
Metro Girl gives us an energetic plot that thickens, stretches, and manages to be resolved just before it wears thin.
Evanovich is at her best when she takes us on wild rides through the night life of South Beach and the laid back dangers of Key West. As for the characters in this novel, they are likeable and interesting, and that includes some of the bad guys.
Metro Girl is a quick read and great fun. As for the beginning-to-end cat and mouse game, you just know that the animal will win out.
For those readers who have followed the exploits of Evanovich's internationally known character, Stephanie Plum, through a dozen best-selling novels, you just might have found your next best friend. Barney is funny, humble, yet at the same time that brand of in-your-face young woman you just know will never take the bullet and die…at least not until the author gives us a new series of books.
Evanovich is at her best when she takes us on wild rides through the night life of South Beach and the laid back dangers of Key West. As for the characters in this novel, they are likeable and interesting, and that includes some of the bad guys.
Metro Girl is a quick read and great fun. As for the beginning-to-end cat and mouse game, you just know that the animal will win out.
For those readers who have followed the exploits of Evanovich's internationally known character, Stephanie Plum, through a dozen best-selling novels, you just might have found your next best friend. Barney is funny, humble, yet at the same time that brand of in-your-face young woman you just know will never take the bullet and die…at least not until the author gives us a new series of books.
