Review: The Chase by Janet Evanovich

This is the second book in the Fox and O'Hare series by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg. When I saw that Netgalley had it available, I immediately jumped at the chance to get it. And I am thrilled that I got the chance. This book proved to me that the first one, The Heist, wasn't just a one off. I know it totally goes against the typical book vs movie argument, but I so want to see this on the big screen.

This book starts off a couple of months after The Heist.  The book opens on the middle of a bank heist in downtown Los Angeles.  At first you are taking everything at face value, and then once Nicolas Fox shows up, and leads Kate on a daring cross county chase, you realize the whole thing was a cover for something else entirely.

As with any good con, this is a story of plots within plots and twists and turns that keep you guessing right up to the end. I could not believe some of the things that Nick and Kate got into. But as with the first book, whenever Kate's Dad was in the scene, I swear he stole it.  And this time he brought more buddies along. I know it's wrong, but I just kept getting images from the movie Red in my head. And I loved that movie.

Is this serious, thought provoking Lit-era-ture (pronounced with a snooty upper crust accent)? Eh, probably not.  But I had a great time reading it. I was right there when Nick and Kate were running their cons and sneaking around China. They kept me amused and entertained and made me laugh out loud at Nick's antics and Kate's aggravation. I liked seeing Kate be a kick ass heroine, not needing a man to save her. Nick is smooth, charming and has just a touch of the cad in him. Overall I am totally loving this series and can't wait for another episode.This was another 5 star read.

Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg, New York Times bestselling authors of The Heist, return in this action-packed, exciting adventure featuring master con artist Nicolas Fox and die-hard FBI agent Kate O’Hare. And this time around, things go from hot to nuclear when government secrets are on the line.

Internationally renowned thief and con artist Nicolas Fox is famous for running elaborate and daring scams. His greatest con of all: convincing the FBI to team him up with the only person who has ever caught him, and the only woman to ever capture his attention, Special Agent Kate O’Hare. Together they’ll go undercover to swindle and catch the world’s most wanted—and untouchable—criminals.

Their newest target is Carter Grove, a former White House chief of staff and the ruthless leader of a private security agency. Grove has stolen a rare Chinese artifact from the Smithsonian, a crime that will torpedo U.S. relations with China if it ever becomes public. Nick and Kate must work under the radar—and against the clock—to devise a plan to steal the piece back. Confronting Grove’s elite assassins, Nick and Kate rely on the skills of their ragtag crew, including a flamboyant actor, a Geek Squad techie, and a band of AARP-card-carrying mercenaries led by none other than Kate’s dad.

A daring heist and a deadly chase lead Nick and Kate from Washington, D.C., to Shanghai, from the highlands of Scotland to the underbelly of Montreal. But it’ll take more than death threats, trained henchmen, sleepless nights, and the fate of a dynasty’s priceless heirloom to outsmart Fox and O’Hare.

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