Review: The Chase

I'm not a huge mystery reader. I don't like blood or gore or being scared witless. But, give me an amusing caper with some twists and turns and I'm happy. Bonus points if there's a bit of a steamy romance (hey, I'm a chick lit lover...can you blame me for enjoying a touch of romance?). I read and enjoyed the first book in Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg's new series last summer (you can read my review of The Heist here) so I was looking forward to The Chase, the recently released second book. It was just as much fun to read and I enjoyed it.

Here's the synopsis:

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 f 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.

It was interesting to see what kind of caper Kate and Nick would get up to. There's always a dangerous element (Carter, the guy they're going after, is one badass dude with some ruthless killers on his payroll) but, for the most part, the action is all about a con or two. I like that there's a cleverness to what Nick does and that he's not a mindless criminal. He has a reason for doing what he does and has a knack for understanding what other criminals would do as well. It's interesting to read about, that's for sure.

Of course, as enjoyable as the book was, it was pretty formulaic. I suppose you can expect that with genre fiction and I should expect it knowing that Evanovich's other series, the Stephanie Plum series, always follows the same sort of format. It's not a bad thing. In fact, I purposely read this book on a Sunday afternoon when I needed a quick, fun, and easy read and it totally fit the bill. Win all around!

I like that this book is funny. There are lots of little clever remarks and it doesn't take itself too seriously. As in the first book, there was a Harry Potter reference (love when adult books reference HP). And this really amusing quote that, as a Canadian, had me laughing out loud:

How bad could a Canadian prison be? It was in Canada. Canadians were civilized.
- page 199 

As I mentioned, there's a romance aspect to the story - though it doesn't take over the story nor is it particularly romantic. Kate and Nick are attracted to each other but have so far managed to avoid jumping into bed together. Though Nick is trying really hard, Kate seems to have magnificent willpower. For now, the will they, won't they is fun to read about but I won't be able to handle it for too much longer!

If you want a fun and mysterious book to read, check out The Heist. It is part of a series but you don't really need to read Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg's first novel. It's good if you want more background but this book stands well on its own. I'm still looking forward to the next book!

*I received a copy of this novel from the publisher, Random House of Canada, in exchange for an honest review.*