Chick lit double reviews: The Chase and The Job by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg

Title: The Chase (Fox and O'Hare, #2)
Author: Janet Evanovich
Publisher: Random House Canada
Publication date: February 25, 2014

Genre(s): Chick Lit (Adventure/Humor)

Source: Publisher

Format: Mass paperback

Pages: 416

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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.

I have officially found my comfort series. That series that, you wouldn't mind at all if it never ends. This series is so good! The upcoming books are a continuation to the previous storyline but in actuality, like the Stephanie Plum series, you aren't really in desperate need to find out what happens next, but when a new book comes out, you know you're going to have a crazy and fun time reading that book. I love chick lits for that reason. I picked up The Chase a month ago and I loved it. The humor in this series is just unbeatable. I love love the two main characters, Kate and Nick, and I love their dialogues together. It is funny enough but at the same time it isn't exaggerated or eye roll inducing. These two authors really know how to tackle humor in books but at the same time deliver fantastic characters, memorable side characters, as well as a very deliciously addicting plot. 

I think what I really enjoy in these books are all the elaborate cons of Nick. With every new book, you would think the plot formula would be similar and boring.. yes they have a target at the beginning of each book, yes they come up with a plan to bring him/her down, and yes, in the end they do bring him/her down.. however everything else differs from there. I'm a huge fan of shows like The Mentalist, smart shows with smart characters that pretty much outsmart everyone else. That is how I picture Nick and all his cons. 

In this particular book, Kate and Nick want to bring down the ex White House Chief of Staff. He runs an organization called BlackRhino which is pretty much mercenary on demand and owns many stolen artifacts and paintings. The elaborate plan that they came up with is right now my favorite out of the three books. I don't want to go into too much detail but it was a pretty funny and genius plan. Even though this book was 400 pages, I breezed through them. I like that we don't really dwell on too many things and the plot is fast paced enough with great character moments to keep us hooked and going. Another great installment from Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg. 

Title: The Job (Fox and O'Hare, #3)
Author: Janet Evanovich
Publisher: Random House Canada
Publication date: November 18, 2014

Genre(s): Chick Lit (Adventure/Humor)

Source: Publisher

Format: Large print paperback

Pages: 336

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The FBI had one demand when they secretly teamed up Special Agent Kate O’Hare with charming con man Nicolas Fox—bring down the world’s most-wanted and untouchable felons. This time it’s the brutal leader of a global drug-smuggling empire.  The FBI doesn’t know what their target looks like, where he is, or how to find him, but Nick Fox has a few tricks up his sleeve to roust this particular Knipschildt chocolate–loving drug lord.

From the streets of Nashville to the back alleys of Lisbon, from the rooftops of Istanbul to the middle of the Thames, Nick and Kate chase their mark. When they find themselves pitted against a psychopathic bodyguard and a Portuguese enforcer who gets advice from a pickled head, they decide it’s time to enlist some special talent—talent like a machete-wielding Somali pirate, a self-absorbed actor, an Oscar-winning special effects artist, and Kate’s father Jake, a retired Special Forces operative. Together they could help make this Fox and O’Hare’s biggest win yet . . . if they survive.

The third installment in this fantastic series! We again see Kate, FBI agent, and Nick, con man, working another con to bring another bad guy down. While I did not like this one as much as The Chase, it was still a fantastic and fun filled read. I mentioned in my previous review that series like this one usually follow the same formula for each book and that's why people get bored of them, however even with The Job, I still don't believe this applies to this series. In The Job, the target is a cartel drug lord who had complete plastic surgery and fled the country to live his life of riches and run his operation unknown, with no face to put on for any law organization. 

There is a slight change in format in The Job and it is that we actually had two mysteries in one book. One is connected to the other but I personally thought we would be following the thief that was stealing from museums all over the world throughout the whole book, but that was just the beginning. I also really enjoyed Kate's journey through the different countries like Turkey, France, and Spain. Also, what I found interesting about this book is the target himself. He is obsessed with chocolate and only gets the finest most expensive ones. In one scene he was actually eating "truffles filled with champagne and flecked with twenty-four-karat gold flakes."  He goes on and says "It pleased him to know that he was so rich that he crapped gold." I burst out laughing at that. 

I feel like I also need to dedicate a paragraph to Kate's dad. He was black ops but is now retired and lives with Kate's sister. I love how fatherly he is and some of the stories he mentions of presents he used to give to Kate when she was young like a hand grenade, etc, as well as all the training she did were hilarious. There was a scene where Jake asked her where her hand grenade he got her for christmas was and she offhandedly mentioned it's somewhere in her house.. like that is completely normal to the normal person. He is such a great dad and a kick butt member of Kate's con crew (he is always recruited by Nick in their cons). This is definitely another fantastic book by the authors and I can't wait to see where the fourth book takes us!