The Heist by Janet Evanovich, Lee Goldberg Review

"From Janet Evanovich, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Stephanie Plum novels, and Lee Goldberg, bestselling author and television writer for Monk, comes the first adventure in an electrifying new series featuring an FBI agent who always gets her man, and a fearless con artist who lives for the chase.

FBI Special Agent Kate O’Hare is known for her fierce dedication and discipline on the job, chasing down the world’s most wanted criminals and putting them behind bars. Her boss thinks she is tenacious and ambitious; her friends think she is tough, stubborn, and maybe even a bit obsessed. And while Kate has made quite a name for herself for the past five years, the only name she’s cared about is Nicolas Fox—an international crook she wants in more ways than one.

Audacious, handsome, and dangerously charming, Nicolas Fox is a natural con man, notorious for running elaborate scams on very high-profile people. At first he did it for the money. Now he does it for the thrill. He knows that the FBI has been hot on his trail—particularly Kate O’Hare, who has been watching his every move. For Nick, there’s no greater rush than being pursued by a beautiful woman . . . even one who aims to lock him up. But just when it seems that Nicolas Fox has been captured for good, he pulls off his greatest con of all: he convinces the FBI to offer him a job, working side by side with Special Agent Kate O’Hare.

Problem is, teaming up to stop a corrupt investment banker who’s hiding on a private island in Indonesia is going to test O’Hare’s patience and Fox’s skill. Not to mention the skills of their ragtag team made up of flamboyant actors, wanted wheelmen, and Kate’s dad. High-speed chases, pirates, and Toblerone bars are all in a day’s work . . . if O’Hare and Fox don’t kill each other first."

The Heist. Now, in my opinion, it shouldn't even be under "Humor." I didn't find anything about it funny. Well, there are some parts that should had been funny, but it didn't just get to me. Let me say this: the author didn't really pull off the parts that should had been hilarious. (And now, I'm using gifs).

I mean, seriously? It is not funny. I don't see how anyone finds it funny, and the delivery is all wrong. Anyway, I'm going to say that Nicolas Fox is quite the charmer. He is definitely like Neal Caffrey (from White Collar). And I have a feeling that if those two are in the same room, they will walk out of that room besties.

Okay, I'll stop using gifs. Until the end of this.

Kate, on the other hand (the other person with a outstanding POV in this book), is not a very believable character. I mean, seriously? Mary Sue, right here. At least, she isn't Bella Swan-level, but she is still pretty bad. Flawless skin even though she eats McDonalds? Moves very fast despite all that junk food she eats? I have no idea how she doesn't even have a heart attack in the next couple of months. I guess it is a good thing she is fictional. Otherwise, she will be dead. (And I do not believe in that "good genes" story. Not one bit).

The con in The Heist isn't very... strong. Everything isn't really a surprise, and I sort of expected something like Leverage or White Collar-level, but that is okay. Some cons aren't meant to be all insane and stuff. But I was sort of let down by how... anticlimactic it was. Shame, shame, shame, shame.

The Heist, overall, is a solid book (good plot, good conflict, entertaining dialogue), but there could had been a lot of improvements made. Yes, it is entertaining from page one to page three hundred, but it didn't reel me in very much. There was so much potential...

Rating: Three out of Five