Review: THE SCAM by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg!

Release Date: September 15th, 2015

Type: Series, Mystery, Suspense, Con Artists & Thieves, Nick Fox can steal my heart anytime

About the Book: Nicolas Fox is a charming con man and master thief on the run. Kate O’Hare is the FBI agent who is hot on his trail. At least that’s what everyone thinks. In reality, Fox and O’Hare are secretly working together to bring down super-criminals the law can’t touch. Criminals like brutal casino magnate Evan Trace.

Evan Trace is running a money-laundering operation through his casino in Macau. Some of his best customers are mobsters, dictators, and global terrorists. Nick and Kate will have to go deep undercover as high-stakes gamblers, wagering millions of dollars—and their lives—in an attempt to topple Trace’s empire.

It’s a scam that will take Fox and O’Hare from the Las Vegas strip, to the sun-soaked beaches of Oahu’s North Shore, and into the dark back alleys of Macau. Their only backup—a self-absorbed actor, a Somali pirate, and Kate’s father, and an ex-soldier who believes a rocket launcher is the best way to solve every problem. What could possibly go wrong? [Description from Goodreads.com]

My Review: Anyone who has read this blog for a long time will know that I have a slight obsession with thieves and conmen. I can’t help it. I’m drawn to fiction involving not-so-great characters. For instance, White Collar and Leverage are two of my all-time favorite TV shows. So of course, when I read the information about the first book in this series, I had to have it. And if we’re judging just by my love of thieves, this entire series would be five star material.

But alas, that’s not an option. I do love this series. It’s fun to read, I can definitely see the partnership between Evanovich (the characterizations) and Lee Goldberg (the mystery/con aspects). The characters are funny and endearing, especially the oddballs, which is Evanovich’s specialty. And Goldberg knows his way around a mystery. Everything works and moves as it should - but if this book was a machine, it’d be a simple one.

The Scam is the fourth book in the Fox and O’Hare series - and already, they are starting to feel formulaic. The con is planned, begins with everything going along as it should, and then suddenly something complicates that con, and the con evolves into conning that complication as well. Don’t get me wrong, the formula works.. I just wish Evanovich and Goldberg would throw a wrench into their own plan and give us something weird and different.

That definitely started to happen at the end. This ending is a cliffhanger and.. well, it felt different, original, and fascinating. So of course, I’m going to read the next book. Even if this ending was just like the previous ones, I would read the next book. I love conmen and thieves. But this ending gives me hope that the series is going to evolve. Fingers crossed that holds true.

Cover Lovin’: This fits all the rest of the covers - simple, but effective.

Recommendation: Several past gigs were mentioned, and an old character returns - so prior knowledge of the series is recommended. And be prepared to pre-order the next one after this cliffhanger!

Final Rating: THREE POINT FIVE out of FIVE (3.5/5) stars! If you were to ask me to rate it just based on the ending, the rating would be higher, for sure. But this book is entertaining, but ultimately simplistic.

Make sure to get your copy of “The Scam” by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg. And be sure to check out the previous books in the series if you haven’t already!

Happy Reading!

~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review. Thanks, Netgalley!

REVIEW: "The Job" by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg

Disclaimer: I received a free, advanced e-galley of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Type: Series, Mystery, Contemporary, Fiction, FBI, Con man, Thief, Book Three, Funny with a chance of Romance?

About the Book: Charming con man Nicolas Fox and dedicated FBI agent Kate O'Hare secretly take down world’s most-wanted and untouchable felons, next job Violante, the brutal leader of a global drug-smuggling empire. The FBI doesn’t know what he looks like, where he is, or how to find him, but Nick knows his tastes in gourmet chocolate. 

From Nashville to Lisbon back alleys, from Istanbul rooftops to Thames, they chase clues to lookalike thefts. Pitted against a psychopathic bodyguard Reyna holding Kate hostage and a Portuguese enforcer getting advice from an ancestor's pickled head, they again call driver Willie for ship, actor Boyd for one-eyed Captain Bridger, special effects carpenter Tom, her father Jake - retired Special Forces, and his talent - machete-wielding Somali pirate Billy Dee. This could be their biggest job - if they survive. [Synopsis from Goodreads.com]

My Review: I gave up on Janet Evanovich's popular Stephanie Plum series because of how same old same old it got. I was hesitant to pick up this new series, worried it would be Plum all over again - but I was pleasantly surprised. I can see Lee Goldberg's hand in each book, and he knows what he's doing. And I love that the focus is on the story, not the love story (which is amusing, but not all partners simply must get together).


Kate is one of my biggest problems with the series. She can be incredibly annoying. And I'm sorry, but you can't eat as horribly as she does and retain her supposed perfect figure. I'm not saying the rest of the characters don't have their flaws.. but Kate is my least favorite by far. But over all, I really enjoy this series. It's fun, the con job is clever, and I'm a sucker for a charming thief.

Cover Lovin': This cover fits in perfectly with the rest of the series. And it's hard to see in a picture - but the cover is a puzzle (you can just barely see the outlines of the puzzle pieces) - which works great with the whole con job theme.

Recommendation: For fans of Janet Evanovich, of course. Or fans of con jobs and thieves (of which I am).

Final Rating: THREE POINT FIVE out of FIVE stars (3.5/5). Very fun, but definitely had some formulaic moments.

Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda at Novel Addiction ~!~