Book Review: The Chase by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg

The Chase by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg is the second book in the Fox and O'Hare series. The series premise is that 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.

In this adventure the pair go up against 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 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 normally love Evanovich's work, including co-written series. However, this series just has not grabbed me. I read every Stephanie Plum book, have read all the standalones, and enjoyed the Motor Mouth series. Here I just could not connect with the characters or the tension between Kate and Nick. It just did not grab me. I do not know if I am just in a reading slump, or if this book is not up to the quality and fun that I expect from Evanovich. If you liked the first book in the series then I say give this one a go, but if it left you cold or have not read it then I say skip it, at least for now.