read: The Job (4 stars)

The Job by Janet Evanovich
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you're looking for a fun story that's a mashup of 'Remington Steele', 'Burn Notice', and 'The Thomas Crown Affair', this is it. The TV and film comparisons are valid both for thematic reasons and borrowed plot lines. There's a Federal agent working both sides of the law. An art thief who's never who or where he's supposed to be. Almost every chapter is a different art theft or con. Numerous references to fictional characters and places are sprinkled liberally throughout the story.

Just like a television movie, none of the story makes any sense when submitted to any scrutiny. The capers are paper thin. The characters are cardboard flat. Real motivation is missing in action. And yet, like a television movie, it's fast-paced, colorful, and eye-catching. There are plenty of twists and turns, but the reader is never lost or left behind.

Pick this up for a read on a plane trip or sitting on the beach and the minutes will fly by. It gets four stars for delivering on that promise.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book for review.

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