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Book Summary and Reviews of The Heist by Janet Evanovich

The Heist by Janet Evanovich

The Heist

by Janet Evanovich

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  • Published:
  • Jun 2013, 320 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

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.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Non-stop laughs with plenty of high jinks." - USA Today

"A laugh-out-loud page-turner." - Heat

"Pithy, witty and fast-paced." - The Sunday Times

This information about The Heist was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

Write your own reviewwrite your own review

Tillie H

Love it!
I have to disagree with the pros! I didn't think it was laugh-out-loud funny!

Great book. If you start out thinking this is going to be another Plum spinoff, you're in for a surprise. Janet can write/co-write some serious mystery/intrigue. The cast of characters is a little wild and some of the things they pull off are a little wacky, but it didn't make me laugh out loud like Plum. Overall, it was a good book. Light mystery/intrigue, no real blood and guts type of thing and she keeps it clean. There is sexual tension, but no down and out sex scenes, which is good for those who want it clean.

I've just finished this one and want to see more! - Janet and Lee - write fast!

Mike Didi

The Heist: A Fun and Escapist Adventure with Witty Banter and Clever Twists
"The Heist," the inaugural installment in the Fox and O'Hare series, sets up an unconventional alliance between two vastly different protagonists - Nicolas Fox, a con man extraordinaire, and FBI agent Kate O'Hare. The book is an adrenaline-fueled roller coaster ride brimming with light-hearted humor, hints of budding romance, and an ample dose of high-intensity action.

The eminent strengths of the book include engaging conversation littered with sharp wit, distinctly vibrant characters, and tantalizing plot developments. The authors artfully establish an animated and amusing dynamic between Kate and Nick forged with palpable electricity and playful banter. The narrative further expands with the introduction of idiosyncratic, yet endearing supporting roles. For instance, we meet Kate's father, an explosives enthusiast and retired Special Forces operative, and Willie, a versatile female mechanic with a knack for managing any wheeled vehicle. The plot evolves unpredictably with Nick and Kate leveraging their unique skills to orchestrate a bold theft against a deviously corrupt billionaire residing on a secluded island.

However, the book falls short when it comes to character depth, realistic portrayal, and originality. It seems to gloss over the moral ramifications of the actions of Nick and Kate and offers limited character growth beyond their predefined clichés. Reliance on a considerable number of genre-specific clichés, tropes, and coincidences - reluctant accomplices, picturesque locales, despicable villains, and unlikely escape strategies, further diminishes its originality. It doesn't contribute anything groundbreaking or novel to the genre, and often treads on territory that is all too familiar.

Despite these shortcomings, "The Heist" serves as a light-hearted escapade that will delight fans of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series and Lee Goldberg's Monk series. The book is a fitting candidate for readers seeking a refreshing break from darker narratives. It's well-structured, amusing, and absorbing, paving the way for future exploits in this thrilling series. I would give this book a rating of 3 out of 5 stars, an enjoyable experience marred by a certain predictability and lack of novelty.

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Author Information

Janet Evanovich Author Biography

Janet Evanovich (born Janet Schneider, 1943, in South River, New Jersey) began her career writing short contemporary romance novels under the pen name Steffie Hall, but became a #1 New York Times bestselling author writing a series of contemporary mysteries featuring Stephanie Plum, a lingerie buyer from Trenton, New Jersey, who becomes a bounty hunter to make ends meet after losing her job.

Evanovich also writes the Lizzy and Diesel series, the Alexandra Barnaby novels and Trouble Maker graphic novel, and How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author, as well as the Fox and O'Hare series with co-author Lee Goldberg.

She and her husband live in New Hampshire.

Author Interview
Link to Janet Evanovich's Website

Name Pronunciation
Janet Evanovich: ee-van-o-vich (last syllable rhymes with rich)

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