The Recovery Agent (review)

I have read quite a few of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum novels. They are enormous fun, though they do get a bit repetitive as you progress into the later books in the series. I just recently read the Recovery Agent which is the start of a new series by Evanovich with the protagonist Gabriella Rose. She is an independent contractor who works mainly for insurance agencies to find items that have been lost. Unlike Stephanie Plum, Gabriela Rose is very competent at her job, is well established, and is making a good living. This first outing of hers concerns a job she is doing for her own family: finding a legendary treasure that will help her to save the family home and town.

My main criticism with the book is that things happen too easily. They encounter problem after problem, but each problem is not carried out to its logical conclusion. Things just fall into place for her usually without consequence. They find the strongbox under the floorboards, just where the ghost Annie told Grandma it would be. The box yields maps and a diary by Francis Drake that tell them where in Peru to go look for the treasure. To which my response was ‘Hello, to hell with trudging through the Peruvian jungle to look for something that may or may not be there. You have the notebook of Francis Drake! Just cash that in!’ Instead, they go to Peru and fight crazy cult members, deal with underground tunnels and drug lords. The crazy cult leader follows them home and causes more problems but the good guys never seem to be in serious peril because we see how easily they get out of tight situations every time (even when by all the rules of logic, or just the law of averages say they shouldn’t). Also, the bad guy is too much a cartoon villain to be taken seriously

For all of the above reasons, I was going to give this book 2 stars, but . . . there is an undeniable fun factor in all of Evanovich’s books and that is present here as well. There are funny characters, a likable protagonist, and good crisp dialogue. So, three stars it is.

Star Liner

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