I’m looking for more than a casual
fling.
Fiction – Mystery- Fantasy
313 pages
Publication Date: August 30th 2010
Lizzie and Diesel Book 1
Even though she is relatively new to Marblehead, Mass. Lizzie Tucker has
slipped smoothly into a very comfortable life.
She works at Dazzle’s Bakery in Salem creating masterful cupcakes and
other pastries and in her spare time she is working on a cook book. Everything seems to be going along very nicely
until Gerewulf Grimorie shows up. Wulf
is searching for the Stones of Power, a set of stones each containing one of
the Seven Deadly Sins, and Lizzie is one of only two people in the world
capable of identifying them. Following
not too far behind him is Diesel, Wulf’s cousin, assigned to stop Wulf and get
the stone first, and he needs Lizzie’s cooperation to achieve it. Along with Carl the Monkey, a nija cat named
Cat, and Glo, a woman who is almost sure she is a wizard, Lizzie and Diesel are
in a race to find the gluttony stone before Wulf and his medieval loving, sword
wielding, tights wearing, minion Hatchet, can control it.
While this book didn’t capture the genius of the Stephanie Plum series or
had a high caliber cast of secondary characters it was still alright –not
ground breaking by any means, but I don’t regret the time I took to read it. I do have to admit –though it pains horribly me
to say- I was a little disappointed. I
had every intention of falling deeply in lust with this book; I wanted more
than a causal liking and a one day fling, but sadly that didn’t happen. Evanovich’s own brilliance is in some ways
was the problem, because I know she is capable of putting out a better crafted
novel so I have higher expectations of her than I would in other cases. This series does have real potential and I
hope Evanovich can find a way to be more comfortable with Lizzie and her life (it
didn’t feel organic like some of her other novels). I would like to see her depart a little
further from her Stephanie Plum formula and really give Lizzie and Diesel a
chance to make their own way in the world.
The writing, as always, was one of the strengths of the book. Chockablock full of detail and description you
can really get the flavor of Lizzie’s world.
I love the setting near Salem, Massachutes, for its charm and the
possibilities open for plot points. I
liked Lizzie, but could do with a little more personality from her. Diesel – who I was already introduced to in
the Stephanie Plum in-between books- is a little different than he appeared in
the SP books, but I would say that is because this time he is colored by
Lizzie’s perspective instead of Stephanie’s.
I found Glo mildly amusing, but I think she could be amped up a
bit. As for Wulf, I never really got an
awe inspiring fear of him and I think Evanovich could do a little more to make
the stakes feel higher and the suspense stronger. I didn’t really care for the ending (or as I
call it -the nothing resolved and the book just sort of stops point-, but I
have to say that is always pet peeve of mine when that happens no matter the
book).
Two days after finishing it I am still trying to not let my expectations
color it and just accept it for what it was; an amusing, light and breezy
read. In some ways my disappointment has
fueled my desire to read Wicked Business, with the hope Evanovich can redeem
herself.
ISBN 0312652917 (ISBN13: 9780312652913)
