Metro Girl [Hardcover]

More beguiling criminal diversion from the ever-dependable Janet Evanovich, Metro Girl may not introduce any new elements into the quirky Evanovich universe, but fans won’t give a damn--all the usual fingerprints are well in evidence. Previously, her carefully numbered Stephanie Plum novels offered real delight for those who could get past the arch name of the heroine, and her brilliantly drawn New Jersey settings were counterbalanced by machine-tooled plotting and a cherishable sardonic wit.

Metro Girl has a slew of unlikely elements stirred into a heady brew: treasures sunk beneath the ocean, bloody murder and (believe it or not) a highly sensuous stock car racer. The unreliable ‘Wild’ Bill Barnaby has vanished, and his not-to-be-messed with sister Alex makes her way to Miami to track him down. Alex fights to keep body and soul together in the sultry climate, as both unmanageable coiffure and vicious thugs threaten her equilibrium. She discovers that Bill unwisely appropriated the yacht of the formidable Sam Hooker, and Sam realises that keeping close to Alex may lead him to Bill, with a little score-settling on the menu. Soon, both are heading into dangerous waters (both literally and figuratively) with Cuban gold and leftovers from the Cuban missile crisis making things very hot for the protagonists.

Alex is one hell of a heroine, and the perfect conduit for the reader through the unlikely (but strangely plausible) narrative. You’ve heard books described as a wild ride before--this is one time where that description really fits the bill. Get your ticket and climb aboard--and don’t forget your hairspray.--Barry Forshaw

Praise for Janet Evanovich:

‘Hilarious reading, with a gorgeous fistful of believable and only occasionally murderous eccentrics’ Mail on Sunday

‘Evanovich’s comic surrealism is in the same league as Carl Hiaasen’s’ Marcel Berlins, The Times

‘Janet Evanovich’s name raises expectations of a laughaloud story… an entertaining frolic’ Sunday Telegraph

‘Punchy, saucy and stacks of fun’ Mirror

‘The pace never flags, the humour is grandly surreal and the dialogue fairly sizzles off the page’ Irish Times

'Feisty and fast-paced'

'There's no one like Evanovich when it comes to fast-paced and funny crime fiction, and this latest won't disappoint'

'[A] fast and gutsy thriller. It's zippy, zany and in shops now'

The brilliantly funny, unputdownable new novel from Janet Evanovich, No. 1 bestselling author of the Stephanie Plum books

Buckle your seat belts. Number One bestselling author Janet Evanovich is moving into the fast lane with Metro Girl, a thrilling, high-octane misadventure with high stakes, hot nights, cold-blooded murder, sunken treasure, a woman with a chassis built for speed, and one very good, very sexy stock-car racer who's along for the ride.

When "Wild" Bill Barnaby drops off the face of the earth, big sister Alex heads for Miami to save her brother. Battling bad-hair-day humidity, Miami hit men, and Palmetto bugs big enough to eat her alive, Alex pursues Bill's trail through the bars of South Beach then south to Key West and Cuba.

Turns out, in his haste to leave town, Bill "borrowed" a yacht belonging to Sam Hooker, hero of the NASCAR circuit. Hooker figures he'll attach himself to Alex and maybe run into scumbag Bill. Maybe even get lucky in love with Bill's sweetie pie sister. After all, he is very good at revving a woman's engine.

The race to the finish is hot and hard, taking Alex and Hooker into international waters, exposing a plot to grab Cuban gold and a sinister relic of the Cuban missile crises.

Creative cussing and tasteless sexual innuendo included.

Janet Evanovich grew up in New Jersey, but now lives in New Hampshire. Her series of books featuring Stephanie Plum has won her millions of fans and frequently been on the bestseller lists. She has received many awards including the Crime Writers’ Association John Creasey Award and CWA Silver Dagger Award.