"Wicked Appetite" by Janet Evanovich

Fans of the Between the Numbers in the Stephanie Plum series will remember Diesel. While I enjoyed these books, I didn't care for them as much as the regular series and now I think I see why. When given his own book (more or less, as he is not the main character) I like Diesel a lot more. When he is basically filling in for Ranger and Morelli, I don't care for Diesel. I didn't know this until I read Wicked Appetite. Lizzy's life in uneventful. She works in a bakery in Salem and lives in an inherited house that she probably can't afford. She has never blown up a car and isn't in love with two different men (meaning, she is nothing like Stephanie, which I applaud Evanovich for being able to create a different character). Then Diesel shows up and every thing in her life spins out of control. Diesel needs Lizzy's help to track down several ancient relics to avoid catastrophe. Throw in Lizzy's new cat, her co-workers that are a little of the top, and Carl the monkey (who fans will remember from the Plum series) and you know you are in for a bizarre but fun read.

Though set in the same universe as Stephanie Plum, this book has a different feel to it. It deals with a more paranormal plot but still has Evanovich's signature style. Personally, I didn't enjoy this book as much as the Plum books, but still had a lot of fun reading it. I have a feeling that as the series goes on (Book 3? Please?), Lizzy and Diesel will become stronger characters and will continue to grow on me.

Happy Reading!
-Melly