Book Review: Wicked Appetite by Janet Evanovich

Hello, Fellow Book Worms,

  Janet Evanovich has always been able to entertain me with her Stephanie Plum stories. But little did I know that she also has a new series based in Salem, Massachusetts featuring magical characters. Enter the Wicked Series. I was on the hunt at a local book fair last Fall, and I stumbled upon (literally, there was a book on the floor) a table of mystery books. There, among the hundreds of volumes, sat Wicked Appetite, Wicked Business, and Wicked Charms. Charms I had saw at the book store on their New Releases shelf, making this a huge score for only one dollar each. The series sat on my shelf for four months until last week when I was choosing my February TBR (to be read) picks. I started with the first book in the series, Wicked Appetite.

  Wicked Appetite is published by St. Martin's Press, and is a departure from Evanovich's usual mystery or romance fair. While using those elements to fuel the base of this story, the spotlight is on magic. Wicked Appetite introduces us to BUM, the Board of Unmentionable Marshalls. An organization that locates and protects people with magical abilities, Unmentionables. These people may have small powers or larger ones.

 Elizabeth Tucker has the power to find magical objects, but there is one problem...she has no idea that she can do this.  Working one day at a local bakery in Salem, Massachusetts, she is introduced to the world of magic and danger. She soon learns that there are magical stones called the Saligia Stones, each one holding the essence of one of the Seven Deadly Sins. If the stones ever meet it could bring Hell on Earth. She is made aware of this when her life is interrupted by two men: Wulf, a creepy and dark mystery man and Diesel, a handsome and very cocky mystery man. Wulf wants Elizabeth for her abilities. Diesel wants to protect her so she can use her abilities to find the Saligia Stones before Wulf does. And all Lizzy wants to do is go to work to make money and work on her cookbook. But this is not to be as Lizzy and Diesel search for the Saligia Stones. Soon they have to deal with dangerous adventures, botched magical spells, renegade monkeys, and the uncontrollable urge for S&M and Snickers Bars (don't ask...just read the book). 

  The use of real locations in and around Salem had me remembering fond trips to the Witch City. The author writes this book with a (dare I say) wicked gleam in her eye. Her characters are even more over the top than usual, and each one stuck with me well after I finished the book. Thankfully I have two more books with these characters. That way I do not miss them as much yet. My favorite supporting character was Glo, who loves to think of herself as a Witch. But unfortunately she is constantly bungling spells that usually end up in disaster. Just ask Lizzy about her toaster.

  I read this book in part with the audiobook narrated by Lorelei King. King is amazing at capturing character voices, and has performed dozens of Janet Evanovich's books. Her reading of one character after she is hit with a aphasia spell is hysterical. I laughed out several times. This is the fourth book narrated by King that I have read. And I never get tired of her acting abilities.

Wicked Appetite is three hundred pages of witty narrative that made me love this book so much I read it in a day. I cannot stress enough what a wonderful distraction this book can be for you. If you are in a reading slump, just finished an intense book, or you have had a bad day, this book is the cure. Sit back with some wine or cocoa (or coffee, like I do) and have fun. 

  I give this book four out of five stars.

Because there is always time to read,
Xepherus3

Reading Challenge: http://xepherusreads.blogspot.com/2016/02/updated-xepherus-reads-20152016-reading.html

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All written content (c) Copyright 2016 by Thomas Bahr II

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