Book Review: Dangerous Minds by Janet Evanovich

Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons!

  For the past few years I have loved Janet Evanovich's cozy mysteries. They are loaded with humor, adventure, and the occasional whack-a-doodle character that makes you shake your head. Her novels are a great way to end a reading slump, and can often be read in one sitting. At the beginning of the month I read Curious Minds, the new series starring eccentric millionaire Emerson Knight and his assistant, Riley Moon. It was a crazy and fun adventure that kept my attention for the entire book. Now I end April with the second book in the series. 

 
  Dangerous Minds is written by Janet Evanovich and is published by Bantam Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House. In this new adventure Buddhist monk Wayan Bagus  has a dilemma: the island that he has been living on has disappeared. The little man explains to Emerson Knight and Riley Moon that he was drugged, kidnapped, and when he woke up, his home had vanished. The eccentric billionaire and his assistant listen to the monk's story with wonder and puzzlement. How could an entire island vanish off the map? Emerson consoles the monk and promises to help him find his home. To do so he will need Riley's help once more. After her last "mission" with Emerson, Riley does not want to be a part of the shenanigans. The sexual tension between her and Emerson is growing and he also drives her insane with his weird ways. But with some convincing, she agrees to once again be his amanuensis.

  Traveling with Vernon, Emerson's cousin, the group arrive in Washington, D.C. to investigate the island's disappearance. What they discover is a series of missing person's reports at national parks around the United States. They are soon greeted by an assassin dubbed "Tin Man" (he carries hatchets in his coat), who buries a hatchet in the hood of Riley's car. She realizes that her little band of investigators have stumbled onto something big that needs to be kept quiet. A secret society that will stop at nothing to retain their deadly plans. Will Emerson and Riley triumph over those with dangerous minds?

  Dangerous Minds had elements of the Big Bang Theory and American Pie. Emerson was the socially awkward genius of the story, while Vernon was the randy teen-type of the narrative. The adventure was a zany and often precarious journey for the players involved. With the novel taking place in Washington, D.C., Yosemite National Park, and Hawaii, this book traveled far and quick. I enjoyed the quirky monk Wayan Bagus and his assimilation attempts of modern ways. He was a fun addition to the team and provided much of the story's comedic moments. But Emerson and Riley's sexual banter came at some inopportune moments and at times pulled me out of the mystery. Vernon was fun at the beginning, then he began to morph into Lula from the Stephanie Plum series. Much of his dialogue was similar to what Lula would say, which led to think of that character instead of Vernon. The villains were my favorite part of the story. They played like James Bond adversaries with a diabolical plan that often carried the story forward better than the protagonists did. The finale played out well, with a great pay-off at the end. I have to say I was surprised several times as the book came to a close.

  I read this novel in part with the skillful narration of actress, Lorelei King. My readers know how much I love it when a book is narrated by King. She delivered a fun presentation of this book, which made the story come to life in the best way. Her Wayan Bagus was hysterical with an almost dead-pan delivery. Wonderful work!

  Dangerous Minds was a three star read for me. The mystery and Bond-like villains served the novel well. It is very fun at times, and delivered a excellent finale.  

  Have fun reading this week. Let me know in the comments below what you are reading this week.

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