Susan F. (scoutmomskf) - , reviewed on 2/15/2018 + 2547 more book reviews

Very fun book to read, with classic Evanovich humor and hijinks. Riley is an ambitious young woman who isn't too happy when her dream job at a big bank turns into a job babysitting one of its biggest customers. Emerson is rich and eccentric, as well as brilliant and handsome. He is also somewhat clueless when it comes to dealing with people.

The first encounter between Riley and Emerson sets the tone for the book. All she wants to do is let him know his money is safe after some banking glitches. She doesn't quite know what to do when he insists on accompanying her back to the bank so that he can "see his own gold." At that point, the discovery that his usual bank contact has been missing for a month and is accused of embezzling from the company gives Emerson the brilliant idea that he and Riley should investigate Gunter's disappearance. Her boss tells her to keep an eye on Emerson and report back.

I thoroughly enjoyed Emerson's antics. The man is scary smart but doesn't have a cautious bone in his body. He comes up with wild plans that Riley tries, unsuccessfully, to talk him out of. Strangely enough, they nearly always work out, usually thanks to Emerson's refusal to believe that they won't. Riley is often left scrambling to keep up with Emerson, though she does have some shining moments of her own.

There is also some chemistry buzzing around Emerson and Riley. The first thing that she notices about him is how good looking he is. This frequently causes some distraction on her part. Emerson's lack of social skills become more evident in these situations as he blurts out occasional comments that could be offensive if Riley chose to take them that way. Nothing really comes of it, but the potential is there for the future.

The suspense of the story is pretty good. Emerson's missing gold leads them to uncover a plot that would wreak havoc on the world's finances. There are multiple twists and turns as our duo discovers fake gold bars, evades a sadistic NSA agent, is chased across the country to Area 51, and escapes death before saving the day. The bad guys' plot occasionally seems over the top, but parts of it are scarily realistic, especially the megalomaniac tendencies of the bad guys.

I also really enjoyed the secondary characters. Emerson's Aunt Myra was a trip with the way she treated Emerson. She certainly has her hands full dealing with him and his menagerie. She's no simple housekeeper though, as she proves several times throughout the book. I especially enjoyed the story of her encounter with some of the goons. Her son Vern comes across as a good ole boy, but he too is more than he appears. I liked the little bit we saw of Riley's family, and how close and supportive they are of each other. I hope to see more of them in the next book.

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