Alex "Barney" Barnaby is worried about her brother, Bill. His last phone call to his sister ended abruptly with a woman’s scream in the background. Not wanting to worry her parents or alert the police, Barney heads to Miami in search of her brother.
The scene in Florida is ominous: Bill’s trashed apartment, a missing woman, a stolen boat and a murder that may or may not be related. The boat’s owner is renowned NASCAR driver Sam Hooker and he’s pretty mad about the missing vessel. It seems Bill and Maria, the missing woman, "borrowed" the boat. Their story involves Cuban history, legend, treasure, danger and several bad guys chasing them.
Sam wants his boat back. Barney wants her brother back. Sam likes Barney. Barney pretends she doesn’t like Sam, but is having trouble resisting the NASCAR charm. The two throw caution to the wind, and a whole lot of common sense as well, in the classic Janet Evanovich adventure Metro Girl.
Alex/Barney grew up in her family’s automotive repair business. That and her tendency to get into harrowing situations makes it easy to confuse this heroine with the author’s famously known Stephanie Plum.
Metro Girl has all the Evanovich humor and outlandish suspense. Readers will appreciate the cigar rolling, heat packing mamas and appreciate Sam and Barney’s sexually charged banter. The pair’s skewed judgment and dislike of law enforcement allow the plot to reach unlikely global heights. Fortunately, their actions and bumbles are so entertaining that it’s easy to accept the world is in their hands.
Metro Girl is a fun read and a great fictional escape to Miami, the Keys and the edge of Cuba. The story is wacky and crazy. This light, adventurous mystery is simply Evanovich at her best.
