She is convinced she has magical powers, partly because she got a vaguely lightning-bolt-shaped scar on her forehead when she crashed into the coffee table as a child, and she haunts the local magic shops (which apparently abound in Salem) buying spell books and jars of newt eyeballs. As in previous tomes by Ms Evanovich, much of the laugh-out-loud humour comes from the secondary characters, and the attempts of Glo, a counter assistant at the bakery, to perform magical spells are some of the best parts of this book. That rather large complaint aside, there is much merit in this book. To be honest, it feels like the opportunity was missed by the author to offer her devoted fans a genuinely new and exciting story premise.
And Carl the monkey (don't ask) did star turns in Fearless Fourteen and Plum Spooky. Even characters are borrowed: Diesel appeared in the between-the-numbers Plum novellas, and in one book had a mild flirtation with Stephanie herself. Every major element is there apart from that perennial favourite, the wacky granny, but never fear: this is only the first of seven books, so there's still time. But still, it's so very much the same as the Plum books. In other words, she gets too close to the first Stone, Gluttony. So far so good: there are some genuinely funny moments where Lizzy (but not, for some reason, her self-appointed bodyguard Diesel) suffers attacks of desperate greed, maternal cravings and even a desire to be spanked.
They represent the seven deadly sins, and each one causes uncontrollable urges in its owner. These dangerous Stones, once dispersed throughout the world, have now all found their way to Salem Massachusetts (where else?). What's new is the magic: Lizzy, a pastry chef at Dazzle's Bakery with a gift for making wonderful cup-cakes, discovers she can also, to her astonishment, sense enchanted objects, and therefore the two men hunting for the Seven Stones of Power need her cooperation. The laughs are still there, and the will-she-won't-she moments abound. But even the best formulas get stale, so this year Ms Evanovich has branched out into something new. What have you got? A Janet Evanovich novel! This has been the formula for the winning Stephanie Plum series for years, about a hopelessly incompetent bounty hunter who never quite manages to choose between the two hunks in her life, and it has given much pleasure and amusement. Stir in two seriously attractive men, an unhinged pet or two, a slapstick plot and an unending series of cars. Add a funny, extrovert friend, and another, more sensible one. Two sexy and mysterious men, each with paranormal powers, are hunting the Seven Stones of Power, and are determined to use Lizzy's new-found gift for their own purposes. Summary: A romantic comedy spin-off from the Stephanie Plum series.
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