Janet Evanovich’s latest crime release, The King’s Ransom, is the second in the Recovery Agent series. The main character, Gabriela Rose, is a recovery agent who wears Louboutin slingbacks, scales fences and shoots assault rifles with the best of them. Accompanying her on her latest adventure is ex-husband Rafer, with whom she has a love-hate relationship that has her, at different times wanting to sleep with him—or shoot him.

Together they romp through a number of countries including Egypt and Italy on the trail of a stolen gold sarcophagus belonging to a mummy called Brendan. (Don’t ask—you’ll have to read it to find out.)

This novel is definitely one for fans of Evanovich. For me, there were just a little too many references to high-end fashion and a few too many attempts at humour that didn’t quite hit the target. Don’t get me wrong. I love Janet Evanovich’s work, but I have to say I love some of her books more than others. I’m a real fan of the Fox and O’Hare series which she wrote with Lee Goldberg and the Stephanie Plum series. (If only to find out if Stephanie ends up with Morelli or Ranger.)

Having said all that, The King’s Ransom was a great holiday read.