Book Review: Wicked Appetite By Janet Evanovich

Wicked Appetite by Janet Evanovich is the start of a new series from the well-known author. This series follows Diesel, a character that has made appearances in the Stephanie Plum series. If you are an Evanovich fan, and are current on the Stephanie Plum series then you know Diesel from the season, between the number books of the series. Diesel is slightly supernatural, and this book follows that trend. Our favorite simian Carl also plays a part in this new series.

Elizabeth Tucker, or Lizzie, is a baker with a special talent for cupcakes. It might not seem like much, but she has settled into life baking cupcakes and other goodies at a local bakery, living in an old home in need of repair that she inherited from an eccentric aunt, and trying to keep that house from falling down around her ears while attempting to write a cookbook. Add in a couple wacky co-workers, and you have Lizzie's fairly predictable life. Then enter the scary bad guy and shortly thereafter Diesel makes his way onto the scene. Wicked Appetite is a fun and lighthearted adventure with Lizzie and Diesel searching for mystical items punctuated with strange events, which Lizzie often tries to explain away.

Evanovich fans will recognize several conventions in the new series. A heroine with wardrobe full of sneakers and jeans, ponytail, and in need of a larger income, crazy side characters that she interacts with and lots of eating not so healthy foods. However, there are also some laugh out loud and cute moments to fill Wicked Appetite. Personally, I want to see more of the possibly ninja cat. Yes, you read that right, ninja cat.

I recommend Wicked Appetite to those that still enjoy reading the Stephanie Plum series, or those that want to check out Evanovich's writing without committing to the long Plum series. If you have gotten bored with the Plum series, then you might want to wait awhile before picking up this book. While the characters are different, there is a very similar feel to the book. The audio book reader for Wicked Appetite is the same as the reader for the Plum series, so she is great but adds another level of similarity to the Plum series. I enjoyed it, and read it in a day, but really need this kind of light, fun in the post-holiday season.