Razor Girl by Carl Hiaasen

Some stories are just so strange they have to be true - and the con artist at the core of Razor Girl is one of those; her scam involves shaving her privates while behind the wheel, "accidentally" rear-ending someone, her hiked skirt and blood droplets for effect.

This book is a return to former-detective, health officer Andrew Yancy and his endangered bit of paradise. A big-city lawyer and his high-maintenance fiance are planning a new McMansion on the lot next to Yancy's house. Things didn't go so well for the last guy that tried to build there ...

Throw into the mix a reality TV star who isn't what he seems, his beleaguered Hollywood agent, and a Florida redneck with a man-crush. Typical Hiaasen!

Truly, it's prime-form Hiaasen too, with a story that hums right along and a plot you couldn't possibly predict. Nobody does comedy-mixed-with-satire the way he does, and it seems like Florida is determined to provide fodder for these novels (we'll call that a silver lining).

Maestra by L.S. Hilton

A chance encounter with a former classmate on the London train platform is the spark that leads to murder, thievery, and a life of luxury on the lam for art specialist Judith Rashleigh.

Working for a famous art auction house isn't as posh as Judith had hoped. When her corrupt boss throws her into a couple of intentionally bad situations, she's not only smart enough to get herself out of the jam, she also makes a pivot move that puts her ahead. It's the start of a high-society life hiding in plain sight.

This book is quick and thrilling. Judith doesn't know how long she can make the scam work, but she's willing to bet it all. It's about looking right (high fashion, gorgeous and thin), acting right (smart, but acquiescent) and making "friends" with the most advantageous rich men.

In addition to being a lightning fast scam story, it's also a fashion buyer's guide and a steamy erotic party-hop. You were warned!

The Pursuit by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg

The action starts on page one, where our hero has woken up in a coffin after being kidnapped in Hawaii. And it just gets better from there.

This is the latest saga in the Fox & O'Hare novels, where international con man Nicholas Fox has teamed up with FBI phenom Kate O'Hare to help bring down some of the biggest criminals in the world.

This run, the pair are working from within a Serbian gang that wants to break into a lab and steal a deadly virus they plan to use as a terrorist threat. The scheme involves the Paris underground: tunnels, sewers, catacombs. We get a return for a bunch of popular characters and the introduction of a few new faces too.

Yes, there's sexual tension. Yes, there's even sex. Sure, it's probably a bad decision in the long run, but hell yes does it work for now!

I read it in one giant gulp on one of the hottest days of the summer. Perfect escape!

The Job by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg

In this third book in the Fox and O'Hare series, our favorite uptight FBI agent and her handsome rogue con are working to 1) clear his name in a bunch of international thefts he didn't do, 2) bring down a major player in the drug-smuggling world.

They find an ingenious way to tease a crook out of hiding, then take him for everything he's worth. There's lots of Hollywood theatrics that make the con work, and the usual cast of characters joins the job: Kate's retired Special Forces dad and his undercover buddies, drive-the-wheels-off-anything Willie, eccentric Method actor Boyd. plus a few new faces too.

It's a light read, but also hard to put down. I've loved every one of these books, and this one's the best yet.

The Chase by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg

In the second novel of the series, sexy con artist Nicholas Fox is helping close in on art theft by partnering with by-the-books FBI agent Kate O'Hare in a secret operation.

I loved the first book in the series, and this one's just as good! There's a fantastic sexual tension between the main characters and a great volley provided by their opposing moral compasses. There's lots of action, plenty of explosions, and a fantastic cast of secondary characters. Even though you know it's going to be all right (it's always all right, isn't it?), the reader is still drawn into the suspense of the caper and its dangers.

For a lighter read, this one's near perfect.

The Heist by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg

It's a familiar setup: a wily con man with a true talent for the big score and an FBI agent who will stake her career and go to any lengths to capture him. There's a bit of professional teasing and sexual tension that drives their cat-and-mouse game, but midway through the book things shift and the game changes when they're asked to work together, playing for the same side to bring down an even worse bad guy.

This is a great, funny book that moves at lightning speed. The combination of these two writers brought out the best in both: Evanovich's comedic female lead is wittier, faster, and more competent with Goldberg's lift.

You can tell this will be a new series (and this book introduces us to a great cast of characters I'm anxious to explore) yet this book feels whole - it's not simply a lead-in setting the platform for something bigger. The story's complete and satisfying, but I guarantee it will leave you wanting more.