*3.5 stars rounded up. FBI Agent Kate O'Hare and con-man consultant Nick Fox get involved in a modern-day treasure hunt to find hidden Nazi gold. This light, easy read is pure escapism, very reminiscent of Indiana Jones movies --in fact, both their dads get involved, along with a tweed-clad professor who helps them decipher the clues. Put aside your skepticism of the plot line and enjoy a thrill a minute!

This book was available as a 'Read Now' from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It is the 7th book in the series but the first where Evanovich has teamed up with fellow mystery writer, Steve Hamilton. I made a point of reading two short story prequels since I was jumping into the series here and I notice a lot of the Stephanie Plum-type silliness of those earlier stories is gone in this one.

Thank goodness! This book is more like the first five than the abomination of book six. Kate and Nick are off on a new adventure all over Europe searching for an alleged treasure of Nazi gold helping none other than Nick’s dad. They assemble quite a crew to solve the mystery including Kate’s dad, a British professor, and “former” British spy.

This was an entertaining read and while some of their adventures and antics seem super far fetched, it was a fun story. Definitely nice to see the chemistry and flirtation between Kate and Nick back.

If you read The Big Kahuna and said you were done with the series, I encourage you to give this book a try. Even better would be to call this book 6 and pretend the last one never happened.

Thanks to the publisher for a review copy via NetGalley.

Kate and Nick have been paired up again to catch a thief. They thought it was going to be a simple job until they discover a treasure that was hidden by the Nazis. Now they are trying to find it before a shadowy international organization finds it first (or takes them down). This treasure is rumored to be worth $30 billion in gold and this pair knows someone who can help them outsmart the Brotherhood. This is the same man that taught Nick how to be a great con man … his father. As they travel around Europe and other countries uncovering new clues, they have to get help from Kate’s father too. Now there are four people who can’t agree on anything. Will they be able to work together long enough to reach the gold before the Brotherhood?

The Bounty is the seventh book in the Fox and O’Hare series. This duo has been a favorite of mine since the first book and I am always excited to find out what trouble they will get into this time. This is not a spine-tingling mystery that must be unraveled, but it is a fun escape with some shenanigans along the way. I love how Evanovich took us through unlikely European locations. The Bounty is fun for all Fox and O’Hare fans. If you haven’t read the other books, though, go back and start at the beginning.

So...I don't know about this book. It's supposed to be the next in the Fox & O'Hare series, a romantic adventure thriller, but whoever wrote it apparently didn't read the previous six books?

Don't get me wrong, it's a good story premise...bouncing about the world solving clues to discover lost Nazi treasure. Very Indiana Jones or Sahara-like, but it's robotic in its form execution and utterly lacking the spark between the two main characters. Plus, although this may make a good easy summer blockbuster film it was highly predictable and over-the-top read.

Evanovich makes a lot of money from her books because they were all good once upon a time and readers are pretty loyal and always hope that the authors they enjoy will continue to deliver. This does not.

This is fine if you want to up your numbers, try a new genre without having to go through the previous books, or are just looking to kill time, but if you're looking for the next installment in this series, this seems like a decent second draft and nowhere near the finished product should be. Disappointing would my best overall descriptor.

Confession: I had not read this series until I saw that Steve Hamilton was joining forces with Evanovich. So, I binged the earlier books just to get a feel of the characters. Who knew I would fall head over heels for Nick and Kate’s strained love/hate relationship? Not to mention the cast of characters that came along with them.

The Bounty had such a different feel. I was VERY disappointed! Yes, we got to meet Nick’s dad, but to the detriment of the other supporting characters. Not to mention all the descriptions of places and the trek they took to get there was a beating to slog through.

This will be the last Fox and O’Hare novel I read. Well, I’m thinking about revisiting my favorites just to cleanse my palate from this sour note.

I much prefer Stephanie Plum, but these are quick easy reads. Some of the this story line was a little far fetched, I've liked the other ones in the series better

OMG, I adore this book! It’s Indiana Jones meets The DaVinci Code! I can’t recommend The Bounty highly enough.

Kate and Nick have a new assignment—searching for a long-hidden trove of Nazi gold. They will not only need their own varied skills but also the skills of their fathers. The four, plus a German antiquities professor, must follow a treasure map around the world to locate the gold. Good thing they know how to BASE jump, climb mountains, and scuba dive. They will have to avoid the neo-Nazi group, The Brotherhood, and Red Star, a terrorist group, who are also looking for the billions of dollars of gold.

If you just want good old-fashioned escapism, look no further. The Bounty delivers a high-octane thrill ride coupled with a challenging mystery. Plus it allows you to view some familiar tourist sites from a new perspective (some while dangling hundreds of feet in the air). I have read a couple of other books in this series, and they don’t compare. This is definitely the best one yet! 5 stars and a favorite!

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Bounty, like most Evanovich books, was lots of fun. It had great characters and a quickly moving plot. Since it is part of a series, it helps to have read earlier books, although it wouldn't be necessary to grasp the story. This adventure took the reader all over the world and threw in some history as well. Adding Kate's and Nick's fathers to the story was a good way to keep the story moving as all four main characters had different skills to contribute. It was a great adventure. Although not very believable. it was an enjoyable read. I must say, however, I really missed the elaborate cons and quirky characters of the earlier books in this series.

Title: The Bounty
Author: Janet Evanovich; Steve Hamilton
Genre: Mystery/thriller
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Straight as an arrow special agent Kate O’Hare and international con man Nick Fox have brought down some of the biggest criminals out there. But now they face their most dangerous foe yet—a vast, shadowy international organization known only as the Brotherhood.

Directly descended from the Vatican Bank priests who served Hitler during World War II, the Brotherhood is on a frantic search for a lost train loaded with $30 billion in Nazi gold, untouched for over seventy-five years somewhere in the mountains of Eastern Europe.

Kate and Nick know that there is only one man who can find the fortune and bring down the Brotherhood—the same man who taught Nick everything he knows—his father, Quentin. As the stakes get higher, they must also rely on Kate’s own father, Jake, who shares his daughter’s grit and stubbornness. Too bad they can never agree on anything.

From a remote monastery in the Swiss Alps to the lawless desert of the Western Sahara, Kate, Nick, and the two men who made them who they are today must crisscross the world in a desperate scramble to stop their deadliest foe in the biggest adventure of their lives.

I’m a huge fan of the Stephanie Plum series (well, a huge fan of the first 10 books, then a slightly lesser fan of the rest of them—and I haven’t read the last two.) and I think I read the first book in this series as well.

I enjoyed this read, but it seemed pretty cliched and predictable, like an over-the-top action movie that ends just as you expect it to. I never felt any of the characters were truly in danger, and no matter how seemingly impossible whatever obstacle the characters faced was, it always seemed to have a simple solution—one based more on luck and chance with a bit of deus ex machina thrown in for good measure (I’m looking at you, big guy).

Janet Evanovich is a bestselling author. Steve Hamilton is an award-winning author. Their newest book is The Bounty.

(Galley courtesy of Atria Books in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 3/20.)

This book is silly, but that doesn’t make it a bad book. I enjoyed it very much. It was a good escape from the real world for awhile. You get action and adventure while Nick and Kate try to find a nazi treasure....what more could you want.

This book does not disappoint; action-packed from beginning to end with all the familiar people I've come to love and new and interesting new people, i.e. Nick's father. What I especially liked about this book is the plot of the lost Nazi gold is true & people are still looking for it today. Overall , a fun mystery, with the usual banter, jokes, and romantic tension I expect from this series.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

What a fascinating book. I was impressed by the storyline and the characters were all well written and complex. Where there are complex storylines combined with intriguing characters the reader experience is magnified tremendously. To have a book that is well written as well as entertaining is a delight. Reading is about escaping your world and entering another one. Here I forgot about my own life and was immersed in the world created by the author. I would recommend this book.

Janet Evanovich’s Fox and O’Hare series about unwilling cooperation between FBI agent Kate O’Hare and international thief Nick Fox has advanced to a seventh book, The Bounty. There’s a new co-author, Steve Hamilton, after a short-lived collaboration with Evanovich’s son Peter. The change is for the better.

This is perhaps the most coherent and exciting book in the series so far. The plot is intriguing. Nick’s estranged father is after a treasure map that should lead to a hidden hoard of Nazi gold, and Nick and Kate are swept along on the quest. They storm through Europe, trying to find the pieces of the map, which have been hidden in very imaginative and difficult-to-access places. And naturally they are pursued by a group of Nazis who want the gold for themselves. There are plenty of twists and turns before everything is solved.

The book is constant action with plenty of over-the-top violence, but there isn’t much of Evanovich’s trademark humour. Also the romance-that-almost-is between Kate and Nick is all but forgotten, with a token scene at the end. But it still manages to be light-hearted and not to take itself too seriously.

My only complaint is the lack of a coherent point of view. It switched between Nick and Kate from paragraph to paragraph with no clear indication to who was guiding the narrative. There were short stretches with a single narrator, usually in a minor character’s POV, but the general impression was vagueness and lack of depth. Character development has never been Evanovich’s strong suit, but here the characters were completely at the mercy of the plot.

Nevertheless, the book was entertaining and engaging. It’s the best in the series so far, unless you miss the silly humour. I hope Evanovich continues the series with Hamilton. I’d definitely read their books.

The Bounty: A Novel by Janet Evanovich and Steve Hamilton was an okay read. I have read all of the Stephanie Plum series, but this was my first O’Hare and Fox novel. I will give the benefit of loving the other series that this one is a great series, too. I will need to go back and see how these characters have developed and how they work together to truly know what I think. Not a stand alone.

***** I received an ARC from NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my honest review. *****

About:

Special Agent Kate O’Hare and international criminal Nick Fox pair up again in this thriller wherein the two team up with their fathers to find the $30 billion in Nazi gold before The Brotherhood finds it first.

My Thoughts:

THE BOUNTY, book seven in the Fox and O’Hare series, features indestructible foes amongst likable, though seemingly invincible characters in this plot-driven narrative.

I will say that suspension of disbelief is necessary as you delve into this action-filled novel which reminds me of the 007 movies I watched as a kid with unbeatable characters like James Bond, Blofeld, and Jaws with his steel-capped teeth.

The main issue I have with the storyline in THE BOUNTY, specifically the historical aspect, is morally based and has nothing to do with the writing, per se. To me, the thought of anyone looking for and possibly finding the Nazi gold makes me sick to my stomach.

Why did I want to read this book?

1.) To see that the gold isn’t found.
2.) If it is found, see that it doesn’t get into the hands of The Brotherhood.
3.) To bear witness to The Brotherhood and their affiliates get taken out.

Did any of that happen?

You will have to read the book and find out.

I look forward to reading novels one through six; the first five co-authored with Lee Goldberg (Yessss!), and number six with Peter Evanovich, who is new to me.

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books, for loaning me an eGalley of THE BOUNTY at the request of an honest review.

Scheduled For Release – March 23, 2021 (Subject To Change)

I used to read Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. I am not sure exactly why I stopped, probably just work, school, and too many books. I saw that The Bounty was part of a series, but that it could be read as a standalone. Lots of stay-at-home time gave me the chance to meet some new characters by Janet and her co-author Steve Hamilton.
The two main characters are Kate O'Hare, an FBI agent, and Nick Fox, a former criminal. Kate and Nick obviously have very different backgrounds and skillsets, and yet when they join forces, they seem to complement each other. Their adventure begins in the Vatican but quickly turns into much more. They are soon involved in a treasure hunt that takes them across Europe, one that may lead to $30 billion worth of gold. It looks like a family affair too, as both of their fathers are involved. Can they beat the bad guys and is that a bit of chemistry I see between Kate and Nick?
The plot was fast-paced and I am sure the few things I didn't quite understand were because I haven't read the prior books. A fun read on a cold winter day, and I ended up wanting to know more about Nick and Kate.3.5 stars.

I have long been a fan of Janet Evanovich and the Stephanie Plum series. I have not read any of this series until The Bounty. In true Janet fashion, She had me in love with the characters in the first few chapters and laughing out loud. This story follows Kate O'Hare and Nick Fox as they chase down the legend of a hidden train that is filled with Nazi gold. With trouble at every turn will they be able to make it in time before the goons that are after the gold for themselves?

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

This is a tough review for me to write as I see the book from two different perspectives – as a standalone novel and as part of the series. Since the series has changed the co-author from, originally Lee Goldberg to now, Steve Hamilton, I will review it by talking about each perspective separately.

As a Standalone Novel

The Bounty is a fun and action-packed treasure hunt mystery that appeals to the puzzle lover in me. I was glued to this fast-paced story as Kate and Nick worked with their fathers and an Oxford professor to solve each clue and faced peril at the hands of a criminal group who also wanted to find the treasure, $30 billion in Nazi gold. The setting is ever-changing as each new clue takes them to a new location, mainly in Europe. From the Eiffel Tower to a monastery in the Swiss Alps and a few stops in between and after, this story is perfect for a book vacation – especially if you love adventure. Kate and Nick are working on this case with their fathers, which adds a whole new dimension to the story. I do not remember Nick’s father ever being mentioned in past novels, so to get to meet him is fun. If you are looking for complex characters, this plot-driven story is not the one for you. But, if you are looking for a fun weekend read, you will love this story even though it ends up being a bit formulaic in its approach to the treasure hunt. The novel is mainly about action and adventure, and it provides those things superbly.

As the 7th book in a Series

I have been reading the Fox and O’Hare mysteries since book 1. What I initially loved about the series is how it took a conman and a law enforcement agent and put them together to solve cases in a way that used both of their skills. Kate – along with her ex-military father and his ragtag group of fellow ex-marines – is the brawn. She can take on any man or woman with strength, finesse, and a mastery of weapons, while her father provides even more muscle in the form of bigger, more explosive weapons and covert transportation needs. Nick, on the other hand, steals things in a way that is crafty and utterly ingenious. Utilizing his conman skills, he sets up elaborate fake situations to lore in their mark (the bad guy) and eventually trap and arrest him or her. And together, they have palpable chemistry. Nick and Kate in the 7th novel are such a watered-down version of their previous selves that I barely recognized them. Nick did not set up an elaborate scheme. And though Kate is still a powerful female character – the chemistry between them no longer had the same spark or intensity.

Seeing as how the book went through a writer change, this was the perfect time to reintroduce the characters – to take the time to develop them more naturally and thoroughly and clue the reader in on what to expect from a new writing team. I would be much more accepting of the changes if I were not led to believe that I would be reading about Kate and Nick that I quickly grew to love in the first book of the series because the characters in this story were not those characters. Even meeting Nick’s father failed to offer any significant insight into his character, and that was a perfect opportunity to do just that.

I also missed the Nick-ness in the story. His con jobs provided the entire plot in the early books, but there is no con job in this story. The ingeniousness of those cons made the stories fun, intelligent, creative and enabled me to forget that there was not a lot of character development to grab on to. I wanted more of Nick’s clever situations, even though I think that a treasure hunt is exciting. I always love a good treasure hunt story. But a treasure hunt is not the same thing as a con job. Kate and Nick did not even solve the clues other than physically looking where the professor who was solving the clues told them to look.

To Read or Not to Read

As a standalone book, The Bounty offers a light, fun, action-packed treasure hunt story that is the perfect weekend getaway. As the 7th book in a series, I found it very disappointing, as it offered only a watered-down version of the team I’ve grown to love.

The Bounty is a Fox and O'Hare action thriller and one I thoroughly enjoyed. Kate O’Hare is a Special Agent and Nick Fox is an International reformed criminal and from the beginning to the end, the adventure and humor is never ending.
A shady organization, The Brotherhood, is seeking to find Thirty Billion dollars of Nazi Gold that has been missing for over 75 years, but Kate and Nick must find it first. They are joined by both of their dads, which brings humor and family drama to the mix. This overseas adventure takes you to many remote locations including the Swiss Alps and Sahara Desert. The authors’ writing is incredibly illustrative, and you will get so caught up in the story that you feel like you are on the dangerous quest right along with them!
I have read all the Stephanie Plum Evanovich novels and they are always my go to when I need a light, easy, and humorous read. I have not read any Fox and O’Hare adventures, but after reading this one, I will, and would recommend it as well! Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

Action packed adventure! Wow! I do think that they should not have left the snowmobile there for Franz to use and come after them. I can’t wait for the next adventure to be released.