Janet Evanovich, Metro Girl

Metro Girl

Janet Evanovich

HarperCollins, Nov 2004, $26.95

ISBN: 0060584009

In the middle of the night, "Wild" Bill Barnaby calls his older sister Alexandra, better known as Barney, informing her that he has to leave Miami for the time being and to tell mom he is okay. That is what he said; but Barney hears a woman scream and her sibling shout a profanity before the connection ended.

Barney spent her salad days bailing Bill, known for seeking a good time, out of trouble when she was not blowing up engines racing stock cars. She realizes nothing has changed though he is in Miami and she still in Baltimore. Barney hits the South Beach bar scene which is next to the Keys. Accompanying her is racing car driver Sam Hooker, who tries his NASCAR charm to drive Bill's sister into bed with him. Wild Bill had also told Barney on his last call that Bill could "kiss my exhaust pipe" as he borrowed without permission the NASCAR driver's sailing vessel and seemingly headed to Cuba on some wild butt scheme.

Switching heroine leads, Janet Evanovich pulls out quite a plum of a story with METRO GIRL that introduces readers to an amusing, tough, amateur sleuth in Barney, who can repair an engine and destroy a car. Though she prefers not to be on her back working on a man's undercarriage, Barney is there for Wild Bill when he needs her as usual. Fans of strong female leads with witty asides on life while starring in a wild, "South Florida," amateur-sleuth thriller will want to race along with Barney as she tries to save the world, or at least her brother, while struggling to ignore the NASCAR cologne (burnt oil mixed in a carbon monoxide base).

Harriet Klausner