Category Archives: Lizzy – Diesel

Wicked Charms by Janet Evanovich & Phoef Sutton
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Lizzy & Diesel, Book 3

Synopsis: Murdered and mummified more than ninety years ago, bootlegger Collier “Peg Leg” Dazzle once found and re-hid a famous pirate’s treasure somewhere along the coast of New England. A vast collection of gold and silver coins and precious gems, the bounty also contains the Stone of Avarice — the very item reluctant treasure seeker, Lizzy Tucker, and her partner, Diesel, have been enlisted to find. While Lizzy would just like to live a quiet, semi-normal life, Diesel is all about the hunt. And this hunt is going to require a genuine treasure map and a ship worthy of sailing the seven seas . . . or at least getting them from Salem Harbor to Maine.

Greed is eternal and insatiable, and Lizzy and Diesel aren’t the only ones searching for the lost pirate’s chest. There are people who have dedicated their entire lives to finding it, and are willing to commit murder or make a deal with the devil, just to hold the fortune in their hands. One of those people may even be Wulf, Diesel’s deceptively charming and enigmatic cousin. Wulf desires the Stone of Avarice. He also desires Lizzy. It’s hard to say how far he’s willing to go to gain either one.

It’s a swashbuckling adventure full of raiders, monkeys, minions, and mayhem. Lizzy and Diesel are going to have to do everything they can to keep their heads above water and hope they are living a charmed life.

Review: I always enjoy the Janet Evanovich’s novels as they allow me to spend a great time every time. Also, I was curious to read this third volume. It’s true that I perhaps prefer her Stephanie Plum (the Lizzy & Diesel series is the spin off from these books) or the Fox and O’Hare series but this one is still very nice too.

We thus find our heroes, launched on a whole new adventure. Lizzy is equal to herself, trying to live a quiet life despite the upheavals in her life. Yet as soon as Diesel reappears, everything changes and our heroine finds herself, as always, engaged in a strange quest. Indeed, during a museum visit, Lizzy comes to face with a mummified treasure hunter, long disappeared. He is known to have found a highly sought pirate treasure and it seems now that everyone is trying to find it with little chance of success. But this time, it’s up to Lizzy and Diesel to chase the famous treasure, and through their skills, they may well succeed where no one has. And as they embark on this new quest, they will face Wulf who is also determined to get his hands on the loot, as well as a historian or a mad billionaire.

It was a very nice story to follow and it’s always a treat to find all the characters we have come to discover. A bit like for Sptehanie Plum, we remain alert to the relationship that the young woman has with the two men. Yes, because it must be said that they are not devoid of charm and both seem interested in Lizzy. Indeed it may well be that all three need come together to a common goal here and I admit that it was pretty funny to see the whole. I was also curious to discover the treasure, to see what everyone coveted. And it is true that the discovery was pretty epic. After, I think that the execution of the story is perhaps a bit long and may lack of a certain something to make you feel more compared to the novel. But I think it’s a good story for a good time, especially in summer.

 

3-5 

mellianefini

 

Wicked Charms de Janet Evanovich & Phoef Sutton (VO)
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Lizzy & Diesel, Tome 3

Résumé (traduction personnelle) : Assassiné et momifié il ya plus de 90 ans, Collier “Peg Leg” Dazzle a trouvé une fois et re-caché le trésor d’un pirate célèbre quelque part le long de la côte de la Nouvelle-Angleterre. Une vaste collection d’or, d’argent et de pierres précieuses, le trésor contient également la Pierre d’Avarice – l’élément que la réticente chasseuse de trésors, Lizzy Tucker, et son partenaire, Diesel, doivent trouver. Alors que Lizzy voudrais juste vivre une vie tranquille, semi-normale, Diesel est plus pour la chasse. Et cette chasse va exiger une carte au trésor authentique et un navire digne de voguer sur les sept mers. . . ou au moins de les amener à Salem Harbor, Maine.

La cupidité est éternelle et insatiable, et Lizzy et Diesel ne sont pas les seuls à la recherche du trésor perdu du pirate. Il y a des gens qui ont consacré leur vie entière à le chercher, et sont prêts à commettre des meurtres ou à faire un pacte avec le diable, juste pour tenir la fortune dans leurs mains. Une de ces personnes semble même être Wulf, cousin trompeusement charmant et énigmatique de Diesel. Wulf désire la Pierre d’Avarice. Il désire également Lizzy. Il est difficile de dire jusqu’où il est prêt à aller pour gagner l’un ou l’autre.

C’est une aventure pleine de capes et d’épées, de singes, serviteurs, et de chaos. Lizzy et Diesel vont faire tout ce qu’ils peuvent pour garder la tête hors de l’eau et nous espérons qu’ils vivront une charmante vie.

Avis : J’apprécie toujours les romans de Janet Evanovich qui me permet de passer un très bon moment à chaque fois. Aussi, j’étais curieuse de lire ce troisième tome. C’est vrai que je préfère peut-être sa série Stephanie Plum (dont Lizzy & Diesel est le spin off) ou Fox and O’Hare mais celle-ci est quand même très sympa aussi.

On retrouve donc nos deux héros, lancé dans une toute nouvelle aventure. Lizzy est égale à elle-même, à essayer de vivre une vie tranquille malgré les chamboulements de sa vie. Pourtant dès que Diesel réapparait, tout change et notre héroïne se retrouve comme à chaque fois lancée dans une quête des plus étranges. En effet, alors d’une visite de musée, Lizzy se retrouve face à face avec un chasseur de trésor momifié disparu depuis longtemps. Il est connu pour avoir trouvé un trésor très recherché des pirates et il semblerait maintenant que tout le monde tente de le retrouver avec peu de chances de succès. Mais cette fois, ce n’est pas n’importe qui qui se lance à la poursuite du fameux trésor, et Lizzy et Diesel, de par leurs aptitudes pourraient bien réussir où personne n’y est arrivé encore. Et alors qu’ils se lancent dans cette nouvelle quête, ils devront faire face à Wulf qui lui aussi est déterminé à mettre la main sur le butin ou encore à un historien ou encore un milliardaire fou.

C’était une histoire très sympa à suivre et c’est toujours un régal de retrouver tous les personnages que nous avons appris à découvrir. Un peu comme dans Sptehanie Plum, on reste alerte quant à la relation que la jeune femme a avec les deux hommes. Oui, parce qu’il faut dire qu’ils ne sont pas dénués de charme et les deux semblent intéressés par Lizzy. D’ailleurs il se pourrait bien qu’ils doivent tous les trois s’allier pour leur but commun ici et j’avoue que c’était assez drôle de voir le tout. J’étais assez curieuse aussi de découvrir le trésor, de voir ce que tout le monde convoitait tant.  Et c’est vrai que la découverte était assez épique. Après, je pense que l’exécution de l’histoire est peut-être un peut longue et manque d’un petit quelque chose qui fasse que l’on ressente plus par rapport au roman. Mais je pense que c’est une bonne histoire pour passer un agréable moment, notamment en été.

3-5 

mellianefini

Wicked Business by Janet Evanovich
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Lizzy & Diesel, Book 2

Synopsis: Whether it’s monkey business, funny business, or getting down to business, Janet Evanovich’s Lizzy and Diesel series proves that there’s no business like Wicked Business.
 
Lizzy Tucker’s once normal life as a pastry chef in Salem, Massachusetts, turns upside down as she battles both sinister forces and an inconvenient attraction to her unnaturally talented but off-limits partner, Diesel.

When Harvard University English professor and dyed-in-the-wool romantic Gilbert Reedy is mysteriously murdered and thrown off his fourth-floor balcony, Lizzy and Diesel take up his twenty-year quest for the Luxuria Stone, an ancient relic believed by some to be infused with the power of lust. Following clues contained in a cryptic nineteenth-century book of sonnets, Lizzy and Diesel tear through Boston catacombs, government buildings, and multimillion-dollar residences. On their way they’ll leave behind a trail of robbed graves, public disturbances, and general mayhem.

Diesel’s black sheep cousin, Gerwulf Grimoire, also wants the Stone. His motives are far from pure, and what he plans on doing with the treasure, no one knows . . . but Lizzy Tucker fears she’s in his crosshairs. Never far and always watching, Grimoire has a growing, vested interest in the cupcake-baker-turned-finder-of-lost-things. As does another dangerous and dark opponent in the hunt—a devotee of lawlessness and chaos, known only as Anarchy.

Treasures will be sought, and the power of lust will be unmistakable as Lizzy and Diesel attempt to stay ahead of Anarchy, Grimoire, and his medieval minion, Hatchet, in this ancient game of twisted riddles and high-stakes hide-and-seek.


Review: I love Janet Evanovich, well I should say that I love her Stephanie Plum series. I read the first volume of this new series to its output with much hope and I was a little disappointed. But knowing what to expect this time, I enjoyed this new story. Well it is for sure far from our Stephanie but Lizzy is also quite a character. This is a nice read once that we know the direction of the story.
 
Then I must say that I love Diesel, I adored him in the spin-offs and I still enjoy him here. He is so determined in his choice, and if our heroine does not agree with him, well then … what difference does it make? It is always quite funny as he arrives for her to do whatever he wants all times. Okay but not nearly in all circumstances. She is always brought in some terrible stories that make her discover some new aspects of the world where she lives.
 
Sure Wulf and Hatchet are there too and it was a delight to follow them. I must say that it’s hard to really understand them, they can in a second pass from the nicest person to the most wicked person of the world. Then see Hatchet ender some spells, what could be better? This is the most hilarious between laxatives, buttons or love, there are plenty problems. Well I admit that I preferred his character when he was in love with Glo. Well he doesn’t hesitate to do what he needs when he wants something. A serenade? Yes, yes, of course!
 
In this novel, the characters are all here and we meet Sandman, the same we saw in the  Stephanie Plum series, okay he didn’t do that much, but it’s really nice to see him. So here we find our little duo who always tries to cope with their attraction, in search of the stone of love/lust that everyone wants. Why is that? It is hard to say even if we understand pretty fast for Anarchy. However, for Wulf it is a different story. But finding that the stone is not a simple matter. This quest will lead them in places that they could not imagine.
 
This book was light and fun. A mixture always perfect when you are on vacation. I read with pleasure the whole adventure of our two protagonists. Well, when Janet Evanovich offers the Chick-lit story, I’m always up for it!