A new Jennifer Crusie novel is always a treat, but lately, you don't just get Jennifer Crusie - her last three novels have been collaborations. First Don't Look Down, the first "romantic adventure" written with Bob Mayer, then The Unfortunate Miss Fortunes, written with Eileen Dreyer and Anne Stuart and now another Bob Mayer partnership: Agnes & The Hitman. I've read so much about Agnes & The Hitman on Crusie's blog that I've been desperate to read it almost from the time they started writing it ... I finally got the chance and I wasn't disappointed.
"Cranky" Agnes Crandall is a food writer, who has just had moderate success with a book called Mob Food. She's also recently bought her dream house, in partnership with her fiance, Taylor, but part of the property agreement was that she host a wedding for the previous owner's granddaughter. Unfortunately, Brenda (the previous owner), will get the house back if the wedding doesn't happen and, since that's what she wants, she's going all out to sabotage the wedding.
When a man with a gun turns up in Agnes's kitchen (ostensibly to kidnap her dog), her friend Joey calls a hitman named Shane to come and protect Agnes. But Shane's got problem's of his own. His boss is retiring and wants Shane to take over ... and it appears before long that someone's trying to kill him too.
My head hurts from trying to explain any aspect of this story without giving something away, but it's not so complicated when you read it, honest (okay, it's a little bit complicated, but, like Janet Evanovich's books, if you don't struggle to place everyone and just let it all wash over you instead, it all becomes clear in the end). Plus - and you'll know this if you read Crusie's blog - there are flamingoes.
I liked Agnes & the Hitman even better than Don't Look Down (and I liked Don't Look Down a lot). Agnes now joins the (long) list of my favourite Crusie characters and Shane is sex on legs. The minor characters are charming, hilarious and completely barmy and it's so skillfully done that you can't see the join between Crusie and Mayer's writing (even though you know that if there's any "YEC - Yucky Emotional Crap", it's unlikely to be Bob). Still, the YEC (which is neither yucky nor crap), the guns, bombs, boats, dogs and flamingoes all come together perfectly to create a gripping, romantic and fun read.
Rating: 4/5
Like this? Try Don't Look Down by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer or any of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books, starting with One for the Money