Foul Play by Janet EvanovichFoul Play by Janet Evanovich
Narrator: C. J. Critt
Published by Harper Collins on November 18, 2008
Source: Library
Genres: Romance
Length: 4 hrs 59 mins
Format: Audiobook
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two-half-stars

When Amy Klasse loses her TV job to a dancing chicken, handsome veterinarian Jake Elliott rescues her with an offer to be his receptionist. Jake just can't resist a damsel in distress, and Amy certainly doesn't mind Jake's charming sincerity.

Then, the job-stealing chicken suddenly disappears and Amy is suspected of foul play. Amy and Jake search for clues to prove her innocence. But will Jake be able to show Amy that love, too, is a mystery worth solving?

“A chicken was murdered yesterday. The investigator thinks there was some fowl play involved.” I wish I was good at puns, this review could be full of them. But, alas, no such luck. Here’s the basic story:  Amy lost her job to a rooster and is then accused of killing it. Jake rescues her from joblessness and falls in love with her at first sight. Oh, and she’s a gorgeous, funny, caring, twenty-six year old virgin, just waiting to be deflowered.

This was not a good book, but any stretch. It’s goofy, absurd – and fun. We’ve got instant love, silly situations, and an adventure that includes falling into a dumpster, but it’s entertaining and amusing.  The characters are bigger than life, but C. J. Critt does a good job as narrator. She gives the folks, even the secondary characters, great voices, full of personality, and kept me smiling. Yes, some of the conversations and phrasing are bordering on ridiculous, but she lets us enjoy them, rather than rolling our eyes.

Foul Play is romantic but is a bit awkward in places and the end is just tied up too quickly. It’s one of Evanovich’s early books re-released and has her humor but isn’t quite up to par yet.

About Janet Evanovich

Janet Evanovich (née Schneider; April 22, 1943) is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Stephanie Plum series, the Lizzy and Diesel series, twelve romance novels, the Alexandra Barnaby novels and Trouble Maker graphic novel, and How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author, as well as a co-author of the Fox and O’Hare series. She has over two hundred million books in print worldwide and is translated into over 40 languages.

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