Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Publication
New York : Bantam, 2016.
Description
Fiction. Suspense. Thriller. Humor (Fiction.) HTML:NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER � Janet Evanovich, bestselling author of the Stephanie Plum series, teams up with Emmy-winning writer Phoef Sutton for a brand-new series of mysteries featuring Emerson Knight and Riley Moon, a dynamic duo with instant and undeniable chemistry. Emerson Knight is introverted, eccentric, and has little to no sense of social etiquette. Good thing he�s also brilliant, rich, and (some people might say) handsome, or he�d probably be homeless. Riley Moon has just graduated from Harvard Business and Harvard Law. Her aggressive Texas spitfire attitude has helped her land her dream job as a junior analyst with mega-bank Blane-Grunwald. At least Riley Moon thought it was her dream job, until she is given her first assignment: babysitting Emerson Knight. What starts off as an inquiry about missing bank funds in the Knight account leads to inquiries about a missing man, missing gold, and a life-and-death race across the country. Through the streets of Washington, D.C., and down into the underground vault of the Federal Reserve in New York City, an evil plan is exposed. A plan so sinister that only a megalomaniac could think it up, and only the unlikely duo of the irrepressibly charming Emerson Knight and the tenacious Riley Moon can stop it. Praise for Curious Minds �The one-liners fly at a ferocious pace. . . . Evanovich fans will find this closer in style to the Stephanie Plum novels.��Booklist �Evanovich�s comedic timing and pacing are evident on every page.��Daily Republic.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member joyceBl
Curious Minds, co-written by Janet Evanovich and Phoef Sutton, is the first in a new series called Knight and Moon. The series’ name refers to the last names of the two main characters; Emerson Knight is an eccentric millionaire and Riley Moon is a junior analyst with a major brokerage firm.
I have read all 23 of the books in Ms. Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series and have laughed out loud at the zany characters and crazy situations in which Stephanie gets involved. (Although lately, her books seem to be a parody of her own books.) Curious Minds is best described as The Plum series without the steroids. The characters are only mildly interesting, the action is blasé, and the dialogue is only slightly funny. There are some characteristic touches of Evanovich in the writing but for the most part it appears that Sutton wrote the book after reading Evanovich’s books, doing her best to imitate her mentor’s style, but without engaging with the true spirit of her characteristically hilarious writing which drives us to want to read all 23 books in a series.
Show More
Through improbable circumstances, they team up to find out who is stealing the world’s gold. I have read all 23 of the books in Ms. Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series and have laughed out loud at the zany characters and crazy situations in which Stephanie gets involved. (Although lately, her books seem to be a parody of her own books.) Curious Minds is best described as The Plum series without the steroids. The characters are only mildly interesting, the action is blasé, and the dialogue is only slightly funny. There are some characteristic touches of Evanovich in the writing but for the most part it appears that Sutton wrote the book after reading Evanovich’s books, doing her best to imitate her mentor’s style, but without engaging with the true spirit of her characteristically hilarious writing which drives us to want to read all 23 books in a series.
Show Less
LibraryThing member joyfiction
It would be unfair to say I hated this book- it would even be unfair to say the book was bad. But it's fair to say that this is one series I will be passing up on. While the writing was fine and the characters were developed enough where I understood them I didn't actually LIKE either of the main
Show More
characters and when I don't like the main characters it's hard for me to enjoy the book. I couldn't really get into the book and while I'm the type of person who can devour 2-4 books a day when I sit down to read this book I had to put down and pick back up 8 different times to get through it. I'm sure other people would enjoy the book- and that's fine, opinions vary- it wasn't one that I happened to enjoy. Show Less
LibraryThing member Darcia
I am inevitably disappointed when one of my favorite authors jumps on the 'co-writing' train. I mean no disrespect to Phoef Sutton. I have no way of knowing which author wrote which parts or who came up with the concept, and that really isn't the point anyway. As a whole, regardless of who
Given Evanovich's writing style, I was expecting a light mystery infused with comedy. And this book delivers on that. Sort of. Approximately the first third of the book amused me and held my interest. By midway I was rolling my eyes. By the three-quarter point, I couldn't hold my groans at the absurdity.
I have to address the POV thing, which drove me a bit mad throughout. The story is written almost solely from Riley's perspective. But every now and then a paragraph or two is handed to us seemingly out of nowhere, from another character's POV, in order to give us the "bad guy's" perspective. This isn't consistent, and it's not even done enough to give us a firm sense of that character. I found this technique an unnecessary distraction.
Next we have the characters. Riley is supposed to be a brilliant, independent young woman with an MBA. But Riley seems to know little about the very subject in which she earned her MBA, and she behaves more like a flaky girl than a studious woman. Her boss, who runs the world's largest and most influential bank, gives his employees ridiculous nicknames. Emerson is the only character I actually liked. He's eccentric, but it works for him. Sadly, as odd as he behaved, he seemed like the only mature adult in the bunch.
The dialogue is often childish. Everyone, every single character, simply goes along with the nonsense around them as if they are living in a cartoon episode of The Simpsons.
The plot goes from intriguing to outlandish to "You've got to be kidding me," with scenes that lose their comic value at the hands of sheer absurdity.
In order to enjoy this book, you absolutely must suspend all belief. You can't expect the story to make sense or be plausible in any way at all. If you can do that, then you might just love this book.
*I was provided with an advance reader's copy by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.*
Show More
contributed what, the story is simply too silly and shallow.Given Evanovich's writing style, I was expecting a light mystery infused with comedy. And this book delivers on that. Sort of. Approximately the first third of the book amused me and held my interest. By midway I was rolling my eyes. By the three-quarter point, I couldn't hold my groans at the absurdity.
I have to address the POV thing, which drove me a bit mad throughout. The story is written almost solely from Riley's perspective. But every now and then a paragraph or two is handed to us seemingly out of nowhere, from another character's POV, in order to give us the "bad guy's" perspective. This isn't consistent, and it's not even done enough to give us a firm sense of that character. I found this technique an unnecessary distraction.
Next we have the characters. Riley is supposed to be a brilliant, independent young woman with an MBA. But Riley seems to know little about the very subject in which she earned her MBA, and she behaves more like a flaky girl than a studious woman. Her boss, who runs the world's largest and most influential bank, gives his employees ridiculous nicknames. Emerson is the only character I actually liked. He's eccentric, but it works for him. Sadly, as odd as he behaved, he seemed like the only mature adult in the bunch.
The dialogue is often childish. Everyone, every single character, simply goes along with the nonsense around them as if they are living in a cartoon episode of The Simpsons.
The plot goes from intriguing to outlandish to "You've got to be kidding me," with scenes that lose their comic value at the hands of sheer absurdity.
In order to enjoy this book, you absolutely must suspend all belief. You can't expect the story to make sense or be plausible in any way at all. If you can do that, then you might just love this book.
*I was provided with an advance reader's copy by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.*
Show Less
LibraryThing member dianaleez
It's time for someone to say it: Janet Evanovich needs to start writing the books published under her name. "Curious Minds" is a Phoef Sutton book - there's nothing wrong with that - but it's not even close to a true Evanovich book despite the fact that Evanovich's name stands out in large white
Is it funny? moderately so. Is it charming? no. Do the characters sizzle? no. Did I laugh aloud and interrupt my serious spouse to read him a few sparkling passages? no. Do I recommend it? yes to those who enjoy Sutton's work, no to those looking for real Evanovich.
Show More
letters on the cover and Sutton's is in smaller blue type on a black background.Is it funny? moderately so. Is it charming? no. Do the characters sizzle? no. Did I laugh aloud and interrupt my serious spouse to read him a few sparkling passages? no. Do I recommend it? yes to those who enjoy Sutton's work, no to those looking for real Evanovich.
Show Less
LibraryThing member NellieMc
I really wanted to like this since I enjoyed most of the Stephanie Plum novels before they became robotic, and I really like the Fox and O'Hare series, but this one just didn't sail. The plot is so over the top as to be ludicrous, the characters are just cliches and bear no resemblance to real
Show More
people, (eccentric millionaire, over- achieving but insecure female, maniacal bankers looking to control the world's wealth), the humor fell flat without any character development, and the side characters were also not allowed to be multidimensional. For an infinitely better story and writing with essentially the same plot, read Ian Fleming's Goldfinger. Or revel in the movie and a youngish Sean Connery as James Bond. Show Less
LibraryThing member Traann
Let me start by saying that one of my favorite series to read is Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum novel’s. Because of that I was very excited to read Janet and Phoef Sutton’s Curious Minds, A Knight and Moon Novel. I was prepared to love this book and looked forward to the series but it just
The authors are talented, and the premise was interesting, but the story jut didn’t grab me. I couldn’t really get super excited to see what was going to happen or feel like I couldn’t put it down. In fact it took me longer to read than usual for me for a book of this length. The characters are well developed but there really wasn’t that chemistry that I was used to from the Stephanie Plum novels. I kept waiting for it to happen but it just didn’t.
The story is about Emerson Knight, an introverted, eccentric, brilliant and rich man and Riley Moon, a newly graduated lawyer whose first job with her new law firm is to babysit Emerson Knight. Emerson believes there are missing bank funds and he wants to “see” his “gold” to be sure it was still there in the bank. What happens next is a crazy story about where the gold went, how it got there and how were they going to get it back. There is more to the story but it really fell flat for me.
This won’t stop me from reading the series I love but I really don’t feel like I need to know where this series will lead. Others may love this but I am not one of them.
Show More
didn’t do it for me.The authors are talented, and the premise was interesting, but the story jut didn’t grab me. I couldn’t really get super excited to see what was going to happen or feel like I couldn’t put it down. In fact it took me longer to read than usual for me for a book of this length. The characters are well developed but there really wasn’t that chemistry that I was used to from the Stephanie Plum novels. I kept waiting for it to happen but it just didn’t.
The story is about Emerson Knight, an introverted, eccentric, brilliant and rich man and Riley Moon, a newly graduated lawyer whose first job with her new law firm is to babysit Emerson Knight. Emerson believes there are missing bank funds and he wants to “see” his “gold” to be sure it was still there in the bank. What happens next is a crazy story about where the gold went, how it got there and how were they going to get it back. There is more to the story but it really fell flat for me.
This won’t stop me from reading the series I love but I really don’t feel like I need to know where this series will lead. Others may love this but I am not one of them.
Show Less
LibraryThing member rolyat
Quick, witty banter. assorted array of believable characters. great mystery and plenty of action. I could not put this book down, sooo good. I look forward to more books in the Knight and Moon series.
LibraryThing member DrLed
Synopsis: Riley Moon is a Texas girl in the big city of Washington, DC where she uses her degrees in law and business from Harvard to work for a bank. Her first solo client is Emerson Knight, a rich, intelligent, eccentric heir to a fortune. The fun begins when Emerson decides he wants to see his
Review: While this wasn't laugh-out-loud funny throughout, it had several amusing segments that fit well with the story, and the entire book was a delight to read. The two main characters, as well as several of the secondary ones, are very likable; I'm anxious to find out what happens to these folks, next.
Show More
gold that the bank is holding. He drags Riley on this quest that leads them into danger and adventure, matching wits with bad guys in the highest levels of government and banking. Review: While this wasn't laugh-out-loud funny throughout, it had several amusing segments that fit well with the story, and the entire book was a delight to read. The two main characters, as well as several of the secondary ones, are very likable; I'm anxious to find out what happens to these folks, next.
Show Less
LibraryThing member alohaboy
Janet Evanovich, of Stephanie Plum fame, adds a new series--and coauthor Phoef Sutton--to her growing list of goofy characters. This series introduces Riley Moon, a small town Texas woman, who has earned a BA. MBA. and law degree from Harvard and begun her dream job at mega-bank Blane-Grunwald in
I look forward to more books in the series as Riley and Emerson are a good match for each other. Their hilarious back and forth dialogue regardless of the situation kept a smile on my face throughout the very enjoyable read. I highly recommend the book.
Show More
Washington, DC. Riley is asked to meet with eccentric billionaire, Emerson Knight, when her boss, Gunter Grunwald has gone missing and the bank's most important customer needs hands-on attention. Emerson turns out to be way outside the normal dial, but in an affectionate sort of way. He demands that Riley take him to his family's stash of gold bullion which is being held by the bank. This is when all of the fun starts as the two find out viewing the gold is not as easy as it sounds. Suddenly bodies begin appearing, the Federal Reserve, NSA, and various ne'er do wells appear trying to keep Riley and Emerson from finding out the truth about his family's gold and the world's gold supply mostly held by the U.S. Emerson is extremely bright, analytical, and a devious sort that is determined to get to the bottom of the matter and Riley ends up helping him with his quest. Their life and death race across the country leads them to many adventures and a cast of characters that add enjoyment to the book.I look forward to more books in the series as Riley and Emerson are a good match for each other. Their hilarious back and forth dialogue regardless of the situation kept a smile on my face throughout the very enjoyable read. I highly recommend the book.
Show Less
LibraryThing member azroadrunner88
An eccentric billionare. Emerson Knight, just wants to see his gold. Riley Moon has just started working for this large bank and is given the job of convicing Emerson to not see the gold. During the investigation, they find the gold is stolen. Fun read, and I enjoyed this one.
LibraryThing member murphy430
Evanovich always writes a good book, but Plum is still my favorite series. The story held my interest and it was a good read. I have read a couple of her other
series besides Plum which I liked more. BUt certainly worth reading and and hoping to see the next installment.
series besides Plum which I liked more. BUt certainly worth reading and and hoping to see the next installment.
LibraryThing member Candice_oxo
Oh Miss Janet Evanovich, my favorite author of all time. I had such high hopes for your new series. It certainly pains me to give a book of yours a lack luster review.
All dramatics aside, I did have high hopes for this series. I was hoping for the vivid, realistic, engaging dialogue she is so
I think what might have gone wrong was that this book wasn't written by Janet alone. I wish she would craft a new series, much like our beloved Stephanie Plum series, all on her own with a first person stance and a witty main character/narrator that showcases Janet's true sole talent. Please, pen a series alone again Janet! We miss you!
All dramatics aside, I did have high hopes for this series. I was hoping for the vivid, realistic, engaging dialogue she is so
Show More
brilliant at crafting. I had hopes for her usual cast of dynamic, quirky, yet relatable and lovable characters. Most of all, I was thrilled to get to experience some more of her perfectly balanced writing, with that subtle humor and sarcasm paired with a perfected voice and tone. Unfortunately though, I found none of this in her new book. For me, everything fell flat. The writing was simple and flat. The characters...flat and one dimensional. Even the dialogue swung between flat and lacking believability. I think what might have gone wrong was that this book wasn't written by Janet alone. I wish she would craft a new series, much like our beloved Stephanie Plum series, all on her own with a first person stance and a witty main character/narrator that showcases Janet's true sole talent. Please, pen a series alone again Janet! We miss you!
Show Less
LibraryThing member mnm123
I received this book in exchange for a review. I am a huge fan of the Stephanie Plum series. Curious Minds is a little like the Plum series. Emerson and Riley have a similar relationship as Stephanie and Lula. Emerson is more skilled and Riley manages to tag along without too much chaos. The story
Show More
is interesting and the characters are fun at times. It had a few laugh out loud moments, but the story seemed to need more. I hope the next book in the series is bette Show Less
LibraryThing member Cats57
This is one of the most difficult reviews I've ever had to write. I love the Stephanie Plum books, they never fail to keep me happy for the few hours I can sink myself into them.
I had such high hopes for this book -the book did not reach up to them. The idea might have been fairly fresh (not
Was Emerson supposed to have had some sort of medical condition?
Like I said the writing was flat -none of the conversations between the characters had any inflection to them. As a matter of fact Emerson had a few 'saying' that if I had heard one more time I would have tossed my cookies. Repetition is not really funny. Well maybe if you are 9 years old...
The mystery was insipid and even a little over done -I mean how many books have there already been about the bad guys taking over the world? Stealing the worlds gold -well maybe that is a tad unique, but then again I haven't read every book ever written.
IN all this book read like it was written for young adults and was written BY a very young adult.
ARC supplied by publishe
I had such high hopes for this book -the book did not reach up to them. The idea might have been fairly fresh (not
Show More
totally, but we won't go there), but the characters and writing was flat, flat, flat...I don't think that I have ever read a book in which I really didn't care what happened -about the crime or to the characters.Was Emerson supposed to have had some sort of medical condition?
Like I said the writing was flat -none of the conversations between the characters had any inflection to them. As a matter of fact Emerson had a few 'saying' that if I had heard one more time I would have tossed my cookies. Repetition is not really funny. Well maybe if you are 9 years old...
The mystery was insipid and even a little over done -I mean how many books have there already been about the bad guys taking over the world? Stealing the worlds gold -well maybe that is a tad unique, but then again I haven't read every book ever written.
IN all this book read like it was written for young adults and was written BY a very young adult.
ARC supplied by publishe
Show Less
LibraryThing member caitemaire
I hate it when successful writers start putting out books co/written, or whatever, by another author. I assume we fans are suppose to love it just like we liked their previous books.
well, I didn't.
It is not bad, but compared to Evanovich's previous books it is severely lacking. The characters are
(2 and a Half Stars)
well, I didn't.
It is not bad, but compared to Evanovich's previous books it is severely lacking. The characters are
Show More
cardboard figures, not likeable and not that amusing until well into the book. The plot is over the top, which is not always a bad thing, but this time it is. I wanted to like it more, but not sure I will be reading next in the series.(2 and a Half Stars)
Show Less
LibraryThing member dibs139
This will be a wonderful book when it grows up.
It has the snappy, snarky dialog we expect from JE, the two main characters have potential to be fascinating, and the plot is good.
Other than that, this is a sketch of a novel.
The main characters – Riley and Emerson - are lacking in depth.
Motivation is shallow. Riley and Emerson don’t change, they don’t grow. They are like Lego characters. They move from here to there, but we don’t know how. I know more about Emerson’s Aunt Myra than I know about Emerson. And therefore, I like Aunt Myra more than I like Emerson.
The plot is clever, but it’s a rock, careening downhill. There are no interesting detours – little side trips into a part of Riley or Emerson’s worlds, or Washington, D.C. or New York. There’s not one single red herring; not one single event that doesn’t directly lead to the exciting conclusion.
Speaking of which, we know who did it early on. Very early on. This means the straight-plot-shot from page one to page 322 is woefully under-written. When there is no mystery to engage me, then in addition to a stable full of secondary characters and detours, side trips, and red herrings, I want suspense of some sort, otherwise, why is this called a thriller?
Look, if I know from the beginning who did it, and if I know this is the first book in a series, then I know R&E will not only get out alive, but will confound the enemy and foil his plot. No suspense, no thrill. How do Ludlum, Fleming, Deaver, and Child get around this? Secondary characters and interesting detours, and what I think of as “the creep factor” – you know when you’re so deep in a book, a phone suddenly ringing has you scraping hair off the ceiling.
I know JE can write suspense set in a rich, busy world teeming with lots of fascinating characters I haven’t met before who I want to read more about. Phoef Sutton is a long-time writer, a producer for Cheers and Boston Legal – TV series which depended heavily on ensemble acting. What happened? This book, in its infancy has four interesting characters: Aunt Myra, Xandy, Vernon, and Larry. In a 322 page book, that means one intriguing character every 80 pages. That’s putting a lot of pressure on these four characters to carry the book – I mean, the sketch.
I received this book from Library Thing Early Review.
It has the snappy, snarky dialog we expect from JE, the two main characters have potential to be fascinating, and the plot is good.
Other than that, this is a sketch of a novel.
The main characters – Riley and Emerson - are lacking in depth.
Show More
Backgrounds are thin. Oh, yes, Riley has degrees in Business and Law from Harvard, but since she doesn’t use her education once in Book 1, she might as well have had a degree in basket weaving from Reeds & Shuttle University - and been more interesting. Emerson is rich, which doesn’t make him unique among hero-wannabees, although he is also smart and clever. But he comes across as a Sheldon Cooper, an idiot savant. Leading to my next observation:Motivation is shallow. Riley and Emerson don’t change, they don’t grow. They are like Lego characters. They move from here to there, but we don’t know how. I know more about Emerson’s Aunt Myra than I know about Emerson. And therefore, I like Aunt Myra more than I like Emerson.
The plot is clever, but it’s a rock, careening downhill. There are no interesting detours – little side trips into a part of Riley or Emerson’s worlds, or Washington, D.C. or New York. There’s not one single red herring; not one single event that doesn’t directly lead to the exciting conclusion.
Speaking of which, we know who did it early on. Very early on. This means the straight-plot-shot from page one to page 322 is woefully under-written. When there is no mystery to engage me, then in addition to a stable full of secondary characters and detours, side trips, and red herrings, I want suspense of some sort, otherwise, why is this called a thriller?
Look, if I know from the beginning who did it, and if I know this is the first book in a series, then I know R&E will not only get out alive, but will confound the enemy and foil his plot. No suspense, no thrill. How do Ludlum, Fleming, Deaver, and Child get around this? Secondary characters and interesting detours, and what I think of as “the creep factor” – you know when you’re so deep in a book, a phone suddenly ringing has you scraping hair off the ceiling.
I know JE can write suspense set in a rich, busy world teeming with lots of fascinating characters I haven’t met before who I want to read more about. Phoef Sutton is a long-time writer, a producer for Cheers and Boston Legal – TV series which depended heavily on ensemble acting. What happened? This book, in its infancy has four interesting characters: Aunt Myra, Xandy, Vernon, and Larry. In a 322 page book, that means one intriguing character every 80 pages. That’s putting a lot of pressure on these four characters to carry the book – I mean, the sketch.
I received this book from Library Thing Early Review.
Show Less
LibraryThing member tmommy4
I really enjoyed this book. It was a fast paced fun read. There were several parts that I laughed out loud at. I cannot wait to see where she takes these characters. Emerson Knight is an adorable geek, and Riley Moon is a great counterpoint as a practical overachiever. This was one that I could not
Show More
put down and read it in 2 days. Show Less
LibraryThing member rolyat
I couldn't put the book down. the story and characters are captivating. I look forward to more books in this series (I hope it is a series)
LibraryThing member Nero56
Received this from as an Early Reviewer from Library Thing. I really love the Stephanie Plum series and some of Evanovich's other romances; however, I couldn't swing this one. Cotton Candy. Brain rot. Trying very hard to be witty but missing the mark. People get the "bejeepers" scared out of them.
Show More
They step in "doody" and a thirty year old man will "poop his pants"..... Show Less
LibraryThing member Judiex
CURIOUS MINDS introduces a new series to fans of Janet Evanovich, working with Phoef Sutton.
Attorney Riley Moon had advanced degrees in law and banking from Harvard but lacked street creds. Before she passed the bar, she had interned at a prominent D.C. banking firm, Blane-Grunwald, and was lucky
She quickly learned that his reputation was deserved. All Knight wanted to do was to see his money which was supposed to be held in gold bars in the bank vaults. What should have been an easy assignment became very convoluted when they were constantly prevented from doing so.
After a short time, she developed a relationship with Knight but wondered why she was given this assignment. It turned out the boss pegged as psychotically ambitious and he was counting on her to sell her soul for a shot at the corner office.”
There were some alleged suicides and disappearances of a few staff members. Trying to locate the hidden gold opened several crimes, including theft and manipulation, which led to an unexpected, major discrepancy.
Moon is very different from Stephanie Plum, Evanovich’s previous heroine. She is bright, plucky, and flexible. The plot is rather far-fetched but flows smoothly. It is a fresh, welcome change.
The authors’ wit and style come through. Sample quotes:
“It was furnished in Danish Modern, the only personal touches being photographs of Werner and various political and media celebrities hunting and fishing and generally killing things.”
“Have I told you how deeply your father’s death has affected all of us?”
”Yes. At his funeral. Several times. But nice of you to reiterate it.”
“The bathrooms were state-of-the-art when the hotel was build in 1930.”
“Everyone’s childhood is strange. It prepares you for the strangeness of adulthood.”
“Life is a journey, not a destination...One must live in the moment.”
One criticism: Many characters are described by comparing them to characters in movies or on television. For example, “She expected Emerson Knight to look like Sheldon from “The Big Bang Theory.” Readers may not be familiar with some of them and therefore have no idea what the person looked like.
One possible historical inaccuracy: One character is said to have come to DC from Mississippi as part of The Great Migration of Blacls from the South to the North. The people who moved north from Mississippi during that period usually went to Cleveland, Detroit, or Chicago. Those who moved to DC or New York City came from Georgia, one of the Carolinas, or Virginia.
I received an uncorrected draft of this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
Attorney Riley Moon had advanced degrees in law and banking from Harvard but lacked street creds. Before she passed the bar, she had interned at a prominent D.C. banking firm, Blane-Grunwald, and was lucky
Show More
enough to get a job with them. She was on her way to paying off her student loans and push her way up the corporate ladder. She hadn’t been employed there very long when she was assigned to work with Emerson Knight, who recently received an extremely large inheritance from an account they already held. The bank wanted to continue the relationship. Knight, known to be an eccentric recluse, refused to respond to their advances, so Riley was sent to pay a personal visit to his home.She quickly learned that his reputation was deserved. All Knight wanted to do was to see his money which was supposed to be held in gold bars in the bank vaults. What should have been an easy assignment became very convoluted when they were constantly prevented from doing so.
After a short time, she developed a relationship with Knight but wondered why she was given this assignment. It turned out the boss pegged as psychotically ambitious and he was counting on her to sell her soul for a shot at the corner office.”
There were some alleged suicides and disappearances of a few staff members. Trying to locate the hidden gold opened several crimes, including theft and manipulation, which led to an unexpected, major discrepancy.
Moon is very different from Stephanie Plum, Evanovich’s previous heroine. She is bright, plucky, and flexible. The plot is rather far-fetched but flows smoothly. It is a fresh, welcome change.
The authors’ wit and style come through. Sample quotes:
“It was furnished in Danish Modern, the only personal touches being photographs of Werner and various political and media celebrities hunting and fishing and generally killing things.”
“Have I told you how deeply your father’s death has affected all of us?”
”Yes. At his funeral. Several times. But nice of you to reiterate it.”
“The bathrooms were state-of-the-art when the hotel was build in 1930.”
“Everyone’s childhood is strange. It prepares you for the strangeness of adulthood.”
“Life is a journey, not a destination...One must live in the moment.”
One criticism: Many characters are described by comparing them to characters in movies or on television. For example, “She expected Emerson Knight to look like Sheldon from “The Big Bang Theory.” Readers may not be familiar with some of them and therefore have no idea what the person looked like.
One possible historical inaccuracy: One character is said to have come to DC from Mississippi as part of The Great Migration of Blacls from the South to the North. The people who moved north from Mississippi during that period usually went to Cleveland, Detroit, or Chicago. Those who moved to DC or New York City came from Georgia, one of the Carolinas, or Virginia.
I received an uncorrected draft of this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Laffrey
Ok, let’s get the obvious out of the way: Riley Moon, heroine of Curious Minds, the first entry in, what I’m sure will be, a new mystery series by Janet Evanovich and Phoef Sutton, is basically Stephanie Plum’s sass mixed with Kate O’Hare’s competence, while her counterpart, kookie
Riley Moon, a recently-hired “junior analyst with mega-bank Blane-Grunewald” finds herself yanked away from her desk and assigned to super-rich client Emerson Knight. Knight wants to see his gold, a seemingly simple request that sets the two of them on an adventure chockful of crazy characters, brutal bad guys, witty quips and hijinks galore - everything you’d expect from a Janet Evanovich story.
As I mentioned before, I’m an Evanovich fan and found many of the characters and situations familiar, I enjoyed almost every minute of this book. (except the eye-rolls. Janet and co-authors please, Please, PLEASE!!!! Enough with the eye-rolls!!!!) The heroes were fun and quirky, the mystery was exciting and the writing, very enjoyable. For those who aren’t already fans, the characters might be a little flimsy (right or wrong, I filled in a lot of blanks, myself) but, if you like modern, genre mysteries, this will definitely make for an afternoon or two of fun!
Show More
millionaire Emerson Knight is a mix of Ranger and Nick Fox, minus the people skills. Not that any of this is bad - if you like Janet Evanovich’s other series (and I definitely do!) you’re going to love this one (I liked it a lot). It helps, however, to get over the idea that the story is going to be anything original or surprising. (It does take until page 216 for Riley to “[do] an eye-roll”. I was surprised it took that long…)Riley Moon, a recently-hired “junior analyst with mega-bank Blane-Grunewald” finds herself yanked away from her desk and assigned to super-rich client Emerson Knight. Knight wants to see his gold, a seemingly simple request that sets the two of them on an adventure chockful of crazy characters, brutal bad guys, witty quips and hijinks galore - everything you’d expect from a Janet Evanovich story.
As I mentioned before, I’m an Evanovich fan and found many of the characters and situations familiar, I enjoyed almost every minute of this book. (except the eye-rolls. Janet and co-authors please, Please, PLEASE!!!! Enough with the eye-rolls!!!!) The heroes were fun and quirky, the mystery was exciting and the writing, very enjoyable. For those who aren’t already fans, the characters might be a little flimsy (right or wrong, I filled in a lot of blanks, myself) but, if you like modern, genre mysteries, this will definitely make for an afternoon or two of fun!
Show Less
LibraryThing member Talaskat
I won this as an A.R.E. , so first off that was AWESOME! Ok, onto the book...If you enjoy the Fox and O'Hare series you are going to like this one. Classic Evanovich female character, and the main male character is just a tad bit nutso (but in a good way). I've enjoyed reading Janet for years, I
Show More
was skeptical at first when she started working with co/authors. I think so far they have done a good job. Show Less
LibraryThing member nscanlon
I cannot believe I’ve never read a Janet Evanovich novel. I think, because they are so popular, I decided to be a snob and NOT read what everyone else was reading. After all, I’m a book connoisseur … not an average reader. Guess what? Connoisseurs LOVE Janet Evanovich – so go ahead and pick
“Curious Minds” is a new series, the Knight and Moon series. Nothing to clever, just the last names of the two main characters.
I adored the ease of the read. Adventure, puzzles, a wee bit of possibly-some-day-kind-of-romance (she hooks me there so I have to keep reading the series…).
Miss Moon is a recent grad of the prestigious Harvard University (business school AND law school) and has landed her dream job in big world banking. She decided at a young age the way to help people would be to help keep their money and investments safe. Enter: gold supply hijinks.
Her first assignment is to “babysit” as she puts it, an eccentric, albeit handsome customer who has requested to actually see, gaze upon, his gold. Hmmmmm, who wants to see their actual deposited gold? Mr. Knight, that’s who. After visiting his home tucked away in Washing D.C., Moon is essentially asked by both sides to continue this interesting request. Her boss asks her to “report back” about Knight’s escapades and Knight keeps busy, chasing the goals. No worries though, he always “has a plan.”
They criss-cross the country – planes, RVs and automobiles in search of Knight’s gold. When “visiting” the Fed and realizing that the rumors are true of the world’s gold supply being traded for tungsten bars, the sleuthing moves to high gear. A source on the inside, a mysterious blogger, an eccentric billionaire and a fresh out of grad school banker hit the road.
The gold saga is wrapped up by the end of this novel, but the smolder between Knight and Moon has just been sparked. Curse you Janet Evanovich – I must read the next installment AFTER I’ve caught up with the Plum series and numerous stand alones that have now been highly recommended … my husband and my pocketbook rue the day that I finally picked up my first Evanovich novel and promptly fell in love.
Show More
it up. The masses were right on this one.“Curious Minds” is a new series, the Knight and Moon series. Nothing to clever, just the last names of the two main characters.
I adored the ease of the read. Adventure, puzzles, a wee bit of possibly-some-day-kind-of-romance (she hooks me there so I have to keep reading the series…).
Miss Moon is a recent grad of the prestigious Harvard University (business school AND law school) and has landed her dream job in big world banking. She decided at a young age the way to help people would be to help keep their money and investments safe. Enter: gold supply hijinks.
Her first assignment is to “babysit” as she puts it, an eccentric, albeit handsome customer who has requested to actually see, gaze upon, his gold. Hmmmmm, who wants to see their actual deposited gold? Mr. Knight, that’s who. After visiting his home tucked away in Washing D.C., Moon is essentially asked by both sides to continue this interesting request. Her boss asks her to “report back” about Knight’s escapades and Knight keeps busy, chasing the goals. No worries though, he always “has a plan.”
They criss-cross the country – planes, RVs and automobiles in search of Knight’s gold. When “visiting” the Fed and realizing that the rumors are true of the world’s gold supply being traded for tungsten bars, the sleuthing moves to high gear. A source on the inside, a mysterious blogger, an eccentric billionaire and a fresh out of grad school banker hit the road.
The gold saga is wrapped up by the end of this novel, but the smolder between Knight and Moon has just been sparked. Curse you Janet Evanovich – I must read the next installment AFTER I’ve caught up with the Plum series and numerous stand alones that have now been highly recommended … my husband and my pocketbook rue the day that I finally picked up my first Evanovich novel and promptly fell in love.
Show Less
LibraryThing member KellyReeder
I won this book in a Libraything early review. I've read all of Evanovich's novels, and I loved them all. This new novel does not fail in the enjoyment factor. A fast paced plot and a cast of quirky characters is exactly what I expected from Evanovich. The chemistry between Knight and Moon is
Show More
unique, and I can't wait to read about their next adventure together. Show Less
LibraryThing member wannabepaint
This book was mildly entertaining. The female character has similar personality traits to the 'Stephanie Plum' series. I liked the male character in this book; he seemed charming in an odd sort of way. While I generally like the Plum books, I felt this novel seemed to drag in places. I found myself
Show More
setting the book aside and doing other things instead of binge-reading as I usually do. Show Less
Subjects
Language
Original publication date
2016-08-16
ISBN
0553392689 / 9780553392685