Janet Evanovich kicks off a new series with this book, written in her signature style. The characters are different, but anyone who loves Stephanie Plum novels should warm to this one. The only thing lacking in this book is familiarity, which should be firmly in place by the end of the next Metro Girl book. The heroine, Alexandra “Barney” Barnaby, leaves her job as an insurance adjuster in Baltimore when she gets a disturbing call from her brother, last seen in Miami. Alex heads for Florida, where she meets NASCAR driver Sam Hooker, whose boat was “borrowed” by Alex’s brother Bill before his disappearance. They wind up teaming up to search for Bill, and outrun the bad guys. The chase leads them through the Keys and into Cuban waters and back with plenty of classic Evanovich mishaps along the way for laughs. It’s a fun start to a new series with a nicely wrapped ending. I’m looking forward to Metro Girl’s next adventure.