Metro Girl (Alex Barnaby Series #1) (Mass Market Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"Just because I know how to change a guy's oil doesn't mean I want to spend the rest of my life on my back, staring up his undercarriage." From the word go, Evanovich delivers her usual goods, albeit in a different vehicle. After 10 Stephanie Plum novels, each more successful than the last, Evanovich introduces Alexandra Barnaby, aka Barney. Barney hails from Baltimore rather than New Jersey, but she's from the same slice of working-class life as Stephanie; she donned mechanic's overalls in her father's garage during summer breaks from college. Her younger brother, Wild Bill, shares her passion for cars, and now he's disappeared from Miami, along with NASCAR star Sam Hooker's boat, the Happy Hooker. Evanovich doesn't mind showing her romance roots, as Barney and Sam start off snarling at each other; as any reader can tell, they have to team up (a) to save Bill and (b) to enjoy delicious sex. As in the Plum books, plot takes a back seat to riffs, roughups and dialogue—and in the last lies the book's most notable distinction. If Stephanie bids fair to be New Jersey's Dorothy Parker, Barney is Baltimore's echo of Robert Parker. Conversation is terse and coded, full of sexual innuendo, with a high premium on toss-away lines uttered under duress. Despite the amazing quantity of physical jeopardy, there's little tension; it's all about hanging out with Metro Girl and NASCAR Guy—which may be just what millions of Evanovich fans will want.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School–A comic misadventure from the start, this mystery is a good combination of light thriller and fast-paced action. Alex Barnaby receives a late-night call from her brother that ends in mid-sentence with a woman screaming in the background. Being the dependable sister that she is, she catches the next flight down to Miami to find out what happened. Alex soon discovers that her brother has gone missing with a recent Cuban immigrant who may or may not know the location of a warhead and a fortune in gold. She cuts down the inept bad guys with her wit and a few well-placed accidental kicks and moves. For fans of the author's "Stephanie Plum" series, the book is a letdown as there are moments when readers have to suspend disbelief and accept contrived plot twists. Evanovich is better at dialogue than description, which may frustrate some seasoned readers, but the dialogue is what keeps the story moving and is, ultimately, the novel's saving grace.–Erin Dennington, Chantilly Regional Library, VA --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: HarperTorch; 256 edition (September 27, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060584025
• ISBN-13: 978-0060584023
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (253 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #77,657 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

57 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not bad, November 5, 2004

By	L O'connor (richmond, surrey United Kingdom) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Metro Girl (Alex Barnaby Series #1) (Hardcover)

Alex Barnaby is worried when her brother Bill, who is working in Miami, disappears along with his girlfriend Maria. She finds herself reluctantly joining forces with Hooker, a handsome racing driver, whose boat Bill has stolen. Together they set out to find the missing pair, helped and hindered by a variety of other characters.

This is quite a good story with some amusing moments, but I did not find it nearly as funny or exciting as the Stepahine Plum novels, none of the characters interested me very much, and the heroine, Alex, seemed insipid compared to Stephanie.

If you haven't read any Janet Evanovich books before, my advice would be to skip this one and go for the Plums, they are very much better than this.

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars The worst of the worst, January 21, 2006

By	Laurie "Laurie" (Chicago) - See all my reviews

I was given this book for Christmas and it was probably the worst book I have read in years. Luckily the gift giver bought it marked down to 99c in her local book shop and you can see why.

What a ridiculous storyline, and NASCAR man has to be the most annoying character ever written. Alex Barnaby is a flighty, stupid and most unappealing heroine.

The storyline is feeble.
She hears a scream during a telephone conversation with her brother, she flies down to Florida, meets up with obnoxious NASCAR man, and basically resorts to the worst plot lines ever to find her brother, recover gold, missiles, and it goes on and on.

I'd heard Evanovich was a good author, but I have since been told by others that only her early Plum books are good. The rest are garbage. Judging by Metro Girl, they are right - this is total garbage.

The only good thing about this book is that is made of paper and paper burns. That's what I used to for - to help start the fire.

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Definitely not a Plum read..., November 11, 2004

By	Stacey Brown (SC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Metro Girl (Alex Barnaby Series #1) (Hardcover)

I can't believe I'm writing this since I absolutely love Janet Evanovich and her Plum series, but this book (which I had eagerly anticipated) disappoints. While I did finish the book (it's a short read), the plot seemed so contrived and I cared so little for the characters (NASCAR guy was just annoying) that I just didn't even care how it ended.

Hope the 11th Plum book is much better than this!