The Recovery Agent

• Author: Janet Evanovich
• Genre: Mystery
• Publication Date: March 22, 2022
• Publisher: Atria Books
• Series: Gabriela Rose #1

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

CONTENT WARNING: violence, kidnapping, torture

#1 New York Times bestselling author Janet Evanovich returns with the launch of a blockbuster new series that blends wild adventure, hugely appealing characters, and pitch-perfect humor, proving once again why she’s “the most popular mystery writer alive” (The New York Times).

Lost something? Gabriela Rose knows how to get it back. As a recovery agent, she’s hired by individuals and companies seeking lost treasures, stolen heirlooms, or missing assets of any kind. She’s reliable, cool under pressure, and well trained in weapons of all types. But Gabriela’s latest job isn’t for some bamboozled billionaire, it’s for her own family, whose home is going to be wiped off the map if they can’t come up with a lot of money fast.

Inspired by an old family legend, Gabriela sets off for the jungles of Peru in pursuit of the Ring of Solomon and the lost treasure of Cortez. But this particular job comes with a huge problem attached to it—Gabriela’s ex-husband, Rafer. It’s Rafer who has the map that possibly points the way to the treasure, and he’s not about to let Gabriela find it without him.

Rafer is as relaxed as Gabriela is driven, and he has a lifetime’s experience getting under his ex-wife’s skin. But when they aren’t bickering about old times the two make a formidable team, and it’s going to take a team to defeat the vicious drug lord who has also been searching for the fabled ring. A drug lord who doesn’t mind leaving a large body count behind him to get it.

The Recovery Agent marks the start of an irresistible new series that will have you clamoring for more and cheering for the unstoppable Gabriela Rose on every page.

Janet Evanovich popped onto my radar when my sister-in-law suggested I start reading the Stephanie Plum series, and I loved the hilarious antics of the most unlikely bounty hunter ever. So when I saw that there was a new series coming out, I knew I had to get my hands on it.

This book is the start of a brand new series that is basically a more competent Stephanie Plum mixed with Indiana Jones. As with all of the other books I’ve read by Janet Evanovich, this was an easy and fast read. However, I was thrilled to see how much action and humor was worked into the story. 

Gabriela is a recovery agent, who earns a living by tracking down missing items, as well as determining if fraud is occurring. So when she is asked to hunt down the Ring of Solomon to help save her hometown, she can’t possibly resist. But in order to do so, she’s forced to work with her ex-husband. He’s very hot and knows her really well, so it makes it very hard for her to stay mad at him.

“He was sitting two rows in front of her. She couldn’t actually see him, but she knew he was there. He was like a blister on her heel. A constant irritation. And it didn’t help that he was smoking-hot and the flight attendant kept stopping to chat with him and at one point brought him warm chocolate chip cookies.”

Of course the witty banter between Gabriela, Rafer, and their various guides is hilarious. I was chuckling to myself while reading, and thanked my lucky stars that no one else was around to see it and realize how weird I truly am. And there was not a chance in Hell that this recovery was going to go smoothly. They face all kinds of obstacles, including trekking through dangerous jungles, drug lords, an absolute madman, and armed opponents. Not only that, but they’ve got to follow an obscure map that doesn’t really give them much information.

The story was very fast-paced, but never felt overwhelming. Evanovich has a sharp, staccato style of writing, using short sentences and keeping things light even when they’re facing extreme risks. It was a wild ride, and the plot twists kept things exciting. My only complaint is that the only dialogue tags used are basically “said” and “asked,” and it got a bit repetitive throughout the dialogue heavy book. This is one of those books where it would have probably been frustrating for me to listen to the audiobook, and was better as a print/digital book. However, I’m excited to see Gabriela’s next adventure, and whether Rafer comes back as a major player in her life.

People who have sat around with me while I’m reading, especially when there’s a surprising reveal, a shocking plot twist, or an unexpected event often look up in alarm when I gasp audibly. The gasp factor is directly related to the number of times I audibly gasp during a reading, and there isn’t an upper limit.

Gasp Factor: 10