Foiled, Dev Haskell Book 14,
by Mike Faricy
Well, Dev and Morton are back on the job. In this outing, Dev has been hired by a woman, Bonnie, he once had a one night stand with at a friend's wedding. That was a decade ago. Now she's calling, as if no time has passed, asking Dev to do some security for her soon-to-be new company. She works from home, and is currently in the processes of developing a game-changing new software, and someone is after it. Her partner, Iggy, a computer genius, but socially challenged (to say the least) young man who moved into her basement and keeps himself barricaded there, complete with tin foil hat, vinyl body wrap, and a collection of Star Wars t-shirts. A man from a company where he and Iggy once worked is trying to get the new software any way he can, and he isn't drawing the line at violence. Dev and Morton move in for a couple of weeks, and, as usual, it's Morton who calls Dev's attention to prowlers as the days wear on. As the product's release date nears, Bonnie must travel to another state to meet with clients, leaving Dev in charge of her home, and Iggy's safety. Dev has won the confidence of the shy computer genius -- or at least he is willing to be friendly in exchange for having Morton visit him in his basement barricade. But the bad guys keep coming and Dev needs help. So he turns to his friend, 400 lb. ex-NFL linebacker, Luscious for help. Having successfully defended the house and Iggy from all comers, the bad guys turn to kidnapping, snatching Bonnie's three kids, who were visiting with at Bonnie's sister's lake cottage in Wisconsin. Dev must now leave Iggy in Luscious' care while he teams with Bonnie's ex-husband (and the first prowler to be foiled at the house) and adventuresome locals from a Wisconsin bar to mount a rescue mission.
The novel is full of all of Dev's outrageous and quirky doings, keeping him securely on top of the list of America's best-loved horn dogs. There is action galore, lots of danger, romantic (ish) interludes, and lots of laugh out loud moments. Great pacing and flow. Good proofing and editing, with only one error found. Believable characters and situations. A delightfully good read.