V.R. Tapscott lives in the desert wastes of Eastern Washington, out among the spiders, snakes and sagebrush. In a house, of course. With a cat, a spousal unit, a mortgage and thirteen computers. The cat makes most of the decisions.
Hold onto your hats, folks, because "Jane Bond: The Evershaw Curse" by V.R. Tapscott is a thrill ride you won’t want to miss! This fourth installment in the Jane Bond series is so creatively fun, I didn’t even know where to start with this review—but hang tight, it’s going to be a wild one. If you’re a fan of the series, you’re in for a treat. If not, well, buckle up and prepare for a delightful whirlwind! Our favorite gang—Jane, Bailey, Olive, and the rest of the zany crew opened up the Bailey and Bond Detective Agency, and it is now in action. It isn’t long before they are on their first case. They’re on the case of Naomi Evershaw’s missing husband, who disappeared 17 years ago. Naomi’s search, as well as that of other detective agencies, has been fruitless (and a bit deadly, to be honest), but now it’s Jane Bond’s turn to try to crack the case. The adventure kicks off with Jane, Bailey, and Olive jet-setting...er, ship-setting? - to different locations thanks to Jean’s maybe-not-so-random number picking. Jane gets the romantic streets of Paris, Olive hits the dazzling lights of Las Vegas, and Bailey? Well, she’s living it up in New Jersey. But hey, someone’s got to do it! The plot thickens with a colorful cast of characters, each with quirky stories. They all witnessed a kidnapping ages ago by—you guessed it—an alien in a UFO! Imagine meeting Chuck, who seems perpetually tipsy without touching a drop of booze, or Steve, who remains as sober as a judge no matter how many drinks he has. Not to mention Essie Graves, who's been waiting for an alien comeback like a devoted fan. But Essie’s story doesn’t end there. She is currently taking care of Ray, a man who Essie reveals never recovered from a childhood accident. However, the intrigue intensifies when Jane, Bailey, and Olive discover the body of one of these characters. Then there’s Jean, the inquisitive AI control module, who decides to get a body of her own, following Olive’s want-to-be-human steps. Talk about digital footprints! Meanwhile, Olive is on a quest to prove she’s more human than half the people you know. The charm of this series lies in its characters. They’re so lovable and surprisingly relatable, you can’t help but root for them. Each one is a gem with their own quirks and traits that make them jump off the page. (I must say, Bailey and I have a lot in common.) V.R. Tapscott sprinkles the story with playful wit, sarcastic banter, and humor that had me chuckling throughout. From light-hearted moments like blowing raspberries to clever nods to pop culture icons like the Kardashians and "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," the book is a refreshing mix of wit and whimsy. But don’t be fooled; it’s not all giggles and guffaws. The story also dives into deeper waters with life lessons that Bailey imparts to Olive, exploring whether anyone truly has all the answers as they age. It’s thought-provoking, reflective, and woven seamlessly into this unpredictable adventure. With its unexpected twists, lively storytelling, and brisk pace, "Jane Bond: The Evershaw Curse" keeps you on your toes. It’s never a dull moment, and the story flows like a dream. Looking for a book filled with mystery, humor, and heartfelt insights? Look no further. Join Jane and her pals for another rollicking escapade—it’s a journey you won’t regret! Book Rating: Originality: 5.0/5.0 Plot Structure: 5.0/5.0 Pacing: 5.0/5.0 Dialogue: 5.0/5.0 Personal Enjoyment: 5.0/5.0 Cover Design: 5.0/5.0 (Not averaged in the overall rating.) Overall Rating: 5.0/5.0
In this fourth Jane Bond outing, Tapscott gives the ladies at the Bailey and Bond Detective Agency their first actual case—ain’t that a novel idea? Sure, they might have previously saved the world when no one was looking, but that information is off limits to the general public, and it certainly wasn’t at the behest of a paying customer.
Enter Naomi Evershaw, a woman desperate to find her missing husband, and money is no object—not that Jane has any real need for that anymore. The deal was sealed as Jane listened to Mrs. Evershaw’s tale of heartbreak unfold. You see, Bart Evershaw hadn’t gone missing in recent days—not even in recent years, as a matter of fact. He had disappeared shortly after he and his new bride had checked into their Parisian hotel for their honeymoon almost twenty years ago. He was on a simple quest to the front desk to return a pack of cigarettes that had been inadvertently left in their room, and he simply never came back. Throughout the years, Naomi hired a succession of private investigators to unravel what had happened, but none of them would stay on the case for long, and a statistically improbable number of them met untimely demises. On vacation in Chelan and literally running out of options, Naomi decides to give Bailey and Bond a whirl.
Determined to succeed where others have only failed—and in some cases, fatally so—Jane and her team devote their full attention to the case, doing what they believe private eyes should do although they have no real experience in actual deduction. They travel across the world to interview folks who were present at the time only to encounter a general unwillingness to cooperate—and the frequent suggestion that the whole affair is best left alone. After a while, even Jane finds it hard to maintain her usual optimistic ebullience.
In the meanwhile, Olive is playing it fast and loose with things she can do versus things she should, and Jean, the newest alien intelligence introduced into the mix towards the end of Jane Bond 3, feels duty-bound to prevent Olive from using her capabilities strictly for personal gain. It’s an unexpected battle for dominance with unanticipated results, and the fallout has potentially catastrophic consequences for everyone involved.
Tapscott continues to give readers more than meets the eye with each successive entry in this series. The mystery drew me in and kept me guessing, but the underlying examination of unimaginable power and how easily that power can corrupt even the most well-intentioned is what haunted me long after I closed the covers.
Another solid outing for Jane and her team, where there’s never a shortage of food, folks, or fun, and while the cuisine leans heavily towards tortilla chips, salsa, and bacon, it’s the food for thought that will leave you most satisfied.
Some Assembly Required, the first novel in V. R. Tapscott’s Jane Bond series, had an engaging premise: an elementary school librarian hunting fossils digs up the AI pilot of an ancient starship. They develop a telepathic link and search the world for other pieces of starship wreckage so that the ship can put itself back together. Watching Jane—her parents were Ian Fleming fans—work starship reclamation into her daily life made for humorous plot complications. The Evershaw Curse, the fourth novel in the series, abandons most of the elements that made the first book entertaining. Jane is now running a detective agency. No more librarian duties, sigh. Kit and Dale, the two most important supporting characters in the first book, no longer have key roles. There are four more novels and a novella in the series, but I will give them a pass.
This one is a strange book, but it IS extremely well written.
I'm not even sure how to 'review' this book. In the review title I said it is a "strange" story, and it is. On the other hand, it is written so well it is extremely difficult to put down. Even for things like eating.
You WILL enjoy it because it is about Jane Bond and all her friends, including the ones who were not born on this planet. HAPPY READING!
It took 2 books to get to the first Private Detective case. I think that I don’t ‘get’ this series. I understand that it’s Sci-Fi, but I don’t understand it beyond that. There’s no real storyline that I can latch onto. It’s all rather amorphous.
I don’t dislike the series, but it’s not one that I’ll continue with beyond this one. Unfortunately, I just don’t get it!
Very enjoyable. No bad language, violence, or explicit sex. Suitable for all readers and enjoyable by all. The characters are developing in good ways and the plot is interesting. A good read.
Full of the usual funny snark. A great continuation of the Jane stories. Find the first one and read it so you will understand all the main characters.