YA Buddy Readers' Corner ♥ discussion

Janet Evanovich, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Stephanie Plum series, teams up with Emmy-winning writer Phoef Sutton for a brand-new series of thrillers featuring the invincible and incompatible pairing of Knight and Moon.

Emerson Knight is introverted, eccentric, and has little to no sense of social etiquette. Good thing he’s also brilliant, rich, and (some people might say) handsome, or he’d probably be homeless. Riley Moon has just graduated from Harvard Business and Harvard Law. Her aggressive Texas spitfire attitude has helped her land her dream job as a junior analyst with mega-bank Blane-Grunwald. At least Riley Moon thought it was her dream job, until she is given her first assignment: babysitting Emerson Knight.

What starts off as an inquiry about missing bank funds in the Knight account leads to inquiries about a missing man, missing gold, and a life-and-death race across the country. Through the streets of Washington, D.C., and down into the underground vault of the Federal Reserve in New York City, an evil plan is exposed. A plan so sinister that only a megalomaniac could think it up, and only the unlikely duo of the irrepressibly charming Emerson Knight and the tenacious Riley Moon can stop it.

TJ's review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Chapter 4 (view spoiler)[ Just started this one and already I can tell it's going to go by fast. I knew it would be a good one but I'm finding myself already laughing out loud and very curious about how the death in the prologue is going to come into play. Loving the characters in this one too. Emerson is so eccentric and I can see him and Riley fitting together rather well to make this book very interesting. (hide spoiler)]

Carrie wrote: "Chapter 4 [spoilers removed]"
I'm glad you're having fun -- it is a fun, Evanovich-type read, to be sure. But I have some gripes... coming up...

Chapter 1 (7%)
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If Riley really has a BA, an MBA, and a law degree from Harvard, she would be able to explain to Werner just where his gold is and how the financial system works. Come on!!!!
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Chapter 3 (13%)
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Did Riley really barge into Werner’s office? The head of the company? After one week on the job? With a client? That she didn’t announce in advance? Well, that’s a career killer.

“She thought about calling the office and warning them that Emerson was coming in, but decided against it. What good would it do?”

What good would it do? Are you f^&%ing kidding me?! It would allow Werner and others in the office to be prepared for Emerson’s visit, prepared to answer his questions. It would give them time to make a few calls and put together a report that would convince Emerson that his gold, and his money, was in safe hands.

If she really were so ambitious, smart, and career-ladder climbing as she claims to be, she would not have barged into the CEO’s office unannounced and she would have called in advance to prepare them for her arrival and to ask how best to handle the situation. I’m beginning to think Riley does not really have a BA, an MBA, and a Law degree from Harvard at all.

Emerson is interesting, but Riley is a bit of a ditz.
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Chapter 7
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Okay, my impression is that Riley is just an accessory – she doesn’t add much to the equation. She seems to be just there to serve the function of giving Emerson someone to talk to so that the readers can understand his thought process (to a degree, because he does a lot of the math in his head, but then shares some of his methods with us later).

I really would like this book much better if Riley had an interesting and amusing personality. She is only amusing in the sense that Emerson keeps saying that she is, when in actuality, she is not.

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Chapter 8 (30%)
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Oooh, this just got interesting. I don’t really like that we know so early on that Werner and Hans are the bad guys… Werner was a suspect early on, but unless some unexpected twist throws things out of whack, it looks like Werner and Hans are involved in some gold counterfeit scandal, Günter discovered it, and now his life is in danger (as was Maxine’s, obviously, and the other woman who went missing).
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TJ wrote: "Chapter 7

[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ I think they are absolutely hilarious together. But no, she's not a "professional" when it comes to how she is going about her job but I'm thinking more of an accomplice to Emerson's eccentric personality and like her with him, I just keep finding myself laughing at the one liners etc. (hide spoiler)]

TJ wrote: "Chapter 8 (30%)

[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ The way Gunter has been described it was easy to see he is being used as a scape goat to hide whatever was going on. He stumbled into it and paid the price. I get my early suspicions with this one as usual but I hope we end up with some twists to the mystery but if not this is way different than The Telling was in the fact I find the characters fun and don't want to put it down whereras the other bored me early on too. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 11 (view spoiler)[ Werner and Hans are going to regret underestimating Emerson. (hide spoiler)]

42% (view spoiler)[ Have never heard of Mauritius but I have been to the Caymans and took photos of the banks we walked by there thinking maybe I should hide all my money down here while visiting so at least I get the general idea of the comparison. LOL (hide spoiler)]

Carrie wrote: "[spoilers removed]"
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Carrie wrote: "I think they are absolutely hilarious together. But no, she's not a "professional" when it comes to how she is going about her job but I'm thinking more of an accomplice to Emerson's eccentric personality and like her with him, I just keep finding myself laughing at the one liners etc."

I would be much happier with the situation if Riley weren't written to be this super-smart woman (because she's not) with all these advanced degrees (she doesn't even know basic undergrad info on international monetary systems), and a self-proclaimed career-latter climber (because in real life she wouldn't stand a chance if she behaved like she does here).

She strikes me more like a clueless intern undergraduate or recent graduate (BA maximum). If she were, I would have no problem with her or this story. (But Riley is an insult to smart women with advanced degrees everywhere).
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Chapter 16 (view spoiler)[ Well, crap on a cracker... they're trying to seize control of the entire US.

A bit far fetched of a story so far but I'm still finding it fun. Riley just started that job and perhaps it's a bit of her Texas girl in her that has her not acting professional but I'm not going to overthink it and just enjoy the read. She's treated more as a errand girl than a professional but I do see where you are coming from. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 9 (33%)
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ugg. Yet another chapter in which Riley says and does absolutely nothing of value.

Emerson is entertaining, even Rollo the NSA guy has some witty lines, but Riley? Nothing. She asks boring questions and she does as she's told. This is the point in the filming when the actor playing Riley goes to the screenwriters and complains that the men are getting all the good lines and she's sick and tired of it.

Come on, people! You've got to throw me a bone here. Something... anything to make Riley's character interesting. A joke? A clever comment? An intelligent, valuable question that proves she's got a head on her shoulders?

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Chapter 10 (36%)

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Arghh! Just when I thought they couldn’t make Moonbeam any dumber, they did!

“What can you tell me about the Federal Reserve vault?”
“Not much. I skipped that course when I was at Harvard.”

At first I thought Riley was being sarcastic, but then as Emerson goes on to give her a lesson on the Federal Reserve, I realize she is not.

You skipped that course? Excuse me?!!! You have a fricken’ MBA! There is not just one course on the Federal Reserve; the Federal Reserve is in all of your courses! I’m beginning to think that you skipped all your courses. Actually I’m beginning to think you bought your MBA from a shady back-street dealer in Romania.

Come on! Can you insult our intelligence any more, Ms. Evanovich and Mr. Sutton? Is it too much to ask that a female lead with not only a BA from one of the best universities in the world, but also an MBA and a Law Degree from said university should know a little about the fields she studied? A miniscule bit? Anyone who took Microeconomics 101 at Community College knows more than Moonbeam here.

I like Emerson, so I will continue reading. Unlike Moonbeam, we don’t know if Emerson has any advanced degrees at all, but he is smart and he knows stuff.

Another thing. Riley has been given an NSA cell phone. So she calls and tells Rollo that she is going one place and goes to another. I don’t know if our heroes (or our authors) know anything about the NSA, but Riley doesn’t need to call in and tell the Rollo where she’s going. He already knows. He can trace the phone’s GPS. And even if they turn off the location services, which they didn’t, the internal GPS is still traceable. Now if they were trying to send a message to the NSA (or whoever Rollo is really working for) that Riley is not to be trusted, then they did a good job. Only Emerson’s explanation leads me to believe that he was trying to do just the opposite – create an alibi for Riley and lead Rollo to thinking she is still to be trusted. Of course it is absolutely possible that Rollo is not NSA, but is working for Werner – even more reason to let him think Riley is also still working for Werner (and prevent Riley from getting killed like Maxine). And you can bet Werner has access to technology that can trace that phone.

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Chapter 11 (40%)
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So Emerson was smart enough to know that Rollo would be able to track them by use of the phone, but Ditzy Riley, of course, is yet again clueless to the workings of the world. This means, however, that Emerson, by having Riley lie about going to the cinema on the previous day, willingly put Riley’s life in danger by causing whoever Rollo is working for (NSA or Werner) to doubt Riley’s loyalty. Not cool, Emerson.
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Chapter 12 (43%)
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I’m in danger of pulling all my hair out while reading this book.

So, they’re going into the vault with a quarter of the world’s gold supply and Varnet does not request to see IDs and passports at the door? And if he had requested, would Riley have had a Mauritian passport?

And then just in case any of the guards had not been there before or just by chance had not been briefed on procedures, like, for instance our two heroes, then Varnet conveniently plays tour guide for any new (or perhaps imposter) guards. How convenient.

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Chapter 13 (46%)
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I’m going out on a limb here, but as I can tell there is absolutely no reason Riley needed to be in the vault with Emerson. Unless the point was to get them recognized by Werner. Let’s see if that is the case.

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Chapter 14
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It’s likely that Emerson is sending Riley out as bait, while he “goes under the radar,” but 3-time Harvard grad, Riley, doesn’t see the necessity to go under the radar herself. Two women have been killed because they knew what she knows and Günter has gone into hiding. But dumb-as-a-doorknob Riley decides it would be safe to go in to the office to get a family picture. Huh? I’m stumped. I’m beyond stumped. Why doesn’t Riley demand to go under the radar with Emerson? Why doesn’t she at least try to get in contact with some authorities. Or in the worst-case scenario, why doesn’t she run? It’s true Werner and Hans have long-reaching influence, but she can’t just do nothing. She can no longer Clearing her desk is the absolute dumbest thing she can do. This shows her loyalties have clearly shifted and could get her killed. So why do it? I have no clue. Unless she really is just that dumb.
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Beginning of Chapter 15 (52%)
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Yes. Riley is just that dumb.

Quiz
Two women have been killed because they know what she knows, there’s a thug out in the yard coming for her, so what does Riley do?
a.) Call someone. Anyone.
b.) Run!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
c.) Hide.
d.) Eat lunch and pretend everything is back to normal.

If you chose a, b, or c, you're in for a big surprise...

Because of his confused expression, I suspect that the big guy might have been sent by Emerson, but still… Riley doesn’t know that. She doesn’t even know she’s being used as bait yet.
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Chapter 15 (53%)
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This is ridiculous! So now Emerson offers to hire Riley. His separating from her the day before served no purpose.

And it took Riley almost being killed to realize she might not have a job anymore and that she might be in danger… Um. She rescued Emerson from the Federal Reserve, so ya. Werner and Hans pretty much already know her loyalties have shifted. And Riley knows that Rollo is working for Werner and Hans and that he tortured Emerson. It doesn’t take a Harvard diploma to do the math.

Riley and Emerson should have stuck together the moment they came out of the Federal Reserve and both of them should have suggested it. Riley needs Emerson – his money and his smarts – if she wants to go into hiding, and Emerson pulled Riley into this, so the least he can do is help make sure she doesn’t get killed.

So why did they separate? The gods of good story writing shrug their shoulders.

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Chapter 17 (63%)
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She was in whatever this was up to her armpits and she wasn’t being included in the decision-making process. Not acceptable.

“We need a word,” Riley said to Emerson.

Finally! Riley is finally going to demand answers. And she is going to demand that she be included in the decision-making process… Relief overwhelms me… but… wait a minute… Does she demand answers? Does she demand to be included in the decision making process. Nope. She rants about Emerson ruining her life and then lets Vernon lead Emerson away to give him a lesson about girls. In the mean time, Riley chats with Aunt Myra about Emerson’s family. If you thought Riley’s character was finally going to get interesting, feisty, take control… False alarm. You are going to be deeply disappointed, as was I.

In regards to the plot, I’m going to make a prediction. I’ve been thinking it for a while, but I’m going to put it on the record. The old man that Werner is always referring to is his father, Bertram, who hasn’t really died. The falling out that Bertram had with Emerson’s father had something to do with this gold-counterfeit scandal.

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Chapter 22 (77%)
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Well, I am happy to report that there have been some entertaining exchanges and some action since I last checked in -- and Riley has proven to be an awesome driver... kudos!

In the midst of a tense chase seen, however, Günter seems to have an awful long time to explain the whole history of the gold scandal. All this explaining cuts right into the suspense and allows it to dwindle off... too bad. I was finally getting into it (three-fourths of the way through).
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Thoughts
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I was expecting more from Janet Evanovich. I expected a snarky, witty, and halfway intelligent female main character, but I was gravely disappointed.

Emerson was the main character, and he was interesting. But why pretend that Riley was anything more than a decoration? An accessory? Someone for Riley to express his brilliant ideas to?
She didn't add anything to the equation.

I don't understand why the authors gave Riley 3 degrees (2 advanced degrees) from one of the best universities in the world, and then didn't give her an intelligent line, or an intelligent thought, or an intelligent action. She kept insinuating that she was a career-climber, but I can tell you, she will not make the cut (unless her good looks take her further than her wit).

It was like a 50s detective story, in which the woman was a beautiful decoration to the male detective's brilliance.
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Here's my review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...