![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
annathepiperIt seems that Elizabeth Lowell is trying to break in a new series these days: books all centered around St. Kilda Consulting, a group of freelancers who are apparently "consultants" who go in and do tough jobs regular governmental types won't. Like, in the case of this particular novel, rescuing a teenaged boy from being held hostage by a Mexican gangster. It's too early to tell yet whether this set of stories will develop the same elan as the Donovan series or the related Rarities Unlimited one--much will depend upon which characters are recurring and, of those, which stay interesting.
This book does have a couple of interesting side characters connected with St. Kilda, the leader of whom is noteworthy even if there's something of a cross between Professor X and Remington Steele to him. A couple of his side assistants are also on screen long enough to show enough character quirks to make a bit of an impact, and I suspect quite a few of them will be showing up in subsequent novels.
And of course you have your pretty basic hero and heroine. This time around they're a bit unusual in that they've both got non-white ethnic heritage, which is a bit of a nice switch for these sorts of novels. Pretty standard "heroine must call upon the only man she ever wuvved to get her ass out of a jam", and the plot twist involving the real reason he needs to come help her isn't surprising. I will give Lowell points, though, for keeping the angst about that plot twist to a minimum. Points off, though, for another heroine driving an SUV. Three stars over all, I think.
This book does have a couple of interesting side characters connected with St. Kilda, the leader of whom is noteworthy even if there's something of a cross between Professor X and Remington Steele to him. A couple of his side assistants are also on screen long enough to show enough character quirks to make a bit of an impact, and I suspect quite a few of them will be showing up in subsequent novels.
And of course you have your pretty basic hero and heroine. This time around they're a bit unusual in that they've both got non-white ethnic heritage, which is a bit of a nice switch for these sorts of novels. Pretty standard "heroine must call upon the only man she ever wuvved to get her ass out of a jam", and the plot twist involving the real reason he needs to come help her isn't surprising. I will give Lowell points, though, for keeping the angst about that plot twist to a minimum. Points off, though, for another heroine driving an SUV. Three stars over all, I think.