What happens when you put a retired soldier in front of a paranormal treasure hunt involving pirates, monkeys, and a guy named Peg Leg Dazzle? Honestly, I wasn't sure either.
Look, I'll cut to the chase - this is not my usual fare. My wife Linda picked this one for a road trip to Houston, and I figured six hours of quirky romance beats six hours of her podcast about interior design. She won that negotiation. But here's the thing: I actually didn't hate it. Ranger seemed pretty into it too, though that dog will listen to anything.
When the Mission Gets Weird
Janet Evanovich and Phoef Sutton have built something here that's basically a heist movie mixed with supernatural nonsense and a love triangle that never quite commits. Lizzy Tucker is a reluctant treasure hunter - and I get that. I've worked with plenty of people who got pulled into operations they didn't sign up for. Diesel is the chaos agent who drags her along. There's a mysterious cousin named Wulf who wants both the magical stone AND the girl. Standard stuff, honestly.
The plot involves finding a bootlegger's hidden treasure containing some Stone of Avarice. Pirates, mummies, sailing adventures from Salem Harbor to Maine. It's ridiculous. Book of Dragons leans into the same kind of fantasy absurdity—magical creatures, impossible quests, the whole nine yards. But this one knows it's ridiculous, and that's what saves it. The authors lean into the absurdity - there are actual minions and a monkey involved - and somehow it works. I've seen worse tactical planning in actual military operations, so who am I to judge a fictional treasure hunt?
The pacing is tight. Six hours and twelve minutes, no fat on the bone. I appreciate efficiency. This isn't one of those books that wanders around for three hours before anything happens. Things blow up (metaphorically, mostly), people chase each other, there's romantic tension that never gets too heavy. It's a beach read for your ears.
Lorelei King Runs This Show
Here's where I have to give credit where it's due. Lorelei King's narration is the reason this audiobook works. Period. Full stop. Mission accomplished.
I've listened to a lot of narrators who phone it in - guys reading military thrillers who clearly never held a rifle. King isn't doing that. She's fully committed. Every character has a distinct voice. The timing on the comedy beats is spot-on. She shifts between Lizzy's reluctant sarcasm and Diesel's cocky charm without missing a step. Even the secondary characters feel like real people, not just voices the narrator is doing.
The woman has won Audie Awards and AudioFile Earphones and apparently got voted Performer of the Year by multiple organizations. After listening to this, I believe it. Strong narration can carry a story—I saw that same effect with Firekeeper's Daughter, where the voice work elevated material that could've gone sideways. She's the reason I kept listening when the plot got a little too cute for my taste. Her delivery sells even the sillier moments.
(And honestly, there are some silly moments. Monkeys. I mentioned the monkeys, right?)
Who Should Enlist (And Who Should Stand Down)
Let me be direct. If you want gritty realism, hard-edged crime, or anything resembling serious military fiction - skip it. You'll be annoyed.
But if you want something light for a long drive, something your spouse might actually enjoy listening to with you, something that doesn't require you to track seventeen subplots and remember who betrayed whom in book three - this works. It's fun. Clean fun, mostly. Some mild romantic content, nothing that made me uncomfortable with Ranger in the car.
The suspense is there but it's not heavy. Nobody's getting waterboarded. The violence is cartoon violence. Think Indiana Jones, not Zero Dark Thirty.
I listened at my usual 1.25x and it held up fine. King's delivery is clear enough that you don't lose anything at speed.
Mission Debrief
Here's my honest assessment: I probably won't continue the series on my own. It's not my world. But if Linda wants to queue up another one for our next road trip? I won't fight it. That's higher praise than it sounds like coming from me.
The book does what it sets out to do. It's a quick, entertaining romp with good narration and zero pretension. Sometimes you want steak. Sometimes you want a really good burger. This is a really good burger.
Ranger approved this one. He wagged his tail during the monkey scenes. Take that for whatever it's worth.
