Finders Keepers A Jane Barnaby Adventure #1
Action/Adventure
Writing Dreams
March 4, 2016
230
Reviewed by: Linda Tonis
Member of the Paranormal Romance Review Team
1st Place 2016 PRG Reviewer’s Choice Award – Adventure/Thriller Novel
1st Place 2016 PRG Reviewer’s Choice Award Adventure/Thriller Series
Jane Barnaby is an Archeology student at Magdalen College in Oxford who had no idea that helping her advisor, Professor Welldon would turn into an adventure of a life time.
Professor Welldon asked Jane to drive his brand new five door Land Rover and a box of pottery shards he has collected over the past ten years to him in Spain. Seemed simple enough in Jane’s mind anyway, except for the fact that she couldn’t drive a stick shift which the professor’s car was and she had to drive it over fourteen hundred miles from England to Mallorca.
Jane went to pick up the box that the professor left with only a few minor mishaps, i.e. nearly losing the side mirror and almost crashing the car trying to get off the highway. She retrieved the box and set off on her trip giving no thought to anything but getting to where she had to go. What she didn’t know was that the box she picked up was actually filled with priceless Third Dynasty relics earmarked for a museum.
Jane is oblivious to the car following her or the man that appears at her side on the ferry taking her to France. The man Alex is handsome and charming and seems to show up wherever Jane is. When he shows up at her hotel she assumes it is a coincidence but it is one coincidence too many. She is also approached by Tom Barker whose job it was to ensure the safety of the relics, a job he messed up. Now aware of the fact that she is carrying a priceless treasure and that the professor’s pottery, valuable to only him is missing. Riding with Tom she listened to a whole lot of ridicule about Americans the French and Spaniards. He managed to call Jane every version of crazy and the French were just Frogs. He was a delight.
Determined to keep the relics safe and find the professor’s pottery she enlists the help of both Alex and Tom although she isn’t sure who she can trust. Needless to say, the trip to Spain is not without hazards, car chases, the relics being stolen from Jane and the pottery no where around. Jane is one heck of a tough girl and when she confronts the men trying to take the relics she doesn’t hesitate to punch and kick to get back what belongs to her. She is successful at one time getting rid of the bad guys but a car chase in a car she is very unfamiliar with does not ensure the car’s well being.
Jane is quite a characters, she refers back to movies she has seen when coming up with a plan to protect the relics. She believes in asking herself what would the Godfather do, or how did Burt Reynolds handle the car chase in Smokey and the Bandit. Fortunately for her some of the movie plots actually helped. I have read many, many books and I can honestly say that this was the first time I found myself laughing out loud at some of Jane’s plans and some of what came out of her mouth. I can’t wait for her next adventure and who or what will be her next victim, lol.