Jamie
Swift gets nervous when she comes to know that the unknown investor in her financially
shaky small-town newspaper is coming to town to meet with her. What she doesn’t know
is that the investor is none other multi-billionaire Max Holt, who’s also her best
friend Deedee’s younger brother. Max drives into quiet little Beaumont, South
Carolina, in his state-of-the-art, one-of-a-kind automobile. However the most unique
feature about this car is the computer that Max created and has had incorporated in the
dashboard, for it works on voice recognition technology, has the capability to think on
its own, make decisions and talk and whom Max has jokingly given a voice like Marilyn
Monroe! Max and Jamie have a very unusual first meeting, as it ends with Jamie having a
panic attack believing Max to be a rapist and she then almost passes out when Muffy, the
computer, talks and makes her remarkable presence known!
Things soon go from bad to worse, as on their
very first day of inharmoniously working together, someone machine-guns Jamie’s
office, and she and Max are nearly killed. Was this the act of some enemy of Max’s,
or of Jamie’s? Max is not sure, but both he and Jamie suspect that this most probably
had something to do with the controversy that the Mayoral campaign of Max’s
brother-in-law Frankie is stirring. Soon this unlikely duo is well immersed into this
investigation with lots of help and unwanted advice from the cranky, sanctimonious and
hardworking Muffy. Along for the ride, alternately aiding and hampering the entire process
are priceless and deliciously interesting side characters like – Frankie (an
ex-pro-wrestler), Deedee (Max’s sister who refuses to admit she’s having hot
flashes), Beenie (Deedee’s very gay private secretary), Vera (Jamie’s gun-happy
secretary cum dogsbody) – and many many more. Max is attracted to Jamie from the
beginning, but as both Jamie and Muffy keep reminding him, she’s happily engaged. Or
is she?
Read the book and join Jamie, Max and Muffy on
a wild adventure the likes of which you’ve probably never read before! Janet
Evanovich and Charlotte Hughes, two very powerful authors who’re both extremely
skilled at creating books bursting with action, adventure and amusement, have paired-up to
create another fast-paced, wacky novel filled with eccentric characters and southern
ambiance in ‘Full Tilt’. Needless to say, the book is absolutely
entertaining and most interesting of all is that talkative and amusing computer Muffy,
very reminiscent of a similar one in that David Hassellhoff serial, Knight Rider.
The lead pair is full of wisecracks, they rage a battle of words and sexual innuendo,
share many an adventure and overall, entertain immensely. There’s also some very good
mystery in the book and the ending is surprising. Look for their next adventure
coming later this year!
Reviewed By Rashmi Srinivas for The Road to
Romance
March 10, 2003 |
