cover image Second Thoughts

Second Thoughts

Bobbie O'Keefe, . . Five Star, $25.95 (241pp) ISBN 978-1-59414-772-2

The gang that couldn't shoot straight accidentally kidnaps a mismatched tangle of family members in this over-the-top romantic comedy. Maneuvering for a date with his ex-wife, Derek O'Reilly invites his five-year-old nephew on a fishing trip and persuades his ex, Connie, to come, along with the 14-month-old twins she's babysitting. Aware that a bumbling gang of three crooks is on the loose, Derek and Co. are dismayed when they stumble onto the baddies in a farmhouse. The kids and the couple find themselves more or less held hostage, though mentally challenged robber Petey has more fun playing with the kids than guarding them, while his partners are grateful that one of their captives can actually cook. O'Keefe does a nice job of keeping up both the pace and the romantic repartee between Derek and Connie. Still, readers will need to check some massive disbelief to buy the gang's ill-conceived mission of justice and the wildly implausible climax. (Apr.)