Janet Evanovich's Wicked Appetite: Salem, Sins, and a Very Rude Monkey
If you've ever wished your cupcake recipe came with a side of supernatural chaos, Wicked Appetite by Evanovich might be exactly the book your reading list has been missing. Janet Evanovich transplants her signature brand of slapstick comedy from the streets of Trenton, New Jersey, into the delightfully witchy atmosphere of Salem, Massachusetts, and the result is a paranormal romp that's equal parts bakery cozy and urban fantasy. It's zany, it's fast, and it features a foul-tempered monkey who communicates primarily through rude hand gestures — which is honestly all the pitch some of us need.
The story centers on Elizabeth "Lizzy" Tucker, a pastry chef at Salem's Dazzle's Bakery who is juggling a cookbook manuscript, a mortgage on a creaky old house inherited from her Great Aunt Ophelia, and the thoroughly inconvenient discovery that she is an "Unmentionable" — a human being with a rare magical ability to sense enchanted objects. Into her flour-dusted life strides Diesel, a broad-shouldered and infuriatingly charming man who informs Lizzy that she's needed to help track down the Seven Stones of Power before his darkly dangerous cousin, Gerwulf "Wulf" Grimoire, can get his hands on them. The stakes are high, the banter is higher, and somehow there's always time to frost a cupcake.
Lizzy Tucker, Diesel, and the Hunt for the Seven Deadly Stones Across Salem's North Shore
The central quest of the novel revolves around the Seven Stones of SALIGIA — an acronym representing each of the Seven Deadly Sins — and in this first installment, it's the stone of Gluttony that's gone missing somewhere along Salem's atmospheric North Shore. It's a fitting obsession for a pastry chef protagonist, and Evanovich leans into the irony with genuine playfulness, weaving food descriptions so luscious you'll find yourself craving a Bananas Foster French Toast at two in the morning. Lizzy's ability to sense the stones makes her an invaluable partner, even if she'd much rather be perfecting her tart crusts and staying out of supernatural trouble.
The Salem and Marblehead setting deserves a round of applause all on its own. Evanovich makes excellent use of the region's witchy reputation and colonial history, giving the story a sense of place that feels genuinely atmospheric rather than merely decorative. Cobblestone streets, old harbor towns, and the ever-present whiff of magic in the autumn air — it all adds up to a backdrop that cozy mystery fans with a taste for the paranormal will find enormously satisfying.
Diesel himself is a compelling, if occasionally eyebrow-raising, hero. He's mysterious, magnetically attractive, and utterly unbothered by personal boundaries — a combination that some readers will find irresistibly fun and others will find worth a critical side-eye. One scene in particular, in which Diesel climbs uninvited into Lizzy's bed shortly after they meet, is played for laughs but has drawn fair criticism from modern readers who find it more unsettling than charming. It's worth flagging, especially if you're sensitive to that kind of dynamic in your reading.
First in the Lizzy & Diesel Series: Where It Fits and How to Read On
Wicked Appetite is the first book in the Lizzy & Diesel series and is absolutely the right place to start — no prior reading required. While Diesel and the magnificently rude monkey Carl originally appeared in Evanovich's "Between the Numbers" Stephanie Plum holiday novellas (such as Visions of Sugar Plums), you don't need any familiarity with those books to jump straight into this series. Everything you need to know about who these characters are and what they're chasing is established cleanly and quickly in the opening chapters.
The Lizzy & Diesel series is a completed trilogy, which is genuinely good news for readers who hate waiting. After Wicked Appetite comes Wicked Business (2012), followed by Wicked Charms (2015), the latter co-authored with Phoef Sutton. Knowing the series has a definitive ending means you can dive in without the anxiety of an open-ended commitment, and the tight three-book arc gives the overall story a satisfying shape. For fans of Janet Evanovich who have always wanted to see Diesel get his own proper spotlight, this trilogy delivers exactly that.
It's also worth noting that the audiobook version, narrated by the legendary Lorelei King, is a particularly enjoyable way to experience the story. King has narrated the Stephanie Plum audiobooks for years, and her warm, comedic delivery suits Lizzy's voice beautifully — though a few reviewers noted that the familiarity of King's voice occasionally made the two protagonists blur together in their minds, which is a mild but amusing meta-commentary on the series' similarities.
Paranormal Chaos, Spell-Gone-Wrong Comedy, and a Ninja Cat Named 7143
If there is one element of Wicked Appetite that earns universal affection across even the most skeptical reviews, it's the supporting cast. Glo, Lizzy's well-meaning friend and coworker, is a self-taught witch whose spellbook has an unfortunate habit of backfiring in spectacular fashion — her magical mishaps are consistently the funniest set pieces in the book and had multiple reviewers laughing out loud. Then there's Hatcher, a medieval-garb-wearing geek with a surprisingly useful skill set, and Shirley, who rounds out the found-family dynamic at Dazzle's Bakery.
The animal sidekicks are in a category entirely their own. Carl the monkey, crossing over from the Plum universe, is a scene-stealer of the highest order — a foul-tempered, sign-language-fluent primate whose primary form of communication is the middle finger. Cat 7143, a one-eyed, tiger-striped ninja cat inherited along with Aunt Ophelia's house, brings a different kind of chaotic energy: silent, mysterious, and inexplicably competent. Together, they give the book a Looney Tunes quality that reviewer Vinaya described perfectly — goofy, over-the-top, and genuinely hilarious.
The paranormal framework is imaginative in concept, even if the magic system itself is kept deliberately light. The idea of the Seven Deadly Sins as physical stones that can corrupt and empower their holders is a fun conceit, and the contrast between the mundane (Lizzy worrying about her mortgage) and the supernatural (dodging fireballs) is a reliable comedic engine throughout the novel. Readers who want deeply developed world-building with intricate rules and lore may find the magical mechanics a little thin, but those who are here for the characters and the laughs will find plenty to enjoy.
Who Should Read Wicked Appetite — and What 63,000 Ratings Actually Tell You
With a Goodreads rating of 3.79 out of 5 based on over 63,000 ratings — and a spot at #48 on Goodreads' Best Cozy Mystery Series list — Wicked Appetite is clearly a book that inspires strong opinions in both directions. The most consistent praise comes from readers who embrace it as pure, breezy escapism: fast-paced, funny, and populated with characters who are genuinely fun to spend time with. The most consistent criticism comes from readers who find it too formulaic, noting that Lizzy bears a strong resemblance to Stephanie Plum (she bakes instead of bounty-hunts, but the chaotic-everywoman energy is nearly identical) and that the Diesel/Wulf dynamic closely mirrors Plum's Morelli/Ranger love triangle.
Honestly, both camps are right, and which one you fall into depends almost entirely on what you want from the book. If you're a devoted Stephanie Plum fan who has always wanted more Diesel, or if you're new to Janet Evanovich and looking for a lighthearted paranormal cozy with a strong comedic voice, this book is a genuinely delightful choice. If you're seeking something with fresh structural DNA, complex world-building, or a romance that doesn't occasionally make you wince, you may want to temper your expectations or look elsewhere.
For the right reader — someone who wants to curl up with a cupcake, a chaotic witch friend, a rude monkey, and a Salem autumn — Wicked Appetite is exactly as fun as it promises to be. It's the kind of book that doesn't ask much of you except to relax and enjoy the ride, and on that front, it delivers cheerfully and without apology.
Quick Facts
- Series: Lizzy & Diesel (Book #1)
- Author: Janet Evanovich
- Subgenre: Paranormal Culinary Cozy Mystery / Urban Fantasy
- Setting: Salem, Massachusetts and Marblehead (Boston's North Shore)
- Main Character: Elizabeth "Lizzy" Tucker, a pastry chef with a magical ability to sense enchanted objects
- Goodreads Rating: 3.79/5 (63,097 ratings)
- Top 100 Rank: #48 on Goodreads' Best Cozy Mystery Series list
- Best For: Fans of paranormal cozies, Stephanie Plum devotees, and readers who enjoy slapstick humor with a side of baked goods
- Content Warnings: Mild boundary-pushing romantic behavior (Diesel enters Lizzy's bed uninvited, played for comedy); no graphic violence or explicit content
- Bonus Content: No recipes included, but the food descriptions are vivid enough to inspire your own baking
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Wicked Appetite about?
Wicked Appetite follows Lizzy Tucker, a Salem pastry chef who discovers she has a rare magical ability to sense enchanted objects. When a mysterious man named Diesel arrives asking for her help to track down the Seven Stones of Power before his dangerous cousin can claim them, Lizzy's ordinary life of cupcakes and cookbook deadlines gets thoroughly upended. The story blends paranormal adventure with slapstick comedy, a witchy New England setting, and a cast of gloriously eccentric characters.
Is Wicked Appetite the first book in the Lizzy & Diesel series?
Yes — Wicked Appetite is Book #1 in the Lizzy & Diesel series and is the perfect starting point. No prior knowledge of Janet Evanovich's other books is needed, though fans of the Stephanie Plum holiday novellas will recognize Diesel and Carl the monkey from those earlier appearances.
How many books are in the Lizzy & Diesel series?
The Lizzy & Diesel series is a completed trilogy. It includes Wicked Appetite (2009), Wicked Business (2012), and Wicked Charms (2015), the last of which was co-authored with Phoef Sutton.
Is Wicked Appetite worth reading?
With a 3.79/5 rating from over 63,000 Goodreads readers, Wicked Appetite is a genuinely entertaining read for the right audience — particularly those who love paranormal cozies, fast-paced humor, and quirky ensemble casts. It does lean heavily on Evanovich's established formula, so readers who found the later Stephanie Plum novels repetitive may feel a flicker of déjà vu, but newcomers to her work are likely to find it a thoroughly enjoyable introduction.