Summary:
It's slow again at the bond office, until Stephanie lands a particularly strange skip. A guy was about to go to jail for embezzling millions from an old folks' home when he mysteriously disappears from the hospital treating him for an appendectomy. Steph is charged with finding him, but succeeds in finding that he was in far deeper than anyone knew. Steph has to find the skip, and figure out what's really going on, before someone winds up dead. Oh, and in the meantime, Stephanie is dealing with the idea of actually settling down and the thought of marriage. The first one went south quick, but with the two hunks she's got in her life, maybe she'll actually do okay with it this time around...
Thoughts:
Really good. The tension in the Morelli vs. Ranger conundrum Stephanie is dealing with, and has been for most of the series, is really starting to come to a head. The mystery bits and the romance bits have really evened out, to the point that I've just sat here for several minutes pondering the mashed adjective that would best describe these books. (Romanstery? Mystermance? I didn't get too far.) I've appreciated that the skips Steph has to chase don't seem to get old. Evanovich has found the exact right formula for formula-breaking. She never ceases to make me wonder what exactly Steph is going to have to deal with next. I have found so many times that the mystery stuff becomes a by-rote mechanism with so many other series, where Evanovich is making things interesting and engaging her readers at every turn, which is absolutely not easy to do when you're already eighteen books into a series, twenty-two if you count the "Between the Numbers" books as well.
In finishing this installment of the Plum series, I've actually gone and caught up to the rest of the world. It's been worth the time and effort of it. Truly. It's taken me nearly a year and a half to best the series, (One for the Money's post went up 5/20/12, though I'd finished it some time in April), but keep in mind that I've read thirty-eight other books between the Plum installments. I don't regret reading a single word of it, either. Stephanie Plum drew me into her crazy, car-exploding, felon-chasing, hot-man-filled world, and I'd like to stay please. Now I just have to wait with the masses for the next book to come along. But don't you worry. Once it's out, I'll be all over it! Keep your eyes peeled in November, friends.
Book 24 of 50
Pages: 322
Genre: mystery with a side of romance
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Read the rest first.
Showing posts with label Evanovich. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Evanovich. Show all posts
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Explosive Eighteen (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
Stephanie has just gotten back from a trip to Hawaii. Most people would be relaxed and content after a trip like that. But Stephanie is stuck in anxiety mode. She won't say what happened, but there's a tan line on her left ring finger, and she's not saying why. What's worse, the man that was sitting next to her on the first leg of her journey home winds up dead in an airport trash can, and she's being stalked by several people out to find what he was carrying back to New Jersey with him, a photo that she happens to have thrown out as soon as she got back home. She doesn't know who the person in the photograph is, and can only describe him as a cross between Tom Cruise and Ashton Kutcher. Lula has gone crazy and fallen for the biggest idiot (who also happens to be an FTA) and expects everyone to be okay with that. Joyce Barnhardt, Steph's nemesis who sometimes plays bounty hunter when she feels like it, has gone on the lamb too, but decides her best course of action would be to crash at Stephanie's place. Because that makes sense. Oh, and Morelli and Ranger are not really happy with her. For similar but opposite reasons. If only she could make up her mind...
Thoughts:
The way Ms. E left Seventeen, I couldn't help myself, and had to continue straight on to Eighteen. It did not disappoint. The tension between Steph and her guys is evident from the word go with this one, and watching her dodge all the questions about what happened in Hawaii is fun. I did feel a little like I was missing something when I first started into this one, and ran to Evanovich's website to see if there was a "Between the Numbers" book I had missed, but unless there's a short story or novella floating around that's unlisted on the site, there isn't anything. The whole story comes out as the book unfolds, but there's a few chapters where you're just as curious and confused as Stephanie's family and friends. It seems as though our girl Steph is starting to think about growing up and picking one man to be with. We'll see... Also, with finishing this book, I'm one book away from being completely caught up to this series. I'm going to have to find something else to read now! Horrors!
Book 22 of 50
Pages: 352
Genre: Mystery with romantical bits
Grade: A- for the ambiguity at the beginning.
Would I Recommend?:
Stephanie has just gotten back from a trip to Hawaii. Most people would be relaxed and content after a trip like that. But Stephanie is stuck in anxiety mode. She won't say what happened, but there's a tan line on her left ring finger, and she's not saying why. What's worse, the man that was sitting next to her on the first leg of her journey home winds up dead in an airport trash can, and she's being stalked by several people out to find what he was carrying back to New Jersey with him, a photo that she happens to have thrown out as soon as she got back home. She doesn't know who the person in the photograph is, and can only describe him as a cross between Tom Cruise and Ashton Kutcher. Lula has gone crazy and fallen for the biggest idiot (who also happens to be an FTA) and expects everyone to be okay with that. Joyce Barnhardt, Steph's nemesis who sometimes plays bounty hunter when she feels like it, has gone on the lamb too, but decides her best course of action would be to crash at Stephanie's place. Because that makes sense. Oh, and Morelli and Ranger are not really happy with her. For similar but opposite reasons. If only she could make up her mind...
Thoughts:
The way Ms. E left Seventeen, I couldn't help myself, and had to continue straight on to Eighteen. It did not disappoint. The tension between Steph and her guys is evident from the word go with this one, and watching her dodge all the questions about what happened in Hawaii is fun. I did feel a little like I was missing something when I first started into this one, and ran to Evanovich's website to see if there was a "Between the Numbers" book I had missed, but unless there's a short story or novella floating around that's unlisted on the site, there isn't anything. The whole story comes out as the book unfolds, but there's a few chapters where you're just as curious and confused as Stephanie's family and friends. It seems as though our girl Steph is starting to think about growing up and picking one man to be with. We'll see... Also, with finishing this book, I'm one book away from being completely caught up to this series. I'm going to have to find something else to read now! Horrors!
Book 22 of 50
Pages: 352
Genre: Mystery with romantical bits
Grade: A- for the ambiguity at the beginning.
Would I Recommend?:
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Smokin' Seventeen (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
The bonds office is in desperate need of being rebuilt, and Vinnie is working on it. But there's a minor problem. Bodies keep showing up on the empty lot. Stephanie wants nothing to do with it, but of course Vinnie expects her to figure it out. Morelli's on the case, but it gets much worse when one of the bodies shows up with Stephanie's name attached. Ranger's keeping an eye on the situation too, since he runs security for the bond office. Stephanie is no closer to figuring out which of her two men she loves best, and since she can't make up her mind, her mother decides that a third, more stable option might be best. Dave graduated with Steph, was the star quarterback, and can cook like a dream. Too bad he won't leave her alone. Stephanie's got to figure out who is dumping the bodies, and who she loves best, before she goes crazy.
Thoughts:
The series had gotten into a bit of a lull in the overarching storyline for Stephanie, but this one really starts ramping it back up again. Evanovich's brilliance is nothing new to these eyes, but when she does so well, it's a joy to see. Steph has several steamy scenes with each of her menfolk, and you just can't help but love them both just as much as she does. The body dumping plot is exactly what Steph needs to distract her from her romantic dilemma. And Lula, as always, is spectacularly ridiculous. Just put the weapons away, Lula, and you'll be just fine.
Book 21 of 50
Pages: 320
Genre: mystery and romance in equal parts this time around
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Only if you've read the previous 16 books. If you haven't already, what the heck are you waiting for!? Get on it!
The bonds office is in desperate need of being rebuilt, and Vinnie is working on it. But there's a minor problem. Bodies keep showing up on the empty lot. Stephanie wants nothing to do with it, but of course Vinnie expects her to figure it out. Morelli's on the case, but it gets much worse when one of the bodies shows up with Stephanie's name attached. Ranger's keeping an eye on the situation too, since he runs security for the bond office. Stephanie is no closer to figuring out which of her two men she loves best, and since she can't make up her mind, her mother decides that a third, more stable option might be best. Dave graduated with Steph, was the star quarterback, and can cook like a dream. Too bad he won't leave her alone. Stephanie's got to figure out who is dumping the bodies, and who she loves best, before she goes crazy.
Thoughts:
The series had gotten into a bit of a lull in the overarching storyline for Stephanie, but this one really starts ramping it back up again. Evanovich's brilliance is nothing new to these eyes, but when she does so well, it's a joy to see. Steph has several steamy scenes with each of her menfolk, and you just can't help but love them both just as much as she does. The body dumping plot is exactly what Steph needs to distract her from her romantic dilemma. And Lula, as always, is spectacularly ridiculous. Just put the weapons away, Lula, and you'll be just fine.
Book 21 of 50
Pages: 320
Genre: mystery and romance in equal parts this time around
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Only if you've read the previous 16 books. If you haven't already, what the heck are you waiting for!? Get on it!
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Wicked Business (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
Lizzy Tucker is a cupcake baker. That's all she wants to be. But Diesel, a magically inclined guy who says Lizzy's got a gift, keeps drawing her into his adventures, because she's one of two people in the world that can find magical objects. This time around, he's after another of the seven stones linked to the seven deadly sins. This time, they're after the Lust stone, and they need to find it before Diesel's handsome-but-creepy cousin, Wulf, gets it first. Add to the mix a cast of nuts: Glo is Lizzy's friend and a wannabe witch still looking for love; Hatchet is a medieval cosplaying weirdo Wulf recruited only because he's the OTHER magical object finder; Anarchy is the legitimately insane woman with no help finding the stone except to follow any clues she can find. Happy hunting, Lizzy and Diesel!
Thoughts:
Not bad. Solid story, some good twists at the end. And I'm digging Anarchy's addition to the series. She's made things crazier than ever. I will say, Glo still reads like Lula from the Numbers series. Hatchet drives me nuts, in a scared for the other characters kind of way. I'm fairly sure he's not going anywhere, but he's really not a nice person... Then again, that just means he's written well. Which I completely expect from Ms. Evanovich at this point. And boy, is she good at the sexual tension business. Lizzy and Diesel WANT to hook up, but they can't, for magical reasons. But they think about it real hard. Overall, not a bad addition to the series. I'm looking forward to more from this pair, but that could just be because I really like Diesel.
Book 14 of 50
Pages: 308
Genre: mystery, fantasy, and a touch of romance
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Yup. Read the Plum between the numbers books first, or at the very least "Wicked Appetite" and you'll be caught up.
Lizzy Tucker is a cupcake baker. That's all she wants to be. But Diesel, a magically inclined guy who says Lizzy's got a gift, keeps drawing her into his adventures, because she's one of two people in the world that can find magical objects. This time around, he's after another of the seven stones linked to the seven deadly sins. This time, they're after the Lust stone, and they need to find it before Diesel's handsome-but-creepy cousin, Wulf, gets it first. Add to the mix a cast of nuts: Glo is Lizzy's friend and a wannabe witch still looking for love; Hatchet is a medieval cosplaying weirdo Wulf recruited only because he's the OTHER magical object finder; Anarchy is the legitimately insane woman with no help finding the stone except to follow any clues she can find. Happy hunting, Lizzy and Diesel!
Thoughts:
Not bad. Solid story, some good twists at the end. And I'm digging Anarchy's addition to the series. She's made things crazier than ever. I will say, Glo still reads like Lula from the Numbers series. Hatchet drives me nuts, in a scared for the other characters kind of way. I'm fairly sure he's not going anywhere, but he's really not a nice person... Then again, that just means he's written well. Which I completely expect from Ms. Evanovich at this point. And boy, is she good at the sexual tension business. Lizzy and Diesel WANT to hook up, but they can't, for magical reasons. But they think about it real hard. Overall, not a bad addition to the series. I'm looking forward to more from this pair, but that could just be because I really like Diesel.
Book 14 of 50
Pages: 308
Genre: mystery, fantasy, and a touch of romance
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Yup. Read the Plum between the numbers books first, or at the very least "Wicked Appetite" and you'll be caught up.
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Sizzling Sixteen (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
Vinnie Plum, Stephanie's jerk second cousin who runs the bail bonds office she works out of, has gone and gotten himself in debt up to his eyeballs with some bad people. And then he's kidnapped. Stephanie and the gang have to try to get Vinnie back alive and in one piece so they can pull the bond office out of the hole he's dug for them. Meanwhile, Steph and Morelli are in their off-again phase, and she's feeling herself tugged toward Ranger, and she's trying her damnedest not to succumb to his immeasurable talents in the bedroom. Oh boy.
Thoughts:
Really good, as is the norm for Ms. E. Of course, you're constantly wanting to kick Vinnie in the ass for being so completely stupid, but that's no different from usual. And of course, the ladies of the bond office are getting themselves into more trouble than they can really handle, but again, it's kind of the norm. And Lula never ceases to elicit at least one good giggle every book, if not more. It usually comes from her sneeze-fart-"Oh, excuse me." combos, and I will never say no to that. There's just something about a good fart joke, y'know? Ah, but I've digressed yet again. Sixteen is just one more in the now very long list of fantastic books in the series. Including the betweens, we've rounded ourselves out to a solid twenty books, with another three to go for me. I can't imagine what I'm going to do once I've finished this series. It's going to take something really special to take Evanovich's place in my constant book rotation. We'll have to wait and see, won't we?
Book 12 of 50
Pages: 320
Genre: mystery
Grade: A-/B+
Would I Recommend?: Start from the top and work your way through the series. You won't be sorry. I promise.
Vinnie Plum, Stephanie's jerk second cousin who runs the bail bonds office she works out of, has gone and gotten himself in debt up to his eyeballs with some bad people. And then he's kidnapped. Stephanie and the gang have to try to get Vinnie back alive and in one piece so they can pull the bond office out of the hole he's dug for them. Meanwhile, Steph and Morelli are in their off-again phase, and she's feeling herself tugged toward Ranger, and she's trying her damnedest not to succumb to his immeasurable talents in the bedroom. Oh boy.
Thoughts:
Really good, as is the norm for Ms. E. Of course, you're constantly wanting to kick Vinnie in the ass for being so completely stupid, but that's no different from usual. And of course, the ladies of the bond office are getting themselves into more trouble than they can really handle, but again, it's kind of the norm. And Lula never ceases to elicit at least one good giggle every book, if not more. It usually comes from her sneeze-fart-"Oh, excuse me." combos, and I will never say no to that. There's just something about a good fart joke, y'know? Ah, but I've digressed yet again. Sixteen is just one more in the now very long list of fantastic books in the series. Including the betweens, we've rounded ourselves out to a solid twenty books, with another three to go for me. I can't imagine what I'm going to do once I've finished this series. It's going to take something really special to take Evanovich's place in my constant book rotation. We'll have to wait and see, won't we?
Book 12 of 50
Pages: 320
Genre: mystery
Grade: A-/B+
Would I Recommend?: Start from the top and work your way through the series. You won't be sorry. I promise.
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Wicked Appetite (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
Lizzy is a cupcake baker in Salem, Massachusetts. Diesel is, well, Diesel. Operating in the same world as the holiday Plum series, Diesel is an Unmentionable, a human being who has some sort of magical powers. Diesel can unlock any door, and is apparently great in bed. He tells Lizzy that she's an Unmentionable too, someone who can identify mystical objects just by touching them. Diesel asks Lizzy to help him find a Stone that harnesses one of the seven deadly sins before his evil cousin, Wulf, finds it. Rounding out the cast of this new(ish) series is Glo, a wannabe witch who is far better at bungling spells than actually casting them, the object of a botched spell, Shirley, who speaks only in gobbledegook for most of the book (with laugh-out-loud-funny results!), Cat 7136, a shelter cat who seems to be Lizzy's Great Aunt Ophelia's cat, and Carl the monkey, whose antics can be seen first in Plum Spooky and who is really fond of flipping people off.
Thoughts:
It's nice to see Evanovich branching out a bit. Though, like Metro Girl, this book feels very much like Plum Lite. Lizzy is a different woman for sure, but it still feels a little like a Plum, especially with the added bonus of Diesel and Carl. I won't lie, though, it was nice to have some more Diesel, because he's just a fun character. It's interesting to see Stephanie Plum's fantasy-based world extended northward to Salem, for sure. Diesel does make references to his past in Trenton a few times, especially with respect to Carl. This book definitely had me giggling quite a bit. Particularly when spells start going wrong with Shirley and she tries in vain to get her point across. It's pretty spectacular. It even had Hubby laughing when I read it aloud, and he has just about the driest sense of humor I've ever come across. Another fun one from Ms. Evanovich. Approved! I'll be moving on to Wicked Business soon, too. Woo hoo!
Book 8 of 50
Pages: 313
Genre: Mystery with a hint of fantasy and a tiny bit of romance. TINY bit.
Grade: A-/B+
Would I Recommend?: Sure. I do recommend reading Plum Spooky before, at least, to get the full appreciation of Carl (and Diesel), but it's not entirely necessary.
Lizzy is a cupcake baker in Salem, Massachusetts. Diesel is, well, Diesel. Operating in the same world as the holiday Plum series, Diesel is an Unmentionable, a human being who has some sort of magical powers. Diesel can unlock any door, and is apparently great in bed. He tells Lizzy that she's an Unmentionable too, someone who can identify mystical objects just by touching them. Diesel asks Lizzy to help him find a Stone that harnesses one of the seven deadly sins before his evil cousin, Wulf, finds it. Rounding out the cast of this new(ish) series is Glo, a wannabe witch who is far better at bungling spells than actually casting them, the object of a botched spell, Shirley, who speaks only in gobbledegook for most of the book (with laugh-out-loud-funny results!), Cat 7136, a shelter cat who seems to be Lizzy's Great Aunt Ophelia's cat, and Carl the monkey, whose antics can be seen first in Plum Spooky and who is really fond of flipping people off.
Thoughts:
It's nice to see Evanovich branching out a bit. Though, like Metro Girl, this book feels very much like Plum Lite. Lizzy is a different woman for sure, but it still feels a little like a Plum, especially with the added bonus of Diesel and Carl. I won't lie, though, it was nice to have some more Diesel, because he's just a fun character. It's interesting to see Stephanie Plum's fantasy-based world extended northward to Salem, for sure. Diesel does make references to his past in Trenton a few times, especially with respect to Carl. This book definitely had me giggling quite a bit. Particularly when spells start going wrong with Shirley and she tries in vain to get her point across. It's pretty spectacular. It even had Hubby laughing when I read it aloud, and he has just about the driest sense of humor I've ever come across. Another fun one from Ms. Evanovich. Approved! I'll be moving on to Wicked Business soon, too. Woo hoo!
Book 8 of 50
Pages: 313
Genre: Mystery with a hint of fantasy and a tiny bit of romance. TINY bit.
Grade: A-/B+
Would I Recommend?: Sure. I do recommend reading Plum Spooky before, at least, to get the full appreciation of Carl (and Diesel), but it's not entirely necessary.
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Finger Lickin' Fifteen (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter not-so-extraordinaire, gets wrapped up into yet another murder investigation when Lula rushes into the bail bonds office exclaiming about having seen a man's head getting chopped off. She won't speak to any other cop but Joe Morelli, Steph's on-again-off-again honey, and forced Steph to call him, even though they were in the off-again stage. Turns out, the dead guy is the current Emeril/Guy Fieri/Gordon Ramsey-type in town for a big barbecue contest in Trenton. Lula decides that she's going to be the best person to try and find the guys that did it because she was an eyewitness, and the best way to do that is to enter the barbecue contest, and Stephanie has to help her. Oh, and Lula can't cook. Meanwhile, Ranger, the hottie that always has his eye on Stephanie, is having trouble at his super-high-tech security company, and wants Stephanie to help find where things are going wrong. Will Steph manage to juggle murder, barbecue, and Ranger, all at the same time? She usually does.
Thoughts:
Another fun one from Evanovich, as usual. She really has the right kind of voice for Stephanie, Lula, and most of her Jersey characters. There are very few times that she builds a character that doesn't read exactly the way he or she should. She's got the voice, the action, everything is perfectly built, and the story is always a fun time. I'll be sad to see the end of the series. Only a couple more books in this series.
Book 5 of 50
Pages: 352
Genre: Mystery, comedy, with a little romance.
Grade: A-/B+
Would I Recommend?: Yup, but start from the beginning. It's good for you.
Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter not-so-extraordinaire, gets wrapped up into yet another murder investigation when Lula rushes into the bail bonds office exclaiming about having seen a man's head getting chopped off. She won't speak to any other cop but Joe Morelli, Steph's on-again-off-again honey, and forced Steph to call him, even though they were in the off-again stage. Turns out, the dead guy is the current Emeril/Guy Fieri/Gordon Ramsey-type in town for a big barbecue contest in Trenton. Lula decides that she's going to be the best person to try and find the guys that did it because she was an eyewitness, and the best way to do that is to enter the barbecue contest, and Stephanie has to help her. Oh, and Lula can't cook. Meanwhile, Ranger, the hottie that always has his eye on Stephanie, is having trouble at his super-high-tech security company, and wants Stephanie to help find where things are going wrong. Will Steph manage to juggle murder, barbecue, and Ranger, all at the same time? She usually does.
Thoughts:
Another fun one from Evanovich, as usual. She really has the right kind of voice for Stephanie, Lula, and most of her Jersey characters. There are very few times that she builds a character that doesn't read exactly the way he or she should. She's got the voice, the action, everything is perfectly built, and the story is always a fun time. I'll be sad to see the end of the series. Only a couple more books in this series.
Book 5 of 50
Pages: 352
Genre: Mystery, comedy, with a little romance.
Grade: A-/B+
Would I Recommend?: Yup, but start from the beginning. It's good for you.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Metro Girl (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
Alexandra Barnaby, known to her family and close friends as Barney, is a former grease-monkey, raised in her father's garage in Baltimore. Now she's an insurance adjuster whose brother calls her from Miami in the middle of the night to say that he'll be away for a while, and don't worry. She flies down to Miami, worried sick, and finds herself wrapped up in a fight to the death over Cuban gold and a Russian bomb. Will she be able to save her brother's life?
Thoughts:
This book SCREAMS Janet Evanovich. Barney reads very much like Stephanie Plum, to the point that I had to remind myself every few pages that this was Metro Girl not Plum Fourteen-and-Three-Quarters. Her partner in finding her brother is Sam Hooker, a horndog racecar driver that feels very much like a young Joe Morelli. She even has a heavyset sidekick type called Rosa who is so Lula-esque, it's hard to read Rosa as "gutsy-but-nuts Hispanic lady" and not "gutsy-but-nuts black lady." It's a fun read, don't get me wrong. But I've read better from Ms. E, and I'm a little disappointed in the not-really-different-ness of this. This is one of those books that you read when you've got nothing else left. Onward and upward, I hope.
Book 3 of 50
Pages: 296
Genre: Chicklit with a dash of mystery and a dollop of comedy
Grade: B-/C+
Would I Recommend?: Meh. You've got better choices.
Alexandra Barnaby, known to her family and close friends as Barney, is a former grease-monkey, raised in her father's garage in Baltimore. Now she's an insurance adjuster whose brother calls her from Miami in the middle of the night to say that he'll be away for a while, and don't worry. She flies down to Miami, worried sick, and finds herself wrapped up in a fight to the death over Cuban gold and a Russian bomb. Will she be able to save her brother's life?
Thoughts:
This book SCREAMS Janet Evanovich. Barney reads very much like Stephanie Plum, to the point that I had to remind myself every few pages that this was Metro Girl not Plum Fourteen-and-Three-Quarters. Her partner in finding her brother is Sam Hooker, a horndog racecar driver that feels very much like a young Joe Morelli. She even has a heavyset sidekick type called Rosa who is so Lula-esque, it's hard to read Rosa as "gutsy-but-nuts Hispanic lady" and not "gutsy-but-nuts black lady." It's a fun read, don't get me wrong. But I've read better from Ms. E, and I'm a little disappointed in the not-really-different-ness of this. This is one of those books that you read when you've got nothing else left. Onward and upward, I hope.
Book 3 of 50
Pages: 296
Genre: Chicklit with a dash of mystery and a dollop of comedy
Grade: B-/C+
Would I Recommend?: Meh. You've got better choices.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Plum Spooky (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
Diesel is back in another Between-the-Numbers Stephanie Plum book. This time around, Diesel is after a pretty scary guy named Wulf, who happens to be hanging out with Stephanie's most wanted FTA, a guy named Munch. Steph and Diesel have to slog around in the Pine Barrens in an effort to find these two men. Along the way, Munch's boss gets killed, the boss's estranged sister gets kidnapped, and there's monkeys galore. All in a day's work for Ms. Stephanie Plum.
Thoughts:
Not bad, though the previous Between-the-Numbers books were much more related to the holidays their titles suggested. This one was neither set near Halloween, nor related to it in any way. That part was a little disappointing. But that aside, I really enjoy the Diesel character, so these "between" books are always fun for me. (It seems, though, this might be the last of them, which is a bit disappointing.) Upon doing a little belated research, it seems that Diesel shows up in another series by Ms. Evanovich, which I will be all over as soon as I get my hands on them. (Wicked Appetite and Wicked Business are the novels, and there are two graphic novels as well.) In this particular "between" book, Diesel actually meets Ranger, something that I don't believe happened in any of the previous editions. I'm fairly sure he's never met Morelli, either. It makes Diesel seem a little more "real" and a little less "magical crazy guy that only flits through for a couple days and then disappears leaving everyone forever changed." All in all, not a bad book to start the year with. Onward!
Book 1 of 50 for 2013
Pages: 320
Genre: Mystery, comedy
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Sure, but only if you've been keeping up with the Plum series. If not, start from the beginning and get yourself hooked properly!
Diesel is back in another Between-the-Numbers Stephanie Plum book. This time around, Diesel is after a pretty scary guy named Wulf, who happens to be hanging out with Stephanie's most wanted FTA, a guy named Munch. Steph and Diesel have to slog around in the Pine Barrens in an effort to find these two men. Along the way, Munch's boss gets killed, the boss's estranged sister gets kidnapped, and there's monkeys galore. All in a day's work for Ms. Stephanie Plum.
Thoughts:
Not bad, though the previous Between-the-Numbers books were much more related to the holidays their titles suggested. This one was neither set near Halloween, nor related to it in any way. That part was a little disappointing. But that aside, I really enjoy the Diesel character, so these "between" books are always fun for me. (It seems, though, this might be the last of them, which is a bit disappointing.) Upon doing a little belated research, it seems that Diesel shows up in another series by Ms. Evanovich, which I will be all over as soon as I get my hands on them. (Wicked Appetite and Wicked Business are the novels, and there are two graphic novels as well.) In this particular "between" book, Diesel actually meets Ranger, something that I don't believe happened in any of the previous editions. I'm fairly sure he's never met Morelli, either. It makes Diesel seem a little more "real" and a little less "magical crazy guy that only flits through for a couple days and then disappears leaving everyone forever changed." All in all, not a bad book to start the year with. Onward!
Book 1 of 50 for 2013
Pages: 320
Genre: Mystery, comedy
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Sure, but only if you've been keeping up with the Plum series. If not, start from the beginning and get yourself hooked properly!
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Fearless Fourteen (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
One of Joe Morelli's distant cousins(of which there are seemingly thousands), Loretta, is a bondee that Stephanie's got to pick up. Thanks to Stephanie's good nature, she agrees to take care of Loretta's teenaged son until she gets out of jail. The only trouble is that Loretta's got no cash and can't bond herself out. Then, when she finally is out, Loretta gets herself kidnapped. Loretta's big brother, Dom, is slightly unhinged, and thinks that Loretta's kid is the product of Loretta and Morelli himself, and doesn't like that his nephew is staying in the home of a cop that used to be a total womanizer. Meanwhile, Ranger asks Stephanie to help him out on a private protection thing with him, for a crazy has-been singer named Brenda, who decides she wants to go into reality TV as a bounty hunter, following Stephanie's every move. Also, Morelli's house keeps getting broken into thanks to news that there might be buried treasure in or around it. Just another regular week in downtown Trenton through the eyes of Stephanie Plum.
Thoughts:
Completely silly as always. It was another fun one. The reappearance of Mooner (the stoner dude that Steph went to school with, and who still hasn't grown up, probably because of the stonerdom) is always a fun time, and the teenager, who calls himself Zook, is a pip too. But as I've been saying from early on with this series, you really need to start from the beginning. There's just too much going on to jump in halfway. Or, in this case, six books from the most recent, including the one Between-the-Numbers edition. The series is fun, and engaging, and I love getting my hands on another of these books, because I know it's going to be lots of fun, even if I do sail through them like they're children's books!
Book 54 of 70
Pages: 310
Genre: Mystery, romance, and we'll add comedy to this one...
Grade: A-
Would I Recommend?: Start from the beginning, and the ridiculous fun in this book will make all the more sense.
One of Joe Morelli's distant cousins(of which there are seemingly thousands), Loretta, is a bondee that Stephanie's got to pick up. Thanks to Stephanie's good nature, she agrees to take care of Loretta's teenaged son until she gets out of jail. The only trouble is that Loretta's got no cash and can't bond herself out. Then, when she finally is out, Loretta gets herself kidnapped. Loretta's big brother, Dom, is slightly unhinged, and thinks that Loretta's kid is the product of Loretta and Morelli himself, and doesn't like that his nephew is staying in the home of a cop that used to be a total womanizer. Meanwhile, Ranger asks Stephanie to help him out on a private protection thing with him, for a crazy has-been singer named Brenda, who decides she wants to go into reality TV as a bounty hunter, following Stephanie's every move. Also, Morelli's house keeps getting broken into thanks to news that there might be buried treasure in or around it. Just another regular week in downtown Trenton through the eyes of Stephanie Plum.
Thoughts:
Completely silly as always. It was another fun one. The reappearance of Mooner (the stoner dude that Steph went to school with, and who still hasn't grown up, probably because of the stonerdom) is always a fun time, and the teenager, who calls himself Zook, is a pip too. But as I've been saying from early on with this series, you really need to start from the beginning. There's just too much going on to jump in halfway. Or, in this case, six books from the most recent, including the one Between-the-Numbers edition. The series is fun, and engaging, and I love getting my hands on another of these books, because I know it's going to be lots of fun, even if I do sail through them like they're children's books!
Book 54 of 70
Pages: 310
Genre: Mystery, romance, and we'll add comedy to this one...
Grade: A-
Would I Recommend?: Start from the beginning, and the ridiculous fun in this book will make all the more sense.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Plum Lucky (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
Another Between-the-Numbers book in the Stephanie Plum series. This comes between Thirteen and Fourteen, and it's the St. Patrick's Day book. Diesel appears again as Stephanie is completely out of the holiday spirit. Grandma Mazur gets her hands on a duffel bag that was left on the sidewalk by a short guy wearing green. Of course that means he was a leprechaun and she found the pot of gold. Stephanie finds all this out the hard way, when the little guy comes after her, wanting his money back. He's stolen it from a mobster who wants it back in a bad way. Grandma Mazur, being the crazy grandma she is, has taken the cash to Atlantic City, where she's playing the slots and gambling it all away. Stephanie takes Lula and Connie with her to AC to try to get Grandma Mazur and the money back before anybody gets hurt.
Thoughts:
With Stephanie, if you put together Lula the ex-hooker, Connie the busty no-nonsense bond office assistant, and Grandma Mazur the old lady who thinks she's a teenager, all hell is going to break loose, and hilarity will ensue. Evanovich really knows what will make the most ridiculous thing happen, and goes out of her way to make it so. As always with the Between-the-Numbers books, this one is centered around Diesel, a magical-ish guy who kinda has a thing about Steph, rather than being completely in line with the rest of the Numbers. No matter what, though, this is a fun time, and if you're in the series, don't miss the Betweens, because they're just as much fun as the regular books, if not more.
Book 53 of 70
Pages: 256
Genre: Mystery, comedy
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Only if you're reading the Plum series. But heck yes.
Another Between-the-Numbers book in the Stephanie Plum series. This comes between Thirteen and Fourteen, and it's the St. Patrick's Day book. Diesel appears again as Stephanie is completely out of the holiday spirit. Grandma Mazur gets her hands on a duffel bag that was left on the sidewalk by a short guy wearing green. Of course that means he was a leprechaun and she found the pot of gold. Stephanie finds all this out the hard way, when the little guy comes after her, wanting his money back. He's stolen it from a mobster who wants it back in a bad way. Grandma Mazur, being the crazy grandma she is, has taken the cash to Atlantic City, where she's playing the slots and gambling it all away. Stephanie takes Lula and Connie with her to AC to try to get Grandma Mazur and the money back before anybody gets hurt.
Thoughts:
With Stephanie, if you put together Lula the ex-hooker, Connie the busty no-nonsense bond office assistant, and Grandma Mazur the old lady who thinks she's a teenager, all hell is going to break loose, and hilarity will ensue. Evanovich really knows what will make the most ridiculous thing happen, and goes out of her way to make it so. As always with the Between-the-Numbers books, this one is centered around Diesel, a magical-ish guy who kinda has a thing about Steph, rather than being completely in line with the rest of the Numbers. No matter what, though, this is a fun time, and if you're in the series, don't miss the Betweens, because they're just as much fun as the regular books, if not more.
Book 53 of 70
Pages: 256
Genre: Mystery, comedy
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Only if you're reading the Plum series. But heck yes.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Lean Mean Thirteen (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter not-so-extraordinaire, is given one task. Plant a bug on her asshole ex-husband. But thanks to his asshole tendencies, Hurricane Stephanie whips through his office, leaving his shell-shocked staff in her homicidal wake. This isn't usually news, but Stephanie then has the misfortune of her ex going missing in the middle of the night, complete with gunshots and a blood trail. Guess who gets fingered for the crime. What's worse, her arch-nemesis Joyce, the woman that broke up her marriage in the first place, is not only sleeping with the jerk again, she won't leave Stephanie alone. With Morelli tied up with a case, Stephanie has to turn to Ranger for help in sorting out the whole mess, which could result in a wholly different kind of mess.
Thoughts:
This one was a good one. The whole way through the book, I was rooting for Stephanie and hoping she would be cleared of the murder. But knowing the characters as I do now, I was really not sorry to hear that the ex was in trouble and probably dead. Poor Steph, too, doesn't know what the hell to do about Ranger. She's hopelessly attracted to both him and Morelli, though Morelli's a much more stabilizing presence in her life, and she keeps getting thrown at Ranger, having to live in his space, being expected to share a bed with him, and having to fight the draw this man has for her. It's almost heartbreaking to see her struggle with this whole mess, but then she's really bringing a lot of it on herself with the work she does and the messes she allows herself to get into all the time. The twist near the end, too, is a fantastic one that makes total sense looking back on the clues, but sort of comes out of nowhere. I was honestly surprised by it, and while I won't say word one about what comes about, I will say it's absolutely worth checking this one out, just for the twist. Well done as always, Ms. E.
Book 48 of 50
Pages: 310
Genre: mystery with romantic undertones
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Definitely, though a lot of the anxiety and crazy of this one can only really be understood from reading the previous books. Not a good jumping-in point anymore.
Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter not-so-extraordinaire, is given one task. Plant a bug on her asshole ex-husband. But thanks to his asshole tendencies, Hurricane Stephanie whips through his office, leaving his shell-shocked staff in her homicidal wake. This isn't usually news, but Stephanie then has the misfortune of her ex going missing in the middle of the night, complete with gunshots and a blood trail. Guess who gets fingered for the crime. What's worse, her arch-nemesis Joyce, the woman that broke up her marriage in the first place, is not only sleeping with the jerk again, she won't leave Stephanie alone. With Morelli tied up with a case, Stephanie has to turn to Ranger for help in sorting out the whole mess, which could result in a wholly different kind of mess.
Thoughts:
This one was a good one. The whole way through the book, I was rooting for Stephanie and hoping she would be cleared of the murder. But knowing the characters as I do now, I was really not sorry to hear that the ex was in trouble and probably dead. Poor Steph, too, doesn't know what the hell to do about Ranger. She's hopelessly attracted to both him and Morelli, though Morelli's a much more stabilizing presence in her life, and she keeps getting thrown at Ranger, having to live in his space, being expected to share a bed with him, and having to fight the draw this man has for her. It's almost heartbreaking to see her struggle with this whole mess, but then she's really bringing a lot of it on herself with the work she does and the messes she allows herself to get into all the time. The twist near the end, too, is a fantastic one that makes total sense looking back on the clues, but sort of comes out of nowhere. I was honestly surprised by it, and while I won't say word one about what comes about, I will say it's absolutely worth checking this one out, just for the twist. Well done as always, Ms. E.
Book 48 of 50
Pages: 310
Genre: mystery with romantic undertones
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Definitely, though a lot of the anxiety and crazy of this one can only really be understood from reading the previous books. Not a good jumping-in point anymore.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Plum Lovin' (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
It's almost Valentine's Day. There's hardly anything going on at the bond office, and Stephanie's only case, Annie Hart, is being held out of her reach by none other than Diesel, Steph's slightly supernatural bud. The catch this time around is that Stephanie's got to play Cupid while Annie can't, while Diesel finds the guy that's so ticked off at Annie, he's going after her with a vengeance. Annie's in the "relationship specialist" business, and Diesel forces Stephanie to help the five schlubs that can't find love before Valentine's Day. Most are easy, but one of the poor schmucks is Stephanie's sister's boyfriend, who wants to BE married to her sister, but just can't get to the GETTING married part without passing out cold. It's a race with the clock to get these unhappy people to find their happily ever afters.
Thoughts:
More fun holiday mayhem with our buddy Diesel. You might remember him from Visions of Sugar Plums, the Christmas book from two months ago. He's back, with more vaguely supernatural hijinks to throw upon Stephanie. When Diesel is around, you know there's going to be something fun and holiday-related. This one's fun for Valentine's time but, having read it during September, it's still fun to read at any time of the year. It's a standard mystery, like the rest of the Plum series, but this time the romance doesn't circle entirely around Stephanie. Like the previous Between-The-Numbers book from Evanovich, it's short and sweet, though this one's got a little bit more meat to it. And who doesn't love a happy ending?
Book 47 of 50
Pages: 164
Genre: Mystery, romance
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Great little read for Valentine's time, though I'd try to keep it in order with the rest of the series... There might be some spoilers otherwise.
It's almost Valentine's Day. There's hardly anything going on at the bond office, and Stephanie's only case, Annie Hart, is being held out of her reach by none other than Diesel, Steph's slightly supernatural bud. The catch this time around is that Stephanie's got to play Cupid while Annie can't, while Diesel finds the guy that's so ticked off at Annie, he's going after her with a vengeance. Annie's in the "relationship specialist" business, and Diesel forces Stephanie to help the five schlubs that can't find love before Valentine's Day. Most are easy, but one of the poor schmucks is Stephanie's sister's boyfriend, who wants to BE married to her sister, but just can't get to the GETTING married part without passing out cold. It's a race with the clock to get these unhappy people to find their happily ever afters.
Thoughts:
More fun holiday mayhem with our buddy Diesel. You might remember him from Visions of Sugar Plums, the Christmas book from two months ago. He's back, with more vaguely supernatural hijinks to throw upon Stephanie. When Diesel is around, you know there's going to be something fun and holiday-related. This one's fun for Valentine's time but, having read it during September, it's still fun to read at any time of the year. It's a standard mystery, like the rest of the Plum series, but this time the romance doesn't circle entirely around Stephanie. Like the previous Between-The-Numbers book from Evanovich, it's short and sweet, though this one's got a little bit more meat to it. And who doesn't love a happy ending?
Book 47 of 50
Pages: 164
Genre: Mystery, romance
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Great little read for Valentine's time, though I'd try to keep it in order with the rest of the series... There might be some spoilers otherwise.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Twelve Sharp (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
Stephanie Plum, almost-average bounty hunter, finds herself the target of one Carmen Manoso, the self-proclaimed wife of Ranger, hottie extraordinaire and sometimes love interest of Stephanie herself. Carmen has found out that Stephanie has slept with Ranger, and wants revenge. Ranger's not around to dispute the claim, thanks to some "bad business" of his in Miami. Stephanie finds Crazy Carmen around every corner for a while. Days later, news gets out that Ranger's daughter has been kidnapped, and Ranger is the police's only suspect. And then Stephanie starts to wonder why Carmen's car, which has been watching the bond office where her friends Lula and Connie work (and where she gets handed her bounty assignments), hasn't moved in days. Stephanie peeks inside to see that Carmen's not in the driver's seat, and there's a body shaped lump in the trunk. Now that things are getting serious, Ranger happens to show up without his daughter, but with a suspected stalker coming after him, trying to BE him. And Stephanie is his next target...
Thoughts:
Really a great story. The stalker/wannabe is always a step ahead of not only the cops, but Ranger too, which is odd for him. This one sees Ranger moving himself into Steph's space for a change, and all the standard concern Steph has regarding Ranger vs. Joe Morelli is there in full force. Their concern for her safety trumps their fighting each other for her hand every time, but it's still always there for the two men, and poor Stephanie just has no idea who to choose. I'm starting to get used to this whole limbo thing she's got going on for her, though for her own sanity, she should probably make a decision some day... We all know, though, that it's never going to happen. Poor girl
Book 46 of 50
Pages: 320
Genre: Mystery with a touch of romance
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Oh of course. This late in the series, though, I'll suggest reading more of the early books, so there's nothing missing when you get to this guy.
Stephanie Plum, almost-average bounty hunter, finds herself the target of one Carmen Manoso, the self-proclaimed wife of Ranger, hottie extraordinaire and sometimes love interest of Stephanie herself. Carmen has found out that Stephanie has slept with Ranger, and wants revenge. Ranger's not around to dispute the claim, thanks to some "bad business" of his in Miami. Stephanie finds Crazy Carmen around every corner for a while. Days later, news gets out that Ranger's daughter has been kidnapped, and Ranger is the police's only suspect. And then Stephanie starts to wonder why Carmen's car, which has been watching the bond office where her friends Lula and Connie work (and where she gets handed her bounty assignments), hasn't moved in days. Stephanie peeks inside to see that Carmen's not in the driver's seat, and there's a body shaped lump in the trunk. Now that things are getting serious, Ranger happens to show up without his daughter, but with a suspected stalker coming after him, trying to BE him. And Stephanie is his next target...
Thoughts:
Really a great story. The stalker/wannabe is always a step ahead of not only the cops, but Ranger too, which is odd for him. This one sees Ranger moving himself into Steph's space for a change, and all the standard concern Steph has regarding Ranger vs. Joe Morelli is there in full force. Their concern for her safety trumps their fighting each other for her hand every time, but it's still always there for the two men, and poor Stephanie just has no idea who to choose. I'm starting to get used to this whole limbo thing she's got going on for her, though for her own sanity, she should probably make a decision some day... We all know, though, that it's never going to happen. Poor girl
Book 46 of 50
Pages: 320
Genre: Mystery with a touch of romance
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Oh of course. This late in the series, though, I'll suggest reading more of the early books, so there's nothing missing when you get to this guy.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Eleven on Top (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
Stephanie Plum has had enough of the bounty hunter game. She's been kidnapped, spat on, shot at, had at least a dozen cars destroyed, and can't stand it anymore. She tries to get other jobs, but no matter what, something goes horribly wrong. Someone is after her, and doesn't want her to get back to the normal life she so desperately wants. Oh, and her love life is complicated as always.
Thoughts:
I love this series. This one has definitely not gotten old. I enjoy reading these every single time. Evanovich just has the voice right. She's got it all right. No wonder she's such a popular author. As I read, I could tel that she was having fun telling yet another ridiculous story about poor Steph. The storyline surprised me, even the ending, thanks to the masterful work of Ms E. The hits just keep on coming for Stephanie, and don't let up until the very end. Love this series.
Book 42 of 50
Pages: 368
Genre: Mystery and romance
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: YES. Read the series. Fight through the hype, it's worth it.
Stephanie Plum has had enough of the bounty hunter game. She's been kidnapped, spat on, shot at, had at least a dozen cars destroyed, and can't stand it anymore. She tries to get other jobs, but no matter what, something goes horribly wrong. Someone is after her, and doesn't want her to get back to the normal life she so desperately wants. Oh, and her love life is complicated as always.
Thoughts:
I love this series. This one has definitely not gotten old. I enjoy reading these every single time. Evanovich just has the voice right. She's got it all right. No wonder she's such a popular author. As I read, I could tel that she was having fun telling yet another ridiculous story about poor Steph. The storyline surprised me, even the ending, thanks to the masterful work of Ms E. The hits just keep on coming for Stephanie, and don't let up until the very end. Love this series.
Book 42 of 50
Pages: 368
Genre: Mystery and romance
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: YES. Read the series. Fight through the hype, it's worth it.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Ten Big Ones (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
Stephanie Plum can't seem to keep herself out of trouble. When she and Lula go out for lunch, they spot a robbery in progress, one of a series of them of the past few weeks, and Steph manages to get a look at the guy who did it, something no one else has done. The man she spotted is part of one of Trenton's most scary gangs, and they come after her with a vengeance. What else is new? It doesn't help that Ranger, one of the biggest and scariest men Steph's ever met, is on an assignment out of the country. Steph's in a fight with her on-again-off-again, Joe Morelli, too, so she's got little to no place she feels safe. What's a poor girl to do?
Thoughts:
Wonderful as always. Janet Evanovich has yet to get stale in this series. Where I was complaining about a lack of surprises in my post last week, this week it's nothing but good. Evanovich brings it all to the table again and again, and this installment is no exception. Sure, I wish Steph would make up her mind already about which man she likes best, but breaking up that love triangle would really suck some of the fun out of these books. Keep up the great work, Miss Janet. Can't wait to read more!
Book 39 of 50
Pages: 320
Genre: mystery/romance
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Yes. For sure!!
Stephanie Plum can't seem to keep herself out of trouble. When she and Lula go out for lunch, they spot a robbery in progress, one of a series of them of the past few weeks, and Steph manages to get a look at the guy who did it, something no one else has done. The man she spotted is part of one of Trenton's most scary gangs, and they come after her with a vengeance. What else is new? It doesn't help that Ranger, one of the biggest and scariest men Steph's ever met, is on an assignment out of the country. Steph's in a fight with her on-again-off-again, Joe Morelli, too, so she's got little to no place she feels safe. What's a poor girl to do?
Thoughts:
Wonderful as always. Janet Evanovich has yet to get stale in this series. Where I was complaining about a lack of surprises in my post last week, this week it's nothing but good. Evanovich brings it all to the table again and again, and this installment is no exception. Sure, I wish Steph would make up her mind already about which man she likes best, but breaking up that love triangle would really suck some of the fun out of these books. Keep up the great work, Miss Janet. Can't wait to read more!
Book 39 of 50
Pages: 320
Genre: mystery/romance
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Yes. For sure!!
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Visions of Sugar Plums (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter, is given one task this Christmas. Bring in toy shop owner Sandy Claws. Thanks to this case, and all her others that have been keeping her busy, Steph hasn't found the time to get herself into the Christmas spirit. That's where Diesel comes in. Who's Diesel, you say? You who have read all Evanovich's other fantastic novels about one Stephanie Plum... Diesel, friends, is a vaguely supernatural character that pops in and out of Stephanie's life occasionally, apparently only in the Between-The-Numbers addenda that have been published outside of the usual numbered titles in the Plum series. What follows Diesel's appearance is a holiday-related adventure that follows Stephanie as she and Diesel try to find Sandy, and hopefully save Christmas.
Thoughts:
This tiny little tidbit of a book, more a novella at most, is really a fun little thing. This book is actually meant to come between books eight and nine in the series, though I read it between eleven and twelve. You're seeing this post a little out of reading-order for me, (hence the "45 of 50" below instead of "38 of 50") so that people who are trying to keep up with me can stay almost close to the right order. That being said, onward... The book reads VERY quickly. I think I was through it in a matter of five or six hours. Diesel is so much fun. Stephanie seems to like him, even if he does seem to come and go startlingly quickly. It's nice to see Evanovich play a little with the supernatural, even if it is barely so. If you like this series, I highly suggest catching the Between-The-Numbers set of books as well as the rest. It's the same set of characters, with the addition of Diesel, and they're looking to be fun little trips down Holiday Lane. Grab it and enjoy. You won't be sorry, and even if you are, it's not like it'll take you all that long.
Book 45 of 50
Pages: 149
Genre: Mystery, holiday related
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Sure. It's a quick read. It'll take you no more than a few hours.
Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter, is given one task this Christmas. Bring in toy shop owner Sandy Claws. Thanks to this case, and all her others that have been keeping her busy, Steph hasn't found the time to get herself into the Christmas spirit. That's where Diesel comes in. Who's Diesel, you say? You who have read all Evanovich's other fantastic novels about one Stephanie Plum... Diesel, friends, is a vaguely supernatural character that pops in and out of Stephanie's life occasionally, apparently only in the Between-The-Numbers addenda that have been published outside of the usual numbered titles in the Plum series. What follows Diesel's appearance is a holiday-related adventure that follows Stephanie as she and Diesel try to find Sandy, and hopefully save Christmas.
Thoughts:
This tiny little tidbit of a book, more a novella at most, is really a fun little thing. This book is actually meant to come between books eight and nine in the series, though I read it between eleven and twelve. You're seeing this post a little out of reading-order for me, (hence the "45 of 50" below instead of "38 of 50") so that people who are trying to keep up with me can stay almost close to the right order. That being said, onward... The book reads VERY quickly. I think I was through it in a matter of five or six hours. Diesel is so much fun. Stephanie seems to like him, even if he does seem to come and go startlingly quickly. It's nice to see Evanovich play a little with the supernatural, even if it is barely so. If you like this series, I highly suggest catching the Between-The-Numbers set of books as well as the rest. It's the same set of characters, with the addition of Diesel, and they're looking to be fun little trips down Holiday Lane. Grab it and enjoy. You won't be sorry, and even if you are, it's not like it'll take you all that long.
Book 45 of 50
Pages: 149
Genre: Mystery, holiday related
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Sure. It's a quick read. It'll take you no more than a few hours.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
To the Nines (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
Stephanie Plum gets handed a new and different kind of case from her boss, a bond out for a guy who promised to leave the country in a week. It's a new kind of bond, and there's been some publicity surrounding it, and Vinnie, Steph's boss, doesn't want it to blow up in his face. The problem is, the guy's now missing. Vinnie teams her with Ranger and demands that the guy is found before he needs to leave the country. Morelli, Steph's on-again guy, is not too pleased with the idea of her and Ranger working together, but he's dealing with it. Steph is forced to move in with Morelli temporarily, thanks to some creep that decides to stalk her. Oh, and Steph and her sidekick Lula wind up in Vegas for a day. More fun and games for Stephanie!
Thoughts:
Another good one. The plot is wonderfully twisty, though when the full idea of the plot was revealed, I had the right person pegged almost immediately. It was wonderful as usual, though. Who doesn't love a good murder plot, especially when there's stalking and creepiness involved! I continue to appreciate Stephanie's relationship with Morelli, too. They're a good pair, if only Stephanie would stop drooling in Ranger's direction. I've always been a one-man-woman, though, so I suppose I shouldn't judge. As I said, though, another fun book. Only nine more to get through!
Book 37 of 50
Pages: 312
Genre: Mystery-romance hybrid
Grade: A-/B+
Would I Recommend?: Read the series. Love it.
Stephanie Plum gets handed a new and different kind of case from her boss, a bond out for a guy who promised to leave the country in a week. It's a new kind of bond, and there's been some publicity surrounding it, and Vinnie, Steph's boss, doesn't want it to blow up in his face. The problem is, the guy's now missing. Vinnie teams her with Ranger and demands that the guy is found before he needs to leave the country. Morelli, Steph's on-again guy, is not too pleased with the idea of her and Ranger working together, but he's dealing with it. Steph is forced to move in with Morelli temporarily, thanks to some creep that decides to stalk her. Oh, and Steph and her sidekick Lula wind up in Vegas for a day. More fun and games for Stephanie!
Thoughts:
Another good one. The plot is wonderfully twisty, though when the full idea of the plot was revealed, I had the right person pegged almost immediately. It was wonderful as usual, though. Who doesn't love a good murder plot, especially when there's stalking and creepiness involved! I continue to appreciate Stephanie's relationship with Morelli, too. They're a good pair, if only Stephanie would stop drooling in Ranger's direction. I've always been a one-man-woman, though, so I suppose I shouldn't judge. As I said, though, another fun book. Only nine more to get through!
Book 37 of 50
Pages: 312
Genre: Mystery-romance hybrid
Grade: A-/B+
Would I Recommend?: Read the series. Love it.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Full House (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
Nick is a riding instructor and newspaper mogul with tons of money. Billie is a divorced mother of two with a bug problem and an empty house while the kids are with their dad. In the first ten pages, you know these two are going to wind up sleeping together, no matter how much Billie protests. But first, Nick cons Billie into letting his annoying cousin Deedee live with her for two weeks before Deedee gets married. Nick's taking care of Deedee's little brother Max, who likes blowing things up to get Nick's attention. In classic romance novel fashion, after sleeping together twice, Nick and Billie are hopelessly in love and there's almost immediately talk of marriage and happily ever after. Some minor trouble appears when there are a string of break-ins in Billie's neighborhood, a persistent bug problem that the bug man can't get rid of, and things start blowing up at Nick's, and it isn't just Max. When the kids get home early, the situation gets more complicated, and Billie and Nick have to figure out how to deal with it all.
Thoughts:
Honestly, not one of Evanovich's best. It's one of Evanovich's early books, published originally in '89, and it showcases her early talent for spinning a story, but not much with her actual prose. It's stiffly written, and the particular copy that I had included several glaring editing mistakes. (Nick is called Neil for a couple paragraphs on the same page as he's called Nick, and Billie's son Joel is called Joey for two full pages.) The prose really sounds like someone testing out the writing waters which, of course, she was at the time of the original writing. Honestly disappointing compared to her later work in the Plum series. Thank goodness Evanovich got more into the mystery end of the writing and didn't stick with the romance. There is a little mystery in this particular book, which is a minor redeeming quality, though it could have been a little less obvious who was actually making the mischief.
Book 36 of 50
Pages: 334
Genre: Romance, with hints of mystery
Grade: C+
Would I Recommend?: Eh. If you want to see how Evanovich handled a romance pre-Plum, or want to be an Evanovich completionist, go for it. Otherwise, find a better romance novel in the Romance section of your local bookstore.
Nick is a riding instructor and newspaper mogul with tons of money. Billie is a divorced mother of two with a bug problem and an empty house while the kids are with their dad. In the first ten pages, you know these two are going to wind up sleeping together, no matter how much Billie protests. But first, Nick cons Billie into letting his annoying cousin Deedee live with her for two weeks before Deedee gets married. Nick's taking care of Deedee's little brother Max, who likes blowing things up to get Nick's attention. In classic romance novel fashion, after sleeping together twice, Nick and Billie are hopelessly in love and there's almost immediately talk of marriage and happily ever after. Some minor trouble appears when there are a string of break-ins in Billie's neighborhood, a persistent bug problem that the bug man can't get rid of, and things start blowing up at Nick's, and it isn't just Max. When the kids get home early, the situation gets more complicated, and Billie and Nick have to figure out how to deal with it all.
Thoughts:
Honestly, not one of Evanovich's best. It's one of Evanovich's early books, published originally in '89, and it showcases her early talent for spinning a story, but not much with her actual prose. It's stiffly written, and the particular copy that I had included several glaring editing mistakes. (Nick is called Neil for a couple paragraphs on the same page as he's called Nick, and Billie's son Joel is called Joey for two full pages.) The prose really sounds like someone testing out the writing waters which, of course, she was at the time of the original writing. Honestly disappointing compared to her later work in the Plum series. Thank goodness Evanovich got more into the mystery end of the writing and didn't stick with the romance. There is a little mystery in this particular book, which is a minor redeeming quality, though it could have been a little less obvious who was actually making the mischief.
Book 36 of 50
Pages: 334
Genre: Romance, with hints of mystery
Grade: C+
Would I Recommend?: Eh. If you want to see how Evanovich handled a romance pre-Plum, or want to be an Evanovich completionist, go for it. Otherwise, find a better romance novel in the Romance section of your local bookstore.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Hard Eight (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter, gets roped into going on the hunt for a woman and her daughter who have gone on the run to get away from her crazy husband and his mob-ish connections. Stephanie quickly realizes that it's not just because the woman's husband is nuts, there is something wholly else going on, and Steph is determined to figure it out. The tough spot with this particular case is that Stephanie runs into another bounty hunter from another agency who is looking for the same mother and daughter. This other bounty hunter just happens to be someone who may or may not have had a fling with Ranger, so of course Steph's jealous meter goes off the charts. And she and Ranger aren't even a thing... Are they? Steph's on-again-off-again, Morelli, would like to think not.
Thoughts:
It was definitely another good one. (Shocker, right?) I am really enjoying this series. They're the kind of summer reading books that make you want to read the whole entire series over the course of a few weeks. I've been trying to pace myself, but boy it's rough. These books are fun, and they're so quintessentially New Jersey. I recognize at least one mentioned location every book, and definitely recognize the character profiles. This one is a little more serious than most, I felt, but there's enough that you can't help but love it. When do I not suggest you get your hands on an Evanovich book? Never. Keep going with the series. It hasn't failed me yet, nor will it fail you. Enjoy.
Book 35 of 50
Pages: 326
Genre: Mystery with a side of romance
Grade: A-/B+
Would I Recommend?: Read this series. It's ridiculously fun. And there's plenty of it to enjoy, considering there's another ten books after this one!
Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter, gets roped into going on the hunt for a woman and her daughter who have gone on the run to get away from her crazy husband and his mob-ish connections. Stephanie quickly realizes that it's not just because the woman's husband is nuts, there is something wholly else going on, and Steph is determined to figure it out. The tough spot with this particular case is that Stephanie runs into another bounty hunter from another agency who is looking for the same mother and daughter. This other bounty hunter just happens to be someone who may or may not have had a fling with Ranger, so of course Steph's jealous meter goes off the charts. And she and Ranger aren't even a thing... Are they? Steph's on-again-off-again, Morelli, would like to think not.
Thoughts:
It was definitely another good one. (Shocker, right?) I am really enjoying this series. They're the kind of summer reading books that make you want to read the whole entire series over the course of a few weeks. I've been trying to pace myself, but boy it's rough. These books are fun, and they're so quintessentially New Jersey. I recognize at least one mentioned location every book, and definitely recognize the character profiles. This one is a little more serious than most, I felt, but there's enough that you can't help but love it. When do I not suggest you get your hands on an Evanovich book? Never. Keep going with the series. It hasn't failed me yet, nor will it fail you. Enjoy.
Book 35 of 50
Pages: 326
Genre: Mystery with a side of romance
Grade: A-/B+
Would I Recommend?: Read this series. It's ridiculously fun. And there's plenty of it to enjoy, considering there's another ten books after this one!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)