Book: Smokin’ Seventeen

Janet Evanovich
Mystery
Bantam / 2011
HardBack / 320 Pages
Series Stephanie Plum #17

Where there's smoke there's fire, and no one knows this better than New Jersey bounty hunter, Stephanie Plum. The bail bonds office has burned to the ground, and bodies are turning up in the empty construction lot. To make matters worse, Stephanie is working out of a motor home she shares with a dancing bear, and Joe Morelli's old world grandmother has declared a vendetta against her. And just when Stephanie decides it might be time to choose between the two men in her life, Morelli and Ranger, a third man from Stephanie's past moves back to Trenton...
Break out a cold drink and slap on some sunscreen, this summer is sure to be a scorcher with Smokin' Seventeen.

I picked this book up because Series/Review
What I liked the Most? Yay!! There’s a story!!

What I liked the Least? Why was the bear included?

Review: I was sooooo very happy with this book, I was really able to laugh out loud and enjoy the read. It seems to be a step in the right direction – the past couple of books have seriously lacked the funny factor. There is a large dose of Joe & Ranger in it. Grandma was a menace at the funeral parlor. And of course Lula is Lula and totally working it royal.

The actual mystery was there but it was very easy to solve, but she included it!!!!

Recommended to: Fans of the series

Best Quote: “Working at Rangeman is a high-stress job, and you’re one of our few sources of comic relief. I give you a car and my men start a pool on how long it will take you to trash it. You’re a line item in my budget under entertainment."

Plum Lovin’

Book: Plum Lovin’



Janet Evanovich

Mystery
St Martin’s / 2007
Hard back / 164 Pages
Series Stephanie Plum 12.5

Watch your back Look both ways Because love is in the air And that means big trouble! Mysterious men have a way of showing up in Stephanie Plum's apartment. When the shadowy Diesel appears, he has a task for Stephanie -- and he's not taking no for an answer. Annie Hart is a "relationship expert" who is wanted for armed robbery and assault with a deadly weapon. Stephanie needs to find her, fast. Diesel knows where she is. So they make a deal: He'll help her get Annie if Stephanie plays matchmaker to several of Annie's most difficult clients. But someone wants to find Annie even more than Diesel and Stephanie. Someone with a nasty temper. And someone with "unmentionable" skills. Does Diesel know more than he's saying about Annie Hart? Does Diesel have secrets he's keeping from Stephanie and the two men in her life -- Ranger and Morelli? With Stephanie Plum in over her head, things are sure to get a little dicey and a little explosive, Jersey style!

I picked this book up because Series (Kind of – it’s the only reason I picked it up)



What I liked the Most? Diesel!! Nuff said.



What I liked the Least? For some reason – the between the number books don’t flow right



Review: Pure comedy. I found laughs on almost every page. If you are in the mood for a funny, light, fun and quick read hit this book up.



I really enjoyed the scenes where Stephanie played "relationship counselor" especially with Jeanne, the 35 year old virgin, were hilarious. The tease-factor plays well throughout.



Recommended to: Fans (ONLY) of the series



Best Quote: Diesel “you should be happy I didn't walk into your bathroom when you were wet and naked." He flashed me the killer smile. "Although I wouldn't have minded finding you wet and naked."

"In your dreams." Stephanie replied.

"Yeah," Diesel said. "It's happened."

Book: Sizzling Sixteen

Janet Evanovich

Mystery
Random House / 2010
Hardback / 400 Pages
Series Stephanie Plum 16

Trenton, New Jersey, bounty hunter Stephanie Plum has inherited a “lucky” bottle from her Uncle Pip. Problem is, Uncle Pip didn’t specify if the bottle brought good luck or bad luck. . . .

BAD LUCK:
Vinnie, of Vincent Plum Bail Bonds, has run up a gambling debt of $786,000 with mobster Bobby Sunflower and is being held until the cash can be produced. Nobody else will pay to get Vinnie back, leaving it up to Stephanie, office manager Connie, and file clerk Lula to raise the money if they want to save their jobs.

GOOD LUCK:
Being in the business of tracking down people, Stephanie, Lula, and Connie have an advantage in finding Vinnie. If they can rescue him, it will buy them some time to raise the cash.

BAD LUCK:
Finding a safe place to hide Vinnie turns out to be harder than raising $786,000. Vinnie’s messing up Mooner’s vibe, running up pay-per-view porn charges in Ranger’s apartment, and making Stephanie question genetics.

GOOD LUCK:
Between a bonds office yard sale that has the entire Burg turning out, Mooner’s Hobbit-Con charity event, and Uncle Pip’s lucky bottle, they just might raise enough money to save the business, and Vinnie, from ruin.

BAD LUCK:
Saving Vincent Plum Bail Bonds means Stephanie can keep being a bounty hunter. In Trenton, this involves hunting down a man wanted for polygamy, a turnpike toilet paper bandit, and a drug dealer with a pet alligator named Mr. Jingles.

GOOD LUCK:
The job of bounty hunter comes with perks in the guise of Trenton’s hottest cop, Joe Morelli, and the dark and dangerous security expert, Ranger. With any luck at all, Uncle Pip’s lucky bottle will have Stephanie getting lucky---the only question is . . . with whom?

Sizzling Sixteen . . . so hot, the pages might spontaneously combust!

I picked this book up because Series

What I liked the Most? Mooner’s back – I freaking love this guy!!! And mmmmm yummy Ranger!! I want a guy like him in my Christmas stocking.

What I liked the Least? The blank pages – WTF?!?!?! And where was the “Vinnie’s running up pay-per-view porn charges in Ranger’s apartment” that the blurb talked about?

Review: You know I usually check out other reviews before I read a book – I mean after all a lot of times I can judge if I need to put my patience cap on or if a book is going to fly – but dang Chicas (and most of the reviews I saw were from women) REALLY? I must say you ladies have got to be reading something else, cause I enjoyed this book. It was a fun read with lots of LOL moments.

Yes you are right – there were problems with the book;

Too much Lula
Not enough Ranger
Too much Vinnie running around almost naked (yuck)
And while I get that this is Trenton – really the cops didn’t think to have an issue with the fire sale at the bonds office or the funny brownies? Really?

But the funny pieces outweigh these minor (unless you count the often missing Ranger) issues and give her credit the heroic Hobbits attacking the Orcs was very well done – if a bit out in left field.

Recommended to: Fans of the series

Best Quote: “I don’t know. I think they might have put some wacky mushrooms on my pizza last night. I was driving down Broad Street just now, and I swear I thought a cow was walking down the street.”

Book: Visions of Sugar Plums

Janet Evanovich

Mystery
St Martin’s / 2003
Paperback / 240 Pages
Series Stephanie Plum 8.5

Christmas in bounty hunter Stephanie Plum's world isn't quite like Christmas in Whoville. With only four days to go before December 25, she doesn't have a decorated tree in her apartment or any presents bought. Plus she's chasing an elusive bail-jumper named Sandy Claws; a hunky guy named Diesel is literally popping in and out of her apartment; and a mob of manic elves is threatening to assault her with cookies. The end result is that Stephanie is feeling a tad stressed over the holiday season. Life isn't any calmer over at her parents' home in the Burg, where Grandma Mazur is dating a new octogenarian stud muffin; sister Valerie is wailing over some unwelcome news; and Stephanie's mother is coping by belting back tumblers of Red Roses in the kitchen. Just where is the elusive Mr. Claws hiding, and why? What's causing the power blackouts all over Trenton? And what about the mysterious villain, Mr. Ring? Is all of this real, or is Stephanie just having a very bad dream?

I picked this book up because Series (Kind of – it’s the only reason I picked it up)

What I liked the Most? Briggs is back – LOL – and Lula didn’t overpower the story line

What I liked the Least? Where did he come from?

Review: Stephanie Plum is trying to track down Sandy Claws – yep the big man himself – running a toy shop filled with a bunch of angry midgets building the toys and she's getting a hand up (in more ways than one) by some man who just popped into her kitchen. The Christmas Countdown has begun and Stephanie hasn't even bought a tree or presents.

This book is just too, too funny!

Recommended to: Fans of the series

Best Quote: "Gripes, I can't keep up on this political correct shit. I don't even know what to call myself. One minute I'm black. Then I'm African American. Then I'm a person of color. Who the hell makes these rules up, anyhow?" – not the most politically correct line but OMG.

The Last Peep

Book: The Last Peep

Janet Evanovich

Mystery
Pocket / 1997
Paperback / 272 Pages (total pages in book)
Series Stephanie Plum 3.5 (The Plot Thickens)

For this marvelously entertaining anthology, these outstanding contributors rose to a unique literary challenge: each penned a tale that ingeniously features a thick fog, a thick book and a thick steak. Contributors include Mary Higgins Clark, Lawrence Block, Edna Buchanan, Carol Higgins Clark, Janet Evanovich, Linda Fairstein, Walter Mosley, Nancy Pickard, Ann Rule and Donald Westlake.

I picked this book up because Short Story part of series

What I liked the Most? the laugh factor

What I liked the Least? the short length

Review: I only read the story by Janet Evanovich and it was okay. And I do mean just okay. The full length novels are so very very much better because there’s more: more humor, more sexual tension, more crazy chases, just more.. This was like reading in the middle of the book and you really do need all the other stuff in-between like Ranger & Morelli.

Recommended to: fans of the series

Best Quote: "Squirrel wasn't a bad person," Lula said, serious voiced. "Was just that his train stopped a few feet from the station. He liked to watch people. Liked to look in bedroom windows at night. And then one thing would lead to another, and pretty soon Squirrel wouldn't have no clothes on, and sometimes he'd get caught and get his bony white ass hauled off to jail."

Book: Finger Lickin' Fifteen

Janet Evanovich
Fiction
St. Martin's Press / 2009
Hard Back / 308 Pages
Series: Stephanie Plum #15

Unbuckle Your Belt And Pull Up A Chair. It's The Spiciest, Sauciest, Most Rib-Sticking Plum Yet.

Recipe for disaster:

Celebrity chef Stanley Chipotle comes to Trenton to participate in a barbecue cook-off and loses his head --literally.

Throw in some spice:

Bail bonds office worker Lula is witness to the crime, and the only one she’ll talk to is Trenton cop, Joe Morelli.

Pump up the heat:

Chipotle’s sponsor is offering a million dollar reward to anyone who can provide information leading to the capture of the killers.

Stir the pot:

Lula recruits bounty hunter Stephanie Plum to help her find the killers and collect the moolah.

Add a secret ingredient:

Stephanie Plum’s Grandma Mazur. Enough said.

Bring to a boil:

Stephanie Plum is working overtime tracking felons for the bonds office at night and snooping for security expert Carlos Manoso, A.K.A. Ranger, during the day. Can Stephanie hunt down two killers, a traitor, five skips, keep her grandmother out of the sauce, solve Ranger’s problems and not jump his bones?

Warning:

Habanero hot. So good you’ll want seconds.

I picked this book up because Challenge/series

What I liked the Most? New Character is a hoot

What I liked the Least? The whole love triangle is getting stale

Review: This book had some laugh out loud moments, but that does not begin to make up for the truly boring phoned in writing - formula is too kind a word to describe this book, which features the same old, same old and then some. Don't get me wrong - I love the running gags, bang cars & the buick, but please this was just sad. The lovable laughable characters are back and full of vinegar, it's just so one note, and so repetitive.

Recommended to: I really wouldn't

Best Quote: "I'm more impressed with the fart."

Challenges: 100+, Stephanie Plum

Book:Fearless Fourteen

Janet Evanovich
Fiction
St. Martin's Press / 2008
Hard Back / 334 Pages
Series: Stephanie Plum #14

Personal vendettas, hidden treasure, and a monkey named Carl will send bounty hunter Stephanie Plum on her most explosive adventure yet.


The Crime: Armed robbery to the tune of nine million dollars
Dom Rizzi robbed a bank, stashed the money, and did the time. His family couldn’t be more proud. He always was the smart one.

The Cousin: Joe Morelli
Joe Morelli, Dom Rizzi, and Dom’s sister, Loretta, are cousins. Morelli is a cop, Rizzi robs banks, and Loretta is a single mother waiting tables at the firehouse. The all-American family.

The Complications: Murder, kidnapping, destruction of personal property, and acid reflux
Less than a week after Dom’s release from prison, Joe Morelli has shadowy figures breaking into his house and dying in his basement. He’s getting threatening messages, Loretta is kidnapped, and Dom is missing.

The Catastrophe: Moonman
Morelli hires Walter “Mooner” Dunphy, stoner and “inventor” turned crime fighter, to protect his house. Morelli can’t afford a lot on a cop’s salary, and Mooner will work for potatoes.

The Cupcake: Stephanie Plum
Stephanie and Morelli have a long-standing relationship that involves sex, affection, and driving each other nuts. She’s a bond enforcement agent with more luck than talent, and she’s involved in this bank-robbery-gone-bad disaster from day one.

The Crisis: A favor for Ranger
Security expert Carlos Manoso, street name Ranger, has a job for Stephanie that will involve night work. Morelli has his own ideas regarding Stephanie’s evening activities.

The Conclusion: Only the fearless should read Fourteen.
Thrills, chills, and incontinence may result.

I picked this book up because Challenge/series

What I liked the Most? Mooner is back - I love this laid back character.

What I liked the Least? Personally this story was a force - it didn't flow like the rest

Review:

Recommended to: Fans of the series

Best Quote: "Carls are always crazy. You never trust anyone named Carl or Steve."

Challenges: 100+, Stephanie Plum

Book:Lean Mean Thirteen

Janet Evanovich
Fiction
St. Martin's Press / 2007
Hard Back / 310 Pages
Series: Stephanie Plum #13

New secrets, old flames, and hidden agendas are about to send bounty hunter Stephanie Plum on her most outrageous adventure yet!

MISTAKE #1
Dickie Orr. Stephanie was married to him for about fifteen minutes before she caught him cheating on her with her arch-nemesis Joyce Barnhardt. Another fifteen minutes after that Stephanie filed for divorce, hoping to never see either one of them again.

MISTAKE #2
Doing favors for super bounty hunter Carlos Manoso (a.k.a. Ranger). Ranger needs her to meet with Dickie and find out if he’s doing something shady. Turns out, he is. Turns out, he’s also back to doing Joyce Barnhardt. And it turns out Ranger’s favors always come with a price.

MISTAKE #3
Going completely nutso while doing the favor for Ranger, and trying to apply bodily injury to Dickie in front of the entire office.

Now Dickie has disappeared and Stephanie is the natural suspect in his disappearance. Is Dickie dead? Can he be found? And can she stay one step ahead in this new, dangerous game? Joe Morelli, the hottest cop in Trenton, NJ is also keeping Stephanie on her toes—and he may know more than lets on about her…It’s a cat-and-mouse game for Stephanie Plum, where the ultimate prize might be her life.

I picked this book up because Challenge/series

What I liked the Most? wow - I needed the laugh this book provided. It was pure fun. "Bang" Beavers & stolen engines.

What I liked the Least? Nothing

Review:Stephanie is still doing her bond enforcement thing, Morelli is doing his cop thing, Lula is Lula, and Ranger is - well just Ranger.

When Dickie (yes that is his name) goes missing Stephanie falls under suspicion for his possible murder - think about it, just that morning she was strangling him infront of Lula & Connie - wanting to clear her name, she starts to look into what her ex had been up to and uncovers a money-laundering scheme. Unfortunately for her she gets caught sticking her nose in where it doesn’t belong, and becomes a target for a crazy flamethrower wielding psycho.

Recommended to: Fans of the series

Best Quote: "Guess it wasn't a singing beaver after all" & "I don't know much about cars, but I think someone took my engine." These books need a warning label - do not read if laying in bed with someone who is sleeping or in a quiet place.

Challenges: 100+, Stephanie Plum

Book: Twelve Sharp

Janet Evanovich
Fiction
St. Martin's Press / 2006
Hard Back / 320 Pages
Series: Stephanie Plum #12

FIRST A STRANGER APPEARS
While chasing down the usual cast of miscreants and weirdos Stephanie discovers that a crazed woman is stalking her.

THEN THE STRANGER REVEALS HER SECRETS
The woman dresses in black, carries a 9mm Glock, and has a bad attitude and a mysterious connection to dark and dangerous Carlos Manoso ...street name, Ranger.

NEXT, SOMEBODY DIES
The action turns deadly serious, and Stephanie goes from hunting skips to hunting a murderer.

SOON, THE CHASE IS ON
Ranger needs Stephanie for more reasons than he can say. And now, the two are working together to find a killer, rescue a missing child, and stop a lunatic from raising the body count. When Stephanie Plum and Ranger get too close for comfort, vice cop Joe Morelli (her on-again, off-again boyfriend) steps in.

Will the ticking clock stop at the stroke of twelve, or will a stranger in the wind find a way to stop Stephanie Plum...forever?

I picked this book up because Challenge/series

What I liked the Most? A vulnerable Ranger whose confidence is somewhat battered with the abduction of his child.

What I liked the Least? The whole mini Ranger theme - really you should know no one could touch it.

Review:This series is a guilty pleasure - it's a no brainer - just a really likeable character in highly unlikely situations.

Turns out Ranger has become the victim of the ultimate Identity Theft. He's been accused of kidnapping his daughter.

Slight spoiler - Lula & Tank? Really! Wow.

Recommended to: Fans of the series

Best Quote: "Probably you should leave before Lula finds her gun"

Challenges: 100+, Stephanie Plum

Book:Eleven On Top

Janet Evanovich
Fiction
St. Martin's Press / 2005
Mass Market / 320 Pages
Series: Stephanie Plum #11

Stephanie Plum, Trenton's favorite bondswoman, is having a career crisis, which gives Janet Evanovich plenty of opportunities to showcase her series heroine in a variety of alternative vocations, from dry cleaner to factory worker. Most of them don't last a full working day, which is good for the reader, since it plunges Stephanie back into the always seedy, often dangerous, and always colorful world of fugitives who'd rather flee than face their day in court. She may be tired of having her life threatened, her cars torched or blown up, and her apartment broken into, but one thing she can say about her job is that it's never boring... and neither is she.

Despite her intentions of going straight at a job with a little more security and a bit less excitement, an old client won't let her--he keeps leaving her threatening notes, stalking and scaring her, and making sure she needs the protection of the two men in her life--Joe Morelli, the sexy cop who's been bedding her since high school, and Ranger, the even sexier tough guy who can take down the meanest fugitive around but has a tender spot in his heart for the plucky Ms. Plum.

All Evanovich fans' favorite characters people this sprightly caper novel, including Lula, the fast-food-chomping former hooker who's hot to take over Stephanie's job but really belongs in a WWE Takedown; Grandma Mazur, who'd rather go to a wake than a fancy-dress ball; Grandma Bella, the matriarch of the Corelli family whose evil eye frightens even the indomitable Stephanie; and Valerie, Stephanie's sister, who's about to embark on another trip to the altar.

I picked this book up because Challenge/series

What I liked the Most? The major twist in the series - I didn't see that coming.

What I liked the Least? She quit - even if it was for only a little bit.

Review:Stephanie actually takes the advice of too many people to count and quits her bounty hunter job in search of a real job. She's lucky - she gets the first job she applies for at the button factory, and the with a local dry cleaners, and also the with a fast-food chicken franchise "Cluck in a Bucket" - all with disastrously funny results.

The on going triangle between Stephanie, Morelli, and Ranger throbs with tension. This is particularly so since Stephanie ends up working for Ranger at Rangeman Security.

Recommended to: Fans of the series

Best Quote: "I don't have a lot of domestic instincts," Ranger said to me, his attention fixing on the unidentifiable glob in my hair, "but I have a real strong urge to take you home and hose you down."

Challenges: 100+, Stephanie Plum

Book: Ten Big Ones

Janet Evanovich
Fiction
St. Martin's Press /
Mass Market / Pages
Series: Stephanie Plum #10

"I'm Stephanie Plum. My mother says that I'm famous and have to set a good example. She's right, but I'm from Jersey and truth is, I have a hard time getting a grip on the good example thing."

Swing off the Jersey Turnpike and you'll be in bounty hunter Stephanie Plum's neighborhood. You'll know it because all hell will be breaking loose. Not that she attracts trouble-it just seems to follow her. In Ten Big Ones it explodes at a deli, and when Stephanie pegs a robber as a member of a vicious Trenton gang, they peg her as dead. Vice cop Joe Morelli fears she's in way too deep-even with the help of crime-solving cross-dressing bus driver, Sweet Sally, and Stephanie's friend Lula riding shotgun as backup. With a notorious killer on her tail, Stephanie figures the best hideout is Ranger's secret lair...

I picked this book up because Challenge/series

What I liked the Most? Some of the wit

What I liked the Least? The style this book had

Review:While this book had some funny scenes and some sexual tension, it was a disappointing read. The characters were badly handled - Ranger and Joe were flat, and every one was fat & on a diet. Nothing moves or changes.

I got a very strong feeling that someone else had a large part in writing this book; it just didn't feel like Janet's work and it appeared the writer was unaware of several important interactions between the characters.

The book definitely has some good spots that make it worth reading, but if this had been the first in the series, I would not have bought the next one.

Recommended to: Fans of the series

Best Quote: "I can't get up! I've got seven humping dogs on me. Seven. Do Something!" I dang near peed my pants

Challenges: 100+, Stephanie Plum

Book: To The Nines

Janet Evanovich
Fiction
St. Martin's Press / 2003
Mass Market / 320 Pages
Series: Stephanie Plum #9

Stephanie Plum's got rent to pay, people shooting at her, and psychos wanting her dead every day of the week (much to the dismay of her mother, her family, the men in her life, the guy who slices meat at the deli . . . oh, the list goes on). An ordinary person would cave under the pressure.

But hey, she's from Jersey.

Stephanie Plum may not be the best bounty hunter in beautiful downtown Trenton, but she's pretty darn good at turning bad situations her way . . . and she always gets her man. In To the Nines, her cousin Vinnie (who's also her boss) has posted bail on Samuel Singh, an illegal immigrant. When the elusive Mr. Singh goes missing, Stephanie is on the case. But what she uncovers is far more sinister than anyone imagines and leads to a group of killers who give new meaning to the word hunter.

In a race against time that takes her from the Jersey Turnpike to the Vegas Strip, Stephanie Plum is on the chase of her life.

I picked this book up because Challenge/series

What I liked the Most? Tag your it/Laying waste to Rangeman body guards

What I liked the Least?NOTHING

Review: From the opening gambit to the last page - OMG this was hands down one of the funniest books I've read lately.

Recommended to: Fans of the series

Best Quote: "I'm a white girl from Trenton. I don't know these things. I need a rap cheat sheet." - I may not be from Trenton, but I still feel this way. LOL.

Challenges: 100+, Stephanie Plum

Book:Hard Eight

Janet Evanovich
Fiction
St. Martin's Press / 2002
Mass Market / 320 Pages
Series: Stephanie Plum #8

Fugitive Apprehension Agent Stephanie Plum has a big problem on her hands: Seven-year-old Annie Soder and her mother, Evelyn, have disappeared.

Evelyn's estranged husband, Steven, a shady owner of a seedy bar, is not at all happy. During the divorce proceedings, he and Evelyn signed a child custody bond, and Steven is demanding the money guaranteed by the bond to find Annie. The money was secured by a mortgage on Evelyn's grandmother's house, and the True Blue Bonds Bail Agency wants to take possession of the house.

Finding a kidnapped child is not an assignment for a bounty hunter. But Evelyn's grandmother lives next door to Stephanie's parents, and Stephanie's mother and grandmother are not about to see their neighbor lose her house because of abduction.

Even though Stephanie's plate is full with miscreants who missed their court dates, including old nemesis and violent drunk Andy Bender and an elusive little old lady accused of grand theft auto, she can't disappoint Grandma Mazur! So she follows the trail left by Annie and Evelyn-- and finds a lot more than she bargained for. Steven is somehow linked with a very scary Eddie Abruzzi. Trenton cop and on-again, off-again fiance Joe Morelli and Stephanie's mentor and tormentor, Ranger, warn Stephanie about Abruzzi, but it's Abruzzi's eyes and mannerisms that frighten Stephanie the most. Stephanie needs Ranger's savvy and expertise, and she's willing to accept his help to find Annie even though it might mean becoming too involved with Ranger.

Stephanie, Ranger, Lula (who's not going to miss riding with Ranger), and Evelyn's lawyer/laundromat manager set out to find Annie. The search turns out to be a race among Stephanie's posse, the True Blue Bonds' agent, a Rangerette known as Jeanne Ellen Burrows, and the Abruzzi crew. Not to mention the fact that there's a killer rabbit on the loose!

I picked this book up because Challenge/series

What I liked the Most? Ranger is SOOOOOOO hot

What I liked the Least? nothing

Review: Another comic adventure in the strange world of 'The Burg,' New Jersey's very own twilight zone. Stephanie quickly finds herself at odds with Eddie Abruzzi, who is a sociopathic crime lord when he isn't being a sociopathic war gamer. Eddie wants Stephanie out of a missing child investigation, and is perfectly willing to make her crazy before he finally kills her - she should have never mentioned bunnies. Really. And who can forget a lawyer whose name is not spelled c-l-o-w-n?

Recommended to: Fans of the series

Best Quote: "I'm not sure I feel comfortable about the way your grandma looks at me"


Challenges: 100+, Stephanie Plum

Book:Seven Up

Janet Evanovich
Fiction
St. Martin's Press / 2002
Mass Market / 352 Pages
Series: Stephanie Plum #7

Semi-retired mob guy, Eddie DeChooch, is caught trafficking contraband cigarettes through Trenton, New Jersey. When DeChooch fails to show for a court appearance, bond enforcement agent Stephanie Plum is assigned the task of finding him and dragging his decrepit ass back to jail. Not such an easy job, it turns out, since DeChooch has learned a lot of tricks over the years and isn't afraid to use his gun. He's already shot Loretta Ricci and left her for worm food in his shed. He wouldn't mind shooting Stephanie next.

Likeable losers (and former high school classmates) Walter "MoonMan" Dunphy and Dougie "The Dealer" Kruper have inadvertently become involved with DeChooch. They've gotten sucked into an operation which is much more than simple cigarette smuggling and holds risks far greater than anyone could have imagined.

When Dougie disappears, Steph goes into search mode. When Mooner disappears, she calls in the heavy artillery and asks master bounty hunter Ranger for help. Ranger's price for the job? One night with Stephanie, dusk to dawn. Not information she'd want to share with her some-time live in roommate, vice cop Joe Morelli.

A typical dilemma in the world of Plum.

And on the homefront, Stephanie's "perfect" sister Valerie has decided to move back to Trenton, bringing her two kids from hell. Grandma Mazur is asking questions about being a lesbian, and Bob, the bulimic dog, is eating everything in sight-including the furniture.

Mud wrestling, motorcycles, fast cars, fast food, and fast men. It's Seven Up. Absolutely Janet Evanovich at her very best.

I picked this book up because Challenge/series

What I liked the Most? How the ancient cast of characters keep elluding everybody. LOL. Too funny.

What I liked the Least? Eddie was kinda mean

Review: Stephanie is expected to pick up a seventy plus year old person mobster who never made his court appearance. She instead finds him to be extremely difficult to apprehend as he keeps evading her. During her search, Stephanie is shot at, propositioned, and threatened. She uses herself as bait to catch her mark, but instead Eddie kidnaps Grandma Mazur. He uses his victim to force Stephanie to accept his terms. Desperate, she turns to former mercenary Ranger to help her even as she wonders whether she really wants to pay the price he extracts from her for his services.

Recommended to: Fans of the series

Best Quote: "Is that a bulletproof vest? See, now that's so insulting. That's like saying I'm not smart enough to shoot you in the head."

Challenges: 100+, Stephanie Plum

Book: Hot Six

Janet Evanovich
Fiction
St. Martin's Press / 2001
Mass Market / 352 Pages
Series: Stephanie Plum #6

Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is faced with her most daunting task yet: bring in the mysterious former Special Forces agent Carlos Manoso (aka Ranger). He's the man who taught her everything about fugitive apprehension, and Stephanie knows she will be testing her skills against the master. But even if she does catch him, she's not so sure she could turn in her friend-even if he is wanted for murder...


And if this isn't enough to keep her up at night, Grandma Mazur is crimping her sex life by moving in with her and keeping her from getting any action from her cop boyfriend, Joe Morelli. Now, with her love life messing with her head, two threatening goons on her tail, and three corpses-so far-it's getting a little too hot for Stephanie whose search for Ranger is bringing her dangerously close to the wrong side of the law...

I picked this book up because Challenge/series

What I liked the Most? Grandma Mazur - she is still a rocking character

What I liked the Least? Morelli's jealousy - it's fake

Review: I was slightly disappointed, maybe it's just my hormones talking, but I would have liked it if Stephanie had had more "screen time" with Ranger. Joe is a nice guy (sweet, considerate and all that) but there's something about the mysteriousness of Ranger that appeals to me. So that may be the only reason this book didn't seem great to me. Sure, the whole deal with the Ramos family was interesting as were her other FTA's but it just wasn't as involved as the others. This book seemed to be lacking

Recommended to: Fans of the series

Best Quote:"If she wasn't your grandmother I'd shoot her."

Challenges: 100+, Stephanie Plum

Book:High Five

Janet Evanovich
Fiction
St. Martin's Press / 2000
Mass Market / 340 Pages
Series: Stephanie Plum #5

In her fifth high-octane thriller, bounty hunter Stephanie Plum sets out to find her missing uncle-- and along the way smacks slam-bang into: a dead body, a nasty bookie, her stun-gun-toting grandmother, two very sexy men, an angry little man who won't leave her apartment, and a Mafia wedding...

Jersey's favorite bounty hunter has never been better! With high hair, street smarts and plenty of attitude, Steph's sure to nail this case-- or risk life and spandex-clad limb trying...

I picked this book up because Challenge/series

What I liked the Most? Grandma rules!

What I liked the Least? Which guy would you choose?

Review:This series has an easy style of writing - comfortable and very readable. But the main key to such success is Stephanie, who's really Everywoman with an attitude. How can you resist a woman who wears guns, knives, pepper spray and a cell phone on her belt, yet admits to herself that if she spots the bad guy, she'd wet her pants and run screaming back into her apartment building?

With this book - the fifth in the series you get a topnotch experience that will make you piddle your pants while laughing. You really must read them in order because you get to know and like these characters and that background knowledge made the reading enjoyment that much better.

Recommended to: Fans of the series

Best Quote: "we went to a male dale place last week - and they had some men parading around, looking like construction workers, wearing boots just like those. Then next thing you knew they ripped their clothers off and all they had left was those boots and these little silky black baggie things that their ding-dongs jiggled around in" - gotta love Grandma Mazur

Challenges: 100+, Stephanie Plum

Book: Four to Score

Janet Evanovich
Fiction
St Martin's Press / 1998
Mass Market / 338 Pages
Series: Stephanie Plum #4

Stephanie Plum is back, and this time she's on the trail of Maxine Nowicki, an ex-waitress accused of stealing her ex-boyfriend's car. Helping Stephanie is former-prostitute-turned-backup Lula, puzzle solving transvestite singer Sally Sweet, mentor Ranger, and vice cop Joe Morelli. This one won't be easy though, as Stephanie's competing with her arch nemesis Joyce Barnhardt.

Oh, and she can't forget the little matter of someone trying to kill her. Again.

I picked this book up because Series/Challenge

What I liked the Most? I love the running car gag - too brillant.

What I liked the Least? I figured this one out too fast.

Review:The chase is on in this page-turning book of mayhem! The regular cast of characters are back in action helping Stephanie (or is that harassing Stephanie). Her family (especially Grandma) add pizzazz, depth, and a whole of a lot of humor to this great plot.

This book also introduces Sally Sweet, a code-breaking transvestite 'drag queen" musician. Grandma Mazur comes right out and asks Sally what a drag queen does with his ding-dong and I died laughing. Stephanie's enemy, Joyce Barnhardt, also has a larger roll in this book, as the newest bounty hunter at the Vincent Plum bail bonds agency.

This book is truly hysterical, pages keep turning with the fast paced humor and wit. This is the best book yet in the series and I thought three was good. This series is highly recommended!

Recommended to: You gotta be ready to laugh

Best Quote:"You're going to find this hard to believe, but cops aren't required to carry emergency condoms."


Challenges: 100+, Stephanie Plum

Book: Three To Get Deadly

Janet Evanovich
Fiction
St Martin Press / 1997
Mass Market / Pages
Series Stephanie Plum #3

A "saintly" old candy-store owner is on the lam-and bounty hunter extraordinaire Stephanie Plum is on the case. As the body count rises, Stephanie finds herself dealing with dead drug dealers and slippery fugitives on the chase of her life. And with the help of eccentric friends and family, Steph must see to it that this case doesn't end up being her last...

I picked this book up because Challenge/Series

What I liked the Most? I love Grandma - but DAMN Ranger is smoking.

What I liked the Least? Sometimes the jokes border on patronizing

Review:I’ve learned that there really isn’t a lot of deep introspection required for a Stephanie Plum story and that’s perfectly fine. What is involved is an interesting mystery, humorous interaction between Stephanie and everyone else, including the bad guys, and one of the funniest relationships ever put down on paper – the one between Stephanie and Morelli.

Recommended to: Someone looking for an easy read that will have you turning pages at the same time it has you chuckling out loud, give these books a try.

Best Quote: “You’re granny’ll be doing target practice, shooting the eyes out of potatoes.”

Challenges:100+, Stephanie Plum

Book:Two For The Dough

Janet Evanovich
Fiction
Pocket Books / 1996
Mass Market / 312 Pages
Stephanie Plum #2

Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum debuted in Janet Evanovich's award-winning One for the Money. Now she's back, packing a whole lot of attitude — not to mention stun guns, defense sprays, killer flashlights and a .38 Smith & Wesson — on the trail of Kenny Mancuso, a boy from the working class burg of Trenton, who's just shot his best friend. Mancuso's fresh out of the army and suspiciously wealthy. He's also distantly related to Joe Morelli, a vice cop with ethics that lean toward the gray zone, a libido in permanent overdrive, and a habit of horning in on Stephanie's investigations.

Aided by her tough bounty hunter pal, Ranger, and her funeral-happy Grandma Mazur, Stephanie's soon staggering knee-deep in corpses and caskets, trying to shake Morelli ... and stirring up a very nasty enemy ...

I picked this book up because its' the 2nd in a challenge.

What I liked the Most? Grandma yet again

What I liked the Least? All the bumping into and no one managed to hold on? Really? It's like the 3 stooges.

Review:If you thought the first book in this series was good, this one is even better. And if you haven't read the first book, do it. Why did I wait to read these books?

Stephanie Plum is quick becoming my favorite fictional heroine. I just love the way Evanovich writes. The way the story just flies along - and all the subplots and characters are wonderful. She has spunk and a smart mouth, and sometimes that's all it takes.

Recommended to: Someone who wants to laugh

Best Quote: "I shot a chicken once, it was an accident"

Challenges: 100+, Stephanie Plum

Book:One For The Money

Janet Evanovich
Fiction
Pocket Books / 1993
Mass Market / Pages
Stephanie Plum #1

Trenton native Stephanie Plum is out of work, out of money, and her car's in repo-hell. So who does a hardly working girl turn to when the going get tough? Meet cousin Vinnie, bail bondsman. Stephanie figures it's nice work if you can get it - shagging bail jumpers for $10,000 a pop. So she joins up. Not that she knows the first thing about. But hey, beggars can't be choosers.

Her first assignment: nail Joe Morelli, a former vice cop on the run from a charge of murder one. Stephanie knows Joe from the old neighborhood and nothing would please her more than nabbing this bozo. But now the bad news - there's a cranky ex-prize fighter dogging her, unfinished business with Maestro Morelli himself, and a nasty habit she has of leaping first and looking later. If Stephanie doesn't wise up fast, the first dead body she sees could be her own.

I picked this book up because I signed up for the Stephanie Plum Challenge.

What I liked the Most? Grandma is the best character EVER

What I liked the Least? Some of the writing was a little hokey

Review:Stephanie Plum's been laid off from her job as a lingerie buyer for a New Jersey mob owned company, and there are NO jobs for an out of work lingerie buyer. Her Miata gets repossessed, she's pawned everything of value, and her refrigerator is empty. Her father says her cousin Vinnie (a bail bondsman) is hiring for a file clerk and out of desperation, she goes to see him. That job just got filled, but the secretary lets her know that there's an opening for a bounty hunter, and the money well its really good. Stephanie blackmails her cousin into letting her take a case that will pay out $10,000 if she can bring the guy in. However, tt turns out the fugitive is someone she has a long history with. Regular cop gone bad and now he's been arrested for cold-blooded murder. Of course, Stephanie is unbelievably unqualified for this job, but a mixture of desperation, pride, and stubborness take her a long way.

This was a quick, fun read, but there was still plenty of murder and mayhem for most mystery/thriller readers. It was actually a prety funny book, I especially enjoyed the chicken incident with Grandma.

Recommended to: Someone wanting to laugh

Best Quote:"I shot that sucker right in the gumpy"

Challenges: 100+, Stephanie Plum