Rating: 
Summary: Who wrote this book?
Review: Breaking my rule against buying hardcover mysteries, I got this one rather than waiting for the paperback for a jolt of Stephanie Plum's self-reliant and humorous bounty hunter. Poor editing, silly, and worse, unamusing, subplots and a voice that did not sound like the original author's made me wonder if JE wrote this. [Remember when Trevanian sold his name?] And the gang parts were just ridiculous; one of the things that makes the series work is the sense that the author knows something about what she is writing, but this book shows not only lack of knowledge but not even basic research on gang behaviour. C'mon I know these are mystery-light books, but give us some credit. The two stars are for encouragement. JE: please go back to writing the Stephanie Plum books again or end the series.
Rating: 
Summary: Not the best Plum, but still a good, fun read
Review: By now, faithful readers of Ms. Evanovich will already know the plot: goofy bounty hunter mediocre Stephanie Plum, in the midst of some bond enforcement shenanigans, ticks off the wrong person and is targeted for car fires, smacking around and death. Mixed in are some fighting with Morelli (will Steph commit or won't she), lusting after Ranger, abuse of Rex the hamster who only seems to get fed junk food and lots of zany sidekick action from Lula, Connie and the infamous Grandma Mazur. Ten books in, Evanovich sees no reason to mess with a winning formula, and it works again, only sort of this time.Defying all logic, inept Steph manages to locate and infiltrate the Ranger Bat Cave, keep ahead of a major assassin, string Morelli along one book longer and yet again encounter the strangest people the burbs have to offer. The laugh-out-loud moments are fewer than in any other Plum book, but there are enough of them to keep you interested, if not glued to the pages. If you've read any of books 1-9, you already know the ending and you already know there won't be any resolution of the relationship issues. Writing a long-term series strains the talents of even the best authors (J.D. Robb, Sue Grafton and Patricia Cornwell, among others), so Evanovich can be excused for some of the plot fatigue. I just can't help but think these characters should be moving along beyond the limits set within the first few books by now rather than replaying the same old schtick. Ten Big Ones is a well-written and well-crafted book that reads fairly quickly. What disappoints is that it could and should have been a lot more. I hope Evanovich takes a little extra time with the eleventh installment and gives her loyal readers a better story next time around.
Rating:
Summary: Almost back to top form
Review: I am a fan of the Stephanie Plum series. The last few have been a little weak, as if the series is now boring Janet Evanovich and she is just cranking them out because she has been contracted to do so, but this one is so much better, although it is not written with the same care and inspiration as the earliest ones. It is fast paced, and as always, you will have to suspend belief for the ending. It is written to the same formula, which is sometimes predictable, with larger than life characters.
The interaction with Plum's family, Lula and the sexual frisson between Stephanie and Joe or Ranger is superb.
It would have been better had Evanovich spent more time developing some of the characters and situations rather than just relying on old stereotypes and almost duplicating the descriptions. I am also getting sick of Stephanie's cars being destroyed, reading about the poor diet of her hamster and that she can only make sandwiches for dinner. It is just lazy writing that much of the content is copied from book to book and it shortchanges her fans to rehash so much.
The plot is generally good and Stephanie is as endearingly quirky and inept as ever. Passages including dialogue with her parents, especially her father's pithy remarks, are always good value and Grandma Mazur almost deserves a book of her own - she is totally over the top and hilarious.
There are some blaring inconsistencies in the book, and Evanovich's editor needs to read more carefully as the porsche morphs into an SUV more than once. Plum's hamster must be the oldest on record and why, with all the jobs Stephanie gets, she is always so broke because she never spends much on herself? They are small niggles, in what is often a laugh out loud book.
It is a good read and worth the money if you are getting it in paperback or from the library. I'd expect more for my money in a hardback.
If you are new to Evanovich, start at the beginning of the Plum series and you won't be disappointed. Don't buy the Full House/Blast, etc series as they are absolutely dire and definitely don't waste your money on Metro Girl as it is a weak and sloppily written imitiation of the Plum series.
I read it in one go on a long flight and was never tempted to watch the inflight movies. Ten Big Ones held me from beginning to end.
Good work Janet, I have even higher expectations for number 11 in the series.
Rating: 
Summary: Definitely on my Top TEN List...
Review: I discovered Janet Evanovich just recently and zipped through all ten of her novels in the Stephanie Plum series. By zipped, I mean, I read each one in two days. I love her voice and description. I had never really enjoyed a book written in first person as much as I enjoyed these. I felt like I was right there the whole time. Her characters are compelling and you truly feel for each one. I can't wait to see what ELEVEN will bring.
Rating: 
Summary: Ten Big Ones
Review: I enjoyed this book as I have all the others but I will admit to being disappointed with this one. The story was just okay (I thought it was going in a whole other direction with the Red Devil and was surprised when it turned out to be gangs). I also thought the publishers might have left some pages off the ending because I did look for them! I'll definitely keep reading Janet Evanovich's books but hope her future ones pick up the pace a little bit. PS I had preferred Morelli until this book. Now its Ranger all the way!!!!
Rating:
Summary: book was great like the other nine
Review: i loved the book i have read one throught ten about 6 or 7 times and i cant get enough of stephanie. the book gives u more info on ranger and i loved reading about stephanie and the shower gel i think with the twist it makes it more interesting and has me waiting for the elleventh book i personally own all 10 and visions of sugar plums they are all great and evanovich is a great writer
Rating:
Summary: Delivers what is promised
Review: I'm not a large or long-time Stephanie Plum fan, so perhaps that's why I liked Ten Big Ones while many fans didn't. Ten Big Ones delivers a roller coaster ride in an amusement park, no more and no less. We don't get the depth of, say Nevada Barr or Margaret Maron, but we don't get half-baked attempts, either.
Evanovich's heroine, Stephanie Plum, gets herself into one scrape after another. Her car gets shot up. She sees a killer she's not supposed to see. She hides out in an apartment belonging to a dangerous man. And as soon as she manages to handcuff a bail jumper, you know something's going to go wrong.
Parts of this book hover on laugh-out-loud slapstick, especially episodes with Carol the chip junkie and Grandma Mazur. And yet the writing remains consistently high quality, often a model for other writers: "Morelli was lean and hard muscled, with wary cop eyes that softened in the bedroom." Now that's description!
So if you can take a deep breath and accept the surreal quality of Stephanie Plum and her life, you're in for a carnival type treat...just don't let yourself wonder what Stephanie Plum says to her insurance company and what they'll charge for comprehensive and collision next year.
Rating:
Summary: Is ten a stretch?
Review: Janet Evanovich is easily one of the best newer writers out there! I have read her whole line of Stephanie plum novels straight from the day they came out. The first was an eye opener... it led to me wanting to read each and every one after! She seems to be slightly searching for ideas in books 8 and up. Does that make it all the more interesting????? At times OH YEAH you will not stop laughing. At others, you will wonder upon authors intent. this is a definite must read along with all of her other wonderful books.
Rating:
Summary: Not a great read...but
Review: Janet Evanovich is probably one of my favorite authors. I was hooked on the Stephanie Plum series from the very start. I've met this lady and she's a real sweetheart, so it hurts me to read a mediocre piece of work that she's written. Perhaps I expect too much. I have to agree she needs to write something new and different. She's got a good thing going with Joe and Ranger, and her relationships with both men will keep you guessing. But this book has a bit too much silliness in it for me. I think a person getting arrested for stealing chips off a potato chip truck is a little far-fetched. And even though Janet had a good idea for a great plot with this one, the ending just didn't fit at all. It seemed like she was at a loss for words and just didn't know how else to end this story. There were times when the writing didn't even sound like Janet, so I had to wonder about this one. Like I said, she's one of my very favorite authors, so I won't give up reading her future novels. I just hope she takes more time with the next one.
Rating:
Summary: What happened to the ending?
Review: Just this past fall I was turned-on to the Plum series by my neighbor. I've just completed the run with this one. Ten Big Ones was better than book Nine. The laugh-out-loud bits had returned, so through most of the book I was happily satisfied. But after the ending, I felt jipped! The ending was, to me, just silly. And once our heroine was saved (again), that was it! No wrap-up. No teasing of things to come with Stephanie's romances. Very disappointing! And, please, Ranger (one of my favorite characters) is turning into a comic book character. His one word dialogue (that being "Babe") is getting very boring. I'm hoping for better things in Eleven!
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