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Summary: Have you met Stephanie Plum?
Review: Are you new to Evanovich? With the Stephanie Plum series Evanovich brings us fast-moving entertainment, though ulimately, an unsophisticated agent of the thriller genre.
Reminiscent of Hamilton's Anita Blake vampire series in sassy, slick style and sexy, superficial characterisation, the Plum series is an entertaining diversion rather than cerebral education.
The plot is thin and fast like an early Patterson novel, and the bad guy is evident from half way in. This doesn't spoil the ride though and it's impossible not to hang on with Stephanie and her diverse stereotyped sidekicks for a rollercoaster of fun!
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Summary: This series is hilarious. A must-read!
Review: Heroine: Average "Bawdy, raucous, and outrageously sexy" don't even begin to do justice to this thriller series which reads like an episode of "Moonlighting" meets "Married to the Mob". Heroine Stephanie Plum is from the Burg, a close-knit neighborhood in Trenton, New Jersey where the gals wear their skirts tighter and shorter than their spandex biker shorts, their make-up is louder than their booming car stereos, and their ultra-tall back-teased hair barely fits under the doorways at the mall. Formerly a discount lingerie buyer, Italian-Hungarian Stephanie falls on hard times and, in a fit of desperation, approaches her sleazy cousin Vinnie about a job as a bond recovery agent at his bail bonding business. Murder, mayhem, and mishaps abound as Stephanie tries to get her "collars" and discovers the job is far more difficult when you're the only unarmed person in Jersey. (Stephanie actually owns a piece but prefers to leave it in the cookie jar in her kitchen.) What worked for me: As much as I enjoy the zany plots and wacky secondary characters, I think what keeps me coming back to the series the most is Steph's tangled love life. (It must be nice to have not one but two delicious hunks chasing after you!) Janet Evanovich honed her word craft skills while writing romantic fiction, so she certainly knows how to spin out the sexual tension between the superbly-drawn characters of Stephanie, Morelli, and Ranger. In fact, it takes several books of the series before there is any culmination of lust and love whatsoever. Talk about extended foreplay! Some folks might not find the mysteries convoluted enough, but not being a Perry Mason myself I like the fact that I catch on to the clues before Steph. Makes me feel quite the sharp cookie. :^) As far as size goes, Stephanie lays a few numbers on you weight-wise, but you get a sense that she's fudging them a bit. There are some characters who have a decidedly fat-phobic view on life but fortunately Lula is there to straighten them out.
What didn't work for me: Serial writing is a great gimmick. It's all about leaving the reader hanging by a thread waiting desperately for the next installation in the series. I was lucky, having jumped on the band wagon late I was able to zip through all of the books back-to-back. Now that I am all caught up, though, I too shall have to endure the agony of waiting to find out what will happen in the next book. Overall: Excellent writing, interesting plots, wildly colorful recurring characters, and an infusion of humor make this series a great joy to read, with each book even better than the one before! Since the novels build on each other it's best to read them in order. Warning: there is coarse language used in these books, and they must be read while eating pizza and/or doughnuts. If you liked the "Stephanie Plum" mystery/thriller series, you might also like "Plum Girl", "Fast Women", "Lola Carlyle Reveals All", "Walking at Midnight" and "Looking for Laura". The who's who of the Stephanie Plum series: Joe Morelli: dedicated cop; known for having the best buns in the Burg. As the neighborhood wolf, he's had dozens of mothers saying rosaries for their daughters over the years, including Mrs. Plum when she learned that 8 year old Joe had lured 6 year old Stephanie into his father's garage to play "Choo-Choo". Ranger: Ultra-fit, dark, mysterious former military man, now mercenary bounty hunter with questionable side-businesses. So gorgeous that women walk into walls when he flashes a smile. Once had to release Stephanie from a pair of handcuffs which held her chained in the all-together to her own shower stall. Grandma Mazur: Stephanie's 70-odd year old grandmother, who doesn't look a day over 90. Likes to wear the same wild clothes as her granddaughter, especially to viewings at the local funeral parlors, which is the main social activity in the neighborhood. Recently learned the joys of sharp shooting when she shot a roasted chicken "in the gumpy". Lula: full-figured former hooker with a heart of gold and knuckles of brass. Loves to ride shotgun with Steph to pick up skips, but pouts when she is told not to actually shoot anyone. Mom and Dad Plum: Stephanie's parents. Dad is retired but drives a cab just to get away from Grandma Mazur and his wife. Mom is the ultimate hausfrau who lures food-loving Stephanie to the house with wonderful home-cooked meals then subjects her to hours of nagging, which gives Steph an unfortunate twitch in her left eye. Joyce Barnhardt: our heroine's nemesis who was once caught using Steph's now ex-hubby's backside to polish to the dining room table. Joyce "persuades" Vinnie in a similar manner to hire her on as a skip tracer, much to Steph's everlasting exasperation. Big Blue: An ancient powder blue Buick with windows like portholes. Steph hates this car because it's old, ugly, and turns on a buck-and-a-half. It sticks out like a sore thumb on stake-outs and is likewise useless for tailing people, but on the plus-side it's the only car to-date that Steph's managed not to blow up.
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Summary: Quirky, crazy and cunning
Review: I became hooked on Stephanie Plum when a friend gave me the 10th novel in the series for my birthday. I vowed after reading that one that I'd have to start with No 1 and read my way up the list. The first novel, ONE FOR THE MONEY, is a wild, mapcap adventure with Stephanie just learning her craft, hurling herself into trouble with the cop Morelli (whom she just hates to love), and bungling her way into a really blood-curdling duel with a psycho killer. The joy of Evanovich's writing is that it all looks effortless, although we all know she put plenty of art into it.
Looking forward to number two, just as soon as Amazon delivers it.
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Summary: A Witty anf Funny Book.Very Good.
Review: I had never read a book by Janet Evanovich but a friend of mine told me about the way she writes saying that "she writes in a sexy way." True. But what my friend failed to mention is probably the most important detail when explaining this work.
The narrative of the book is simply great. Evanovich's first novel is one of the best 1st novels i've read. Her main character which has spawned nine sequels (the newest being
"Ten Big Ones") is Stephanie Plum. Stephanie is a now unemployed discount lingerie buyer.She needs a job and quick so she blackmails her cousin Vinnie and gets a job at his bail-bond business as a bounty hunter. Her first target is Joe Morrelli,
a cop who allegedly killed an unarmed man. But for Stephanie tracking down Morelli is personal due to the fact that Morrelli stole Stephanies virginity when she was sixteen. Along the way of tracking him down a sub-plot begins involving a boxer named
Benito Ramirez who begins threatening Stephanie. This synopsis that I just wrote sounds like any other detective novel but this one is different. It's funny,but not too funny. Evanovich writes the character to make her sound sexy however...Not to sexy. This is where Evanovich succeeds. James Patterson writes a series involving the "Womens Murder Club". When he's talking about his main character he makes her sound like a lingerie model. Evanovich writes Stephanie like your every day typical women.
Any mystery fan needs to read this book.An absolute must.A.
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Summary: Fantasically done as a book on tape by Lori Petty
Review: I just got done hearing this read as a book on tape by Lori Petty (better known as the title character in the movie 'Tank Girl'). She did a wonderful job and I was very disappointed to see that she was not the reader for the books offered here on Amazon.com.
Nevertheless, it was a fun and delightful romp throught the seemy underbelly of the New Jersey crimeworld. I enjoyed it thoroughly and will be checking out the rest of the series.
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Summary: First One is Definitely Fun
Review: I read the 8th book first and according to reviews it was not as good as the rest of the series. But after reading Book 1, I'm having a hard time picking my favorite. Grandma Mazur was definitely not as flamboyant but it was nice to see a different side of Morelli and to be introduced to Vinny, Connie, Lula and Ranger. A great start - I'm ready to dive into Book 2.
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Summary: Evanovich is funny and gripping, excessively vulgar...
Review: I'm a fan of Sue Grafton's alphabet mysteries and her nutty detective, Kinsey Millhone. I heard that Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum novels were in the same vein, so I picked up One for the Money to check it out. After finishing it, I couldn't help but think what a pity.... The plot's pacing and the character development are truly excellent. Janet Evanovich does a fine job of fleshing out her story and characters to get you sucked into the action. The pity comes in that Evanovich can't seem to tell a story without using gutter talk. Grafton's infrequent vulgarian lapses are nothing in comparison. Evanovich impulsively injects offensive slang and crass imagery to the point of overkill - are the good people of Trenton really so base? Do they constantly talk and think like oversexed fratboys? The glut of sexual degradation in the book is embarrassingly tacky. Evanovich has enough talent to omit the prurient language, which detracts from the realism and charm of her writing and reduces her characterizations to crude caricatures.
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Summary: Now I see what all the fuss is about
Review: I've heard people rave about the Stephanie Plum series for several years. The other day at the library I decided to pick up One For the Money to see what the fuss was about. I found the book a light and quick read. It was witty, hilarious, angering, and just plain old fun to read. The characters are well defined and believable. This was my first Plum book but not my last. I already have Two for the Dough in que at the library.
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Summary: Fantastic Read~!
Review: This book had me hooked from the first page. I had read the first couple of pages online at this website, and I was very impressed. The story was funny and catchy.
When I finally received the book in the mail, I couldn't wait to get started on it again. It was so hard to put the book down. I could have read it in just one sitting if nothing else was going on.
I have already ordered the rest of the books in the series, and I can't wait to continue the adventure with Stephanie.
Stephanie Plum is spunky but smart. She has a great sense of humor, and you can't help but envy her attitude and perseverance throughout her struggles in the book. She draws you into her life, making you want her to succeed. Stephanie is one of those girls that you could hang out with at a diner, and someone that you would want to be friends with. That's what makes this book work.
Stephanie is not the only character in this book. She is also joined by her quirky family, some good friends, and a crazy boxer. Even though not all of the characters are large in the story line, they contribute so much to the book with their annoying habits and hilarious backgrounds. It makes meeting new people such a joy to read about.
Well, I loved this book, and I hope that people would try and read it once because I believe that this story has something for everybody hidden in the pages. If nothing else, it will definitely make you laugh.
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Summary: Taut Crime Story Filled with Offbeat Comedy and Romance
Review: This book is simply the best first crime novel I have ever read. The characters, plotting, pacing, and writing all reflect years of experience by Evanovich as a romance writer. I have read three other books in the series, and this one exceeds the others in overall quality. That's most unusual in a series. Usually, they start slow, get better, and then slide downhill as the author overworks the formula. Even if you don't like female detection stories, you will like this one! If you are like me, you will read it in one quick sitting! Stephanie Plum is an original character in crime fiction, and an appealing one. You'll be rooting for her to get the bad guy (and the good guys, too) every step of the way! She has a toughness, yet vulnerability, that charm more than repel. She's pursuing the American Dream in her own unique way by doing whatever it takes to succeed, but trying to be a decent person while she does it. To understand how good the plot is imagine the writer's problem: You take an unemployed former discount lingerie buyer in a crime-ridden department store, and turn her into a successful bounty hunter in one book, without having everyone think the story is ridiculous. Naturally, Stephanie Plum isn't very good at doing something that is hard to do, and that she hasn't done before. Her learning is turned into wonderful comedic episodes. But gradually she gets better, and I was very excited for her. The story itself works at several levels. There is the surface one of Stephanie becoming a bounty hunter to escape total poverty (her car is repossessed early in the book, she has sold most of her furniture and her apartment is at risk). To get a job, she blackmails her cousin (threatening him with exposure to his wife for his very kinky sex habits) into giving her the task of bringing in Joe Morelli, a cop up on charges of killing an unarmed man. Even this conditional assignment is hers to lose, and she has to keep at it to get other assignments. No one in her life wants her to be a bounty hunter, but her. The second level is the development of a romance with Morelli. The two have a relationship from their youth. Morelli played choo-choo between her legs at age 6 and did more than that in high school before leaving for the Navy. When Stephanie next saw him, she ran over him with her car because he never called again, and left a note about his second deed in the rest room of a restaurant. Stephanie is able to find Morelli quite often, but cannot subdue him. Pretty soon, he's looking for her. The scenes and by-play will appeal to all who like romance with their crime. The third level of the story is about Stephanie learning the bounty hunting trade. She gets lots of help, and you'll like the other characters who help her. All of them repeat in important ways in future stories. Ranger (Stephanie's mentor) and Lula (Stephanie's future sidekick) make indelible impressions. The fourth level of the story is Stephanie's relationship with her family. They want her to be 'normal' and she does just enough of that to get free food at the family dinner table. This is a wonderful story of becoming independent in a traditional family. The fifth level of the story is a mystery of about who did what to whom, leading up to Morelli's killing of the 'unarmed' man. Morelli claims the man was armed, and that there was a witness. He is avoiding jail to find a way to show his innocence, and tries to persuade Stephanie to help him. The sixth level of the story is about a sexual sadist who decides he wants to have his way with Stephanie. This side of the story is dark, and takes a valuable look at the problems such people present to women everywhere. Evanovich brings all the strings together into a tidy package at the end. Her plot resolution is excellent. Yet she leaves lots of areas where you'd like to see and know more. Fortunately, you have five more novels to read right away. I also recommend that you continue with the series. Although the future books are not as balanced and outstanding as this one, they are fine stores of crime and romance in the comedic vein. On a personal note, there is a lesson here for us all about the untapped potential we have to do more than we think we can. Taking on a major goal is the starting point. Usually, we wait until we have no choice but to get better. However, we have the choice to decide to get better whenever we choose. We can have more, be more, and have better relationships with others by deciding to do so. When sociologists study those who have accomplished the most in their lives, what they usually find is that these people had written goals that they stayed focused on. You can do that, too! I hope you will find this book inspirational in encouraging you to fulfill your purpose in life...
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