Rating: 
Summary: strong holiday Plum mystery
Review: Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is not having a good time. It is only a few days before Christmas and she hasn't sent out any cards, doesn't have a tree, and has yet to go shopping for gifts. She has had no luck in finding Sandy Claws, a senior citizen who failed to appear in court on a burglary charge. If all that wasn't bad enough, a man materializes in her kitchen who goes by the name of Piersel and says he was "sent" to her.She can't lock him out of her apartment because he can magically unlock any door and the more time she spends with him, the more she believes there is something mystical about him. While Stephanie is running around town trying to find Sandy, Diesel is trying to find Ring who is Sandy's mortal enemy. Little does Stephanie know that Ring is somehow connected to her and if he's not stopped he will ruin the Plum Christmas. Fans of the Stephanie Plum mystery series will definitely want to add this book to their collection. It makes a great gift, captures the holiday spirit, and is a fun reading experience. Diesel is a unique, one of a kind superhero who would be a perfect foil for Joe Morelli in future Plum mysteries. Harriet Klausner
Rating: 
Summary: Too pricey
Review: This book was not of the same caliber as One for the Money. Janet can write better than this. The stoy line is thin, of course the characters are zany as always and thats the one good thing about this novella. However the characters can't always carry the book you need a good strong story line as well. Stephanie is after an FTA named Sandy Claws. One morning she wakes up and finds a man in her apartment. It started off well, the idea was interesting and it could have worked. But in the end, the plot was rushed and I didn't feel like all my answers about the character Diesel were answered. Diesel would have been interesting but in the middle of the book he turned out to be a copy of Ranger. I don't recommend you buy this in hardcover. You will feel cheated. I paid for this in Canadian dollars and it was close to 30$. If readers are going to spend this much money the publusher, writer and editor better make damn sure its the best novella ever written. I think the publisher should stop rushing Janet to produce books because the quality of the writing and the story telling is declining as the series progresses. I rather wait for 2 years for an awesome book than 1 year for a book.
Rating:
Summary: you'll laugh out loud
Review: Even if you're not familiar with the Plum family characters from previous books, you'll laugh out loud. The antics of Stephanie Plum and her family are particularly heartwarming around the holidays, and holiday traditions take on a whole new meaning while reading the way they celebrate! Four generations under one roof is next to impossible to relate to, let alone laugh about, but the individual profiles of each Plum family member, plus the always hilarious antics of Grandma Mazur, bring an appreciation of family to the reader. Different in that the chase for the bounty hunter's query is secondary, though not in humor, to the real story of home, family and holiday feel-good. This author is the funniest one I have ever read, can't fathom where she gets her ideas for humor. I laughed till I cried, out loud and all alone. That is the mark of an excellent humor-filled book. Janet Evanovich did not disappoint, but rather excelled, in this chapter of the Plum life.
Rating: 
Summary: Fantasy and Christmas go together like Santa and cookies!
Review: I understand that a lot of loyal Stephanie Plum readers are taken aback by this novella. It is different--there is a fantasy element central to the story line that doesn't seem to really make sense in Stephanie's world. However, Stephanie is kind of like George Bailey--she has lost the spirit of Christmas, and it's going to take some fantastic intervention to help her back on the holiday bandwagon. Frankly, I thought this book was fun. Grandma Mazur has a new stud muffin, Mom's hitting the bottle, perfect sister has a surprise, a car gets toasted, AND Stephanie is looking for a guy named Sandy Claws. It satisfied my Plum craving and makes me eager to return to the "real" world in book 9. If you can't stand fantasy elements, don't read this book. If, however, you can suspend your disbelief and are jonesing for a little holiday wackiness with the Plums, it's a fun, quick read.
Rating:
Summary: Hmmm, what is this book exactly?
Review: I have always been a big fan of this series. Sadly, Janet's previous novel was barely passable. And now with this one...I just don't know. Halfway through this read, I thought, "Oh, this must all be a dream that Stephanie's having!" But it wasn't. This book doesn't really fit with the rest of the series. The "supernatural" angle doesn't really work. The plot, isn't really there. And the old favorites -- Morelli and Ranger are almost missing and missing. Something tells me that Janet is written out. She needs to take a year (or two) off. Progress Stephanie. Marry her. Get her away from elves!
Rating:
Summary: ok--not great
Review: I borrowed this book from the library, and I was so glad I hadn't bought it. It was fun, but deffinately not worth [it]. For less than 150 pages, you can get a much better book.
Rating:
Summary: Eh.
Review: Anything that mentions Joe Morelli gets 3 or more stars by my standards but this was Harry Potter meets Stephanie Plum. A little too weird and PLEASE call it a novella, not a novel!
Rating: 
Summary: A cute breather in the series
Review: Stephanie Plum is at it again. This time, she's contracted to bring in Sandy Claws, a toymaker who broke into a hardware store to steal tools and yellow paint, but this time she has a new sidekick, in the form of the mysterious Diesel. Diesel's a little odd, to say the least... he has a habit of popping, literally, into her bedroom and scaring the wits out of Stephanie. A little more dramatic than Ranger's usual way of breaking into her apartment by using the door (uninvited). With a deranged electricity-throwing old man with cataracts on the lose (who is, according to Grandma Mazur, a studmuffin) and a horde of murder-inclined pseudo-elves (or, in a more PC version, little people wearing false ears), Stephanie has a lot to deal with -- and no tree! Will Stephanie find herself a tree that isn't half dead or otherwise not really ideal? Will she ever send out Christmas cards? Can she get to the mall to buy presents before Christmas? All these are answered and more in this book, which, while a little pricey for something so small, was still a great read for a book that isn't really a part of the numbered series. I wish it had been put out as a paper back with a smaller price tag instead of a hardbound with a hefty price tag, but still, I enjoyed this book as much as most books in the series, and more than Hard Eight. In summary, this was a great read, although I think Janet did forget a few plot points. We're told that Sandy Claws was extremely powerful, but never really told what that power was. Making toys? Or was that just a hobby? I'd recommend anyone who loves the Plum series to buy this book. It's a great return to the lighthearted beginning of this series, although I'd say try to find it used, for cheaper. It's a bit short for [the money].
Rating: 
Summary: disappointing
Review: This book was a waste of time and money, the last time I was this disappointed in a book was "hannibal". The plot was ridiculous, you know from the biginning that there are 4 days till xmas, steph is hunting a bail jumper only to let him go because it's xmas eve! this author could have done much better especially w/a xmas theme.
Rating:
Summary: Don't waste your time or money!
Review: TOTAL disappointment! I love the other books but this one was done purely for the money without any regard for plot or readers. BORING and not worth your time.
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