Rating: 
Summary: Grandma Mazur wouldn't be amused by this one.
Review: I love the Plum series. But like John Grisham, Evanovich seems to be working more from a timetable than true inspiration with this one (i.e., produce one book a year come hell or highwater regardless of the quality). Yes, it still has some of the same qualities that made me read and enjoy the first books in this series. Lula and Grandma Mazur are still hysterical characters. The sexual tension between Stephanie, Ranger and Morelli is still palpable. But this is where the similarity ends. This wasn't Evanovich's best effort. I hope the author can get back to the creative sources she had for previous books. Otherwise, this might be the last Plum book I read for a while.
Rating: 
Summary: I just don't get tired of this broad
Review: I keep thinking I'll eventually tire of girl bounty hunter Stephanie Plum and her Jersey street smarts and big mouth - but so far it hasn't happened. The good cop boyfriend Morelli and the stranger named Ranger (the shadowy 'other' boyfriend...sorta). The gravel-voiced granny, flamboyant sidekick Lula, and mom and her macaroni... It just doesn't get stale, thank god. This time, ol' Stephanie is trying to find a guy named Singh who skipped when his visa expired. Then there's a murder, then more, and threats of still more - directed to Steph herself. Hilarious slapstick set pieces, something Evanovich excels at, are interspersed with real knuckle-biters. It's sexy, too; sexier than her others, in fact - and it's all good.
Rating:
Summary: I'm very biased
Review: Stephanie Plum is my favorite character. I have not read one of these books that I didn't like. I have even given out copies to my friends. I can't wait for her to destroy another car or mess up another capture of someone skipping out on bail. Or how about Grandma Mazur going to the funeral parlor. Who would think that could be funny? There is always a mystery in the stories but for me it is just a way to get to the other antics in the book.
While Janet Evanovich does a good job of recaping the main themes in each book, if you are new to the series I'd start with the first novel "One For The Money". There is evolution to the characters and you may not have the same sense of humor as I do. Paperbacks are cheaper and easier to carry.
One final word. Is this a woman's book? I'd say no because I'm male. I read it and have passed it along to my wife and sons. Why do I read them? Because they are all just flat out funny.
Rating:
Summary: How long until #10?
Review: I have devoured the Stephaine Plum series this year and now have the job of waiting until next year for the next title. I got my vote in that it is called Hang Ten! As for To The Nines, Stephanie is back in usually bounty hunting ways. This time she is teamed up with Ranger to get an almost skip on a visa bond for her cousin, Vinnie. Stephanie is really only in it; in hopes of retrieving the missing doggie, Boo. However, Steph remains the centre of attention and seems to be the prize in the game. Who'd have thought getting flowers could be so deadly? Other story lines in the book, Stephanine still has that hot attraction to Ranger but her and Morelli are getting closer. Stephanie's sister is pregnant with Albert's baby and the Plum house is only getting crazier. The living arrangements when the book ended could make for a very interesting book 10.
Rating:
Summary: Possibly the best of the bunch...
Review: I know I am biased because I've been a Janet/Stephanie fan since book two, and I spent the first 27 years of my life in Trenton. Janet got the people right, the place right, and by now her characters are real to me. The first two books of the series, and the past two before this one, had some weak spots, but not fatal ones. This effort is really, really funny, especially Lula's efforts to master the Atkins diet. If you are already a fan, this one is worth buying in hardcover rather than waiting for your turn on the library list. If you are a beginner, I think you ought to get the whole series in paperback and then buy this one. You can read a Plum novel in one night if you have a few hours to spare, and easily in a week even if you are a "busy person." They are comic, suspenseful, sexy and just plain nuts by turns. Steph has pluck, attitude, street smarts and a good heart, but seldom has good luck. Two cool men lust for her, a dog adores her, and somehow she always survives but never thrives. One novel follows the previous one with very little time passed inbetween. Through nine books, probably only a year or so has gone by in the lives of the characters. Yet there is growth and change visible among many of her friends and family. This is not deathless "literature"---these short books are just great fun. Worth the money, worth the time.
Rating: 
Summary: Just OK...
Review: I normally love the Stephanie Plum books. I started with Hot Six and was hooked. I immediately read through the series from the beginning. This latest installment left me feeling a little disappointed. The main plotline was incidental, at best. Although that's happened before, it's usually because the main plot is playing a backseat role to the romance. Not so in this book. So, a weak plot line, coupled with a non-existant romantic story, leaves me feeling empty. Admittedly, there were a few (very few) laugh out loud moments. Just not enough to make up for it's shortcomings. I'm keeping hope alive for the next one, but I won't rush out to buy it. I'll just rent it from the library whenever it becomes available.
Rating:
Summary: Such anticipation....and such disappointment!
Review: I have loved the Stephanie Plum novels and eagerly awaited the ninth book in the series. As other reviewers have noted, Janet Evanovich is one funny writer and Stephanie Plum is a hot ticket. However, the series seems to be running out of steam. Sexual tension, Stephanie's Jersey-girl attitude, the culture of the 'Burg, and the antics of Grandma Mazur, kept the earlier books lively. They were all in short supply in this book. The sexual tension is gone -- Stephanie seems to have made her choice between the two men in her life and there's a note of happily ever creeping in at the end. The side trip to Las Vegas was colorless and a poor substitute for a viewing at Stiva's. Grandma Mazur had a bit part in this installment. These problems could have been forgiven if the plot were stronger. However, the identity of the murderer is telegraphed very early in the book and no serious alternative ever surfaces. I'll probably read the next book in the series but I certainly won't spend good money for a hardback edition -- I'll wait until it comes to my public library.
Rating:
Summary: Vintage Evanovich!!!! Excellent
Review: This is Evanovich at her best - the story is replete with all of our favorite characters - plus a new dilemma for Stephanie! This is a much better written book than Eight. My only dilemma is that I devoured this book and will now have to wait for the next . . . Highly recommended read!
Rating:
Summary: Stephanie's back on the case...
Review: get ready for mayhem and laughter!! Stephanie's looking for a skip...and a missing dog. She's still attracted to Ranger, she's living with Joe, and she's getting flowers and notes from another man...a man who wants her dead. What's a girl to do? Stephanie handles it all with her usual flair. And in between catching bad guys, she's tangled in her family's problems. To the Nines is a fantastic addition to the Stephanie Plum saga!
Rating:
Summary: Blah, the Plum has begun to rot.
Review: I found this installment of the Plum novels to be somewhat of a bore. The plot line was predictable and the struggle between the two men in Stephanie's life is dragging on. I long for the old Plum--with a mouth like a trucker and a dirty mind. If it's time for Stephanie to mellow out, then end it with some dignity.
| 
