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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
Mystery? Check. Series character? Check. Unexpectedly enjoyable read for Kelly G? Check. Always funny
As always, a fun quick read from the 'files' of Stephanie Plum. This one had me laughing out loud! A good piece of brain candy.
I was introduced to Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series by my friend Leslie after passing them over for a good, long time. After all, if she could only write pretty boring romance novels, how was she going to fare with mysteries? The surprise was that I quickly became addicted to Stephanie, the men in her life, her crazy life, and her insane bunch of family and friends. So I was right out at Target when Lean Mean Thirteen was released... the first Stephanie Plum book I got in hardcover.
::: More of the Same :::
When we last left Stephanie in Twelve Sharp, she was still involved with Joe Morelli, still tempted by Ranger, and still a bounty hunter. Nothing has changed in Lean Mean Thirteen, where Stephanie becomes the prime suspect in the disappearance and possible murder of her philandering ex-husband, Dickie Orr.
The usual cast of characters, from her nutty sometime partner Lula to her gun-toting Grandma Mazur, as well as the nutters Stephanie has to apprehend (this time, a crazy taxidermist who makes "performance pieces" and a snake-owning grave robber) all make appearances as Stephanie tries to figure out, in her standard bumbling way, what happened to Dickie, while Morelli and Ranger try to make sure she doesn't accidentally kill herself in the process.
::: I'm a Little Tired :::
The first Stephanie Plum novel, One for the Money, was published in 1994. It's been 13 years, and maybe it's time for Stephanie to grow up, at least a little. While she isn't aging in the novels as fast as we are here in the real world, my patience is wearing a bit thin. The books are starting to feel formulaic; almost like a Mad Lib. While fans love both Ranger and Morelli, it's time for Steph to make a decision. And at some point, shouldn't she get a bit better at her job so she can stop buying junker cars and eating the last dregs of food in her cupboards before her next capture fee?
I'm getting the feeling that Evanovich has a checklist of things that have to occur before the end of the story: funeral home incident, car dying, Stephanie's mom ironing, steamy kiss with Ranger, Stephanie needing protection, comic FTA bust... check, check, check, check. I think maybe it's time to let the characters grow up a little bit. Lean Mean Thirteen just feels like too much more of the same.
This review previously published at Epinions: http://www.epinions.com/review/Book_Evanovich_Book_13_Janet_Evanovich/content_381161279108
::: More of the Same :::
When we last left Stephanie in Twelve Sharp, she was still involved with Joe Morelli, still tempted by Ranger, and still a bounty hunter. Nothing has changed in Lean Mean Thirteen, where Stephanie becomes the prime suspect in the disappearance and possible murder of her philandering ex-husband, Dickie Orr.
The usual cast of characters, from her nutty sometime partner Lula to her gun-toting Grandma Mazur, as well as the nutters Stephanie has to apprehend (this time, a crazy taxidermist who makes "performance pieces" and a snake-owning grave robber) all make appearances as Stephanie tries to figure out, in her standard bumbling way, what happened to Dickie, while Morelli and Ranger try to make sure she doesn't accidentally kill herself in the process.
::: I'm a Little Tired :::
The first Stephanie Plum novel, One for the Money, was published in 1994. It's been 13 years, and maybe it's time for Stephanie to grow up, at least a little. While she isn't aging in the novels as fast as we are here in the real world, my patience is wearing a bit thin. The books are starting to feel formulaic; almost like a Mad Lib. While fans love both Ranger and Morelli, it's time for Steph to make a decision. And at some point, shouldn't she get a bit better at her job so she can stop buying junker cars and eating the last dregs of food in her cupboards before her next capture fee?
I'm getting the feeling that Evanovich has a checklist of things that have to occur before the end of the story: funeral home incident, car dying, Stephanie's mom ironing, steamy kiss with Ranger, Stephanie needing protection, comic FTA bust... check, check, check, check. I think maybe it's time to let the characters grow up a little bit. Lean Mean Thirteen just feels like too much more of the same.
This review previously published at Epinions: http://www.epinions.com/review/Book_Evanovich_Book_13_Janet_Evanovich/content_381161279108
Exploding taxidermy. That's all you need to know.
I laughed and loved pretty much every plot point in this book. The mad things that Stephanie does and gets herself into are totally unrealistic but incredibly enjoyable.
Yes, the plot is pretty much a rearranging of the same basic plot that every single novel in this series has, but it turns out that the only thing you need to really enjoy Stephanie Plum is a long break between books; because all the things I'd started to dislike about this series bled away with this one and I kept laughing out loud and loving where it was taking me.
Yes, the plot is pretty much a rearranging of the same basic plot that every single novel in this series has, but it turns out that the only thing you need to really enjoy Stephanie Plum is a long break between books; because all the things I'd started to dislike about this series bled away with this one and I kept laughing out loud and loving where it was taking me.
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Probably one of the better written Stephanie Plum books. The mystery was better than most and the cast of characters were at their best. I enjoyed this one more than the last few.