My summer read-a-thon is continuing and as promised, I’m making my way through those ten books on my coffee table.
In an effort to keep myself honest I’m going to post a review of each book on this blog. So, if you’re looking for a little summer reading inspiration, check out my first review of Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich. It’s all about bounty hunting for chicks.
Happy reading!
Image courtesy of fishpond.com.au
Rating? 4/5 stars for good fun and a few laughs out loud.
Genre? Chick lit, comedy, adventure
Sex? A bit of sexual tension to get you sizzling.
Stephanie Plum has a talent for attracting crazies.
Unfortunately, she also has to hunt them down when they’ve missed their court date.
The latest offering from Janet Evanovich, Notorious Nineteen, takes us on yet another hilarious romp through Trenton, Newark and the rather eventful life of bounty hunter, Stephanie Plum.
The plot includes all the characters we’ve come to love in this series.
Firstly, there’s Stephanie Plum, a hot and somewhat accident-prone bounty hunter who chases the bad guys. In this installment she has a couple of cars blown to smithereens, receives psychic messages from a Tiki, is threatened by a madman and continues to flirt with the dangerous but incredibly sexy Ranger.
Phew…and that’s just some of the highlights.
Stephanie is joined by her sidekick Lula, a curvaceous former prostitute with a dedicated love of fried chicken and tight spandex, Connie the mob-connected secretary who keeps a shotgun by her desk and of course, dodgy Cousin Vinnie. Crazy Grandma Mazur also makes an appearance and goes ‘undercover’ to help investigate mysterious happenings at the local hospital (her ‘disguise’ is described in vivid detail).
Added to the usual cast of characters is a Yeti, a group of nursing home vigilantes and a security guard with “the personality of a rabid raccoon” (p. 20).
Stephanie as always, gets by with a combination of luck, good timing and fearlessness. Her intermittent boyfriend, Joe Morelli, can’t always believe the situations she gets herself into.
“I’m serious,” Morelli said. “You’re like one of those people who keep getting hit by lightning.”
“Hey, it’s no picnic for me either. Do you think I like having rockets shot into my living room? Do you think I like getting poisoned, threatened with cremation, and forced into a pink taffeta dress?” (p. 209).
Evanovich has a wonderful talent for seamlessly connecting multiple characters and storylines into an action-packed plot. So while Stephanie is on the hunt for a million-dollar con man and some other bail jumpers, she’s also witnessing random shootings, doing stakeouts and working as a bodyguard for her sometime colleague and occasional lover Ranger.
As with all Stephanie Plum novels, Evanovich taps into our bad boy fantasies with the Stephanie, Morelli and Ranger sexual triangle.
Both men are hot, slightly dangerous and live by their own rules. One’s a cop and the other uses methods outside the law. And they both want Stephanie.
“He opened two blouse buttons and traced a line along the top of my bra with his fingertip. He bent his head, brushed a kiss across my breast, and slipped his hand inside my bra. I think I might have moaned a little, and I steadied myself by sliding my hand up the inside of his thigh. It turns out that just because I think I could have a future with Morelli doesn’t mean I’m entirely immune to Ranger’s hotness.” (p. 241).
Decisions, decisions…
I’ve read all nineteen Stephanie Plum novels and I’ve also introduced the series to my parents and sisters. These days Mum gives me advance notice when she hears the next one is about to hit the shelves. She knows I’ll buy, read and then pass the book on to her and the rest of the family.
My little sister says she’s stopped reading the series because they were getting to be all the same. And it is accurate to say Evanovich uses a tried and true formula.
The resourceful Stephanie continues to escape dangerous situations, her cars get blown up and she somehow manages to capture enough bail jumpers to pay the rent. And throughout the novel, the tension between Stephanie, Morelli and Ranger continues to sizzle.
And that’s all part of the fun.
Fortunately, you don’t need to read all nineteen books to enjoy the ride. Each novel works as a stand-alone piece with Stephanie’s character and the premise clearly outlined in the first few pages.
Notorious Nineteen is a well-written, fast paced, quick-witted and enjoyable romp through the chaos of Stephanie Plum’s life.
If that’s the kind of book you like to read then you will find Notorious Nineteen is quite simply, notoriously good.