Takedown Twenty

Takedown Twenty by Janet Evanovich
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The whole gang is back and up to their usual tricks. Stephanie gets herself into dangerous situations, causing Ranger to race to the rescue. Lula develops a new obsession with a runaway giraffe she names "Kevin." Grandma Mazur is on the prowl for hot dates. This time around, Ranger enlists Stephanie's aid in scoping out bingo parlors & funeral homes in the hopes of turning up clues as to who keeps murdering little old ladies & leaving them in dumpsters. Stephanie is having no luck bringing in her big-ticket bad guys. And she still has commitment issues, despite her resolve to have A Talk with Morelli.

As always, it was a fast-paced read, thanks to Evanovich's signature style of dialogue and narration. Some chuckle-worthy moments in this volume. No real progress on the love triangle front, but that's no surprise.

For readers' advisors: story and language doorways. The usual swearing and sexual references, but no actual sex scenes.

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Sizzling Sixteen

Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The latest installment in the Stephanie Plum series is pretty much the same formula as the others: Stephanie & Lula bumble their way to rescuing Vinnie from the very angry bad guys who kidnapped him for ransom. A few appearances by Ranger, Morelli, Grandma Mazur, Connie, etc. Standard Stephanie Plum fare. The big laughs in this one come from Mooner & the Hobbits. :D

I wish there were more character development, but...oh well.

For reader's advisors: story doorway


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Finger Lickin' Fifteen

Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich


My rating: 3 of 5 stars

There were a few laugh-out-loud moments in this one, but overall, I was disappointed that Evanovich hasn't developed the characters very much. How hard would it be for her to have Stephanie catch a skip as he crawls out a window? Or learn she actually likes some healthy thing Ella has cooked over at Rangeman? Or show some personal growth in one or more branches of the Morelli/Stephanie/Ranger love triangle?

This one felt a bit formulaic to me. And I had a hard time believing that Ranger would ask for Stephanie's help in figuring out how someone is breaching his security codes for his clients. I mean, he's uber-competent, and she's an utter screw-up--what could she possibly have to contribute that he hasn't thought of already?

Still, there were some funny parts, and Lula, Grandma Mazur, and the cross-dressing fireman made me smile. If you're reading it as a fluffy beach-read, it's still a good choice.

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