87) Turbo Twenty-Three by Janet Evanovich

The Blurb :

Larry Virgil skipped out on his latest court date after he was arrested for hijacking an eighteen-wheeler full of premium bourbon. Fortunately for bounty hunter Stephanie Plum, Larry is just stupid enough to attempt almost the exact same crime again. Only this time he flees the scene, leaving behind a freezer truck loaded with Bogart ice cream and a dead body—frozen solid and covered in chocolate and chopped pecans.

As fate would have it, Stephanie’s mentor and occasional employer, Ranger, needs her to go undercover at the Bogart factory to find out who’s putting their employees on ice and sabotaging the business. It’s going to be hard for Stephanie to keep her hands off all that ice cream, and even harder for her to keep her hands off Ranger. It’s also going to be hard to explain to Trenton’s hottest cop, Joe Morelli, why she is spending late nights with Ranger, late nights with Lula and Randy Briggs—who are naked and afraid—and late nights keeping tabs on Grandma Mazur and her new fella. Stephanie Plum has a lot on her plate, but for a girl who claims to have “virtually no marketable skills,” these are the kinds of sweet assignments she does best.

My Thoughts :

It has been way too quiet around here and I apologise.  I won't bore you with the details but will just say that life got in the way and there hasn't been much reading going on.  It hasn't been from lack of trying though and when I realised the new Stephanie Plum book was out I got an Audible copy and started it straight away.  Finished it quickly and then didn't get around to coming here until today to write about it!

So another Stephanie Plum!  Twenty-Three books in and sometimes you have to admit it feels like deja vu.  Stephanie goes out to get a bail skip, finds a dead body, gets sucked into the investigation and finally after madness and mayhem she solves the whole thing.  Insert Morelli and Ranger problems and sex, include some craziness from Lula and Grandma Mazur then wait for the typical jokes, wit and sarcasm.  It sounds monotonous but to tell you the truth I love each and every installment as much as the last.

Stephanie never ceases to amaze me.  She gets into some really unbelievable and funny predicaments while making some very stupid decisions but there are always laughs and the plot keeps you hooked.  Despite following more or less the same pattern, each book manages to stand out and be different in some way.  Even though the whole Morelli vs. Ranger angle is one of the things you finally want solved, you know that it would be extremely boring it that chemistry and indecision was gone.

Kudos to Evanovich for another Plum success.  I only wish that they would come out more often.  After all they don't seem like much and I sure she could get out two or three a year.  Maybe that would ruin things but I just want more of the funniest and most relaxing series there is out there.  I love visiting Trenton and catching up with the crazy characters.  I could do with more of this getaway in my life.

If you have the chance make sure to check out the audio version of the books.  Lorelei King, the best audio book narrator there is, lends her voice to this series and she does it as well as she does to all the others she brings to life.  She is amazing.

116) Tricky Twenty-Two by Janet Evanovich

The Blurb :

Something big is brewing in Trenton, N.J., and it could blow at any minute.

Stephanie Plum might not be the world's greatest bounty hunter, but she knows when she's being played. Ken Globovic (aka Gobbles), hailed as the Supreme Exalted Zookeeper of the animal house known as Zeta fraternity, has been arrested for beating up the dean of students at Kiltman College. Gobbles has missed his court date and gone into hiding. People have seen him on campus, but no one will talk. Things just aren't adding up, and Stephanie can't shake the feeling that something funny is going on at the college - and it's not just Zeta fraternity pranks.

As much as people love Gobbles, they hate Doug Linken. When Linken is gunned down in his backyard it's good riddance, and the list of possible murder suspects is long. The only people who care about finding Linken's killer are Trenton cop Joe Morelli, who has been assigned the case, security expert Ranger, who was hired to protect Linken, and Stephanie, who has her eye on a cash prize and hopefully has some tricks up her sleeve.

My Thoughts :

Twenty-two books into the series and some readers may think that things in Plum Land are getting old and boring.  Sure you know that Stephanie is going to save the day and solve the mystery but the question of how she will do it is always open and it is always entertaining.

This new installment keeps the entertainment level high with all your favourites and more.  Lula is being Lula with her outrageous outfits, comments and actions. Grandma Mazur is promising people she doesn't have a gun and using Stephanie's details to do some catfishing.  Morelli is acting strange and Ranger is being as strange as always.

There is a certain amount of done deals in every Plum books.  Cars are ruined, Cluck in a Bucket gets a visit and Vinnie is locked in his office.  Some things don't change but the how, who and why is always fresh and funny.  You will roll your eyes, laugh out loud and do some giggling.  You can't help it.  Evanovich and Plum are a great team

I will always pick up another chapter in this series because not only is like visiting an old friend, it is also one of the funniest series I have read.  I love the humour and the characters are each hilarious in their own way.  There was a little action from Stephanie's mother this time around and it may even look like Stephanie has picked a guy and will settle down.  Although I won't hold my breathe on that one!

Keep writing these and I will keep reading.  Things maybe seem a little boring after twenty-two installments but this is way too funny to miss.

97) The Scam by Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg

The Blurb :

Nicolas Fox is a charming con man and master thief on the run. Kate O’Hare is the FBI agent who is hot on his trail. At least that’s what everyone thinks. In reality, Fox and O’Hare are secretly working together to bring down super-criminals the law can’t touch. Criminals like brutal casino magnate Evan Trace.

Evan Trace is running a money-laundering operation through his casino in Macau. Some of his best customers are mobsters, dictators, and global terrorists. Nick and Kate will have to go deep undercover as high-stakes gamblers, wagering millions of dollars—and their lives—in an attempt to topple Trace’s empire.

It’s a scam that will take Fox and O’Hare from the Las Vegas strip, to the sun-soaked beaches of Oahu’s North Shore, and into the dark back alleys of Macau. Their only backup—a self-absorbed actor, a Somali pirate, and Kate’s father, and an ex-soldier who believes a rocket launcher is the best way to solve every problem. What could possibly go wrong?

My Thoughts :

The fourth installment in the Fox & O'Hare series was one of the better ones.  Maybe I am just used to the characters now or maybe I understand the con better with each experience, whatever the reason, I liked The Scam more than I thought I would.

My other experiences with this series have also been good but I was a little curious about how the series would continue and if it could continue to have that spark that was there in the first couple of books.  I also wasn't sure if I could put up with Evanovich's usual style of 'should she or shouldn't she' with Fox & O'Hare's relationship.  However it may turn out that Goldberg is a good influence on her or is just writing more of the book than she is.

The con this time around was as elaborate as the previous ones with a personal aspect slipped in to keep things interesting.  Once again the con takes the reader around the world and shows them a side of life that is usually reserved for mobsters and terrorists.  If the side the authors are showing is a true picture of what really goes on is not for me to comment on but it makes for great reading and comes across as realistic.

While this series could sound serious and more thriller than cozy mystery, it does have that air of mystery and definitely has the humour and hint of romance that a cozy usually has.  While the humour isn't the constant laugh out loud kind it is a subtle giggle kind.  The romance is part of the humour and isn't too in your face but very present and underlying.

I like the characters and enjoy the situations they get themselves into.  Over the last four books I have gotten to know them all pretty well and look forward to meeting up with them again.  Especially after the cliffhanger ending that the book left me peering over hoping to find at least one more chapter.  It seems the authors have some good ideas that will keep this series from getting boring and will have the readers coming back for more.

148) The Job by Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg

The Blurb :

Charming con man Nicolas Fox and dedicated FBI agent Kate O'Hare secretly take down world’s most-wanted and untouchable felons, next job Violante, the brutal leader of a global drug-smuggling empire. The FBI doesn’t know what he looks like, where he is, or how to find him, but Nick knows his tastes in gourmet chocolate.

From Nashville to Lisbon back alleys, from Istanbul rooftops to Thames, they chase clues to lookalike thefts. Pitted against a psychopathic bodyguard Reyna holding Kate hostage and a Portuguese enforcer getting advice from an ancestor's pickled head, they again call driver Willie for ship, actor Boyd for one-eyed Captain Bridger, special effects carpenter Tom, her father Jake - retired Special Forces, and his talent - machete-wielding Somali pirate Billy Dee. This could be their biggest job - if they survive.

My Thoughts :

The Fox & O'Hare series had been on my wishlist for a while when I came across The Job on Netgalley.  I had already read the novellas in the series and decided to pick this one up and rush read the first in the series to be all caught up to read this one.  However my plans got a little messed up when I realised that the The Job is the third installment and I needed to read not one but two books to catch up and be able to read this one.

I decided to listen to the first two installments and really enjoyed them.  The banter and heat between Nick and Kate is fun to read and the cons they get involved in and the reasons behind them are interesting and exciting.  I really enjoyed listening to the first two books and couldn't wait to read this third book.

However this third part was a little bit of a disappointment compared to the other Fox & O'Hare stories.  There was still the banter and con but somehow it felt a little flat and boring in comparison.  Maybe it was because this job wasn't as over the top as the previous ones or maybe it was due to reading and not listening to this third part but I didn't enjoy it as much as the other adventures.

The series will stay on my reading list because it is a great concept and the writers have come up with some great stories.  The locations are worldwide and the authors obviously do a lot of research because it shows in the details.   Also they must have visited the places they include or know people who have because that also shows in the stories.

Well worth checking out this series if you are an Evanovich fan.  It isn't completely her usual style but the heat and comedy are there but more subtle.  This is more of a mix between James Bond and The Mentalist with some craziness mixed in to liven things up.  I will definitely be listening to the next books in the series instead of reading them though!

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133) The Chase by Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg

The Blurb :

Internationally renowned thief and con artist Nicolas Fox is famous for running elaborate and daring scams. His greatest con of all: convincing the FBI to team him up with the only person who has ever caught him, and the only woman to ever capture his attention, Special Agent Kate O’Hare. Together they’ll go undercover to swindle and catch the world’s most wanted—and untouchable—criminals.

Their newest target is Carter Grove, a former White House chief of staff and the ruthless leader of a private security agency. Grove has stolen a rare Chinese artifact from the Smithsonian, a crime that will torpedo U.S. relations with China if it ever becomes public. Nick and Kate must work under the radar—and against the clock—to devise a plan to steal the piece back.

Confronting Grove’s elite assassins, Nick and Kate rely on the skills if their ragtag crew, including a flamboyant actor, a Geek Squad techie, and a band of AARP-card-carrying mercenaries led by none other than Kate’s dad. A daring heist and a deadly chase lead Nick and Kate from Washington, D.C., to Shanghai, from the highlands of Scotland to the underbelly of Montreal. But it’ll take more than death threats, trained henchmen, sleepless nights, and the fate of a dynasty’s priceless heirloom to outsmart Fox and O’Hare.

My Thoughts :

So I am playing catch-up with this series and listened to book one last week and moved on to book two this week.  The narrator is good it is nice to listen to a male speaker for a change, even if I did expect a female.  Janet Evanovich is known for her fun and outrageous Stephanie Plum series but this is something different.  A crime/mystery and thriller with a little hint of romance.  It is a great combination and I am loving it.

Book two in the O'Hare & Fox series was even better than the first one.  The con is more complicated, more dangerous and has some thrilling consequences that open the floor to another more elaborate con and then another one.  The plot is a roller coaster ride with some amazing moments and a few shocking ones.  I laughed, I giggled but most of all I enjoyed it.

The relationship between Fox & O'Hare continues with some moments of 'Oh they are gonna get together' and 'When will the get together?'.  It would be a complicated romance just as their work relationship together is getting stranger and harder for Kate.  It will be interesting to see how things develop in the next book and where the authors really decide to take things.

Now I move on to book three!  I have the Kindle copy to review but I may hold out and get the third book on Audio.  Now I have started the series via Audible it would be strange to read the next installment.

This is a series worth trying out if you have ever read anything by either of the authors.  It is different, exciting and a lot of fun while being somewhat serious.  I can recommend the audio version if you like listening to books.  The narrator does a great job of bringing the characters and the story to life.

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129) The Heist by Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg

The Blurb :

FBI Special Agent Kate O’Hare is known for her fierce dedication and discipline on the job, chasing down the world’s most wanted criminals and putting them behind bars. Her boss thinks she is tenacious and ambitious; her friends think she is tough, stubborn, and maybe even a bit obsessed. And while Kate has made quite a name for herself for the past five years, the only name she’s cared about is Nicolas Fox—an international crook she wants in more ways than one.

Audacious, handsome, and dangerously charming, Nicolas Fox is a natural con man, notorious for running elaborate scams on very high-profile people. At first he did it for the money. Now he does it for the thrill. He knows that the FBI has been hot on his trail—particularly Kate O’Hare, who has been watching his every move. For Nick, there’s no greater rush than being pursued by a beautiful woman . . . even one who aims to lock him up. But just when it seems that Nicolas Fox has been captured for good, he pulls off his greatest con of all: he convinces the FBI to offer him a job, working side by side with Special Agent Kate O’Hare.

Problem is, teaming up to stop a corrupt investment banker who’s hiding on a private island in Indonesia is going to test O’Hare’s patience and Fox’s skill. Not to mention the skills of their ragtag team made up of flamboyant actors, wanted wheelmen, and Kate’s dad. High-speed chases, pirates, and Toblerone bars are all in a day’s work . . . if O’Hare and Fox don’t kill each other first.

My Thoughts :

The O'Hare and Fox series has been on my radar for a while and I even read the two novellas that accompany this series.  However I hadn't managed to read any of the full length novels and still decided to request to review the latest release.  I will admit that I thought the new release was the second book in the series and I only needed to catch up on one book....turns out it is the third and now I am having a bit of a O'Hare & Fox marathon!

To start off I have to say I'm glad I decided to visit this series via Audio.  At first I was put off by the male narrator because I am so used to female voices but after a couple of chapters it was obvious that he was the man for the job.  I like his style and he does some great voices for the characters.

The concept it fresh and interesting.  Within a few chapters I was hooked and I was really enjoying the 'cons' and general shenanigans. The characters were very likable and even the ones on the sidelines were worth getting to know.  The plot was maybe a little over the top at times but such an elaborate plan couldn't work without some crazy ideas.  What really impressed me was the background and research the authors obviously did for the book.  They took the time to check out the places they used and there was some interesting stuff in there.  Some of it had me checking Wikipedia for more details.

I would class this one as a mystery but it is also a Thriller and a romance with some humour. However Evanovich fans need to know, this isn't a Morelli vs. Ranger romance.  The flirting is more subtle and not too in your face.  The banter is fun and fits into the story without over powering it.  There are no crazy Stephanie and Lula scenarios but more grown-up and FBI moments.  Actually I don't feel much of Evanovich in the story and it makes me wonder how much each author contributed and how they wrote this together.  How did the process work? In the same room?  Passed the book back and forth?  

After just one book I would, of course, like to see Fox & O'Hare become a couple at some point and it is obvious that eventually things will go that way.  Right now the idea is hanging out in the background with some flirty comments thrown in here and there.  It isn't the main focus and that is fine with me.  Kate isn't the kind of woman who would just give in to Nick straight away.  There will be some time and effort exerted before something really happens.

All in all I really enjoyed this one and I am already listening to book two.  Actually I would like to listen to book three as well but I have a Kindle copy....which will be weird after listening to the first two books.  Anyway, great read, nice story and plot, interesting, thrilling and well worth checking out.   Expect my review of book two within a couple of days!

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120) The Shell Game by Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg

The Blurb :

Con man Nick Fox is after Garson Klepper’s golden Peruvian relics. For Fox, convincing Klepper to hire him as security for the relocation of the relics to the Getty museum in L.A. was easy. Problem is, Fox wasn’t planning on Klepper also enlisting the help of the FBI. Fox also wasn’t planning on being paired up with rookie special agent Kate O’Hare. She’s smart, she’s tenacious, and when she’s conned, she holds a grudge. Life for Fox and O’Hare will never be the same again.

My Thoughts :

A nice pre-quel novella to the series, that I have yet to start. There isn't much to say about it except that it gives you a good introduction to the series. The layout of the concept is easy to see and the characters are introduced. There is some humour in there but this is no Stephanie Plum.  This is more of a serious crime/mystery with what I expect will feature quite a bit of romance.

Certainly a good place to start if you haven't tried the series yet and definitely a must read for anyone who has already read the series and wants to get some more background on Fox & O'Hare. Reading this short story has made me even more eager to try the first full length novel in the series.  I actually plan on listening to the audio version sometimes soon.

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83) Top Secret Twenty-One by Janet Evanovich

The Blurb :

Trenton, New Jersey’s favorite used-car dealer, Jimmy Poletti, was caught selling a lot more than used cars out of his dealerships. Now he’s out on bail and has missed his date in court, and bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is looking to bring him in. Leads are quickly turning into dead ends, and all too frequently into dead bodies. Even Joe Morelli, the city’s hottest cop, is struggling to find a clue to the suspected killer’s whereabouts. These are desperate times, and they call for desperate measures. So Stephanie is going to have to do something she really doesn’t want to do: protect former hospital security guard and general pain in her behind Randy Briggs. Briggs was picking up quick cash as Poletti’s bookkeeper and knows all his boss’s dirty secrets. Now Briggs is next on Poletti’s list of people to put six feet under.

To top things off, Ranger—resident security expert and Stephanie’s greatest temptation—has been the target of an assassination plot. He’s dodged the bullet this time, but if Ranger wants to survive the next attempt on his life, he’ll have to enlist Stephanie’s help and reveal a bit more of his mysterious past.

Death threats, highly trained assassins, highly untrained assassins, and Stark Street being overrun by a pack of feral Chihuahuas are all in a day’s work for Stephanie Plum. The real challenge is dealing with her Grandma Mazur’s wild bucket list. A boob job and getting revenge on Joe Morelli’s Grandma Bella can barely hold a candle to what’s number one on the list—but that’s top secret.

My Thoughts :

The Stephanie Plum series is one of those books I found in the local library before I really knew what I wanted to read.  So many books on the shelves but this one popped out (they used to have brighter interesting covers) and I took a chance on the author I had never heard of before.  I remember buying all the books available in the series within a couple of weeks of reading that first book and since then I have followed Stephanie through all of her adventures.

Twenty-one installments and nothing much has changed.  This isn't a bad thing but it also isn't a really good thing.  You know that Stephanie's car is going to blow up at least once, Lula is going to get into some very weird trouble, Grandma will be causing havoc at the funeral home and Ranger will be saving Stephanie's butt while Morelli plays cop.

There are so many expectations that, after all these years, it is slowly becoming a little boring.  I still want something to happen.  Something big.  Stephanie getting pregnant, her sister turning up again and leaving her the kids to look after, Marrying one of the guys while drunk....anything!  Just something different and shocking because the life of Stephanie Plum is still the same as it was 21 books ago.

Once again there was laugh out loud moments and it was nice to be back in Trenton (I only spent a few minutes in the train station while passing through but it looked nice enough) with all the usual suspects and a few more to make things interesting.  There were some nice location changes this time around with the adventure taking Stephanie and Ranger to New York City and Atlantic City.  Otherwise it was much of the same.

I keep following the series because it is amusing, different and addictive.  I will keep following it until it ends and always look forward to the madcap comedy this series offers while solving various weird and interesting crimes.  It is a series I now follow via Audible and have to give the narrator big kudos because she does an amazing job.  She is the same voice that lends her skills to the Charley Davidson series by Darynda Jones and the books are worth following just because she is narrating them.

If you haven't had the pleasure of spending time with Stephanie Plum then make sure you do sometime.  Despite my moans and groans there is always a good plot and lots of giggles.  Well worth reading and one to seriously think about listening to.

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14) Takedown Twenty by Janet Evanovich

The Blurb :


New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum knows better than to mess with family. But when powerful mobster Salvatore “Uncle Sunny” Sunucchi goes on the lam in Trenton, it’s up to Stephanie to find him. Uncle Sunny is charged with murder for running over a guy (twice), and nobody wants to turn him in—not his poker buddies, not his bimbo girlfriend, not his two right-hand men, Shorty and Moe. Even Trenton’s hottest cop, Joe Morelli, has skin in the game, because—just Stephanie’s luck—the godfather is his actual godfather. And while Morelli understands that the law is the law, his old-world grandmother, Bella, is doing everything she can to throw Stephanie off the trail.

It’s not just Uncle Sunny giving Stephanie the run-around. Security specialist Ranger needs her help to solve the bizarre death of a top client’s mother, a woman who happened to play bingo with Stephanie’s Grandma Mazur. Before Stephanie knows it, she’s working side by side with Ranger and Grandma at the senior center, trying to catch a killer on the loose—and the bingo balls are not rolling in their favor.

With bullet holes in her car, henchmen on her tail, and a giraffe named Kevin running wild in the streets of Trenton, Stephanie will have to up her game for the ultimate takedown.

My Thoughts :

Twenty books into the series and things are still going strong.  Stephanie is still unsure about which guy she wants and what kind of commitment she is ready for. Lulu is still squeezing herself into small bright clothes.  Grandma Mazur is busy at the funeral home while Stephanie's mum is ironing the stress away.  They are all characters and traits that make this series not only unforgettable but also very addictive.

This time around we also get some good Grandma Bella action with Stephanie getting a bit more than just 'The Eye'.  Ranger is his usual nonchalant self and manages to save the leading lady more than once.  Morelli is recovering from an injury he got in the last book but he always there to pick up the weird and wonderful pieces of the mess Stephanie manages to get into.

A giraffe running around Trenton keeps the girls busy in Takedown Twenty but they also have a few skips that need to be caught.  You can't help laughing at the slapstick takedowns that involve giraffes, designer bags and a lot of peach schnapps.  Despite this series being twenty books in, it still isn't getting old or boring.  Yes, I would like to see some actual developments on the Ranger/Morelli front but if Janet Evanovich keeps writing funny mysteries like this then I am going to keep reading them.

If you haven't already tried this series then I highly recommend you do.  Easy, laugh out loud fun and some serious craziness is always guaranteed!



 

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4) Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich

The Blurb :

Just when Stephanie thinks her life can't get any more complicated, in walks the mysterious Diesel. A man who seems to show up at the most inconvenient moments. This time, he's the instigator for Stephanie's new adventure, which involves camping in the Pine Barrens with Lula, and perhaps even a sighting of the Jersey Devil...

My Thoughts :

I love the Stephanie Plum series!  They are guaranteed to make you laugh and the story is always good.  With so many books in the series there is always going to be one you love more than the others but there has never been an installment that I hated.  The constant indecision between Ranger and Morelli can be frustrating but Grandma Mazur and Lulu's antics more than make up for that!  How will Stephanie's car get destroyed this time? is always a question you need to ask yourself before reading each book and it is always fun to find out the answer.

So it is surprising that I had not yet read Plum Spooky, the between the novels book, that has been out for a good few years now.  The one main reason for me was the price.  Despite how much I love the series the cost of each new release in this series is becoming a little over the top.  Hardback maybe but a Kindle version that costs the same price as four normal kindle books is one that makes me stop and think about my book budget.  Finally that price has gone down and I snapped this one up the other week and couldn't wait to read it.

Everything that you could expect was in this story.  Ok, maybe not everything.  If you were expecting monkeys then you are on the right track but if you didn't think there would be animals involved you are going to get a surprise.  A great madcap adventure as always but I did think things were drawn out a little longer than necessary.  After the third time Stephanie searched the Pine Barrens I was ready to give up but the funny bits and  bobs here and there were too much to keep me away.

A must read for any Plum fans and one that could be read to introduce you to the series.  I actually thought this was a novella (another reason I was so reluctant to get a copy at that price) but it actually turned out to be a full length novel.  It could have been cut down to a novella but then we would have missed out on some fire farts and Easter Bunny moments.  That would have been sad.

I am glad I have finally read this one.  Now I can go back to the series knowing I haven't missed much in the on-going story.  Diesel's appearances are extra to the series and don't really seem to fit in to the big picture but do make things a little supernatural for a short time.  Which for any paranormal lovers is a nice twist.




 

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86) Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich

The Blurb :

New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is certain of three truths: People don’t just vanish into thin air. Never anger old people. And don’t do what Tiki tells you to do.

After a slow summer of chasing low-level skips for her cousin Vinnie’s bail bonds agency, Stephanie Plum finally lands an assignment that could put her checkbook back in the black. Geoffrey Cubbin, facing trial for embezzling millions from Trenton’s premier assisted-living facility, has mysteriously vanished from the hospital after an emergency appendectomy. Now it’s on Stephanie to track down the con man. Unfortunately, Cubbin has disappeared without a trace, a witness, or his money-hungry wife. Rumors are stirring that he must have had help with the daring escape . . . or that maybe he never made it out of his room alive. Since the hospital staff’s lips seem to be tighter than the security, and it’s hard for Stephanie to blend in to assisted living, Stephanie’s Grandma Mazur goes in undercover. But when a second felon goes missing from the same hospital, Stephanie is forced into working side by side with Trenton’s hottest cop, Joe Morelli, in order to crack the case.

The real problem is, no Cubbin also means no way to pay the rent. Desperate for money—or maybe just desperate—Stephanie accepts a secondary job guarding her secretive and mouthwatering mentor Ranger from a deadly Special Forces adversary. While Stephanie is notorious for finding trouble, she may have found a little more than she bargained for this time around. Then again—a little food poisoning, some threatening notes, and a bridesmaid’s dress with an excess of taffeta never killed anyone . . . or did they? If Stephanie Plum wants to bring in a paycheck, she’ll have to remember: No guts, no glory. . . .

My Thoughts :

I forgot how much I loved Stephanie Plum until I read book #18 a couple of weeks ago.  So the idea of #19 still not being read was annoying me slightly and I decided I needed to get a copy as soon as possible.  While over on Audible.com I noticed that Nototious Nineteen was read by Lorelei King (she also narrates the Charley Davidson series by Darynda Jones) and I just couldn't resist using my credit to listen to the book.  She is a spectacular narrator and as soon as the file was on my iPod I started listening.

Everything that I expected and much more was inside this 19th installment.  Stephanie managed to blow up at least two cars and got tasered, posioned, cut and nearly blown up herself.  Madcap action the whole way through and loads of dieting tips from her sidekick Lula.  Also some nice 'babe' moments from Ranger and some 'Cupcake' sweetness from Morelli.  The whole gang was involved and you know it is going to be good when Grandma Mazur starts packing heat.

Laughing alert!  This audiobook isn't one to listen to on public transport.  I am sure some people thought I was up to something because I must have had a constant huge smile on my face and then suddenly started laughing.  My rolling eyes must have also had some people worried about my health but if they could hear what I was hearing...wow this book was just amazingly good and funny!

If you are a fan you will love this book as much as I did and if you haven't yet tried this series, well you should seriously consider it.  I always feel so good after a Stephanie Plum episode and even now, a few days later, I still find myself smiling and giggling when I remember certain things that happened in this book.  Great plot and highly entertaining! Can't wait for more!




 

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84) Pros & Cons by Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg

The Blurb :

FBI special agent Kate O’Hare has made it her mission to nail international con artist Nicolas Fox. When she discovers his plot to plunder a venture capitalist’s twentieth-story Chicago penthouse of all its cash and treasures at the same time that the self-proclaimed “King of Hostile Takeovers” is getting married, Kate is 85 percent—okay maybe 92 percent—sure that she’s finally going to bag Nick Fox.

Problem is, first Kate has to convince her boss, building security, and maybe even herself, that wedding planner Merrill Stubing is actually Nicolas Fox. Second, she has to figure out how to corner and capture him without disrupting the event of the year. And third, what’s going to happen once O’Hare finally gets her hands on Fox? It’s going take a pro to catch a con before the fireworks over Lake Michigan go off.

My Thoughts :

Pros & Cons is a short story that introduces a new series by Janet Evanovich.  Teaming up with Lee Goldberg, this O'Hare & Fox prequel shows that the authors are well suited to each other.  The idea is fun and well written and I have to say that I enjoyed this short story.   It made me laugh and giggle in all the righ places and it also left me excited about what could come next.

The title compliments the book plot by showing us the 'pro' and the 'con'.  The name of the series O'Hare and Fox is actually quite amusing when you have read this novella and think about it.  I think the authors have put a lot of work into this concept and it could actually be a hit.

There is a sneek peek of the debut first novel in the series, The Heist, but I decided not to check it out.  I will definitely be getting a copy of the book soon due to this great introduction but I know if I read the sneek peek that I won't be able to stop myself buying The Heist right now.  I know that is the point...but I am not being sucked in to that ploy! ;)

If you are an Evanovich fan then you will really want to check this series out and Pros & Cons is a great way to see what the series will involve.  I believe it is a free ebook (In Europe we don't get the free stuff...) but that doesn't really matter.  The small price of this read is worth the fun, mystery and mayhem that takes place in the short story.



 

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