Janet Evanovich - The Stephanie Plum Novels
Overview:
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Stars: 4 out of 5
Contains: mild to moderate sex
Author's Website: Janet Evanovich
My thoughts: These books, admittedly, aren't my usual style. They aren't intellectual in any way, shape, or form, but they ARE absolutely hilarious. They're the sort of books where you actually laugh out loud while you're reading, so if you're in the mood for some light-hearted amusing books that don't take long to read, these are the books for you :)
The Books:
"One for the Money" - Published 1995
Stephanie Plum is is a failed lingerie buyer, newly turned Bond agent. Her first job is to find Morrelli, a policeman/murder suspect on the run and her childhood sweetheart. Real menace enters the story when Stephanie attracts the psychopathic attentions of Ramirez.
"Two for the Dough" - Published 1996
Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum and New Jersey vice cop Joe Morelli are tracking Kenny Mancuso, a no-hope scumbag who skipped bail after being arrested for shooting his best friend. As Stephanie and Morelli close in on their man, Stephanie begins to seriously reconsider her career choice.
"Three to get Deadly" - Published 1997
Bounty-hunter Stephanie Plum has to track down Mo, the local candy store owner who has jumped bail. Nobody will believe that Mo has done anything wrong, but Stephanie - with the help of big blonde Lula and good cop/bad cop Joe Morelli - soon discovers that Mo has more than candy in his basement.
"Four to Score" - Published 1998
When Maxine fails to turn up in court, bounty-hunter Stephanie has to bring her in. Then Maxine's boyfriend begins to receive notes from her that hint at buried treasure. Cop Joe Morelli is also proving useful, but he can't decide what he wants more - Maxine's bounty or Stephanie's body.
"High Five" - Published 1999
Stephanie Plum has a whole lot of trouble on her doorsteps - Her Uncle Fred has disappeared and Grandma Mazur is convinced he's been abducted by aliens, Cousin Vinnie has asked her to bring in the vertically challenged Randy Briggs who's jumped bail, but instead of coming quietly, he has taken up residence in Stephanie's closet, the mysterious man called Bunchy is trailing Stephanie in the hope of tracking down Fred, and Benito Ramirez is back from jail, quoting Scripture and vowing to introduce Stephanie to God - face to face. Thankfully Joe Morelli, the irresistible cop, is still around to give her the odd sleepless night - through now he faces tough competition from the enigmatic Ranger.
"Hot Six" - Published 2000
Sexual temptation, homicidal maniacs, car crashes and donut addiction are all in a day's work for Stephanie Plum. But nothing could prepare her for the disaster she faces when Grandma moves in.
"Seven Up" - Published 2001
Stephanie's chasing an elderly mobster who used to go out with her grandmother. Eddie DeChooch, though, is no less formidable for being old and he constantly eludes Stephanie, the police who want to question him about the corpse Stephanie found in his garage and Joyce, her arch-rival in the bail bond enforcement business. Stephanie's crowded social life gets ever more intense with her family pressing her to name a date for her wedding to Joe, her unreliable cop fiancé, her drastically attractive colleague Ranger, asking her for a night of bliss, her horribly perfect sister Valerie back from California with a down on men and the idiot stoners Moonman and Doug wandering around in super-hero costumes.
"Hard Eight" - Published 2002
Stephanie Plum picks up a case a little nastier than anything the wisecracking bounty hunter's seen before. Evelyn Soder and her young daughter have gone on the run, leaving an angry ex-husband who's planning to collect on a child custody bond that will leave Evelyn's grandmother homeless. Stephanie's first clue that there's more to it than that comes in the form of Eddie Abruzzi: a shady local businessman who warns her to butt out of the case. Stephanie doesn't scare easily, but when Abruzzi's henchmen leave a bag of snakes on her doorknob and tarantulas in her car, she has no choice but to call Ranger, the hunky man of mystery to whom she already owes too many favours. Steph knows that Ranger will soon be calling in his debts, but with her ex-fiancé Joe Morelli out of the picture, that should be OK - right?
"Between the Numbers: Visions of Sugar Plums" - Published 2002
It's four days before Christmas and things are not looking merry for fugitive apprehension agent Stephanie Plum. She hasn't got a tree. She hasn't bought any presents. The malls are jam-packed with staggering shoppers. There's not a twinkle light anywhere to be seen in her apartment.
And there's a strange man in her kitchen.
Sure, this has happened to Stephanie Plum before. Strangers, weirdos, felons, creeps, and lunatics are always finding their way to her front door. But this guy is different. This guy is mysterious, sexy - and he has his own agenda. His name is Diesel and he is a man on a mission. Diesel is unlike anyone Stephanie has ever met before in her life. The question is, What does he want with her? Can he help her find a little old toy maker who has skipped out on his bail right before Christmas? Can he survive the Plum family holiday dinner? Can he get Stephanie a tree that doesn't look like it was grown next to a nuclear power plant? These questions and more are keeping Stephanie awake at night. Not to mention the fact that she needs to find a bunch of nasty elves, her sister Valerie has a Christmas "surprise" for the Plums, her niece Mary Alice doesn't believe in Santa anymore, and Grandma Mazur has a new stud muffin. So bring out the plastic reindeer, strap on your jingle bells, and get ready to celebrate the holidays - Jersey style. Visions of Sugar Plums - the world of Plum has never been merrier!
"To the Nines" - Published 2003
Stephanie and Ranger have been assigned to one of the most important cases in Vinnie's career, to hunt for a man who's skipped out on both his high profile visa bond and his living terror of a landlady. Problem is, he's also made off with the landlady's daughter's dog, and that's where Stephanie draws the line. With pure Plumb luck on her side, she's soon hot on his tracks, and finds herself in the middle of a deadly game, with her own klutzy neck as the prize. Deliveries of flowers fail to bring cheer, and when Ranger's associates start dropping like flies, the situation gets desperate, especially when Grandma Bella gets one of her visions.
"Ten Big Ones" - Published 2004
Stephanie has inconvenienced a local street gang and finds herself with a price on her head; the contract killer known as the Junkman has a taste for torture as well as murder, and she is the last victim on his list. As usual, she finds herself caught between her regular boyfriend, cop Morelli, and the dangerous and charming Ranger; as usual, the main plot goes on in the intervals between her regular rounds of catching up with bail defaulters and delivering them to court, and her involvement with her eccentric Hungarian and Italian relatives.
"Eleven on Top" - Published 2005
Trouble seems to find Stephanie everywhere she goes, and once again she's struggling with her tangled love life, chaotic family, and her God-given gift for destroying every car she drives. This time, Plum has decided to quit her job as a bounty hunter. She's tired of creeps, weirdos and stalkers. But just when she thinks she's out, they pull her back in!
"Twelve Sharp" - Published 2006
Welcome to Trenton, New Jersey, where bounty hunter Stephanie Plums life is about to implode. First, Stephanie discovers that a crazed woman is stalking her. Next, somebody dies. The action turns deadly serious, and Stephanie goes from hunting skips to hunting a murderer. Ranger needs Stephanie for more reasons than he can say - the two are working together to find a killer, rescue a missing child, and stop a lunatic from raising the body count. When Stephanie Plum and Ranger get too close for comfort, vice cop Joe Morelli (her on-again, off-again boyfriend) steps in. Will the ticking clock stop at the stroke of twelve, or will a stranger in the wind find a way to stop Stephanie Plum....forever?
"Between the Numbers: Plum Lovin'" - Published 2007
Mysterious men have a way of showing up in Stephanie Plum's apartment. When the shadowy Diesel appears, he has a task for Stephanie - and he's not taking no for an answer. Annie Hart is a "relationship expert" who is wanted for armed robbery and assault with a deadly weapon. Stephanie needs to find her, fast. Diesel knows where she is. So they make a deal: he'll help her get Annie if Stephanie plays matchmaker to several of Annie's most difficult clients. But someone wants to find Annie even more than Diesel and Stephanie. Someone with a nasty temper. And someone with "unmentionable" skills. Does Diesel know more than he's saying about Annie Hart? Does Diesel have secrets he's keeping about Stephanie and the two men in her life-Ranger and Morelli? With Stephanie Plum in over her head, things are sure to get a little dicey and a little explosive, Jersey style!
"Lean Mean Thirteen" - Published 2007
MISTAKE #1 - Dickie Orr. Stephanie was married to him for about fifteen minutes before she caught him cheating on her with her arch-nemesis Joyce Barnhardt. Another fifteen minutes after that Stephanie filed for divorce, hoping to never see either one of them again.
MISTAKE #2 - Doing favors for super bounty hunter Carlos Manoso (a.k.a. Ranger). Ranger needs her to meet with Dickie and find out if he's doing something shady. Turns out, he is. Turns out, he's also back to doing Joyce Barnhardt.
MISTAKE #3 - Going completely nutso while doing the favor for Ranger, and trying to apply bodily injury to Dickie in front of the entire office. Now Dickie has disappeared and Stephanie is the natural suspect in his disappearance. Is Dickie dead? Can he be found? And can Stephanie Plum stay one step ahead in this new, dangerous game? Joe Morelli, the hottest cop in Trenton, NJ is also keeping Stephanie on her toes-and he may know more than he's saying about many things in Stephanie's life. It's a cat-and-mouse game for Stephanie Plum, where the ultimate prize might be her life.
"Between the Numbers: Plum Lucky" - Published 2008
Stephanie Plum has a way of attracting danger, lunatics, oddballs, bad luck... and mystery men. And no one is more mysterious than the unmentionable Diesel. He's back and hot on the trail of a little man in green pants who's lost a giant bag of money. Problem is the money isn't exactly lost. Stephanie's Grandma Mazur has found it, and like any good Jersey senior citizen she's high-tailed it in a Winnebago to Atlantic City and hit the slots. With Lula and Connie in tow, Stephanie attempts to bring Grandma home. But the luck of the Irish is rubbing off on everyone. Lula's found a job modeling plus size lingerie. Connie's found a guy. Diesel's found Stephanie. And Stephanie has found herself in over her head with a caper involving thrice stolen money, a racehorse, a car chase and a bad case of hives.
"Fearless Fourteen" - Published 2008
The Crime: Armed robbery to the tune of nine million dollars. Dom Rizzi robbed a bank, stashed the money and did the time. His family couldn't be more proud. He always was the smart one.
The Cousin: Joe Morelli. Joe Morelli, Dom Rizzi and Dom's sister Loretta are cousins. Morelli is a cop, Rizzi robs banks, and Loretta is a single mother waiting tables at the firehouse. The all American family.
The Complications: Murder, kidnapping, destruction of personal property, and acid reflux. Less than a week after Dom's release from prison, Joe Morelli has shadowy figures breaking into his house and dying in his basement. He's getting threatening messages, Loretta is kidnapped, and Dom is missing.
The Catastrophe: Moonman. Morelli hires Walter "Mooner" Dunphy, stoner and "inventor" turned crime-fighter to protect his house. Morelli can't afford a lot on a cop's salary, and Mooner will work for potatoes.
The Cupcake: Stephanie Plum. Stephanie and Morelli have a long-standing relationship that involves sex, affection and driving each other nuts. She's a bond enforcement agent with more luck than talent, and she's involved in this bank-robbery-gone-bad disaster from day one.
The Crisis: A favor for Ranger. Security expert Carlos Manoso, street name Ranger, has a job for Stephanie that will involve night-work. Morelli has his own ideas regarding Stephanie's evening activities.
The Conclusion: Only the fearless should read fourteen. Thrills, chills and possible incontinence may result.
"Between the Numbers: Plum Spooky" - Published 2009
According to legend, the Jersey Devil prowls the Pine Barrens and soars above the treetops in the dark of night. As eerie as this might seem, there are things in the Barrens that are even more frightening and dangerous. And there are monkeys. Lots of monkeys.
Wulf Grimoire is a world wanderer and an opportunist who can kill without remorse and disappear like smoke. He's chosen Martin Munch, boy genius, as his new business partner, and he's chosen the Barrens as his new playground.
Munch received his doctorate degree in quantum physics when he was twenty-two. He's now twenty-four, and while his brain is large, his body hasn't made it out of the boys' department at Macy's. Anyone who says good things come in small packages hasn't met Munch. Wulf Grimoire is looking for world domination. Martin Munch would be happy if he could just get a woman naked and tied to a tree.
Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum has Munch on her most-wanted list for failure to appear in court. Plum is the all-American girl stuck in an uncomfortable job, succeeding on luck and tenacity. Usually she gets her man. This time she gets a monkey. She also gets a big guy named Diesel.
Diesel pops in and out of Plum's life like birthday cake - delicious to look at and taste, not especially healthy as a steady diet, gone by the end of the week if not sooner. He's an uber bounty hunter with special skills when it comes to tracking men and pleasing women. He's after Grimoire, and now he's also after Munch. And if truth were told, he wouldn't mind setting Stephanie Plum in his crosshairs.
Diesel and Plum hunt down Munch and Grimoire, following them into the Barrens, surviving cranberry bogs, the Jersey Devil, a hair-raising experience, sand in their underwear, and, of course... monkeys.
"Finger Lickin' Fifteen" - Published 2009
Recipe for disaster: Celebrity chef Stanley Chipotle comes to Trenton to participate in a barbecue cook-off and loses his head - literally.
Throw in some spice: Bail bonds office worker Lula is witness to the crime, and the only one she'll talk to is Trenton cop, Joe Morelli.
Pump up the heat: Chipotle's sponsor is offering a million dollar reward to anyone who can provide information leading to the capture of the killers.
Stir the pot: Lula recruits bounty hunter Stephanie Plum to help her find the killers and collect the moolah.
Add a secret ingredient: Stephanie Plum's Grandma Mazur. Enough said.
Bring to a boil: Stephanie Plum is working overtime tracking felons for the bonds office at night and snooping for security expert Carlos Manoso, A.K.A. Ranger, during the day. Can Stephanie hunt down two killers, a traitor, five skips, keep her grandmother out of the sauce, solve Ranger's problems and not jump his bones?
Warning: Habanero hot. So good youÕll want seconds.