Look Alive Twenty-Five
A Stephanie Plum Novel
By Janet Evanovich
Published 2018 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons, NY
311 pages
ISBN:13-978-0399179228
Synopsis:
Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter, and her side-kick Lula are on another case solving adventure while trying to catch people that have jumped bail and failed to appear in court. Of course, the people on her list are a bunch of crazy zany characters and hard to apprehend. Vinny, her cousin, and boss (Vincent Plum Bail Bond) has made her manager of a diner, the Trenton’s Red River Deli which has been passed down to Vinny’s father in law, Harry the Hammer. Evidently, the diner is having trouble keeping managers who mysteriously disappear while taking the trash out at night. They are up to number #3. The only clue remaining is a shoe left behind of the missing person. Stephanie and Lula try to solve this mystery before the next manager goes MIA which could be Stephanie. She along with the help from her detective boyfriend Joe Morelli and another love interest, Ranger, (former Special Forces dedicated to keeping Stephanie alive and in sight) hope to solve the mystery before another casualty incurs.
Genre: Mystery
Rule of Three: Appeal
Protagonist: Likeable character, sassy; Pace: Quick easy read; Tone: Upbeat, humorous: Mood: Zany, crazy, funny, amusing; Plot driven; Writing Style: Conversational, banter-filled.
Read-a-likes
What’s a Ghoul to do? by Victoria Laurie
Similarities: Sassy female character; Fun mystery with quirkiness thrown in.
What Looks like Crazy by Charlotte Hughes
Similarities: Female character that attracts trouble; Crazy family and an eccentric secretary.
Bad Manners by Marne Davis Kellogg
Similarities: the Main character is a female with her own international security consulting business; Fun murder mystery.
The Dangerous Edge of Things by Tina Whittle
Similarities: The book is the beginning of a light-hearted mysteries series: Strong female crime character.
Personal Comment: I have always like this series because the books are a quick read. I finished this one in a day. It is light entertainment and humorous for a quick getaway and recharging. But, like all things, the series has run its course and it should retire. The characters which are true to form are stagnant and there is no growth.
References
Novelist Plus. Ebscohost.Accessed 16 February 2019 through the Indianapolis Public Library.
Saricks, J. (2009). At Leisure: The Rule of Three. Booklist, 106(3), 25. retrieved from the Academic Search Premier database.
Saricks, J. (2009). The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction (2nd ed.). Chicago, IL: American Library Association.
I've also read this series on and off through the high teens and have a similar thought on the series needing to retire. I do think she's made some changes as years have gone by (cell phones, etc.), but without movement in any of the relationships, Stephanie Plum isn't nearly as interesting as she was in One for the Money. Another note, up until this class I would never have put these with mysteries, they were too zany, romantic, etc. They are far from other mysteries I've read (including the cozy mystery I just read). So, I did like the series I would certainly recommend it, but I wonder to whom I would recommend them. Probably a "I'm looking for a fun book doesn't matter the genre"!
ReplyDeleteNot to date myself, but I started reading her series when they first came out in th 90's and I was in my forty's. I think they appeal to that age group with the humor and a small anount of sex, just to hint. I use to laugh out loud, now it is the same old thing.
ReplyDeleteExcellent job! I liked your personal note and I agree, sometimes series need to retire, you don't want readers to resent your characters! Full points and great job!
ReplyDelete