Two for the Dough by Janet Evanovich

Stephanie Plum #2

            You just gotta love Grandma Mazer. I want to be her when I grow up!

            That having been said, this was another example of Evanovich's rollicking humor. Stephanie Plum is back as New Jersey's newest bounty hunter. This time she hot on the trail of Kenny Mancuso who is out on bail after shooting his friend Moogey in the knee. Sounds like a Saturday night in the burg got a little out of hand, but as Stephanie attempts to track him down, she starts to realize there is more to the story.

            Joe Morelli, local cop and all round hottie, is also on Kenny's trail. It seems the gun Kenny used to shoot Moogey is part of a large cache of weapons stolen from a nearby military base. Morelli follows Stephanie who is following Kenny who keeps circling around trying to intimidate her.

            Kenny goes so far as to accost Grandma Mazur coming out of the bakery, stabbing her through the hand with an ice pick. Stephanie is not happy about this, but Grandma Mazur knows what to do. Next time she sees Kenny she is prepared with a .45 caliber surprise!

            Stephanie and Morelli discover that Kenny, Moogey and apprentice undertaker Spiro stole the guns, but they need to find them for Joe to make his case and Stephanie to earn her bounty.

            This was a quick fun read. And, I know from experience that the stories get better as they go along. Definitely read this one

Also see my reviews of other Stephanie Plum books: One For the Money, Smokin’ Seventeen, and Explosive Eighteen.

Wicked Business by Janet Evanovich

Lizzy and Diesel #2

            Lizzy and Diesel are back. This time they are on the hunt for the Luxuria stone, the Seligia stone of lust. Just like last time, Wolf and Hackitt are hot on their trail. And this time there is someone else looking for the stone as well. Someone even Diesel and Wolf don't know about.

            There is a scavenger hunt for clues in locations all around Massachusetts. And, this time Lizzy and Diesel need a little help from their friends. For instance, Diesel borrows a painting that seems to be the answer to a clue, but neither he nor Lizzy can figure out what it means. When Glo spots the painting, she can see numbered bells that no one else can. Once Lizzy and Diesel track down the bells, they cannot get them to chime, but Carl the monkey can. They persist in the hunt for, and eventually find, both the Luxuria stone and the clay tablet that will point the way to the next stone holder.

            I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first one. I just wasn't feeling the usual level of zaniness. Nor did I feel the levels of nuance surrounding the stone and its powers. Not to suggest this was not a fun book. The entertainment factor was quite high. I just don't think it lived up to the first book, Wicked Appetite.

Wicked Appetite by Janet Evanovich

          Lizzie and Diesal #1

            Wicked Appetite is the first book in the Lizzie and Diesel series. I assume there will be seven books in the series as Evanovich is using the seven deadly sins device. This book is her usual fun and quirky style. Roll your eyes goofy and laugh out loud funny in places. The situation comedy aspect is very strong. How can an overly human monkey or a one-eyed ninja cat not be entertaining?

            Lizzie is a pastry chef with a particular talent for cupcakes. She works at a bakery in Salem, MA, home of the Salem Witch Trials. Considering where she works, the odd is not unusual. But when a tall, cadaverously pale man enters the bakery looking for her things get more than odd.

            After Wolf scares Lizzy half to death and leaves, his gorgeous cousin, Diesel, rolls in looking for her. He explains that he and Wolf are both looking for a special stone controlling gluttony. He says Lizzy has special abilities, not only with cupcakes, but also to feel the energy given off by this stone. He insists she help him find it. Since she finds herself unable to get rid of him, and he promises to protect her from Wolf, she assists.

            The hunt for the keys to the stones location becomes increasingly difficult and dangerous as the story progresses. Of course, the goofiness surrounding Lizzy increases apace, balancing tension and release nicely. And, while I have always associated gluttony with food, Evanovich uses a much broader definition to great effect.

            Lizzy and Diesel eventually find the stone, but find themselves at an impasse with Wolf at the same time. Wolf and Diesel agree to split the loot with him, and meet again another day - presumably in Wicked Business, Lizzy and Diesel #2.

            This is not the great American novel, but it doesn't seem to expect to be. It is seriously fun, and I recommend it. I am looking forward to the next installment in the series.

 

One for the Money by Janet Evanovich

          Stephanie Plum #1

           This is the book that started the long running series about a Jersey girl who turn bounty hunter. It hit the bestseller list last February when it was turned into a movie.  I’ve read a number of these books, and truly enjoy them.  They are generally fast paced and laugh-out-loud funny. Anybody who doesn’t love Lula and Grandma Mazur are simply lacking a funny bone.

          Stephanie Plum is unemployed. Her car is repossessed and she is both facing eviction and running out of items to pawn. While at dinner at her parent’s house her mother mentions that cousin Vinnie is looking for help at his bail bonds office. Stephanie stops in intending to apply for the filing clerk job only to find it is no longer available.  However, one of their bond enforcement officers is out and they are desperate for someone to pick up the slack. And Stephanie becomes a bounty hunter.

          She is after a guy she knew in high school, a local cop accused of murder. He is on the run because he didn’t do it, but cannot prove it. After several attempts to bring him in, he and Stephanie decide to join forces. She will help him prove his innocence and he will allow her to bring him in for the $10,000 bounty. 

          Stephanie’s learning curve is pretty steep, but very entertaining. And, of course, the SUV she is driving during most of the tale is totally destroyed. This book set the pattern for all the other books in the series to follow, but it’s a good one.  Why mess with success?

 

 

         

Love in a Nutshell by Janet Evanovich and Dorien Kelly

          This was a quick fun read – actually a listen as it was an audio book.  It was totally predictable, which was not a bad thing here. This book did not have any delusions of grandeur.  It was just a simple love story.

          Kate is Evanovich’s typical heroine - little ditzy, but determined and charming.  Matt is a good hero.  He is handsome, of course, a talented brewer of beers, a very successful businessman and all round nice guy. 

          Kate has decided, after her divorce, to turn her parent’s vacation home, called the Nutshell, into a bread and breakfast. The place needs extensive renovation, the removal of thousands of bees, cleansing of mold and serious refurnishing. Kate’s resources are limited and she is racing against time to get the B&B up and running before the place goes into foreclosure.

          The story starts with Kate arriving at Matt’s microbrewery, The Depot, to demand a job.  She believes she was unjustly fired from her last position due to a batch of skunky Depot beer, and Matt owes her a job. Matt is not really planning on doing any hiring, but is intrigued.  He has been having a run of bad luck lately that he is beginning to suspect might not be accidental. Kate agrees to do some snooping for him, and the bonus he promises her for finding the culprit will bring the mortgage on the Nutshell current and pay some of the renovation bills.

          It quickly becomes clear that the bad luck really is sabotage as the perpetrators become increasingly violent and dangerous. Matt wants Kate out of the Depot, and harm’s way, but she is determined to earn the bonus she needs by finding out who is responsible.

          Figuring out who-done-it is as easy as thinking about who has the most to gain by running Matt out of business. How the damage is being accomplished is a bit trickier to determine. And, Kate does finally figure it out, mostly because she runs into the guy in the midst of starting a fire. But her mission is accomplished.  Her bonus is earned and as if that is not enough, she also gets the handsome brew master!

          I listened to this one on audio, so it took several days to get through the whole thing.  This probably would have been a one day read in book form. But it was fun. And, my favorite character is Stella.  If you want to know why, you’ll just need to read the book.

Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich

               You would think that in a book entitled Explosive Eighteen Stephanie Plum’s car would blow up repeatedly.  It does not blow up at all. As a matter of fact there are no explosions at all till the very end when Lula sets one off when she accidentally discharges her rocket launcher and hits a propane tank.

               Yes, this is another wild romp through New Jersey. And while it is not exactly intellectually stimulating, I did spend a large amount of time laughing out loud.

               Unfortunately, for those of you who have not yet met Stephanie, Lula and the guys, this book does not work as a standalone. But, I highly recommend the whole series for a rollicking good time.