Finger Lickin’ Fifteen

First off, I like the Stephanie Plum books. I have been reading them off and on for several years (in order) and I know each book will be good for a laugh and an escape from reality, if nothing else. That being said, some of the antics are getting boring (and I know I’m way behind in this series since I’ve just finished reading Book 15). This is actually one of the reasons I’m behind. A lot of the activities are repeated from book to book, so I will not pay full price (or anywhere near it) for these books anymore. I wait until I can get the Kindle version for a good deal.

Stephanie’s cars (or Ranger’s, as that’s frequently the case) getting firebombed or blown up is totally old. Same goes for her apartment. All of the main characters are very stagnant, meaning there is never any growth or development (or change) among them. The whole love triangle thing between Stephanie, Ranger, and Morelli is beyond old. At the ages of these people, it just seems rather pathetic (even for escapist fiction).

In every book, Stephanie gets doused with something (paint, flour, swamp water, marinara sauce). The particular “something” doesn’t matter anymore. It’s going to happen and it’s no longer amusing. I think it would be more interesting to make some changes here and there and throw some new stuff into the mix.

I’ve already got the next two books on my Kindle, so I’ll get around to reading them. I keep hoping the author will decide to actually spice things up and step away from the cut and paste formula she has been following since the first book.

I usually borrow these books from the online library, but they don’t have this one, despite having all the rest, so I had to buy it. I’m not sorry I bought it. It was funny, it had a lot of laughs, and it was true to the series.
I would, however, really like it if JE would stop describing every house everyone lives in and changing a lot of details about things. Just as an example, Morelli’s house came from his Aunt Rose. When he got it, the first time it was introduced, she gave all her furniture to his sister and he had to bring in his. Later in the series, some of the furniture was hers to begin with and he inherited it. HUH? I am also tired of reading how the houses are laid out. If you have read the ones leading up to 15, you’ve learned all that. If you haven’t read 1-14, what are you doing with 15 in your hands? I do, however, always read curiously to know who lives in the house shared with the Plum family. Will it be Mrs. Ciak or Mable Markowitz? It changes. Why is that? Does no one edit these books? Does consistency not matter? Whoever she is, she always bakes and is very poor. That remains, but her name switches back and forth. Big Blue is in every book, so we already all know it steers like a refrigerator on wheels and Stephanie hates it.
The thing is that I know these people. I grew up with them. They lived in my neighborhood. They are true to life, according to my real life. I know the sexual tension between two men and one woman, and I know how difficult it is to know what to do. I know the big and beautiful black woman, although my friend was never a “ho”. I know the Italian father just trying to cope with the women around him always doing something that makes no sense and him being out of the loop on everything but the fact that his dinner had better be on that table when the time comes!
I laughed out loud at many of the scenes. Lula cracks me up. She is on target with a lot of what she says, she plays her race card as a trump, she plays her big and beautiful card like the ace of trump. She’s got it. She’s intelligent and it comes out every once in a while, but she plays dumb in a lot of things, too. Stephanie is so hopelessly confused by the men in her life that she can’t do much right. Ranger gets the cars from a mysterious source, but at some point, we did learn that he gets them for providing security for someone who has a dealership somewhere, so it’s not all that much of a mystery, and he says Stephanie is entertainment for his men who bet on how long a car can last with her driving it. So yeah, I can see it being that way. The rich are not like me. I can totally understand when Ranger tells Stephanie that to his men, she is his property and I can totally see why she gets extremely upset with that. Both sides of that make sense to me. Morelli is in love with Stephanie and he can’t commit because he’s Italian, and Italian men want total control over their women (in stereotype, not in real life) and Stephanie cannot be controlled. Even his grandmother is a typical stereotype old woman with “the eye”. All the characters make me laugh, but not all the time.
As a series, I love these books. This one was entertaining, although I never heard of anyone passing gas to the extent that Lula does in this book. I guess it happens. And I do know that no matter how old a man gets, a fart is funny to him. It never fails to get a smile. I’ll even admit that Joyce getting shot was something I thought she deserved.
When I finished this book, I moved on to 16. I kept going. I will keep going, as long as the series runs. They make me laugh. If you’re looking for great literature, seek it elsewhere. If you need to laugh, read these books. It’s pretty much as simple as that.

I have read all the Stephanie Plums in order up through this one (15). I think this is the funniest I have read to date. I promise you, I would never loan Stephanie my car. In this Ranger finds out the hard way as she goes to work part time for Rangeman Security and Ranger helps her catch up on her skips. Lula sees a famous TV chef get beheaded on the street and spends the book trying to avoid being killed by the culprits. Plus Lula is trying to win a bar-be-que grill off which pays big money and is tied into the murder. Rangerman clients are being burglarized by someone who knows the security pad codes and employees are being scrutinized to see if it is an in house breach, opening the job opportunity for Stephanie to help. Just the funniest book I have read in a long time.

Janet Evanovich never disappoints. Each story has its own unique story. The mixture of romance, mystery, and humor keeps me wanting to read more. When Stephanie is with Ranger, I keep hoping they will get together, but when she is with Morelli, I think they should be together.
I love these books better than anything else I have ever read. Many days, I need the humor and the romance, and yes the mystery too. Keep up the good work Ms. Evanovich, and thank you!

Okay, it’s not great literature, but I never tire of Stephanie Plum’s hilarious escapades. # 15 ranks high on the list of outrageous adventures. This time everything’s bursting into flames. Stephanie manages to torch Ranger’s Porsche Cayenne not once but twice, get doused with red paint, her apartment is firebombed, Lula’s Firebird explodes, and barbeque sauce seems to rain from heaven throughout the book. Lula organizes a team for a barbecue contest after she witnesses the decapitation of a famous chef. She’s determined to win the cook-off prize, but the various concoctions she creates do more internal damage than palate pleasing.

Although currently off men after a break-up with Morelli, the long-running battle for Stephanie’s heart continues. Who will she choose, Morelli or Ranger? By book 15, it appears that Morelli is gaining ground. Lots of sexual tension, without anything really gross. I appreciate that.

Evanovich’s work walks the tightrope between bawdy and innocent prose, and sometimes the humor seems a bit sophomoric. Still, she manages to keep everything fun. I would recommend this book.

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