Stephanie Plum, Book 30
From the publisher:
#1 New York Times bestselling author and “most popular mystery writer alive” (The New York Times) Janet Evanovich is in top form as she sends Stephanie Plum on the trail of a stolen cache of dirty diamonds.
Stephanie Plum, Trenton’s hardest working, most underappreciated bounty hunter, is offered a freelance assignment that seems simple enough. Local jeweler Martin Rabner wants her to locate his former security guard, Andy Manley (a.k.a. Nutsy), who he is convinced stole a fortune in diamonds out of his safe. Stephanie is also looking for another troubled man, Duncan Dugan, a fugitive from justice arrested for robbing the same jewelry store on the same day.
With her boyfriend Morelli away in Miami on police business, Stephanie is taking care of Bob, Morelli’s giant orange dog who will devour anything, from Stephanie’s stray donuts to the upholstery in her car. Morelli’s absence also means the inscrutable, irresistible security expert Ranger is front and center in Stephanie’s life when things inevitably go sideways. And he seems determined to stay there.
To complicate matters, her best friend Lula is convinced she is being stalked by a mythological demon hell-bent on relieving her of her wardrobe. An overnight stakeout with Stephanie’s mother and Grandma Mazur reveals three generations of women with nerves of steel and driving skills worthy of NASCAR champions.
As the body count rises and witnesses start to disappear, it won’t be easy for Stephanie to keep herself clean when everyone else is playing dirty. It’s a good thing Stephanie isn’t afraid of getting a little dirty, too.
“Those who don’t yet know sassy, spunky New Jersey sleuth Stephanie Plum simply must meet her…An uproarious, crazy, laugh-a-minute caper”—Booklist, starred review
“This is fast-paced and laugh-filled fun.”—Publishers Weekly
https://amzn.to/3tOwIff
Like millions of others, I loved this series but finally stopped reading at book 23. They really started to go downhill around book 20, with ridiculously far-fetched plot lines, including giraffes wandering the streets of Trenton, New Jersey, but once the zombies arrived, I was done. Oh, and please, please skip the movie of One for the Money, it was so miscast and awful.
Then the other day, I received my Book Club email from the Washington Post (highly recommend!) and I read about Evanovich reaching this milestone, the thirtieth book of an uber-successful series. I decided to take a look at it. And I enjoyed it! Things seem to have gone back to where they started, without forcing me to strain credulity and just enjoy the ride. Thank you, Janet!
Some things never change, thank goodness. Stephanie Plum hasn’t aged a day; she’s still a bounty hunter working for her cousin. Her best friend is the former hooker Lula, Connie is still running the office with a loaded gun in her desk, and Grandma Mazur is still kicking and staying on top of all the gossip in the Burg. And somehow, she is still torn between two men – her childhood sweetheart and Trenton cop Joe Morelli, and form Special Forces, current security expert Ranger.
This time Morelli is headed out of town to testify in a case in Miami. While he’s gone, he asks Stephanie to watch his dog, Bob, a loveable mutt who will eat anything, including furniture and car interiors. Stephanie has a few skips to pick up, but is having some trouble and if things don’t turn around, she won’t be able to pay her rent. When a local family-owned jewelry store is robbed, the owner hires her to find his security guard, who he suspects of stealing a tray of diamonds out of the safe the same day as the robbery.
The usual antics ensue, but it finally seems as if Stephanie has gotten at least a bit better at her job. Lula is as feisty as ever, and with Morelli out of town, things start heating up with Ranger again, despite her being in a committed relationship with the cop. There are several surprises along the way, and some nice twists towards the very shocking ending. Maybe taking a few years off helped, but I thoroughly enjoyed this latest Plum adventure, and look forward to whatever comes next.
11/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
DIRTY THIRTY by Janet Evanovich. Atria Books (October 31, 2023). ISBN: 978-1668003091. 336pp.
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