I always pick these books up after a serious or slow read. It's like a little treat to get you ready for your next serious book. I'm not sure whether these can really continue to be called mysteries as there isn't much of a mystery. It's always Stephanie trying to find a bond only to learn that the bond is nowhere to be found. And having no luck with those she can find. Yes, it's the same thing over and over again but it's fun. Would I like some more progression with Stephanie and whomever she picks as her boyfriend? Absolutely. But chances are I'll still read without that.
First Line: "'I don't know why we gotta sit here baking in your car in the middle of the day, in the middle of the summer, in the middle of this crummy neighbourhood,' Lula said."
Rating:
(3.5/5)
Stephanie just returned from what was supposed to be a relaxing trip in Hawaii. Unfortunately it ended up with her spotting a criminal on her bond sheet and bringing the two men in her life Ranger and Morelli to help her out. Instead it was a big jealous mess, with Stephanie leaving all of them to return home to Jersey. Jersey isn't much better. Her cousin's bond office is still under construction, her arch nemesis might be dead (maybe that's a good thing?), and there are lots of skips she needs to find.
This is a "between the numbers" book within Evanovich's number series. Stephanie Plum, the unlucky bounty hunter is back. There's also a guy name Diesel who I don't ever remember meeting in the number series, though it says these two have met before. Anyways, Grandma Mazur happens to find a huge bag of money on the street and when Stephanie finds her, a short man in bright green pants is trying to steal it from her. It's St. Patricks day, which could explain the green pants, but this guy actually thinks he's a leprechaun. Soon, Grandma disappears so Stephanie and ex-ho Lula chase her to Atlantic City where she's trying to make even more money, but losing it quickly.
Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter extraordinaire is back for another round of crazy. Two bodies were found in the lot where Vinnie is building the new bond office after it blew up. It's not good for business so Stephanie tries to bring in the last few bonds before there's no business left. Given that she's a pretty bad bond enforcement officer, this doesn't work out too well and eventually, one of them is looking to kill her.
In another book of bounty hunter Stephanie Plum, this time we learn that Stephanie's cousin and employer has been kidnapped and held for ransom. Vinnie owes a lot of money to some bad people and the team at the bond office doesn't know how they are going to come up with it. Stephanie think she may be able to bag some outstanding bonds but she's not a very good bounty hunter to start with.
Stephanie Plum is a horrible bounty hunter. When sexy and mysterious Ranger asks her to help him out with a problem he's having with break ins of customers for his security firm, Stephanie knows it's too good to pass up. Especially since her and Morelli have had a huge argument and are no longer seeing each other. Stephanie starts to spy on Ranger's employees, thinking that one of them may have something to do with this since the robber knows the codes. Stephanie can't give up her day job though, and still has to find her skips, including the ancient old man who likes to flash to elderly ladies.
Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter from New Jersey, is back for the fourteenth installment of her series. This time she isn't doing as much bounty hunting as she is bodyguarding and babysitting. A famous singer is in town and Stephanie has been asked by Ranger to help with keeping her in line and on time. In her spare time she does look up one skip, Loretta, who asks Stephanie to take care of her teenage son while she's getting bonded out. This ends up lasting for much loner than expected and Stephanie has to live with a teenager in Morelli's house for quite a few days.
In the thirteenth installment of Stephanie Plum, this time Ranger asks Plum to put a listening device close to her ex-husband Dickie. Stephanie can hardly control her animosity towards him and manages to just long enough to plant the bug, then throttles him before stealing his desk clock. Shortly thereafter, Dickie disappears and not surprisingly Stephanie is the prime suspect. Morelli, Stephanie's on-again-off-again boyfriend, is a cop and knows it wasn't her but has to go through normal police procedure. Stephanie wants to take matters in to her own hand, which will involve destroyed cars and danger.
In the 12th book of the series, Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter extraordinaire, is back and trying to pick up the long list of criminals that haven't appeared for their court date. Then Stephanie runs in to Ranger's wife and she's not happy. Who knew Ranger had a wife? She knows that something is going on between Ranger and Stephanie and stays on Stephanie's tail, deciding that Stephanie will lead her to Ranger. But Ranger has left to Miami and soon there's news that his kid had been kidnapped. Stephanie tries to find out what is going on, with the help of on-again, off-again boyfriend Morelli.
Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum has had enough of being hit, stalked, and almost murdered so she hands in her bounty hunter hat and tries out some new jobs. Typical to Stephanie style, she screws up the new jobs spectacularly. She starts getting threatening notes in her apartment and in her car and then people start getting blown up. Eventually, Stephanie starts working for Rangeman which actually suits her quite well. I wouldn't mind seeing her continue that job in future books, it works well for her and provides expected comedic relief.