Book Review: Three to Get Deadly by Janet Evanovich

 Title: Three to Get Deadly

Author: Janet Evanovich

Series/Standalone: Stephanie Plum Series (Book #3)

Genre: Mystery, Fiction, Humor

Pages: 321

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Year Published: 1997

Format: Audiobook

"Stephanie Plum, the brassy babe in the powder blue Buick is back and she's having a bad hair day-- for the whole month of January. She's been given the unpopular task of finding Mo Bedemier, Trenton's most beloved citizen, arrested for carrying concealed, gone no-show for his court appearance.

And to make matters worse, she's got Lula, a former hooker turned file clerk-- now a wannabe bounty hunter- at her side, sticking like glue. Lula's big and blonde and black and itching to get the chance to lock up a crook in the trunk of her car.

Morelli, the New Jersey vice cop with the slow-burning smile that undermines a girl's strongest resolve is being polite. So what does that mean? Has he found a new love? Or is he manipulating Steph, using her in his police investigation, counting on her unmanageable curiosity and competitive Jersey attitude?

Once again, the entire One for the Money crew is in action, including Ranger and Grandma Mazur, searching for Mo, tripping down a trail littered with dead drug dealers, leading Stephanie to suspect Mo has traded his ice-cream scoop for a vigilante gun."

My Rating: 1.5/5

I think this is where I leave the series. After listening to this audiobook the only way I can describe my emotion is disappointed. The first book in this series had a small amount of romance and a decent amount of mystery. This book has done a total 180, we're more worried about the romance then the mystery and details are constantly skated over. The whole romance starting when they were 8 is brought up consistently and makes me extremely uncomfortable. The characters have no real sense of urgency even in the middle of a ton of murders.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Two for the Dough by Janet Evanovich

 Title: Two for the Dough

Author: Janet Evanovich

Series/Standalone: Stephanie Plum Series (Book #2)

Genre: Adult Fiction, Humour, Mystery

Pages: 326

Publisher: Penguin Books

Year Published: 1996

Format: Audiobook

"This one's double the fun!

Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is still learning the ropes at her cousin Vinnie's bail bond office, so when she sets out the trail of Kenny Mancuso- a suspiciously wealthy, working class Trenton boy who has just shot his best friend- the stakes are higher than ever. That Mancuso is distantly related to vice cop Joe Morelli- who is trying to beat Stephanie to the punch- only makes the hunt more thrilling.

Taking pointers from her bounty hunter pal, Ranger, and using her pistol-packing Grandma Mazur as a decoy, Stephanie is soon closing in on her mark. But Morelli and his libido are worthy foes. And a more sinister kind of enemy has made his first move... and his next move might be Stephanie's last."

My Rating: 2/5

I think that these books are fun filler books, but they are so outdated. There is mention of the two main characters have sexual actions together at 8 YEARS OLD. I thought it was a one-off in the first book but it was brought up repeatedly in this book and it made me uncomfortable. There were also more stereotypes being filled out in this book. And things were more focused on the relationships in the book instead of the crime. I do plan on reading the next one just to see if these trends continue, but if they do I'm not sure how much further in the series I will go.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: One for the Money by Janet Evanovich

 Title: One for the Money

Author: Janet Evanovich

Series/Standalone: Stephanie Plum Series (Book #1)

Genre: Adult Fiction, Mystery

Pages: 320

Publisher: Griffin

Year Published: 1994

Format: Audiobook

"You've lost your job as a department store lingerie buyer, your car's been repossessed, and most of your furniture and small appliances have been sold off to pay last month's rent. Now the rent is due again. And you live in New Jersey. What do you do?

If you're Stephanie Plum, you become a bounty hunter. But not just a nickel-and-dime bounty hunter; you go after the big money. That means a cop gone bad. And not just any cop. She goes after Joe Morelli, a disgraced former vice cop who is also the man who took Stephanie's virginity at age 16 and then wrote details on a bathroom wall. With pride and rent money on the line, Plum plunges headlong into her first case, one that pits her against ruthless adversaries- people who'd rather kill than lose. 

In Stephanie Plum, Evanovich has created a resourceful and humorous character who stands apart from the pack of gritty female detectives."

My Rating:  3.75/5

This book reminds me of something that someone my mom's age would have read in a book club when I was a kid. It's filled with humour, there is a hot ex-cop on the run, a woman trying to piece together her life and a mystery. What more could you want? I would say that I wish so many stereotypes weren't fulfilled, but due to the year it was published I am not surprised. I think that this book completes its main purpose, it was entertaining and fun, not too deep. I plan to continue reading this series when I need a lighthearted, fun read.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny