Eleven on Top by Janet Evanovich
Although her novels are classified as mysteries, Janet Evanovich really deserves a category of her own. Her stories fall somewhere between soap opera and a cheesy whodunit by combining over-the-top drama with a healthy dose of humor and a Nancy Drew twist or two. With a series of eleven successful stories based on the character Stephanie Plum and the twelfth to be released on June 20, 2006, who can dispute Evanovich's winning combination?
The beauty of this series is that readers don't need to read each book in succession to get a sense of the characters. Stephanie Plum is a moderately successful bounty hunter with a little too much spunk and not quite enough common sense who can't seem to commit to a permanent relationship. The difficulties between Stephanie and the men in her life, Joe Morrelli and Ranger, pale in comparison to the difficulties she encounters in her job, all of which brings her to a life changing decision: time for a career move. In Eleven on Top, Stephanie convinces herself that life in the law enforcement field is over for her, so she attempts to start a new career. While this is great in concept, she just can't seem to adapt to the mundane and finds herself doing office work for Ranger instead. The tension escalates as Stephanie walks the line between Ranger and Joe and tries to maintain her balance while seeking the identity of the stalker who is trying to kill her.
Rumor has it that a movie version of this popular series is in the works. At the official Janet Evanovich website readers can vote on actors to play the lead roles in a Stephanie Plum movie as well as get background information on Evanovich and all of her novels. To cast your vote, get the latest updates and read the first two chapters of book twelve, Twelve Sharp, go to www.evanovich.com
Comments
I have been listening to Janet Evanovich mysteries on CDs for the last several months. I could not stand Seven UP because of the reading by Tanya Eby. I took it back to the library and have been listening to other material from the library. I just took it out again thinking I could listen to it - but have just started it and guess I had better take it back to the library again. What a terrible reader after the others were read by C. J. Critt. I will have to get the book.
Also, Evanovich does a much better job with her Stephanie Plum stories. Love Overboard and the Christmas one were duds.
Posted by: Bob | February 12, 2008 03:43 PM