I received this book for free from my own shelves in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: my own shelves
Plum Spooky
by
Janet Evanovich
romantic suspense in Hardcover edition that was published by St. Martin's Press on January 6, 2009 and has 309 pages.
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Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Smokin' Seventeen, Love in a Nutshell, Explosive Eighteen, Wicked Business, Notorious Nineteen, The Husband List, The Heist, Takedown Twenty, The Chase, Pros and Cons, Top Secret Twenty-One, The Job, Two for the Dough, Stephanie Plum #3 – #7, Visions of Sugar Plums, Wicked Charms, Love Overboard, Stephanie Plums, , Tricky Twenty-Two, The Pursuit, The Scam, Curious Minds, Turbo Twenty-Three, Dangerous Minds, Hardcore Twenty-Four, "The Shell Game", Look Alive Twenty-five, The Big Kahuna, Twisted Twenty-six, Fortune and Glory, The Bounty, Full House, The Recovery Agent, Thanksgiving
A Between-the-Numbers novel, 14.5, in the funny Stephanie Plum romantic suspense series and revolving around a girl bounty hunter in Trenton, New Jersey, and Diesel, a dimpled hunk with unusual powers. If you’re interested, there is a chronological listing of the Stephanie Plum books on my website.
My Take
I adore Diesel. He’s such a tease, a hunk, and very flirtatious. He even likes Stephanie’s family. On the negative side, he’s patronizing enough I’d consider hitting him and expects Stephanie to wait on him and make grilled cheese sandwiches. He does accept no pretty well, though, lol.
I do love Stephanie Plum, and this story drove me nuts…I wanted to know more about the Tank-Lula conflict!
Evanovich does have lots of fun with Plum Spooky, and we get to meet the Easter Bunny, fire-fartin’ Elmer, and Sasquatch. Oh, I can’t forget Carl! You’ll adore Carl, lol.
And it’s a Stephanie Plum, so there are lots of laughs, crazy action, and crazier friends, including Carl! Naturally, there is lots of junk food throughout so be sure to stock up on doughnuts, fried chicken, hamburgers, fries, milkshakes, and pizza!
Stephanie mentions a cousin Jessica who lives in Marblehead near Salem, and I’m wondering if she will play into Evanovich’s Lizzy & Diesel series.
The Story
Wulf is back, and Diesel has to stop him. Right after he finds out what Wulf is up to. For now, Stephanie has to deal with him, Carl the game-playin’ monkey, avoid Wulf and his shocker of a hand, escape being Munch’s sex slave, and figure out how to round up her FTAs.
Then there’s that babysitting job she takes on for Joe, lol.
The Characters
Stephanie Plum prefers being an inept bounty hunter to putting on stockings and working in an office — or a factory. And I can’t blame her! Lula is her very plus-sized “partner” with an even bigger sense of her own abilities. And an allergy! Connie is the office manager for Vincent Plum Bail Bonds. Vinnie Plum “owns” the company and is Stephanie’s snake of a cousin. Grandma Mazur lives with Stephanie’s parents.
The scruffy Diesel is one of the Unmentionables and tasked with the job of policing rogue Unmentionables. Like the urbane Gerwulf “Wulf” Grimoire, his cousin whose signature kill is the handprint he leaves behind on his victims. Both boys are Swiss and Ranger knows both of them.
Joe Morelli is a Trenton cop and Stephanie’s on-again, off-again sex-on-legs boyfriend. Anthony Morelli is the brother he’s stuck babysitting. Angie Morelli is the wife who threw him out. Charlene is but one of the babes Anthony brings to Joe’s.
Ranger is the true man of mystery and a primo bounty hunter who runs his own security operation. He likes keeping tabs on Stephanie, if only for the entertainment value, lol. Tank is his second-in-command and has been dating Lula. Then he adopts three kittens: Miss Kitty, Suzy, and the pregnant Applepuff. Hank is another of his men, and he’ll be stuck in the monkey house.
Carl is a monkey who gets left with Stephanie while his owner, Susan Stitch, goes off on her honeymoon. He’s more intelligent than a lot of people and adores his Super Mario game. Mr. Fratelli is Joe’s irate neighbor. Miss Gloria is the psychic who advises Lula.
Martin Munch is a super and very erratic, eccentric genius, Gordon Bollo, and Denny Guzzi who shot himself in the foot are all FTAs. Eugene Scanlon is Munch’s supervisor. His sisters are Roberta Scanlon, a web designer, and Gail Scanlon, who is into animal rescue. Solomon Cuddles and Doc Weiner both deal in the product for which Munch is looking.
Unmentionables are humans with unusual powers. Some of those living in the Pine Barrens include the Jersey Devil; a Sasquatch; Bernie, the retired Easter Bunny; and, a fire-fartin’ Elmer.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a soft evergreen with a silver foil silhouette of trees. The author’s name is in bright yellow and the title is the same green as the background and outlined in silver.
The title is what Wulf is, Plum Spooky.
