Takedown Twenty by Janet Evanovich

 

Read this in September, a quick entertaining read  published in 2013, 295 pages.  Another in the adventures of Stephanie Blum bounty hunter.   

 Set in Trenton, NJ, all the characters from previous novels of this series remain--Vinnie the Bail bondsman for whom Steph works; Lula, her sidekick assistant with the best mouth around; Joe. Morelli, detective and Steph's fiancé kind of, Bella Morelli's old world grandmother who despises Steph and specializes in giving Steph the evil eye;  Steph's grandma Mazur who has a prominent role in this one;  Steph's Mom who takes to the ironing board to wear off frustration from her unmarried daughter; and Ranger, Steph's protector, close friend and  sometimes heartthrob.  I do not know off hand how many of these I have read but I always enjoy them.  There is a combination of humor, mystery and intrigue presented in a light hearted way for fun reading. 

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The story opens as Lula and Steph are on a night stake out  after Salvatore Sunucchi aka Uncle Sunny, local mobster protected by his grandma and adored through the community for his generosity.  Lula is as ever attracted to some knock off handbags from a local source, Jimmy.  They have seen a giraffe, whom Lula will name Kevin, seriously a giraffe running the back streets of Trenton.  As the action moves along Stephanie is becoming frustrated with her life, broke  or always living on the edge always she decides to give up bounty hunting.  She even tries a stint at learning to Butcher at her ever suffering Mom's suggestion with the local butcher.  That is not a good experience.  But she needs the final amount that she can be paid from Vinnie for bringing Uncle Sunny in.  By the end of the novel she has given up and returns to bounty hunter.,  Steph partners with Ranger to go to the senior center and bingo games to catch a killer.  Three elderly widows have been killed, strangled with venetian blind cord, and dumped into dumpsters.  Grandma Mazur at the end will be with Uncle Sunny who turns out to the be creepy killer.  Steph saves her grandma from the fate of the other 3 women.  

. 5 ***** rating for an enjoyable tale as always.   I am never disappointed when I find these at book sales and want a quick read.

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Ending pages

   

EXPLOSIVE EIGHTEEN by Janet Evanovich

 

Published in 2011,a paperback I picked up at a bargain book sale and had on my shelf. 

A few months back,  maybe February March 2021, I retrieved it.   When I needed something quick to read this fit.

I have not tracked the numbers of these  books that I've read and enjoyed over the years,  although she has written these consecutively.  They all feature the misadventures of New Jersey,  Bail Bond bounty hunter, Stephanie Plum. This is another good  fast read.  334 pages.  The characters are the same, her assistant Lula is a kick, Vinnie the owner of the agency,  main squeeze  Detective Morellii, and Ranger.  Although I am very fond of Stephanie's grandmother, an aged Stephanie always willing to assist.  An easy 4 stars,  nothing literary or  over the top just a good  move along  type of novel mystery.