Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Lean Mean Thirteen
Book Review: Plum improvement
Summary: 4 Stars
Stephanie Plum's obnoxious ex-husband Dickie Orr goes missing the day after Stephanie tries to strangle him, and she finds has to go searching for him, while being tailed by the equally obnoxious Joyce Barnhardt, who is Dickie's current girlfriend, and who is anxious to find Dickie, or at any rate his money, of which he has a lot. Naturally, this leads Stephanie into all kinds of trouble, and as always, someone is out to kill her.
I thought this book, although not as funny as the early Plums, was an improvement on the last two, it has a better plot and more humour. As always, the supporting players, especially Grandma Mazur and Lula, are fun to meet. There are some funny guest characters, especially the crazy taxidermist who specialises in exploding animals. You may wonder how anyone as incompetent as Stephanie manages to make a living as a bounty hunter (she still can't bring herself to carry her gun, and she still lets people sneak out the back way while she waits for them out the front). And you may wonder how much longer Joe Morelli and Ranger are going to wait for her to make up her mind which one of them she prefers. But never mind, suspend disbelief and just enjoy another helping of Plum.
Book Review: Disappointing
Summary: 3 Stars
I have looked forward every summer to the latest installment. I really enjoy the humour, the crazy family dinners where something goes horribly wrong and the romance between Stephanie and both Ranger and Morelli. This latest book I found disappointing, however. There was less humour and many situations were predictable. The relationships between Stephanie and the 2 main male characters no longer seems to be developing. Morelli continues to be unavailable for a spell, telling Ranger to look after her, while Ranger continues to say he will move in if there is nothing between her and Morelli. I didn't find the taxidermist particularly amusing or sympathetic in the way Albert Kloughn was. This book was almost writing by numbers.Book Review: A Romantic Mystery Plum Full of Gags, Jokes, and Ironic Situations
Summary: 5 Stars
For my money, Lean Mean Thirteen is by far the best beach read of this summer. Although you could race through the book at high speed in a few hours, there is enough humor in here to keep you chuckling, guffawing, and rolling on the floor in tears from now until long past Labor Day. So another way to read this book is to stop every time you laugh out loud . . . and pick it up again the next day. I suspect that would be the best way to enjoy the book . . . but naturally, I didn't have that much self control. I did, however, keep track of where I laughed aloud when I read the book and the total exceeded 160 times!
To me, Stephanie Plum has emerged as one of the great comic heroines of crime literature. Could you love her any more? I doubt it.
Unlike some other books in the series, you'll probably enjoy Lean Mean Thirteen more if you've read at least One for the Money of the earlier books so you know the story of her former marriage to Dickie Orr before beginning this book.
Who will love this book? Anyone who cannot get enough of Stephanie Plum as bounty hunter, beloved of two sexy men, and granddaughter of Grandma Mazur.
Who will be disappointed in this book? Those who are looking for Stephanie to choose between Morelli and Ranger.
So what happens? A lot.
Let me tell you a tiny bit about how the book starts to get you in the mood. I'm reluctant to say very much because so much of the humor relies on surprises.
Ranger asks Stephanie to plant a bug on Dickie Orr, her ex-husband. In the process, Stephanie finds lots of reasons to be enraged at Dickie and the lawyer finds himself at risk of becoming a homicide victim at Stephanie's hands. Soon, Dickie has vanished and his girlfriend, the abominable Joyce Barnhardt, is out to punish Stephanie.
Nearly destitute, Stephanie is out trying to bring in bail jumpers . . . but without much success. Can she stave off starvation?
The bail jumpers are quite an unusual lot: One is a mild threat unless you light a fire around his house; another is most likely to be found robbing graves of those who are buried with jewels and clothes he can wear . . . when he's not playing with his 20 foot-long snake; and a third is a mild taxidermist with an unusual hobby who doesn't want to leave home because he's waiting for someone.
One of the delights of this book is that Janet Evanovich has taken off the handcuffs in bringing new weapons to the party that Stephanie can use to defend herself . . . and to threaten Stephanie's life.
Like all of the best Plum books, Lean Mean Thirteen is corpse-deep in ironies, unexpected turnabouts, and surprises. Don't miss it.
I must admit that I wanted to add another irony to the pile by reading the book on Friday the thirteenth. That added a final laugh for me. But don't wait until the next Friday the thirteenth.
Get your next laugh from this book today!
Book Review: is this the end?
Summary: 2 Stars
I love Stephanie Plum and all the characters over the 13 books. I really do. I laugh, cry, and generally have great fun. But. Nothing happens really in this latest book. No development of characters and some significant ommisions i.e. new laughs. My opinion is that in a series such as this unless any new developments happen eventually the author should just give up. The long painful death of a character is sad but inevitable. The book is well written, funny, the cars blow up, grandma Mazur finds a feller and promptly loses him, morelli and ranger take turns, an oddball character turns up, but there is just no feeling behind it. All has been said and done before. Over the next few years I will have a wonderful time re-reading my favourite Plum novels and recommending them to all my friends / family. My children will have these books read to them and I will become a bore on the subject (even more than I am now) But I wont be paying hardback rates for the new ones, and it is unlikely i would buy the paperback unless it is in a charity shop. Unlucky for some thirteen. Janet, start a fresh new series with a fresh new hero(ine) please.Book Review: Good but not really going anywhere
Summary: 3 Stars
I love these books but I consider that Stephanie Plum has come to a stand still in her life. Its time to put up or shut up I think, she either marries Morelli or ditches him and goes off with Ranger, or even kill off Morelli, something new needs to happen! (or stop writing them altogether)! There is no change in the characters they just seem stuck in a rut.
Grandma Mazur is her usual comic self and provides somewhat light relief from a story that keeps a similar pace the whole way through. You feel like you are continually waiting for something to happen.. and it never does. And one more point... how is (what we presume to be the original)Rex still alive and kicking? Must be a super hamster!!