Author: Janet Evanovich
Series: Stephanie Plum (#7)
Release Date: June 19, 2001
Pages: 337
Genres: Mystery, Adult, Contemporary
Source: Own
BLOWN UPAll New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum has to do is bring in semi-retired bail jumper Eddie DeChooch. For an old man he's still got a knack for slipping out of sight--and raising hell. How else can Stephanie explain the bullet-riddled corpse in Eddie's garden? Who else would have a clue as to why two of Stephanie's friends suddenly vanished? For answers Stephanie has the devil to pay: her mentor, Ranger. The deal? He'll give Stephanie all the help she needs--if she gives him everything he wants...
MESSED UP
As if things weren't complicated enough, Stephanie's just discovered her Grandma Mazur's own unmentionable alliance with Eddie. Add a series of unnerving break-ins, not to mention the bombshell revelation leveled by Stephanie's estranged sister, and Stephanie's ready for some good news. Unfortunately, a marriage proposal from Joe Morelli, the love of her life, isn't quite cutting it. And now--murder, a randy paramour, a wily mobster, death threats, extortion, and a triple kidnapping aside--Stephanie's really got the urge to run for her life...
The next installment to Stephanie Plum's adventures as a bounty hunter was nothing short of entertaining, however, by the end of the book, I felt like it was nothing more than a filler to the series. There were times when the plot felt like it was going in circles with the only difference being an added headache for Stephanie. Once again she finds herself struggling to bring in a seemingly easy client of Vinnie's, but to her dismay, she finds herself in the middle of a mystery that starts with two people disappearing out of thin air. With the help of Morelli, Ranger, and Lula she gets to the bottom of things while hilarity ensues. In addition to trying to figure out what is going on, she is fighting with her internal feelings about Joe Morelli and her physical feelings about Ranger. Even with everything that was going on with the characters, I felt like nothing of real substance happened in this book. By the end, it felt like all that happened was a solved mystery with all the characters reversing to where they were on page 1.
However, with all that being said, it's still an enjoyable read that made me smile and laugh throughout. I've said it before about Janet Evanovich, and I'll say it again...she knows how to write a series that feels like it's an episode of a sitcom that you can't wait to tune into. Even when the overall plot feels lackluster, I still got a kick out of watching the events involving everyone in this universe. If you enjoy Janet Evanovich and this series, then I promise you'll find enjoyment in Seven Up. Here's to hoping for some development in Hard Eight.
