Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Tricky Twenty-Two -- Janet Evanovich (Book Review)

I am a huge fan of Janet Evanovich, I feel her books are quick reads that allow you to completely take your mind off of life.  I have read almost all of the books that she has ever written so I typically read her books as they are released.
Tricky Twenty-Two is the 22 book in the Stephanie Plum series. The series follows Stephanie Plum a bounty hunter who works for her cousin Vinnie’s bail bonds office.  Stephanie always has Lulu by her side and Connie doing the office work.  Also, she has a love interest Joe Morelli who is her on/off again boyfriend and Ranger who is like her teacher and protector.  Stephanie’s grandmother is typically featured in her books as well.   

In this book it follows Stephanie looking for a college student Ken Globovic (AKA Gobbles) who apparently attacked the dean and skipped bail.   Stephanie interviews a few frat brother, his girlfriend, the frat advisor and dean to try and locate Ken.  Stephanie is unlucky in finding him at first, but then gets lucky when he was eating at a local restaurant.  She loses him, but now knows he is close by.  Stephanie and Lulu always wind up in trouble during the books, which leads to the comedy in Janet Evanovich’s writing.  In this book the frat keeps playing pranks on the girls while they go question them and Stephanie losses a car to geese.  Every book has Stephanie losing a car except Big Blue that thing can never get a scratch on it.

During the book there are a few side stories as always.  For example Stephanie is also helping out Ranger by protecting Doug Linken wife at the funeral home.  Doug Linken does end up being killed in the book and Stephanie is on the hunt to solve the murder mystery along the way.   

The book is a very quick read, but I felt it come up short in the typical Janet Evanovich comedy.  During her books I typically will laugh out loud several times due to the ridiculous situations Stephanie gets herself in.  In Tricky Twenty-Two Stephanie is slightly more serious about the job and far few side stories with the comedy appear.   The side story of providing protection for Doug Linken ends up being part of the main story.   Overall I feel the book has more mystery in it and I didn’t really see the two stories intersecting at the beginning, but it really tied the book together.  

Also, Stephanie's mom is always a side character in the books and has been known to be cooking, ironing, and drinking.  I feel when she went out to lunch with Stephanie this is the first time we see the mother in a different light I really liked adding her in with more of a main character instead of someone who is portrayed the same way every book as a mother who worries about her child and irons to release the tension.   I loved the ending of the book that involved Stephanie's mom it really added to her character.

*Frustrated Reader* At this point I feel that Stephanie needs to make up her mind about Morelli and Ranger.  I know at the end it looks like Morelli will be her main choice and it does appear that way in the end of several of the books, but I want them to get married to move in together or something at this point.  The flip flopping was funny for awhile, but now it is kind of crazy at this point.  If Stephanie keeps ending up sleeping in bed with Ranger there is no hope for the Morelli/Stephanie romance in my mind and it will remain this way for the rest of the series.

I suggest starting from the beginning of the Stephanie Plum series if you want quick reads that take your mind off of everything.  They are really fast paced and pretty funny.  I can typically not put them down! Also, I feel this is a take on the go book where you can just pick it up and read it anywhere.  Please note that Janet Evanovich does give small details in the beginning of each book so technically you wouldn't have to read all of them to know what is going on, but it is totally worth it!

My rating 4/5
Author website http://www.evanovich.com/
Publisher Bantam
ISBN 9780345542960
Length 292
Format hardback


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