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When you’ve got it, you’ve got it. And Janet Evanovich has definitely got it when it comes to her Stephanie Plum novels. Though there have been a few glitches along the way—a few installments that didn’t exactly live up to the high bar that’s been set by the rest—Janet just keeps coming up with great characters and interesting storylines.
In Ten Big Ones, bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is once again hunting down Trenton’s low-lifes with her ex-hooker file-clerk friend, Lula, by her side. When Stephanie and Lula stop for lunch and interrupt a robbery, Stephanie is the only one able to identify the thief—who just happens to be a member of the Slayers, a fierce street gang. The Slayers are tired of dealing with Stephanie, so they bring in a gang member from L.A.—and they put Stephanie on his hit list.
Stephanie, who had been somewhat happily cohabitating with cop Joe Morelli, decides to ignore the threats. But when Joe demands that she lock herself in the house (and then quit her dangerous job), Steph packs her bags and takes up a new residence—in the secret lair of mysterious bounty hunter extraordinaire, Ranger, who’s out of town for a couple of weeks.
And, as if a gang contract on her life weren’t bad enough, Steph also has to deal with her sister, Valerie, who’s planning her upcoming nuptials to her cuddle umpkins, Albert Kloughn, with the help of her new wedding planner, cross-dressing rock-star-turned-bus-driver-and-bail-jumper, Sally Sweet (you may remember him from Four to Score).
Evanovich comes through again with this high-energy novel, filled with romantic tension and quirky characters. The story itself is interesting, but, as is usually the case with Stephanie Plum novels, the side stories and sub-plots make it great. I loved Carol Cantell, the poor woman who robbed a potato chip truck after PMS left her in serious need of carbs. I love the triangle that Evanovich continues to fortify between Stephanie, Morelli, and Ranger.
My only complaint here is that the conclusion comes too quickly—and the book ends without warning. I got to the end of the book and flipped through the sneak-peak of the next book, thinking, That’s it? It felt rushed—as though Evanovich had an editor breathing down her neck, and she had to cut it short. Don’t get me wrong—the conclusion is definitely an interesting (and totally unexpected) one. It’s just too short and to-the-point.
Still, Ten Big Ones is yet another captivating Stephanie Plum novel. Fans will eat it up, and new readers will quickly become fans.
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