Judy F. reviewed on 7/3/2012 + 16 more book reviews

Explosive?
More like excruciatingly boring.
Which is too bad, because I can remember when Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books actually had real plots (subplots, even) featuring actual characters, not caricatures, and a modicum of suspense. The ending of One for the Money, for example, was funny, unexpected and extremely satisfying all at the same time.
By Hot Six, she had everything down pat. I still laugh out loud when I re-read that book, especially when Bob the Dog lopes onto the page.
But somewhere along the line Evanovich has gotten lazy. She and her characters go through the motions -- kind of, anyway -- but nobody's heart is in it anymore. The books are much shorter, probably because the plots are so tired even Evanovich can't be bothered with them. And as for whether Stephanie will wind up with Morelli or Ranger, am I the only one who quit caring at least three or four books ago?
The sad thing is that it doesn't have to be that way. Sue Grafton's alphabet mysteries, for example, have improved over the years; when I pick up one of them, I really want to know what's going to happen to Kinsey Milhone this time around, and I'm never disappointed.
Evanovich evidently cannot, or will not, do the same for Stephanie Plum and her oh-so-so-tired cohorts.

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