I like Janets books. They are mindless entertainment for when I don't want to watch a movie. However, she should have stopped at 5. She is beginning to recycle plots, and while i'm all for recycling, i am opposed to it being applied to writing. The love triangle tension has lost it's zaz, would any woman drag on a threesome for as long as Stephanie has? Also Evanovich needs to invest in the Oxford English Dictionary and a good Thesaurus to chose some new adjectives to describe Morelli's antics, Stephanies Hijinks and Lula's clothes. Also the destroyed car as excuse for the progression of plot got old about 27 car explosions ago.

First, I’ll admit a personal weakness: I actually laughed several times when reading one of the Stephanie Plum books last year. But that was last year, and a couple Stephanie Plum books ago. Words cannot describe the formulaic lack of imagination in this particular twelfth book: sitcom-quality one-liners, grotesque, stereotypical, clownish characters, and one particularly annoying Stephanie Plum, whom the reader wishes to die, so as to end this ridiculous series.
I got it! I too can write could write a Stephanie Plum book! Let’s see… Ah! (Annoying) Stephanie Plum dies in (insert whatever comical accident she routinely gets involved in, like apartment or car blow-up), and everyone has a party at the local funeral home, with cookies and refreshments, and, oops!, grandma Mazur “accidentally” opens the casket and mayhem ensues, haha!
Another fun scenario: since (annoying) Stephanie Plum can’t choose between the two men in her life, Joe Morelli, the nice policeman, and Ranger, the dangerous bounty hunter (yawn!), they somehow all move in together (due to usual apartment explosion), and trouble ensues…or not! Ranger and Morelli find out they like each other, and dump (annoying) Stephanie Plum.
Or else, my favorite: (annoying) Stephanie Plum gains 200 pounds from eating so many donuts and cheeseburgers; as a result, she can’t be a body hunter anymore, and ends up a couch potato with a bad perm, eating Twinkies while watching World Wide Wrestling matches on TV.

I'm thinking this one is by far my favorite in the series, and not just because of Ranger. Well, OK. Mostly because of Ranger.

In this installment, Stephanie, Lula, and Connie are up to their eyeballs in FTA's. Vinnie has overextended the business by handing out bonds willy-nilly and is now putting the pressure on everyone in the office to recoup some money. Things have gotten so bad that Connie is forced to put an ad in the paper for an extra agent. Trouble is, everyone and their mother are showing up to apply. In true Evanovich fashion, most show up wearing ass-less chaps...and not much else :D

Aside from working a heavy caseload, something strange is happening concerning Ranger. When a woman claiming to be Ranger's wife confronts Stephanie, gun in hand, things start getting a little crazy. When Ranger hits the television news, crazy turns to Serious Business. Now Stephanie is working her buns off trying to keep the business open, dragged into the middle of a Ranger-mess, and has picked up a stalker along the way. Nothing is ever easy for Stephanie Plum.

This twelfth installment once again delivered all of the hilarity I expect from Janet Evanovich and Stephanie Plum. Sally Sweet is back again and has started a new group, signing on Lula and Grandma Mazur in the process. As if that weren't enough, they mostly play for old folks in retirement homes. A 7-foot drag queen who's harrier than a Wookie, and has taken to performing in just a thong; a big woman who favors small-woman clothes; combined with Grandma Mazur, The What truly makes for a band of misfits. And not one of them can sing. Stephanie is once again wrestling her feelings for two men and while nothing really progresses on that front, it sure is fun. As I've said before, I'm rather indifferent when it comes to love triangles, but I honestly love the one between Stephanie, Morelli, and Ranger. I don't mind if it's never resolved because I'm sure that would take some fun out of these novels. Another highlight was Joyce Barnhardt, the woman everyone loves to hate. Hate her or not, her interactions with everyone in the office make for some good times. Especially when she's barking with Vinnie.

I'm having such fun with finally getting around to the series that everyone but me has read. These books are so much fun, seriously, and I can't get enough. While nothing ever happens concerning character growth and development and all of that other important stuff, it doesn't make a difference to me one way or the other. I don't want growth and development and change, I like them just the way they are -- dependable and consistent, just like the 'Burg.

Excellent mystery and edge of your seat suspense along with the humor typical of this series. This was a page turner.

I particularly enjoy the humor Evanovich utilizes in her books. This offering, however, was more dark and had less humor. Nonetheless, I enjoyed it immensley, even a little more than the others because of a more serious and complex investigation.

Stephanie Plum, our intrepid and somewhat clumsy bounty hunter, confronts another case of which she is a target. We learn that Ranger, her co-worker and sometimes rescuer, has a daughter. Ranger learns that his daughter has been kidnapped by a man manquerading as Ranger himself. Plus, this fake Ranger has his sights on Stephanie, planning to arrange for real Ranger's daughter, Stephanie and himself to be together forever -- in death.

There is the usual sprinkling of madcap and humorous side stories, functioning this time to help lower the stress level for the main story. I loved the story JE. Thank you. I'm keen to know where you are taking us in Lean Mean Thirteen.

Ahhh... Stephanie Plum. I can always count on you Stephanie for a good laugh and a quick read. These books tend to be repetitive and somewhat predictable but I still enjoy them. Who couldn't love Lula and Grandma Mauer and the family dynamic. I am impressed that Stephanie's car made it through a whole book! 3.5 stars. (Entertainment wise I would say 4 stars).

3.5 Stars

This one has a man impersonating Ranger, and after kidnapping Ranger’s daughter, he comes after Stephanie.

My second trip through the wonderful world of Stephanie Plum is a real great experience. I'm listening to the really great audio versions. There is a bonus interview with Janet Evanovich at the end of the audio that is just fantastic. Hearing Janet explain her process is priceless. "Twelve Sharp" is a darker Plum which reveals a lot about Ranger's backstory. Darker, but no less funny and listening while shopping can be a problem if you are likely to burst out laughing. Stephanie's car, a Morris Mini, survives, but there is a blown up car and Stephanie caused it. There are other trademark Plum-isms that will make you smile and this cast of bail jumpers is just as hard to catch and inventive as always.

When Stephanie picks up a stalker who claims to be Ranger's wife, she is not amused. Stephanie didn't believe That Carman Manoso was really married to Ranger, but what did she really know about him? When Carman turns up dead and Ranger is accused, he turns to Stephanie to help. Ranger has more problems than a dead wife, he has a kidnapped daughter and some psycho, a very smart psycho, running around impersonating him, wanting Ranger's life . . . and Stephanie.

Just like reading the complete works of Dickens, I am working my way through the epistles of Mistress Evanovich whose tomes cover a panoply of colorful characters in ye merry old New Jersey. And why not? I bought the complete works of Nathaniel Hawthorne at a flea market once and decided, since I then owned it, should read it. I didn’t make it though one volume (I think there were ten)—much better than Advil PM, it was great at sleep inducing. Dame Janet is a little more lively although, perhaps less literaturelyesque. At least she keeps me awake. Either way, once you begin her series, like a tube of Pringles, you must work your way to the bottom, or end as it may be. Once, I read everything I could find written by Thomas Hardy (I was a strange kid). This would not be the same. Stephanie Plum is to literature as ketchup is to steak—the brain says don’t do it, but the taste buds say go ahead.

If you have read the others, but not this one, beware: this is the book where two Rangers appear. No kidding. There are two of them—and there’s a run on black military gear at the local SWAT stores. Lula joins a rock band with recurring character heterosexual transvestite school bus driver (au contraire, I kid you not) and Grandma Mazur joins in a couple sets. Then there was the time I read everything of Stephen Isherwood (talk about a snooze). As long as Morelli keeps the Plum orgasms coming (ooh, I’m sorry) and Bob the Dog keep regurgitating like the author, I guess I can keep going on this series.

Shut up. They’re fun.

One of the best yet! A lot of twists and turns and red herrings kept me guessing what was going to happen next, and the conclusion had my heart racing reading it, wondering what was going to happen. And of course adding to this all the fun of Stephanie's family and friends made this this a fantastic installment in the series.

Went right back in time from the first Stephanie Plum book I ever read, #15, and got a little more low-down on Stephanie, Lula, Grandma Mazer, Ranger, Morelli, et al. This was quite an exciting plot with a look-alike Ranger kidnapping Ranger’s daughter and wanting to get Stephanie and BE Ranger. As Stephanie, Morelli, Ranger, and the Feds look for the bad guy, Lula and Grandma decide to be singers in a band, which involves wearing really short and very tight clothing. Nothing new for Lula, of course, but the description of Grandma n black leather hot pants and a Madonna bra is hilarious. I know a lot of people are tired of Stephanie but I’m not. I continue to find them very funny.

This may be the first one I had legit tears over. Not just “aw, that’s sweet” (and then a car blows up), or crying from laughter. But real, big tears. The stress and tension of the last part of the book, with Fake!Ranger kidnapping people, the blow out (quite literally) on Stark Street, all the tasing; the unknown person walking into the apartment with the gun pointed at the door. It was just a lot.

Prior to that though, it was a lot of fun watching Ranger crash at Stephanie’s, since yanno he was wanted for murder and kidnapping, with Morelli popping in and out and then just straight bringing a duffle bag to stay.