These books are great for if you are in a funk. I cannot see how anyone could read one without laughing out loud all the time. (It upsets my dog when I do that.)

In this one, once again Stephanie can not get a break. But at least she gets laid - frequently. Drag queens, arson, and counterfeiting - as well as old high school enemies who are still enemies. What fun!!

Actual stars 4.5-4.75.

Four to Score is the hilarious fourth installment of the Stephanie Plum mystery series.
I could not stop laughing at the crazy jams Stephanie continually got herself in, which is now her signature style. Some of it is dumb luck and some of it using her bounty hunter skills (sort of) to locate her current bail jumper.

When I started this book I was thinking that I was probably going to get bored with this series soon. There is only so much you can do with Stephanie going after her "man" that isn't going to be repetitive after awhile. But that is not the case. Ms. Evanovich keeps her plots fresh by adding new and interesting characters to each book as well as building on the favorites I look forward to reading about.

In Four to Score she introduces Maxine's mother (Maxine is her current wanted fugitive) Mrs. Nowicki who is a chain smoking alcoholic that also has a love for smoking weed.
Then there's Sally Sweet, a 6'4" heterosexual transvestite in a all girl revue band who runs around on his time off clothed in drag sporting a scruffy beard and no makeup.
Bernie is the local weed dealer who sells his product in The Produce section in one of Trentons supermarkets. He has the unfortunate luck to look and act like a horny little troll that's willing to take "favors" in liew of money sometimes for his "special fruit".
And last but not least is Sugar. Sugar is Sally Sweets gay roommate who also dresses in drag and is part of The All Girl Revue Band. Sugar actually looks like a beautiful woman, unlike Sally. Unfortunately Sugar turns out to be a crazy unhinged psycho type of drag queen and when his love for Sally is it not returned he runs amok.

Throw all these crazy characters in the mix and a trail of people with missing body parts that seemed to be connected to Stephanie's new case and you get a recipe for a mystery with lots of mishaps and laughter with just a touch of scary. And with the continued saga of a possible relationship between Morelli and Stephanie there's a dash of romance as well.

After finishing Four to Score I can say without a doubt I am the opposite of bored with the series and look forward to reading more of Stephanie, Lula, and Grandma Mazur's adventures for a long time to come!

This should not have taken me as long as it did to read this (I hate being in a reading slump) because I love these books. Such a good pallet cleanser. Always delivers what it needs to deliver. I will say the case in this book was probably my least favourite thus far but the romance sub-plot was brilliant

He had an annoying habit of periodically popping up in my life, frustrating the hell out of me and then walking off into the sunset. I couldn't do much about the popping up or the walking off. I could do something about the frustrating.
- Stephanie
I could have called.
- Morelli
I thought maybe you were dead.
- Stephanie
I hate fix-ups. Fix-ups are always awful.
- Stephanie
He's not my type.
- Stephanie
What's wrong with him?
- Mom
He's got too many buttons open on his shirt.
- Stephanie
I couldn't stand fucking singing all those fucking songs about fucking hearts fucking breaking and fucking goldfish fucking going to heaven. And then I had to fucking look like some western dude.
- Sally
Well, this is fucking disappointing. I figured you'd kick the door down and blast yourselves into the house. You know, rough up some people.
- Sally
You want to cut down on the breakfast drugs. You keep going like this all your nose hairs are gonna fall out.
- Lula
You are a dysfunctional human being.
- Stephanie
Oh yeah? Well, you're fucking frightening.
- Morelli
Are you saying you're afraid of me?
- Stephanie
Any man in his right mind would be afraid of you. You know that scarlet letter thing? You should have a tattoo on your forehead that says 'Dangerous Woman. Stand Back!
- Morelli
And then there's the way you make my heart beat fast when you get excited like this. And your hair . . . I love your hair. Dangerous hair, babe. Dangerous body. Dangerous lips.
- Morelli
The gun stays. Nothing's stopping me this time. You change your mind, and I'll shoot you.
- Morelli
Temporary insanity.
- Stephanie
Lust I could manage, but the very thought of wanting a relationship with Morelli made my blood run cold.
- Stephanie
Your girlfriend visited me.
- Stephanie
I don't have a girlfriend.
- Morelli
Bullshit!
- Stephanie
Why do you think it's my girlfriend?
- Morelli
I can't think of anyone else who would make a woman so totally deranged.
- Stephanie
I appreciate the compliment. But I'm not involved with anyone. I haven't been for a long time."
- Morelli
What about Terry Gilman?
- Stephanie
Terry Gilman wouldn't pour gasoline on your car. Terry Gilman would politely knock on your door, and when you answered she'd gouge your eyes out.
- Morelli
Some men could go a lifetime and never have their kid blow up a car, but I have a daughter who's knocked off three cars and burned down a funeral home. Maybe that's some kind of record.
- Dad
I'm a firm believer in denial. My reasoning is why deal with unpleasantness today when you could get hit by a bus tomorrow. And if you procrastinate long enough, maybe the issue will go away. Unfortunately, this issue wasn't going away. This issue was beyond denial. This issue as fucking depressing.
- Stephanie
About the bed . . .
- Stephanie
I have a spare bedroom made up.
- Morelli
Thanks.
- Stephanie
And I'll leave my door open in case you get lonely.
- Morelli
And I'd lock my door in case I got weak.
- Stephanie
I want a progress report.
- Kuntz
The report is that there's no progress.
- Stephanie
About dinner tonight . . .
- Stephanie
Don't even think about standing me up. I'll track you down and find you and make your life a living hell.
Loving Morelli was like loving cheesecake. Hours of misery on the Stairmaster, working off ugly fat, in return for a moment of blissful consumption.
- Stephanie
My luck, someone goes fucking gonzo over me, and it's a guy.
- Sally
Maybe I'd feel more generous tomorrow, when I'd regained my good humor. Right now, I was tending toward grouchy.
- Stephanie

Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter, is really in trouble in Four to Score. However, this little adventure is a little different from any previous ones as well as those still to follow that I have read already. Mind you, that's the idea, isn't it?
Janet Evanovich really goes all out in this mystery where nothing is as it seems. The tale starts off oh so simple with an FTA for our heroine to find and then everything appears to get out of control ... and it feels more than usual. The reader gets 'josselled' from one scenario to the next with no let-up. So, get - set - ready for the ride!

MVP: Lula (because she gets better and better with every book! Sometimes I feel like my eating habits directly mirror Lula's!! Lol)

Best quote:

"He insulted my breast," Sally said.
"That's what happens when you have breasts," I shouted. "People insult them. Get used to it."

Another very funny book in this original and humorous series . Anyone needing a break from serious fiction should try these out . I'd read 'One for the Money' first , but subsequent titles do no have to be read in order ..

My favourite of the series so far. Light, fluffy, fun. Sally was a hilarious addition, and Stephanie and Morelli... ahem... finally got to spend some time together :)

I can’t get enough of these books. They are laugh out loud hilarious and I miss the character who plays Stephanie’s grandmother. She. Is. Hilarious.

Sexy! My favourite book in the series yet! Team Joe foreverrrrr. And, as per Stephanie Plum, absolutely hilarious!

*** 4.25 ***

A re-read with the BB&B group

What can I say in order not to repeat myself on every review and sound like the typical fan-girl? Nothing. I am a fan-girl when it comes to this series and find JE to be one of the best authors out there in ability to make people laugh, even when confronted with some really tough themes and situations. Does she use stereotypes and make fun of bigotry and biases? Yes, she does. The difference is that there isn't one intentionally hurtful or hateful sentiment or thought in the whole series and the stereotypes are used as shortcuts for painting vivid descriptions and settings. Every human being does it, it is a leftover from the way the early biological brain's system for filing data of dangerous or safe plants, animals and scenarios.

So, this time around Stephanie is after a waitress who has jumped bond after making free with her boyfriend's car. The boyfriend is a steroid induced bonehead who offers money to our amateurish bountyhunter to find her and let him speak with her first. Lula and a new character, a smart, cursing, and very unlikely transvestite named Sally, as well as Batman, aka Ranger, have Stephanie's back and attempt to help her with variously disastrous results. As always, Stephanie is a very clumsy and incompetent bountyhunter, but dumb luck and pure chance somehow keep her alive and in business.

Of the two guys, Ranger and Joe Morrely, this book gives a big lead to Joe in the romance department. Since I don't want to give anything away, I can only say that Stephanie proclaimed a whole new appreciation for lizards!!!

This series is not plot driven. It is all about the characters and I love it just the way it is. It is light, it doesn't take itself too seriously, and it makes me laugh with abandon!!! It is a ray of sunshine in a dark day and I recommend it to one and all! Just please, read it for the good light-hearted fun it is meant to be! I wish you all happy reading!

The supporting characters in this series are what makes it so enjoyable and we get to meet a new one with each book. Now we have Grandma Mazur, Lulu AND Sally. Picturing this bunch showing up at Atlantic City was a hoot.

I must say, though, I am a bit disappointed about some of the choices made regarding Stephanie and Joe Marelli. Will be interested to see how the relationship is progressing in the fifth installment.