Serious Fun as Stephanie Plays Decoy for Ranger - Rated 
Only a Stephanie Plum novel would cause some to complain because the plot had an actual mystery and intrigue in it. That shows how much we've been spoiled by Janet Evanovich's comic touch. We come to the new books in the series for the entertainment (much like people once did for Charlie Chaplin) and we're surprised when serious themes emerge.
I thought that Twelve Sharp was by far the most impressive novel in the series. The story-telling moves beyond Pink Panther comedy into dealing with the serious consequences of actions we take. At the same time, the book goes down very smoothly.
The serious side is well done. Stephanie finds herself stalked by a young woman with a gun she doesn't mind using who claims to be Ranger's wife. What's that all about? Stephanie is also at risk for being kidnapped. And then Ranger's daughter is missing. It's a nicely complicated mystery and is unraveled in fine fashion. While this part of the story is not yet up to Dame Agatha's best, it's more than satisfying.
The character development of Stephanie and Ranger through the plot is quite remarkable in this story. In the past, Ranger has been the Superman of mystery who could do no wrong. She's been in his thrall . . . but kept at a distance only by his self-restraint. So why has he been self-restrained? In this story, we learn more about Ranger and begin to sense his vulnerabilities. An unexpected pregnancy made Ranger a father at a young age. Since then, he's met his financial responsibilities and kept his distance from similar complications. But that all comes unglued when his daughter is kidnapped and Ranger is the suspect the police are looking for. As a result, Ranger has to go undercover. Ranger's only hope of solving the kidnapping is through Stephanie's efforts because the crumb also wants Stephanie. As a result, Stephanie finds herself in deeper peril than ever before. Both of the men in her life want to protect her. Oops! That's certainly one serious complication that a woman who loves two men never thought about. How do you keep them apart when there's danger?
To me, the best comedy in the series comes when Stephanie and Lula (the retired lady of the evening) team up to bring in fugitives. They are the Laurel and Hardy of bounty hunters. In this book, Stephanie's solutions turn out to work best when she follows her heart rather than trying trickery. Because Vinnie has been taking chances, there are more fugitives than usual, and several of them are pretty dangerous. With Ranger away, Stephanie and Lula will play.
The next best comedy comes when Grandma Mazur gets into the action either at the funeral home or in chasing men. This book has some of each, as Grandma decides to join the band that Sally Sweet and Lula are forming. There are new, friendlier owners (two gay men) at the funeral home, and this change opens up new comic possibilities.
A new comic dimension is added when Connie and Stephanie decide to hire some more bounty hunters. Naturally, this brings Stephanie's old nemesis, Joyce, into play for some good moments.
So, whose bed will Stephanie end up in and with whom? You'll just have to read to find out. I have to leave that important mystery untouched.
Serious Fun as Stephanie Plays Decoy for Ranger - Rated
Only a Stephanie Plum novel would cause some to complain because the plot had an actual mystery and intrigue in it. That shows how much we've been spoiled by Janet Evanovich's comic touch. We come to the new books in the series for the entertainment (much like people once did for Charlie Chaplin) and we're surprised when serious themes emerge.
I thought that Twelve Sharp was by far the most impressive novel in the series. The story-telling moves beyond Pink Panther comedy into dealing with the serious consequences of actions we take. At the same time, the book goes down very smoothly.
The serious side is well done. Stephanie finds herself stalked by a young woman with a gun she doesn't mind using who claims to be Ranger's wife. What's that all about? Stephanie is also at risk for being kidnapped. And then Ranger's daughter is missing. It's a nicely complicated mystery and is unraveled in fine fashion. While this part of the story is not yet up to Dame Agatha's best, it's more than satisfying.
The character development of Stephanie and Ranger through the plot is quite remarkable in this story. In the past, Ranger has been the Superman of mystery who could do no wrong. She's been in his thrall . . . but kept at a distance only by his self-restraint. So why has he been self-restrained? In this story, we learn more about Ranger and begin to sense his vulnerabilities. An unexpected pregnancy made Ranger a father at a young age. Since then, he's met his financial responsibilities and kept his distance from similar complications. But that all comes unglued when his daughter is kidnapped and Ranger is the suspect the police are looking for. As a result, Ranger has to go undercover. Ranger's only hope of solving the kidnapping is through Stephanie's efforts because the crumb also wants Stephanie. As a result, Stephanie finds herself in deeper peril than ever before. Both of the men in her life want to protect her. Oops! That's certainly one serious complication that a woman who loves two men never thought about. How do you keep them apart when there's danger?
To me, the best comedy in the series comes when Stephanie and Lula (the retired lady of the evening) team up to bring in fugitives. They are the Laurel and Hardy of bounty hunters. In this book, Stephanie's solutions turn out to work best when she follows her heart rather than trying trickery. Because Vinnie has been taking chances, there are more fugitives than usual, and several of them are pretty dangerous. With Ranger away, Stephanie and Lula will play.
The next best comedy comes when Grandma Mazur gets into the action either at the funeral home or in chasing men. This book has some of each, as Grandma decides to join the band that Sally Sweet and Lula are forming. There are new, friendlier owners (two gay men) at the funeral home, and this change opens up new comic possibilities.
A new comic dimension is added when Connie and Stephanie decide to hire some more bounty hunters. Naturally, this brings Stephanie's old nemesis, Joyce, into play for some good moments.
So, whose bed will Stephanie end up in and with whom? You'll just have to read to find out. I have to leave that important mystery untouched.
Another great holiday read - Rated
I love these books - they make me laugh. I save them up for holidays and train journeys and they never fail to pass the time. OK so they are formulaic, but I like a good formula at times. This one was also not quite as gruesome as some of the earlier ones, so that it was an easier read.
Three's Company - Rated 
Twelve Sharp cuts through Ranger's previously impervious shell to reveal a side that you've seldom, if ever, seen before, and this time it's the dark knight who's in distress and Stephanie's turn to play Batgirl.
Things get extremely steamy when Batman decides to hang out in a new bat cave, and when Stephanie's longtime sometime boyfriend finds out, the guano really hits the fan.
No one stops at her door
They just go right on through
Now the pressure's on her and him and him
Three's company too.
All the usual suspects are back again, but this time they're joined by a bunch of out of control FTAs, wannabe bounty hunters, plus two fiery, black clad super-crazy females, only one of whom is Joyce, Stephanie's archenemy.
The fun keeps flowing when Lula decides to embark on a new career, complete with short shorts and chicken feathers, and Stephanie's grandmother takes on the new undertakers in town.
Stephanie's in one of her most dangerous predicaments so far, and that's not even taking into account the new murderer in her life. Twelve Sharp puts a fresh spin on familiar territory.
Amanda Richards
Plum brilliant! - Rated
Now, this isn't normally my kind of thing, but I was looking for something out of my normal range and decided to take a punt on it. I'm aware that I'm joining the show late - this being the 12th outing for Evanovich's heroine, Stephanie Plum, but I got the impression reading it that it really wasn't necessary to have read any that came before.
I was expecting a kind of 'chick-lit' approach, and while most of the characters are female who like eating doughnuts and shopping and all kinds of 'girly' things, I never felt like I was being beaten stereotypical feminity at all. The characters shop/eat etc because of who they are - I think in too many chick-lit efforts, the shopping/eating etc take more of a centre stage than the protagonist. Fortunately here, it's the other way round. Plum is a woman with the normal girl problems, but we don't get the self-centred moanings and manic depression a` la Bridget Jones. Plum just keeps on going forward. She has the occasional moan, but she's independant and while she doesn't know totally what she wants, she lives for herself without wallowing in cake and new hats!
Evanovic has a great ear for dialogue and an outstanding ability to build a scene - this book is just so easy to read and keeps a nice gentle flow all the way through. The comedy is genuinely humourous and not contrived, the characters are believable and lovable - even the somewhat enigmatic Ranger.
THis is not a hard-ass book by any means - it's a comedic crime romp with a sprinkling of black humour, reminiscent of Carl Hiassen. It's punchy, funny and very well structured, and I'll certainly be reading more of Evanovich's creation.
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