Janet Evanovich Review

Janet Evanovich is one my favorite authors.  She is a very funny down to earth lady who pours lots of humor and excitement in to her books.

Ms. Evanovich's most popular series is the Stephanie Plum series, many fans call this the number series.  Stephanie Plum is the lead character in this series.  Stephanie is a female bounty hunter who is in love with two different men, her on again off again long time boyfriend Trenton, NJ detective Joe Morrelli, and her bounty hunter mentor, the mysterious, dark and sexy Ranger. 

The Plum series is at book number 13 in the regular series and also 3 different extra holiday books added in to the mix as well. 

The reason the Plum series is so popular is due to the characters in the book.  There are several endearing and hilarious characters in this book, and two really sexy men.  When Stephanie's family is in the book it is always funny.  Stephanie's grandma, Grandma Mazur is a laugh riot, as her social life revolves around viewing at the local funeral homes, and she always puts on a show.  Another character that just cracks me up is LuLa, is a former ho, turned file clerk.  She works for the bail bonds office that Stephanie works for.  Lula began assisting Stephanie in apprehending FTA's as something to do.  Now she has become more of Stephanie's assistant, and is coming in to her own as the series progresses.  Lula is full figured woman who loves to eat and she just makes me laugh when ever she is the stories.  Lula and Stephanie are kind of like the modern day Lucy and Ethel, as the bumble their way through cases.  These are just a few of the characters in the book that are pretty much regulars, there are also several other characters that pop up from time to time in different books. You can bet these characters are either really funny or really scarry.

Here is a listing of all of the books in the Stephanie Plum series:

1. One for the Money (1994)
2. Two for the Dough (1995)
3. Three to Get Deadly (1997)
4. Four to Score (1998)
5. High Five (1999)
6. Hot Six (2000)
7. Seven Up (2001)
8. Hard Eight (2002)
9. To the Nines (2003)
10. Ten Big Ones (2004)
11. Eleven on Top (2005)
12. Twelve Sharp (2006)
13. Lean Mean Thirteen (2007)

And the three holiday books in the series are

Visions of Sugar Plums (2002)
Plum Lovin' (2007)
Plum Lucky (2008)

Janet Evanovich also created a new series in 2004 about a female auto mechanic by the name of Barney, who finds herself in the midst of mysteries, and often in danger.  Her and a sexy Race Car driver by the name of Hooker get to the bottom of these mysteries and dig their selves out of some pretty big holes in:

Metro Girl (2004)

Motor Mouth (2006)

Janet also hooks up with Author Charlotte Hughes for another series which is considered the Full series.  This series revolves around several different residents of Beaumont, South Carolina.  Each of these characters finds their selves not only involved in some sort a mystery, but there is also a romance blooming in each one.  Each book focuses on different characters but you will hear other characters from other books in the series mentioned, and sometimes they will actually have a part in that particular book.  This is a fun series, where you will read about characters that you have grown to like, yet you will be introduced to new characters as well.  They also call this the Max Holt series as Max Holt who is a millionaire with many ties to Beaumont, gets at least a mention in each of the books.  I also really enjoy this series.

The books in the Full series are:

1. Full House (2002)
2. Full Tilt (2002)
3. Full Speed (2003)
4. Full Blast (2004)
5. Full Bloom (2005)
The Full Box (omnibus) (2006)
6. Full Scoop (2006)

The Full Box:  This is a combo pack

Ms. Evanovich has also joined up with authors Leanne Banks, and Stepen J. Cannell to write a couple of books that I have not yet read.

Cate Madigan (with Leanne Banks)
1. Hot Stuff (2007)

Cannon and Picket (with Stephen J Cannell)
1. No Chance (2007)

Along with the more mystery type books Janet Evanovich is also a romance writer and has written several romantic novels:

The Grand Finale (1988)
Thanksgiving (1988)
Manhunt (1988)
Ivan Takes a Wife (1989)
     aka Love Overboard
Back to the Bedroom (1989)
Wife for Hire (1990)
Smitten (1990)
The Rocky Road to Romance (1991)
Naughty Neighbor (1992)

Janet Evanovich has also written a non fiction book about how she writes, she writes this book with, Ina Yalog, and the name of the nonfiction book is:

How I Write:  Secrets of a serial fiction writer (2006)

Janet Evanovich is an award nominated author and received nominations for the Dagger Awards for Best Novel for Three to Get Deadly, and was also a nominee for the Anthony awards for Best Novel for High Five, both books are from the Stephanie Plum series.

If you enjoy romances or mysteries with some light humor mixed in you will likely enjoy at least some of the books that Janet Evanovich writes.  I have read about 85% of them, and there was really only one of them that I did not love.  Janet Evanovich writes fun books, plain and simple.