Category Archives: Lilypad-Library

Books, blurbs, and bullrushes

Eleven on Top by Janet Evanovich (2005) – BR00107 (2017) – 🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸

The PolyBlog
September 26 2017

Plot or Premise

Cover: Eleven on Top by Janet Evanovich

Stephanie’s had enough of the bounty hunter business, so she quits and takes a series of jobs around Jersey. Meanwhile, someone’s hunting her with threats, shots, and car bombs. Could it be the undertaker’s son?

What I Liked

All the various jobs going to heck in a handbasket are a hoot, not to mention Stephanie telling people she plays the cello, which they now want her to do at the wedding. And things really heat up when Stephanie starts working at Rangeman.

What I Didn’t Like

The plot with a bunch of missing businessmen takes a long time to gel, but not really a problem.

The Bottom Line

The plot with a bunch of missing businessmen takes a long time to gel, but not really a problem.

Ten Big Ones by Janet Evanovich (2004) – BR00106 (2017) – 🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪

The PolyBlog
September 2 2017

Plot or Premise

Ten Big Ones is the tenth outing in the Plum series, and this one has Stephanie starting a mini-war with a gang after she sees one of them committing a robbery.

What I Liked

Hijackers of chip trucks, Sally Sweet still in a dress, and school buses all show up to enliven the plot.

What I Didn’t Like

The whole shower thing for Valerie gets old real fast, adding nothing to the story. And I don’t really care about wannabe gang kingpins.

The Bottom Line

Not bad, good ending.

To the Nines by Janet Evanovich (2003) – BR00105 (2017) – 🐸🐸⚪⚪⚪

The PolyBlog
September 2 2017

Plot or Premise

To the Nines is the ninth outing in the bounty hunter on LSD series, starring Stephanie Plum, Jersey girl. This one has Plum chasing an immigrant on a work visa bond, all the way from Jersey to Vegas.

What I Liked

The girls’ trip to Vegas was awesome with Connie along, and Stephanie’s random wiping out of RangerMan employees is kind of epic.

What I Didn’t Like

The “there’s a psycho stalking me” subplot gets old pretty fast, and she’s done it in at least four of the books so far. This one is actually menacing for a change, but that’s about it, and the plot with Singh as immigrant is kind of bland. However, the main plot for the story is revealed only by happenstance, and that’s a giant no-no for me. Almost no way to figure it out until some random tertiary character reveals it all at once. Sloppy plotting.

The Bottom Line

Fun secondary characters but sloppy plotting.

Hard Eight by Janet Evanovich (2002) – BR00104 (2017) – 🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪

The PolyBlog
September 1 2017

Plot or Premise

Hard Eight is the eighth book in the Stephanie Plum series. In this one, she’s looking for a missing mom and daughter whose grandmother could lose her house if the custody bond is violated.

What I Liked

The story has the typical range of secondary characters, and an addition of a hard-core female bounty hunter along the lines of Ranger. And a hysterical attempted vehicular murder of the Easter Bunny.

What I Didn’t Like

I don’t much care for stories that involve moms/wives and children in jeopardy and being shuttled around like a tub of household effects in a move. Part of that is the ick factor, but part of it is the simplistic storyline and emotional range that is usually given to the characters — the new “damsel in distress” plotline where someone has to come rescue them. I also didn’t feel that the initial bad guys were fleshed out very well, particularly as they are easy to spot in fake masks and outfits, and the final boss felt like a comic book character.

The Bottom Line

Not bad but not the best.

Seven Up by Janet Evanovich (2001) – BR00103 (2017) – 🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪

The PolyBlog
August 31 2017

Plot or Premise

Seven Up is the seventh outing in the series about Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter. This time she’s after an old mobster who kills people and is dating her grandmother. 

What I Liked

As with many of the Plum stories, it is often the secondary characters that add spice and liveliness to the story. DeChooch, the old and inept mobster, is a hoot and we get to see a lot more interactions with Moonman. There are so many cute scenes — like when she finds a bunch of stolen merchandise in a bedroom, asks for an explanation, and ends up buying a toaster. Oh and there’s a little thing about planning a wedding.

What I Didn’t Like

The basic premise of why everyone is looking for DeChooch is a bit far-fetched, but whatever. In addition, the arrival of sister Valerie with two kids in tow adds little to the story. And don’t get me started on the kidnapping of Grandma.

The Bottom Line

Love the Moonman, hate the wedding talk.