Review: Explosive Eighteen (Stephanie Plum series) by Janet Evanovich

 

Explosive Eighteen continues to tease us along in the Ranger vs Morelli lust triangle.

The beginning of the book is particularly annoying, as we are strung long, not knowing who she went on vacation with, or what happened.

Once we get beyond that and find out what happened, I have to wish the story had been made into a book. I think it would have been a much better story than the one we were given. The basic plot wasn't that bad, it was the execution of the plot, and the silly shenanigans getting there, that were the problem.

One good thing though - Stephanie manages to rescue herself in an amazing fashion, without being rescued by either of her guys. I'll add a star to my review for that one fact alone.

As for the writing elements:

• The plot was wasn't so bad, but as I said before, the execution of it pretty much sucked.
• Pacing was fine in places and drug out in places.
• Prose and dialogue were typical latter-Plum. Sometimes I wonder if Janet Evanovich is still writing these, as those first eight or nine books were executed so much better.
• Character development continues to stagnate. 

There were a few pluses in Explosive Eighteen. I've already mentioned that Stephanie manages to save herself once. She also seems to have a better handle on her own self esteem, and she's getting a bit better at planning and executing when it comes to catching FTA's. Not that she's good at it yet, she still has to screw up at least once with each person, but she's better at figuring out what went wrong and correcting for it. She's also not as hung up on whether or not she's a slut as she once was. That was annoying, I'm glad it's mostly stopped. There was an annoying bit about her being a slut if she slept in the nude (since all of her pajamas were dirty), though.

What I'm leading up to is the part where I figure out a rating, and I'm thinking it's going to be a six of ten. I keep reading the series because I keep thinking that eventually there will have to be a resolution.   I'm keeping the series at a 7, but that's mainly because the first nine or so books are so good.

• Book Rating: Explosive Eighteen: 6 of 10
• Series Rating: 7 of 10

One for the Money, the movie, is due out in theaters in January, here is the trailer:




 

Stephanie Plus Series
One for the Money (1994)
Two for the Dough (1996)
Three to Get Deadly (1997)
Four to Score (1998)
High Five (1999)
Hot Six (2000)
Seven Up (2001)
Hard Eight (2002)
Visions of Sugar Plums (2003) (don't bother)
To the Nines (2003)
Ten Big Ones (2004)
Eleven on Top (2005)
Twelve Sharp (2006)
Plum Lovin' (2007) (don't bother)
Lean Mean Thirteen (2007)
Plum Lucky (January 2008) (don't bother)
Fearless Fourteen (June 2008)
Plum Spooky (January 2009)
Finger Lickin' Fifteen (June 2009)
Sizzling Sixteen (June 2010) 
Smokin' Seventeen (July 2011)
Explosive Eighteen (November 2011)


Diesel Series
1. Wicked Appetite
2. Wicked Business (June 19, 2012)

.

Chaos in Death (In Death, Book 33.5) by JD Robb

 

Chaos in Death is a short story whodunit where you basically know the killer is one of a group of people and have to watch Eve figure out which of the group is the killer.

Most of the anthology pieces have had some sort of supernatural current running through -- seers, ghosts, vampires. Some have been supernatural, some have only had a supernatural theme. Chaos in Death is pure sci-fi. So much, in fact, that the science didn't make a whole lot of sense.

Here's the blurb:

Eve Dallas and Rourke investigate the murders of a series of luckless indigents—and their strange connection to a brilliant young surgeon. But this hunt for a killer is like none they have ever encountered before, because nothing is as it seems.
 

As for the writing elements:

• The plot was pretty good. Borrowed from yet another classic, but that's fine, as she gives props to the original.
• Pacing was fine.
• Prose and dialogue were exceptional.
• Character development wasn't a big part of the story.
• World-building was consistent with previous books in the series.

• Book Rating: Chaos in Death: 8 of 10
• Series Rating: 10 of 10

1. Naked in Death
2. Glory in Death
3. Immortal in Death
4. Rapture in Death
5. Ceremony in Death
6. Vengeance in Death
7. Holiday in Death
7.5  Midnight in Death
8. Conspiracy in Death
9. Loyalty in Death
10.Witness in Death
11. Judgment in Death
12. Betrayal in Death
12.5 Interlude In Death
13. Seduction in Death
14. Reunion in Death
15. Purity in Death
16. Portrait in Death
17. Imitation In Death
17.5 Remember When
18. Divided in Death
19. Visions in Death
20. Survivor In Death
21. Origin In Death
21.5 Haunted in Death
22. Memory in Death
23. Born in Death
24. Innocent In Death
24.5 Eternity in Death
25. Creation in Death
26. Strangers in Death
26.5 Ritual in Death
27. Salvation in Death
28. Promises in Death
29. Kindred in Death
29.5 Missing in Death
30. Fantasy in Death
31. Indulgence in Death
31.5  Possession in Death
32. Treachery in Death
33. New York to Dallas
33.5 Chaos in Death
34. Celebrity In Death (Feb 2012)

New York to Dallas (In Death, Book 33) by JD Robb

 

New York to Dallas is the first book in this series to not have the "in Death" moniker. And the promise, this time around, is that Eve will find out more about her history. She has to go back to Dallas.

There were some things that were really good in this book. Her relationship with Roarke, of course, is one of the biggest. But also, the cops in Dallas welcomed her, treated her with respect, and didn't get in her way. She did her best to show respect back, of course.

Yes, she does discover something about her past. But it's a coincidence that she discovers it. A huge honking coincidence that is just a bit too constructed. Still, I suppose it went as well as it could.

Here's the blurb:

When a monster named Isaac McQueen—who was taken down by Eve back in her uniform days—escapes from Rikers, he has two things in mind. One is to pick up where he left off, abducting young victims and leaving them scarred in both mind and body. The other is to get revenge on the woman who stopped him all those years ago.

It's interesting, watching Eve out of her element. And we see Roarke as human again, which works for me. For a while he was too perfect. He's still got too much going on, there is no way one person can handle what he is supposed to be handling. But I'm not going to gripe about that too much.

As for the writing elements:

• The plot was well constructed, and the story well put together as a road trip type story.
• Pacing was better than most of the books in this series.
• Prose was excellent, dialogue had issues where I couldn't tell who was talking.
• Character development continues to astound me, even 33 full books and a lot of short pieces into the series.
• World-building was consistent with previous books in this series.

 I've read this series straight through, starting with Naked in Death and ending with New York to Dallas. I have one more short story to go and I'll be caught up with the series, and waiting for Celebrity In Death which comes out in February. I think I was hoping for more resolution in this book than I got, but it was still a very good book. And really, how much resolution can there be? Ricker is in prison, and both Roarke and Eve's fathers are dead. Sure, there is probably someone still alive who was part of it, and I'm sure that eventually a case will lead Eve back so she needs to solve that old case in order to solve the present day case, but that will probably be a while. Maybe she'll be captain by then, even.

• Book Rating: New York to Dallas: 10 of 10
• Series Rating: 10 of 10

1. Naked in Death
2. Glory in Death
3. Immortal in Death
4. Rapture in Death
5. Ceremony in Death
6. Vengeance in Death
7. Holiday in Death
7.5  Midnight in Death
8. Conspiracy in Death
9. Loyalty in Death
10.Witness in Death
11. Judgment in Death
12. Betrayal in Death
12.5 Interlude In Death
13. Seduction in Death
14. Reunion in Death
15. Purity in Death
16. Portrait in Death
17. Imitation In Death
17.5 Remember When
18. Divided in Death
19. Visions in Death
20. Survivor In Death
21. Origin In Death
21.5 Haunted in Death
22. Memory in Death
23. Born in Death
24. Innocent In Death
24.5 Eternity in Death
25. Creation in Death
26. Strangers in Death
26.5 Ritual in Death
27. Salvation in Death
28. Promises in Death
29. Kindred in Death
29.5 Missing in Death

30. Fantasy in Death
31. Indulgence in Death
31.5  Possession in Death
32. Treachery in Death
33. New York to Dallas
33.5 Chaos in Death
34. Celebrity In Death (Feb 2012)