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Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Audiobook Review: Notorious Nineteen




Notorious Nineteen: A Stephanie Plum Novel  by Janet Evanovich
Narrator: Lorelei King
Series: Stephanie Plum, Book 19
Length: 6 hours and 7 minutes
Publisher: Random House Audio

Publisher's Summary
Number-one best-selling author Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum novels are: "irresistible" (Houston Chronicle), "stunning" (Booklist), "outrageous" (Publishers Weekly), "brilliantly evocative" (The Denver Post), and "making trouble and winning hearts" (USA Today).
New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is certain of three truths: People don't just vanish into thin air. Never anger old people. And don't do what Tiki tells you to do.
After a slow summer of chasing low-level skips for her cousin Vinnie's bail bonds agency, Stephanie Plum finally lands an assignment that could put her checkbook back in the black. Geoffrey Cubbin, facing trial for embezzling millions from Trenton's premier assisted-living facility, has mysteriously vanished from the hospital after an emergency appendectomy. Now it's on Stephanie to track down the con man. Unfortunately, Cubbin has disappeared without a trace, a witness, or his money-hungry wife. Rumors are stirring that he must have had help with the daring escape...or that maybe he never made it out of his room alive.
Since the hospital staff's lips seem to be tighter than the security, and it's hard for Stephanie to blend in to assisted living, Stephanie's Grandma Mazur goes in undercover. But when a second felon goes missing from the same hospital, Stephanie is forced into working side by side with Trenton's hottest cop, Joe Morelli, in order to crack the case.
The real problem is, no Cubbin also means no way to pay the rent. Desperate for money - or maybe just desperate - Stephanie accepts a secondary job guarding her secretive and mouthwatering mentor Ranger from a deadly Special Forces adversary. While Stephanie is notorious for finding trouble, she may have found a little more than she bargained for this time around. Then again - a little food poisoning, some threatening notes, and a bridesmaid's dress with an excess of taffeta never killed anyone.... Or did they? If Stephanie Plum wants to bring in a paycheck, she'll have to remember: No guts, no glory.
©2012 Janet Evanovich (P)2012 Random House Audio

My Thoughts:

I love Stephanie Plum and have listened to all the previous novels in the series but Notorious Nineteen was a disappointment.  I kept thinking, “Have I already heard this one?” and even searched my list of books read to see if I had. Nope, it was new to me.  I had it on hold at the library and recently downloaded it.  It had all my favorite characters and plenty of action but repeated so much of what happened in previous books in the series that it almost seemed as if  Evanovich had cut and pasted excerpts from previous works.  The formula is familiar, cars being blown up, evil/insane character trying to kill Stephanie, a quirky character she befriends, two sexy men to rescue her.  The romance seems to be heating up a little.  Morelli mentions the L word and Ranger seems to care more (or was that my imagination?) Stephanie, even though she also mentions the word "love" to Morelli, still fights an attraction to Ranger.  Personally, I'd like to see her end up with Ranger. 

Lorelei King’s performance was brilliant, as usual.  She is one of my favorite narrators and really made the book worth listening to.  I love the way she gives each character a personality.  She makes them come alive and keeps them consistent, book after book. 

If this had been my first Stephanie Plum novel, I’m sure I would have loved it.  As it was, there was just enough plot to keep me interested enough to finish it.    




                                    

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