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Rating: 
Summary: Another Solid Installment in the Series
Review: Evanovich never disappoints...this chapter in the Stephanie Plum series as just as consistently funny and engaging as the ones before it. With an intensely likable, witty, and imperfect heroine, these books never seem to lose their sparkle and appeal as Stephanie hops from one bizarre adventure to the next, encountering an endlessly entertaining entourage of oddball characters that will have you in stitches. While by no means does Ms. Plum have an ordinary life, she is, in many ways, an ordinary woman in her shortcomings - intensely real, but admirable. She's the kind of person you root for and would like to be friends with, and that is perhaps the true shining glory of these books. In short, another great novel from Evanovich in a can't-miss series.
Rating: 
Summary: Another Winner
Review: From a high of the first Stephanie mystery, the stories slowly became predictable and interchangeable with #3 the low point. But she is now back with perhaps the finest in the series and it does not even involve bounty hunting. No, we are caught up in a search for a dottering uncle who has disappeared under increasingly mysterious circumstances. There is, of course, guest appearances by Grandma, the dinners with family, Lula and more ominously, a decided tilt toward the mysterious Ranger in matters not only business but also personal. Of course, Morelli is still around to excite and tease poor Stephanice. Each novel brings one or two unique characters. FOUR brought the unforgettable transvestite and this one presents a midget (or "small person" as he prefers). He was an irrascible fugitive who somehow ended up staying with Stephanie. The evil Rodriguez is also back to threaten our heroine. The ending is a tour de force as the reader is left wondering who her romantic interest is for the night. (She draws a name out of a bowl!!) Great effort, quick read - rush out and get your copy.
Rating:
Summary: "SMILE"
Review: HIGH FIVE by Janet Evanovich The fifth installment of the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich, HIGH FIVE brings back Stephanie as the inept bounty hunter trying to earn a decent living. The large cast of characters is back: Lula the ex-prostitute, crazy Grandma Mazur, the sexy mysterious Ranger, and of course the some-time boyfriend Joe Morelli. And don't forget Rex the hamster! He's back too. In this novel, Uncle Fred has disappeared and it's up to Stephanie to track him down. Was he murdered, or did he run off with one of his many girlfriends? Auntie Mabel doesn't seem to be in the least upset about his disappearance. Instead, she's busy making plans for cruises, new furniture, and other fun things she's not been able to do since Fred was always the cheapskate when it came to their money. He'd fight over a two-dollar discrepancy, even if it meant his money or his life. Stephanie is determined to find out if this was the fate that had befallen her uncle. In the meantime, she has a run in with a "little person", Randy Briggs, who she tries to take into custody for the bond money. Unfortunately, Briggs doesn't cooperate, and it's one funny incident after another as she does her best to try to get a hold of the little guy. And Benito Ramirez is back, the dangerous rapist who has threatened to come after Stephanie in previous installments. This time, it looks like he's going to get pretty close. And, don't forget her many adventures with her vehicles. Does she yet again lose her car to a bomb? Or maybe someone steals it? As always, I was very happy to have read another book in the Stephanie Plum series. These books are so much fun. They are light-hearted comedies with a dark twist, but they always end up with a happy ending. However, this ending left me wanting more. What REALLY did happen at the end? In whose bed did Stephanie end up? I will have to read the sixth book to find out!
Rating:
Summary: proof that a mystery novel can also be very funny..
Review: High Five is my first Janet Evanovich novel and, accordingly, my first to star the whacky-yet-lovable Stephanie Plum. Stephanie is a bounty hunter who gets into all sorts of trouble. Perhaps part of the reason is that she is a total babe, and men simply drool when she is near. The story, while not entirely believable, is plausible enough to sustain interest. Kudos to Janet Evanovich for writing such an enjoyable piece of fiction. My only complaint with High Five is its cover. The hardback version here in the UK is some turquoise nonsense with a picture of some Stephanie Plum-like model. Most prospective male readers will probably then think its contents equates to nothing more than mindless 'chick lit', which is a shame really. Guys, this is really a good read where both guys and women are equally abused in a very humorous, readable fashion. Bottom line: I cannot recommend High Five enough. It makes for wonderfully entertaining (albeit light) reading. (PS - even though High Five is the fifth book in the series I think it is perfectly fine to start off with it. It worked for me.)
Rating:
Summary: Best one yet
Review: I just started reading the Stephanie Plum series last week. Needless to say, I just finished book 5 and am going to buy 6 today. In High Five, Janet Evanovich explores Stephanie's relationship with Ranger, with Joe, with Lula, and with her family. Same as she does in all her other books. Evanovich mixes humor with New Jersey culture (which can also be mistaken as humor) which livens up the (mostly) boring mystery genre. When I read One for the Money, I wasn't sure if I really liked the book or not and decided to give the author another shot by reading Two for the Dough. Each book has a specific plot formula where Stephanie has to to find a missing person, which proves to be more difficult at first assumed. The search for the Failure To Appear (in this case, her Uncle Fred) then leads Stephanie to clues that lead her into deeper trouble and crosses her path with the secret investigation of her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Morelli. The formulaic plots cause confusion at times with who a character is and which book he or she is from, which might very well be because I read them so close together. Overall, though, the author's consistancy works. I look forward to seeing which (or how many) car Stephanie is going to destroy and how it happens. I like meeting the not-so-normal people that latch on to her through every story (in this one, it is a "little person"). I like Grandma Mazur's outrageous behavior. I like Lula's expressionistic outfits. So, what makes this one the best so far? Evanovich seems to be getting better with each book, feeling more comfortable and free with the characters, as if she is getting to know them better. This comes across the pages to the reader and leaves you with a feeling of comfort, as if you were with old friends. I can't wait to read Hot Six to watch Evanovich's writing develop even further.
Rating:
Summary: spectacular read!!
Review: I love crime drama books, And this one takes the cake. At times this book is so funny that you can't even catch your breath. Stefanie Plum is a fantastic charachter, she is so real you can practically see her walk down your street. This book is well written, well thought out and will keep you guessing to the end.
Rating:
Summary: Great Fun! Another Stephanie Plum Winner!
Review: I've read all of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum novels and must say I look forward to every one with bated breath. While we're not talking about the "Great American Novel" here each and every one is an enjoyable read. Any woman can imagine herself bumbling through Stephanie's predicaments which must be the key to having a best-selling novel. If I found myself a bounty hunter I could easily imagine myself being afraid of my gun and keeping it in the cookie jar! I thought the introduction of the Ranger romantic complication was great. Joe Morelli needs some competition! Like the other readers who reviewed this book I can't wait for #6 to see who was waiting at the door in the end (although I wouldn't kick either one of them out!). My only caveat with the book was I thought the wrap-up of the crime story was a little too quick. One scene with the bad guy and all the loose ends are tied up. It was a bit of an anti-climax. But don't let that discourage you from reading High Five and hurry up Janet! We're waiting for #6!
Rating:
Summary: Stephanie has man problems
Review: In HIGH FIVE, the fifth in the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich, Stephanie hits a new high in dysfunctionality when it comes to men. Plum is a klutzy bond enforcement agent, i.e. bounty hunter, working for bail bondsman and sleazy cousin, Vinnie, in Trenton, NJ. In this book, Stephanie's official assignment takes back seat to a family request to find Uncle Fred, who's disappeared. But what's with the photos Uncle Mabel found in Fred's desk of a plastic garbage bag containing a dismembered body? Photography wasn't Fred's hobby. In HIGH FIVE, Plum is beset with Briggs, Bunchy, Ramirez, Morelli, and Ranger. And that's just for starters. Briggs is a midget that becomes Plum's unwelcome houseguest after the latter's zeal for fugitive apprehension results in an unfortunate incident. The mysterious Bunchy also wants to find Fred, and is following Stephanie around. Ramirez, a psycho rapist that Plum helped put away in book one, is now back on the streets and wants revenge. But the real core of the novel is Stephanie's lack of a sex life - a condition that's now reaching the critical stage. Plum has prurient yearnings for Joe Morelli, a distant relative and Trenton undercover cop - that is, when she's not hating his guts for being totally exasperating in the way males often are. After all, twelve years ago he did take her virginity behind the eclair counter of the pastry shop in which she was working. Then there's Ranger, the Cuban-American, bounty hunter extraordinaire who's Stephanie's sometime mentor and now, to her distraction, the occasional stud muffin of her fevered dreams. Our heroine has a yen for Bad Boys, and both Morelli and Ranger can be that, especially when they dress in black. As one would expect in a continuing series, the author must ratchet up the wackiness of Stephanie's life a notch with each succeeding volume. Through the first five books, she's managed to do this without stretching my credulity beyond the breaking point. Plum is just one of those girls with excruciatingly bad karma. I'm beginning to anticipate, though, a plot where Evanovich tries too hard. We'll see, because I intend to read all of the series - 5 more installments as of this review. At the conclusion of HIGH FIVE, Stephanie succumbs to the need for a night of lovin', writes the names of Morelli and Ranger on separate pieces of paper, mixes them in a bowl, closes her eyes and picks one, summons the winner after showing his name to her pet hamster Rex, puts on a killer-sexy black dress, and waits for her man of the night to arrive. The reader won't know who got lucky until it's revealed in the prologue of HOT SIX. Rex and I know, but we're not telling. If a Stephanie Plum book was to be made into a film, Sandra Bullock would be absolutely perfect in the title role.
Rating:
Summary: New directions for Stephanie Plum
Review: Stephanie Plum seeks some different work to pay her bills, and goes to work for Ranger in some of his enterprizes. In the meantime she is looking for Uncle Fred who has disappeared. Fred is a tightwad who was disputing a bill from a trash collection company, and wants a $2 refund because they missed collecting one day. That sets off a chain of events resulting in various murders and an attempt of Stephanie's life. As usual with Stephanie, there are several plots intertwined including Ranger's enterprizes, her work as a bounty hunter for her cousin Vinnie, her search for Uncle Fred, and her love life. It is a fast moving plot, and I found it more interesting than the previous novel in the series.
Rating:
Summary: This One's a Ringer!
Review: This fifth book in the Stephanie Plum series is a winner, and I think the best so far in the series. In it we get to see more of our favourites - Stephanie herself, Grandma Mazur, Lula and of course the fabulous Ranger!. The sparks between Ranger and Stephanie light up the book in this one. I defy anyone to be able to put the book down once you start it. I know that I couldn't. In this book Stephanie's bounty hunting has reached a low point since there don't seem to be many bail jumpers, but she gets talked into trying to find her Uncle Fred who disappeared from a grocery store parking lot. Sounds easy, but in true Plum fashion she bites off way more than she can chew. I lost track of the number of vehicles that she wrecked. And did I mention Ranger? We see lots of him in this one and he's a peach! Dangerous as can be, but still a peach, and Steph finds herself losing her head a little over him. You'll have to read to see what happens between them. A Stunner of a book!
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