I’m still very bummed pissed about the narrator change. I actually set the series down for a year and then picked it back up thinking the narrator wouldn’t be so bad with some time. I was wrong. The first narrator gave such life to the characters. I remember laughing out loud often. The audiobook made the story so fun.

Then the new narrator came in and it all fell flat. I keep seeing people rave about her but I really don’t get it. She butchers all the character voices. Grandma sounds like a cartoon character. Very Mickey Mouse. Ranger does NOT sound hot and mysterious. And his accent changes constantly. It’s like a totally different character.

I’ll either stop this series or read the books (vs audiobook) and hope I can get the same fun vibe I had for the first several books.

Another great read (or listen, in this case). I think this series is a great combo of suspense, comedy and romance and I just can't seem to get enough! Can't wait to read the next one!

I enjoyed this the least of the Stephanie Plum books, and I suspect the series is taking a downward plunge from here. I do plan on reading the next one, though, just to see if there's any improvement, or if my suspicions are correct.

A lot of the elements I liked were in here, and the way Lula plays off the character-introduced-in-this-book (there's at least one per book, per the Plum Formula) was frequently funny. I found myself laughing out loud at some of the interactions.

And Evanovich does a much better job in this book of having Stephanie react in a believable and realistic way to all the craziness around her. Someone is stalking and threatening her, and, for the first time in the series, I actually believe she's really afraid, instead of merely reacting for the plot's sake.

All that said, though, the ending really let me down. Stephanie had nothing to do with the conclusion, and even her FTA was completely out of her hands. That was merely a subplot, but, with the way she was left out of the action at the end, I was hoping she'd at least get that victory. A lot of the book seemed to be Evanovich expressing that she was sick and tired of Stephanie, and so, if she had to keep writing her, she was going to make her suffer.

Overall, this was disappointing, and, if this is the direction the series is headed, I don't see myself catching all the way up.

Good book that got me hooked

Classic Stephanie plum book that hooks me. Lots of Ranger, lots of crazy people and of course a few car explosions.

The ending felt a little abrupt, but I had fun reading this book.

I have to say, this book is the most disappointing in the series. The first thing that bothers me is that Stephanie isn't even pursuing a skip. Why the hell is she wasting her time? As soon as she started to get attacked by Abruzzi, she should have left it to the cops. I'm totally on Morelli's side in regards to her idiocy. If she'd been pursuing someone who could actually help her pay her bills, i might not have been so annoyed.

AND.

This book is where we finally see Stephanie and Ranger get together. I mean we've been waiting EIGHT books for this to happen right? All that UST has to pay off for something right? RIGHT? Nope. I 've read this series a couple of times now and everytime I read over that scene I feel the same numbing disappointment. Evanovich leaves out all the details that make scenes like that so steamy. It's abrupt, out of the blue and worst of all, brief. Janet, WHY YOU DO DIS?

I feel like these books are Team Morelli vs Team Ranger :) I'm definitely for Team Morelli, and he took a backseat role in this installment. And I wonder what her monthly car insurance bill is!

"Fugitive Apprehension Agent Stephanie Plum has a big problem on her hands: Seven-year-old Annie Soder and her mother, Evelyn, have disappeared. Evelyn's estranged husband, Steven, a shady owner of a seedy bar, is not at all happy. During the divorce proceedings, he and Evelyn signed a child custody bond, and Steven is demanding the money guaranteed by the bond to find Annie. The money was secured by a mortgage on Evelyn's grandmother's house, and the True Blue Bonds Bail Agency wants to take possession of the house. Finding a kidnapped child is not an assignment for a bounty hunter. But Evelyn's grandmother lives next door to Stephanie's parents, and Stephanie's mother and grandmother are not about to see their neighbor lose her house because of abduction. Even though Stephanie's plate is full with miscreants who missed their court dates, including old nemesis and violent drunk Andy Bender and an elusive little old lady accused of grand theft auto, she can't disappoint Grandma Mazur! So she follows the trail left by Annie and Evelyn-- and finds a lot more than she bargained for. Steven is somehow linked with a very scary Eddie Abruzzi. Trenton cop and on-again, off-again fiance Joe Morelli and Stephanie's mentor and tormentor, Ranger, warn Stephanie about Abruzzi, but it's Abruzzi's eyes and mannerisms that frighten Stephanie the most. Stephanie needs Ranger's savvy and expertise, and she's willing to accept his help to find Annie even though it might mean becoming too involved with Ranger. Stephanie, Ranger, Lula (who's not going to miss riding with Ranger), and Evelyn's lawyer/laundromat manager set out to find Annie. The search turns out to be a race among Stephanie's posse, the True Blue Bonds' agent, a Rangerette known as Jeanne Ellen Burrows, and the Abruzzi crew. Not to mention the fact that there's a killer rabbit on the loose! Strap on your helmet and get ready for the ride of your life. Hard Eight. The world of Plum has never been wilder."