Explosive Eighteen (Stephanie Plum, #18)

by Janet Evanovich

[Cocktails and Books]

This book took me back to why I love this series. No, the Morelli vs. Ranger situation didn't get resolved (a bit of a let down but it was finally nice to see that Morelli can fight for what he wants), but this one took us back to those days in the middle of the series where Stephanie was truly knee deep in crap that she's accidentally fallen in. You know, where the whole storyline is about someone(s) trying to kill her. Those were the Stephanie Plum days that I loved. Plus, we get a whole lot of Lula being the sidekick that I truly wish I had...just for the comic relief.

So the story....

Stephanie is fleeing Hawaii, leaving behind a mess she doesn't want to deal with. When she gets home, she finds an envelope with a picture of a guy in it. She has no clue who the guy is so she throws it into the garbage with a protesting Grandma Mauzer watches in agony.

Turns out a lot of people want that picture. Stephanie soon has 2 hired goons pretending to be FBI trying to get it, the real FBI wanting their hands on it, crazy Razzle Dazzle attacking Stephanie to get it and finally crazy hair dresser Brenda hounding her for it. No one believes her when she says she doesn't have it, so following, chasing and attacking ensue. Classic Stephanie Plum.

Stephanie and Rex still need to eat, so she does need to continue on with her day job and try to catch her skips. This is when the Lula factor comes into play. She's just as outrageous and overtop as ever, which has you laughing at every third line that comes from her fictional mouth. If it's not that, it's the description of what she's wearing.

Let me set the stage...

Lula has decided she is going to channel her inner Ranger and dress in black just like him. Here's her first foray into Lula Ranger.
I glance at Lula. She was dressed in black. Black faux lizard-skin cowboy boots, black jeans that looked like they were painted on her, black tank top with an acre of boob squishing out. Pink hair.
My curiosity was raised. "What's with the black?" I wanted to know. "You never wear all black."
"I told you yesterday, I'm gettin' serious. I'm not takin' this job lightly no more. I'm channeling my inner Ranger, and I'm wearing black like him. I figure he's on to something with the black deal."

I laughed at this book more than I have the previous few. It was good to see the characters going back to what they used to be. I would really like to see the whole Ranger/Morelli thing finished (I love them both but how long can one woman be torn between two men???), but based on this ending I'm not going to get my hopes up.

Still a very entertaining read that will having you laughing out loud and wondering if a trip the Burg will net you some crazy friends like Stephanie's.