To the Nines by Janet Evanovich

You’ve already read this, right? In fact, you’re ahead of me, and have read the series through the most recent entry, Lean Mean Thirteen. Or, you’ve decided not to read the series at all, put off as you are by the gimmicky titles and crayon colors of the paperback bookcovers and the romance-y aura that surrounds the whole franchise.

Okay, fine, whatever. I read only one of these a year, not because I’m ashamed of them, but because each one is essentially the same as the one before it. If you read them too close together this becomes painfully apparent, though I hear that some people don’t mind this. But if you read them a year or so apart, you forget enough that the whole setup seems fresh again, and you can giggle anew.

As “mysteries” they stink, and To The Nines was no exception. It was, however, laugh-out-loud funny. (I am banned from reading these books in bed lest I keep my husband awake.) Evanovich writes some of the best dialogue in contemporary fiction. Her supporting characters are a scream, and her interpretation of working class Trenton, New Jersey is perfect.

Did you know there are a couple of non-numerical titles as well? They are holiday releases! Visions of Sugar Plums (Christmas) and Plum Lovin’ (Valentine’s Day). Eeek, I haven’t been able to bring myself to try these, and don’t really expect to. But I also discovered this on Amazon: Perfectly Plum: An Unauthorized Celebration of the Life, Loves and Other Disasters of Stephanie Plum, Trenton Bounty Hunter, edited by Leah Wilson, from the Smart Pop series of books about popular culture. It’s a collection of essays about Plum and her milieu and why it works so well. I might have to try this.

Ranger vs. Morelli? I vote Ranger.

(Book 31, 2007)