| Publisher | Headline Review |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 17 June 2014 |
| ISBN-10 | 1472201604 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1472201607 |
| Format | hardcover |
| Pages | 352 |
| Price | £ 19.99 |
Top Secret Twenty-One
by
Stephanie Plum falls foul of Russian gangsters as she helps the enigmatic Ranger track down whoever is targeting him.
Review
You know what you get when you pick up a Janet Evanovich book – gunge in the hair, exploding cars, eccentric villains, slapstick humour and a healthy measure of unresolved sexual tension. This time out you can add feuding grannies, psychopathic Chihuahuas and Russians on the rampage.
You’ve got to hand it to Evanovich – she’s kept pretty much one gag going for 21 books. But let’s face it – it’s a good gag and she always ensures that Stephanie Plum, our accident-prone bounty hunter, is never totally a figure of fun. And Stephanie gets to prove her worth in this outing, as for once it’s hunky Ranger who needs her help after his super-duper high-tech HQ comes under attack. Usually it’s Stephanie who needs him to ride to her rescue in his cool black car.
Top Secret Twenty-One has a slightly harder edge to it than most of the other books, although Evanovich has always put Stephanie in the path of danger – how she’s been extricated from it has tended to dictate the tone of the story. This time, though, there’s a more international feel to it with Russian gangsters and mysterious substances.
Most of the action in the series takes place in Trenton, New Jersey, where we get to know the shops, funeral homes (much beloved of Grandma Mazur) and eccentric characters. Top Secret Twenty One, though, takes Stephanie to New York and finally to Atlanta for a tense finale.
And while there’s the usual dose of pursuing oddball fugitives who haven’t turned up for their court appearances, the international interest adds almost a thriller dimension to the usual screwball comedy. Grandma Mazur, Bob the dog and Lula are all present and correct, as is Stephanie’s complicated love life with suitors Ranger and Morelli. But they’re not always to the front of the stage.
If you don’t find Evanovich funny, then Top Secret Twenty-One won’t change your mind. If, like me, the series is a guilty pleasure, then you might well appreciate the slightly different emphasis to keep the saga fresh.
You’ve got to hand it to Evanovich – she’s kept pretty much one gag going for 21 books. But let’s face it – it’s a good gag and she always ensures that Stephanie Plum, our accident-prone bounty hunter, is never totally a figure of fun. And Stephanie gets to prove her worth in this outing, as for once it’s hunky Ranger who needs her help after his super-duper high-tech HQ comes under attack. Usually it’s Stephanie who needs him to ride to her rescue in his cool black car.
Top Secret Twenty-One has a slightly harder edge to it than most of the other books, although Evanovich has always put Stephanie in the path of danger – how she’s been extricated from it has tended to dictate the tone of the story. This time, though, there’s a more international feel to it with Russian gangsters and mysterious substances.
Most of the action in the series takes place in Trenton, New Jersey, where we get to know the shops, funeral homes (much beloved of Grandma Mazur) and eccentric characters. Top Secret Twenty One, though, takes Stephanie to New York and finally to Atlanta for a tense finale.
And while there’s the usual dose of pursuing oddball fugitives who haven’t turned up for their court appearances, the international interest adds almost a thriller dimension to the usual screwball comedy. Grandma Mazur, Bob the dog and Lula are all present and correct, as is Stephanie’s complicated love life with suitors Ranger and Morelli. But they’re not always to the front of the stage.
If you don’t find Evanovich funny, then Top Secret Twenty-One won’t change your mind. If, like me, the series is a guilty pleasure, then you might well appreciate the slightly different emphasis to keep the saga fresh.
Reviewed 23 August 2014 by Sharon Wheeler
