Review- Takedown Twenty

I used to read every Plum book when it was released but then like so many others I got very tired of the same ol’, same ol’.

Stephanie never got better at her job, she forgot her gun most of the time, her car would get trashed, the Buick survived any catastrophe, Grandma Mazur attended a viewing at the funeral home, on and on and most importantly (for some of us) Stephanie could never decide between Morelli and Ranger. After a while her lack of competence and inability to make a decision grew frustrating in the extreme and I left Trenton behind.

But not entirely, I would sneak back every once in a while like one of Vinnie’s FTAs looking to catch up with family.

Early this week I picked up this book at the grocery store and immersed myself in Stephanie’s world. Yes, all the things that made me leave these books are still there and, yes, Evanovich is still phoning it in but there is something comforting (for me) in a Plum book.

It’s like your favorite comfort food, sometimes there are lumps in the mashed potatoes or the mac and cheese is bland but when you go to it you aren’t specifically looking for culinary greatness, you are looking for familiarity.

I find the same in Stephanie’s adventures, so I’m not going to complain about the same ol’, same ol’. I found it comforting that Stephanie and Lula were still out and about, the one thing about Stephanie we tend to forget is she somehow gets her fugitive. Sure, it may take all 300 pages of a book and a lot of falling down and rolling in suspect fluids, a helping hand or several from Morelli and Ranger, and an almost always unbelievable amount of sheer dumb luck but it happens.

Evanovich has found a formula that works for her, Stephanie, and a comfortably large number of readers. She writes a light, fluffy plot with moments of fun, whimsy, and charm. I am not going to complain anymore, there are times when a Plum book is just what I need or want.