Four to Score (Stephanie Plum, No. 4) [Paperback]

Janet Evanovich (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1999

The problem with being a bounty hunter is it's all on-the-job training. And Stephanie Plum is still learning the ways to get yourself killed. Take the case of Maxine Norwicki...When Maxine failed to turn up for her day in court, Stephanie was given the task of bringing her in. Simple. Except Maxine's boyfriend has now begun receiving mysterious, coded notes from the runaway that hint at buried treasure. In fact the notes are so indecipherable that Stephanie has to call on the help of Sally Sweet, giant drag queen and code-breaker extraordinaire. And Steph's knight errant, cop Joe Morelli. is also proving useful - although he can't decide what he wants most: Maxine's bounty or Stephanie's body. Meanwhile a friend loses a finger, a mother is scalped, an apartment is firebombed and a store clerk is murdered. And out in the street, the crazy treasure hunt game goes on...'Stephanie Plum is ass-kicking form...utterly delightful.' Cosmopolitan 'As smart and sassy as high-gloss wet paint.' Time Out ' Among the great joys of contemporary crime fiction.' GQ 'All the easy class and wit that you expect to find in the best American TV Comedy, but too rarely find in modern fiction.' GQ

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Stephanie Plum, the trash-talking New Jersey bail bondswoman of this popular series, is tracking Maxine Nowicki, who's wanted for skipping out on a car-theft charge lodged by her ex-boyfriend. Now the ex-boyfriend's very interested in getting back the love letters he supposedly wrote to Maxine. But what he's really looking for is the secret on which Evanovich hangs her screwball cast of colorful minor characters, including Sally Sweet, a cross-dressing drag queen; Lula, the 250-pound ex-hooker who works for Steph's boss; Cousin Vinnie, the bail bondsman; Grandma Mazur, who packs a Glock and is always looking for a little action; and Joyce, a wannabe bounty hunter who's been cramping Steph's style since she played pass the salami with Steph's ex-husband. The action doesn't get much farther from Trenton than the Jersey Shore, but when Steph's apartment and car are blown up by the others on Maxine's trail and she moves in with Joe Morelli, the handsome, arrogant cop she's been hung up on since high school, it gets hotter than the craps table in Atlantic City. Plum's fans won't be disappointed in this fourth outing in the series, and they're likely to be even more interested in the snappy patter and sexy shenanigans than in the mystery that holds it all together. --Jane Adams --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Half-Hungarian, half-Italian and all-Jersey, Trenton's best-known bounty hunter, Stephanie Plum, is a raucous delight in this fast-paced sequel to Three to Get Deadly (1997). There's no such thing as a simple assignment for Stephanie. When Maxine Nowicki, charged with stealing her boyfriend's car, skips her court appearance, she's fair game to be hauled in?no big challenge, thinks Stephanie. Wrong. Before the case is over, Stephanie will invade an Atlantic City casino with her intrepid allies: sneaker-shod Grandma Mazur; her colleague Lula, "a two-hundred pound black woman with blond baloney curls all dressed up like Cher on a bad day"; and Sally, a seven-foot transvestite rock singer. Although Stephanie is the bounty hunter, she's the only one of the quartet who isn't armed. She also loses another car and her apartment, moves in with handsome cop and longtime love interest, Joe Morelli (causing a stir in his family and hers), has several memorable run-ins with arch rival Joyce Barnhardt, discovers a corpse and, finally, catches her quarry. With her brash exterior and high emotionality, Stephanie Plum is a welcome antidote to suave professional PIs. The supporting cast members, eccentric and recognizable, are as entertaining as those devised by Westlake and Leonard. Major ad/promo; author tour.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan (May 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0330371223
• ISBN-13: 978-0330371223
• Product Dimensions: 4.4 x 0.8 x 7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (280 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,212,749 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Janet Evanovich is the #1 bestselling author of the Stephanie Plum novels, twelve romance novels, the Alexandra Barnaby novels and graphic novels, Wicked Appetite (the first book in the Lizzy and Diesel series,) and How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Score a Ten!!!, October 9, 2001

By 

"intentaccess" (Boca Raton, Florida USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Four to Score (Stephanie Plum, No. 4) (Stephanie Plum Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

This fourth book in the series is one of nonstop falling off your chair laughter. Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter is after Maxine Nowicki, who is free on a stolen automobile charge. Her boyfriend, Eddie Kuntz, also offers Stephanie money in hopes that she can retrieve something extremely valuable to him...love letters, he claims.

The chase is on in this page-turning craze, and all of the extra added details that makes this adventure that much more funny! The cast of characters is helpful to Stephanie once again. Stephanie's family, especially Grandma Mazur, add pizzazz, depth, and a heck of a lot of humor to this great plot.
Joe Morelli is also back and yes him and Stephanie finally get together!
Lula, the large prostitute-turned-file clerk-slash-wannabe is hysterical in this book. Her quick wit and street humor keep you rolling.
This fourth book also introduces Sally Sweet, a code-breaking transvestite 'drag queen" musician. Grandma Mazur comes right out and asks Sally what a drag queen does with his ding-dong and I died laughing. Stephanie's enemy, Joyce Barnhardt, also has a larger roll in this book, as the newest bounty hunter at the Vincent Plum bail bonds agency.

This book is truly hysterical, pages keep turning with the fast paced humor and wit. This is the best book yet in the series and I thought three was good. This series is highly recommended!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Four to Score...A Real Winner, June 8, 2000

By 

Roz Levine - See all my reviews

This review is from: Four to Score (Stephanie Plum, No. 4) (Stephanie Plum Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

Stephanie's back and better than ever with Four to Score, a funny, sexy romp through Trenton, New Jersey. Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter from hell, is on the trail of Maxine Nowicki, who forgot about her court appearance and jumped bail. In the process of tracking Maxine down, she uncovers murderers, counterfeiters and a fire bomber. Unfortunately, Stephanie's apartment is at the top of the fire bomber's hit list and she moves in with Joe Morelli. Now the fun really begins. As always, Ms Evanovich fills her story with quirky, wacky characters that just add to the fun and we get to see a lot more of the Plum and Morelli families. The writing is smart and down to earth and Ms Evanovich has a wonderful ear for dialogue. You'll laugh out loud at the antics of this fine cast. Do yourself a favor, start with One for the Money and read the whole series. Ms Evanovich doesn't disappoint.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Every book gets better than the last, January 19, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Four to Score (Stephanie Plum, No. 4) (Stephanie Plum Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

A few weeks ago I clicked on the icon for "High Five" by an author I had never heard about. All the reviews seem to say how good the plot was and how funny the book was. Since I hadn't heard of the author before I did what I usually do and find the earliest book by the author and start there. The early books are usually in paper back and cheaper. Generally an author develops characters along the way so that is what I did. I bought "One For The Money". Well I just loved it and quickly read 2 and 3 and am finishing "Four To Score". This is one of the funniest and most enjoyable series I have read. The only negative thing I have to say is that I have finally ordered "High Five" and when I am done I will have a long wait before the next novel comes out. If you havn't read any of the books I do recommend that you start from the beginning of the series and I hope you get as much enjoyment from them as I have.