Ten Big Ones (Stephanie Plum, No. 10) (Stephanie Plum Novels) [Mass Market Paperback]

Janet Evanovich (Author)

Book Description

Series: Stephanie Plum Novels | Publication Date: June 21, 2005

She's accidentally destroyed a dozen cars. She's a target for every psycho and miscreant this side of the Jersey Turnpike. He mother's convinced she'll end up dead...or worse, without a man. She's Stephanie Plum and she kicks butt for a living (well, she thought it would sound good to put it that way...)

It begins as an innocent trip to the deli-mart, on a quest for nachos. But Stephanie Plum and her partner, Lula, are clearly in the wrong place at the wrong time. A robbery leads to an explosion, which leads to the destruction of yet another car. It would be just another day in the life of Stephanie Plum...except that she becomes the target of a gang. And the target of an even scarier, more dangerous force that comes to Trenton. With super bounty hunter Ranger out of town (and Stephanie on the outs with vice cop Morelli), she finds herself alone, with a decision to make: how to protect herself and where to hide while on the hunt for a killer known as the Junkman. There's only one safe place, and it has Ranger's name all over it-if she can find it. And if the Junkman doesn't find her first. With Lula riding shotgun and Grandma Mazur on the loose, Stephanie Plum is racing against the clock in her most suspenseful novel yet. Ten Big Ones is page-turning entertainment and Janet Evanovich is the best there is.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Stephanie Plum, girl bounty hunter, the terror of Trenton, the bane of her boyfriend Joe Morelli's existence, and the delight of her crazy grandma's heart, is in the wrong place at the wrong time--as usual. Just happening to be indulging her nachos jones at a local deli when it's robbed by the notorious Red Devils, Plum is the eye witness who could put the gang leader, known as the Junkman, behind bars... if he just lets her live long enough. Looking for a place to hide out from the killer until the cops catch up with him, Stephanie sneaks into her fellow bounty hunter Ranger's apartment without telling Morelli, who's not overly fond of him. All the usual suspects in this long-running series are along for a wilder than ever ride, including Lula the gun-toting ex-hooker, Grandma Mazur, Stephanie's pregnant sister Valerie and her fiancé, as well as a host of minor characters who bring Trenton's seedier environs to life. Ten Big Ones is another madcap caper by a writer whose fans will doubtless catapult this easy beach read to the top of the bestseller list. --Jane Adams --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Evanovich is at her best in her 10th Stephanie Plum adventure (after 2003's To the Nines), which reads like the screenplay for a 1930s screwball comedy: fast, funny and furious. The Trenton, N.J., bond enforcement agent (bounty hunter), accompanied by her trigger-happy friend Lula, an errant file clerk, is after a quirky collection of bail-jumpers—a man who killed a neighbor's rosebushes relieving himself on them, a drag queen musician/school bus driver accused of assault, and a woman who claims she robbed a Frito-Lay truck because she hated her low-carb diet—when she witnesses a convenience store robbery. Unfortunately, Anton Ward, the holdup man, learns that Stephanie can identify him and puts out a contract on her. After she tells her colleague Ranger her predicament, he offers her sanctuary. As usual, she's torn between sexy Ranger and her longtime lover, cop Joe Morelli, with whom she's living. The rollicking plot, replete with car chases, family squabbles, massive doughnut consumption and a frantic, wacky finale, keeps the reader breathless. As usual, Evanovich's eccentric characters—fun-loving Grandma Mazur, anxious to accompany Stephanie on her job; self-absorbed sister Valerie and her hapless fiancé Albert Kloughn (pronounced Clown); Sally Sweet, the transvestite who shows a talent for wedding planning—are a treat.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; 1st Printing edition (June 21, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312936222
• ISBN-13: 978-0312936228
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (356 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,165 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #10 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > General > Comic
  • #13 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Mystery > Women Sleuths
  • #20 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Mystery > General

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

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Ten Big Ones, July 20, 2004

By 

S. Berman "Sylvia" (Tucson, Arizona USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ten Big Ones (Stephanie Plum, No. 10) (Stephanie Plum Novels) (Hardcover)

This series has been consistently good. Some books are better than others. "Ten Big Ones" is not particularly inspired - but then "To The Nines" is a hard act to follow. The thing that is bothering me is that although Stephanie and Joe are growing characters - the rest of the cast is not. Ranger remains a one dimensional being. He is unable to share any part of himself. Janet continually creates opportunities for him to develop his relationship with Stephanie - and Stephanie is open to it but he is never able to be human. Lula is becoming cartoon character. I resent this very much. She began to grow when she stopped being a prostitute. She got a real job. Now, all she is - is bored - and I'm getting bored with her. She can be funny and outrageous and still become a person! Stephanie's mother is stiffled. When is she going to break-out of the rut? I want to see these people go somewhere. Not just Stephanie and Joe - but the whole cast. However, I like the way Joe and Stephanie are growing. As a couple, they are comfortable and Stephanie has time to continue finding herself. Joe is becoming a man, a partner. I agree with the other reviewers that the story line is becoming predictable. I think Janet needs to talk with people other than her fans and get some objective feedback. I will continue to read this series because I am fond of the characters but I hope that Janet will consider that there needs to be some substance within the slapstick.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great ab workout, March 17, 2005

By 

Gwyn A. Lyell III "tpole" (Delaware) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ten Big Ones (Stephanie Plum, No. 10) (Stephanie Plum Novels) (Hardcover)

I must say I don't agree with some of my fellow reviewers, I loved this. I get the Plum books on CD from my local library, sorry Amazon but, I do give you guys plenty of money already.

Back to Ten Big Ones. I may have to stop listening to these, I'm afraid of totaling my car because I'm laughing so hard, and this one had me going. True, there wasn't the usual high sexual tension between Stepahanie, Joe and "her mystery man" Ranger. But, it was more than made up for by a new character, Sally Sweet. You'll have to read or, listen, to learn more about Sally and his antics.

The ending is one in to die for, laughing that is.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Ok, but definitely not her best, June 24, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Ten Big Ones (Stephanie Plum, No. 10) (Stephanie Plum Novels) (Hardcover)

I really like the Plum Books, especially the earlier ones, but I think it's time for the series to evolve a little (or at least bring the books back to the standard of the earlier ones, especially 1-5). The writing devices that make this series such a fun and satisfying read are overwraught in this one. Stephanie's independence comes across more like childish petulance, Joe and Ranger (as one reviewer stated) are terribly flat (What's up with Ranger punctuating every other sentence with "Babe?"), and the plot had the potential to be interesting but felt empty and underdeveloped. Even Grandma and Lula lacked their usual punch. Eveyone read like a caricature of themselves, even for what's considered a light read like this. Grandma gets sloshed at dinner, Mom Plum keeps makes the sign of the cross every time Stephanie leaves, and Lula's still a big woman and proud of it. Yes, all funny, but really been there, done that. There's so much more potential to mine with these characters that the author is selling them and herself short if she can't come up with new angles to make them interesting.

I was especially disappointed by Stephanie's character in this one. She started out the series as a smart, self-possessed, funny, adventuresome heroine and seems to have regressed to acting like a hormonal teenager (Can she stop whining about her family so much internally and speak up a bit more? Can she squeak less around Ranger? And even if she has decided to not settle down with Joe yet, can she act like an adult about it and not stomp out with a laundry basket full of clothes?) I like fun, but there's a difference between fun and the ridiculous and Ten Big Ones really leaned toward the latter.

Evanovich seems to be treading on the goodwill of her readers with this one. Perhaps it's an indication that it's time to wrap up the series in the next few books and go out while it's still on top. I'm only giving it 3 stars based on the fact that she has created some great characters and funny plots with this series overall and it was nice to revisit the world of the Burg. Hopefully she'll get back on track with the next one.