Three to Get Deadly (Stephanie Plum, No. 3) (Stephanie Plum Novels) [Hardcover]

Janet Evanovich (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 14, 1997 | Series: Stephanie Plum Novels

Stephanie Plum, the brassy babe in the powder blue Buick is back and she's having a bad hair day -- for the whole month of January.

She's been given the unpopular task of finding Mo Bedemier, Trenton's most beloved citizen, arrested for carrying concealed, gone no-show for his court appearance.

And to make matters worse, she's got Lula, a former hooker turned file clerk -- now a wannabe bounty hunter -- at her side, sticking like glue. Lula's big and blonde and black and itching to get the chance to lock up a crook in the trunk of her car.

Morelli, the New Jersey vice cop with the slow-burning smile that undermines a girl's strongest resolve is being polite. So what does this mean? Has he found a new love? Or is he manipulating Steph, using her in his police investigation, counting on her unmanageable curiosity and competitive Jersey attitude?

Once again, the entire One for the Money crew is in action, including Ranger and Grandma Mazur, searching for Mo, tripping down a trail littered with dead drug dealers, leading Stephanie to suspect Mo has traded his ice-cream scoop for a vigilante gun.

Cursed with a disastrous new hair color and an increasing sense that it's really time to get a new job, Stephanie spirals and tumbles through Three to Get Deadly with all the wisecracks and pace her fans have come to expect.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

As readers of Janet Evanovich's two previous books about funny, feisty, family-tied bounty hunter Stephanie Plum already know, she operates in "the burg"--a "comfy residential chunk of Trenton, New Jersey, where houses and minds are proud to be narrow and hearts are generously wide open." On this turf, Plum fights for justice and fashion points--this time in pursuit of a beloved neighborhood candystore owner who seems to be moonlighting as an anti-drug vigilante. Evanovich now lives in New Hampshire, but authentic affection for Trenton energizes her prose. Plums in paperback include One for the Money and Two for the Dough.

From Publishers Weekly

Trenton, N.J., bounty hunter and former lingerie buyer Stephanie Plum (last seen in Two for the Dough) becomes persona non grata when she tracks down a neighborhood saint who has failed to show up for his court appearance. No one wants to help Stephanie, who works for her bail-bondsman cousin, Vinnie. While questioning admirers of the man nicknamed Uncle Mo, Stephanie is attacked and knocked out as she cases his candy store. She comes to next to the dead body of her attacker, who turns out to be a well-known drug dealer. Suddenly, she can't avoid stumbling across the bodies of dead drug dealers: one in a dumpster, one in a closet and four in the candy store basement. Stephanie suspects that mild-mannered Mo has become a vigilante and is cleaning up the streets in a one-man killing spree. But when she's repeatedly threatened by men wearing ski masks, she wonders if Mo has company and just might be in over his head. Despite her new clownish orange hair job, Stephanie muddles through another case full of snappy one-liners as well as corpses. By turns buttressed and hobbled by her charmingly clueless family and various cohorts (including streetwise co-worker Lulu, detective and heartthrob Morelli and professional bounty hunter Ranger), the redoubtable Stephanie is a character crying out for a screen debut. Mystery Guild selection; Literary Guild alternate; major ad/promo; author tour.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Scribner; First Edition edition (February 14, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684822652
• ISBN-13: 978-0684822655
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (213 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #103,099 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Go Get 'em Stephanie, June 8, 2000

By 

Roz Levine - See all my reviews

This review is from: Three to Get Deadly (Stephanie Plum, No. 3) (Stephanie Plum Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

Janet Evanovich has done it again. Three to Get Deadly, begins as Stephanie Plum, ex-lingerie buyer turned bounty hunter is given the go to pick up Mo Bedemier. Uncle Mo, as he's known in "the burg", Stephanie's working class, Trenton neighborhood, owns an ice-cream parlor/candy store, has missed his court appearance and seems to have left town. Stephanie's on the case and is soon caught in the middle of anti-drug vigilantes, murdered men and porno films. This is another terrific ride through Trenton with Ms Evanovich's cast of unrivaled, wonderful, quirky characters and Stephanie gets lots of help from her mentor, Ranger and vice cop, Joe Morelli. The writing is witty, irreverent and down to earth, with dialogue that will have you laughing out loud. Though the mystery itself is a bit of a stretch, it doesn't matter, because spending time in Trenton, with Stephanie and company, is such a joy. Start with One for the Money and read all the books in this series. They will put a smile on your face.

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Third times a charm!!!, October 3, 2001

By 

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

This review is from: Three to Get Deadly (Stephanie Plum, No. 3) (Stephanie Plum Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

Stephanie Plum, the lingerie buyer turned bounty hunter, after blackmailing her cousin Vinnie. As usual, Stephanie Plum's trials and tribulations had me laughing out loud!

In this third book Stephanie is after "Uncle Mo," the local candy store/ice cream parlor owner, known by everybody in the neighborhood! Uncle Mo skips his court appearance for carrying a concealed weapon, and Stephanie, goes after him. Uncle Mo is nowhere to be found. The case soon winds up with attacks by strange anti-drug vigilantes, murdered men and porno films. The body count of the local drug dealers around his store continues to rise! Stephanie gets no help from the locals, only threats to leave uncle Mo alone. Lula, the prostitute turned file clerk, has a much greater voice in this novel, and she truly adds laughter to the story with one trip out on her bounty hunting training. Police officer Joe Morelli is back and Stephanie is even concerned he has a girlfriend since he no longer seems interested. Ranger is also back, with help and exercise!
This novel you really get closer with all the characters. The family dinner time just wouldn't be the same if one of Stephanie's friends wasn't invited to join them.

The book flows at a blistering pace, and Evanovich's writing style is packed with humor. The suspense is outstanding and it is the best mix of comedy and mystery out there. It is hard not to enjoy this book! I highly recommend this series you will laugh off your chair and out loud all the same!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A laugh out loud book., July 5, 2002

By 

"tigd" (Las Vegas, NV United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Three to Get Deadly (Stephanie Plum, No. 3) (Stephanie Plum Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

Three to Get Deadly is just as funny and entertaining as the first two books in Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, One for the Money and Two for the Dough. Evanovich has created a cast of characters that are so zany and amusing they become unforgettable. With the third book of the series Stephanie is up to her old tricks again and continues to learn more about being a bounty hunter although she is definitely unconventional. It is a good thing that she has Morrelli, a friend who happens to be a homicide detective, whom she can call when she finds a body. Of course there is the elusive Ranger, another but much better bounty hunter, who is helping Stephanie on her case and to get into shape. Lula has been known to lend Stephanie a helping hand although Lula's constant desire to do things like stuff the bailee into the trunk or just shoot him gives Stephanie second thoughts about taking advantage of Lula's aid. Many more colorful characters are around to offer Stephanie help and to give her advice. Like always, life wouldn't be the same in the burg if gossip didn't travel at lightening speed and who better to gossip about but our unforgettable bounty hunter Stephanie Plum.