Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Hard Fast Tight Action -- With An Incompetent Protagonist, March 12, 2009
It was a curious event for me, reading this novel. It was my first experience with Janet Evanovich's work in this series, but I seemed to take to Stephanie Plum and her attraction to Morelli right away. (The first third of the novel, which is the funniest, seemed to have a Southern (Floridian) twang to the dialogue but disappeared as the story progressed through the burg of New Jersey. Did Ms. Evanovich return to New Jersey from Florida after starting this novel?) As the story is set in New Jersey and Plum herself is half-Italian (or so it seems), I felt an immediate intimate acquaintance with the character-types in this book, particularly since my relatives are mostly Italian and live either in New Jersey or in Philadelphia.
I found myself reading the book mostly to see if there was going to be a resolution of the sexual tension between Range/Morelli and Stephanie; I had early on already discovered that the strong comic element was overwhelming the who-done-it plot so that one didn't care so much about the mystery plot. It is hard to balance all the elements in a novel so as to have a clean outcome in every instance. (Stephanie Plum doesn't finish up her job with her "skip" Diggs -- nor does the author.)
At the last third of the novel, however, I made a horrendous discovery: Stephanie Plum isn't very good at what she does. For one, it's noticeable that she practically starves throughout the novel for lack of a steady paycheck, and, for another instance, she makes so many mistakes trying to do her job, she has to be "rescued by men" over and over and over again. By the near-end of the novel, it's clear that Ms. Plum simply isn't and wasn't a very strong protagonist in the first place -- if only because she isn't good at doing her job and isn't and wasn't much good at even self-survival - without, of course, the help of men. Why would an author have her protagonist be so incompetent? For laughs alone? Stephanie Plum's appeal seems more geared to the kept gay man or the gay man wanting to be kept.
I didn't like the discovery that Plum wasn't very good at her work because it made me lose respect for her, and I didn't like that Ms. Plum had to be rescued all the time, without exception, by the men in her life to whom she kept at a certain I-want-to-be-independent distance, though Ranger and Morelli are incredibly hot men.
I found myself wondering why so many women readers found Stephanie Plum to be a lovable protagonist when she's so dependent on the men around her for her own livelihood and appears to be an incompetent.
Stephanie Plum's got a sarcastic mouth and a sense of humor; she acts like a man outside the bedroom (no-nonsense, nothing fancy, practical, plain in her tastes and actions), but other than some apparent (to Ranger and Morelli) hot T&A, she's got little else going for her in reality.
According to some Amazon reviews I read, Evanovich's earlier works in the series were more interesting and more funny. For this novel, I thought the writing itself was darn good. I couldn't want a leaner or meaner handling of the prose in this novel. For me, the title "Lean Mean Thirteen" totally refers to the writing style that's to be found here, the 13th in the series. There are no wasted words, nor no wasted scenes; everything is very tight, hard, and active.
Amazon readers have written that there is a lot of wit in Evanovich's book, but I think it's not wit to be found here; it's some sardonic humor mixed with a lot of easy sarcasm and fast vulgarities. I'm definitely not putting this novel down -- as good beach reading. It is good beach reading.
One Amazon reviewer said #8 in the Stephanie Plum series was the funniest. I don't know. Reading this novel made the temptation to read another still possible for me.
However, this paperback version includes a section of Evanovich's "Fearless Fourteen" due out in June of 2008. The writing there clearly was profoundly more pedestrian and lack-luster than anything to be found in this novel. I might have to go backwards in the series to find the best of Stephanie Plum.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Short & Sweet: Plum Does It Again, October 20, 2009
Lean Mean Thirteen is another fun, fast-paced, funny adventure featuring Stephanie Plum, inept bail bond enforcer. Anyone looking for a quick, laugh-out-loud read will be pleased to follow Stephanie on yet another wild adventure with her wacky crew of colorful characters.
Do not expect much in the way of character development; Stephanie Plum's world works well partly because of its predictability. Readers can always count on a laugh as Stephanie fumbles her way through each new adventure. Altering established patterns might make for an interesting change in future novels, but they don't happen here.
In this latest installment set in the Burg of Trenton, New Jersey, Stephanie accepts a job from Ranger to plant bugs on her ex-husband Dickie Orr. Trash-talking Lula and no-nonsense Connie go along for the ride and serve as a comic foil when Stephanie goes berserk in Dickie's law office upon discovering Dickie and Joyce Barnhardt are back together again. The trio barely escape the office before police can be summoned after the comical confrontation.
When Dickie turns up missing, Stephanie immediately becomes the prime suspect in his disappearance. Meanwhile, Stephanie and Lula have FTAs to bring in, and the latest laughable felons to fit the bill are Carl Coglin, maker of exploding taxidermy, and Simon Diggery 50-year old graverobber. Between trying to bring in these two slippery eels and the chaos of evading jealous Joyce Barnhardt, Stephanie has got her hands full fending off giant snakes, stun gun shocks, and exploding beaver bombs.
Grandma Mazur makes her usual colorful appearance along with Stephanie's on-again off-again boyfriend Joe Morelli, whose sudden disappearance for a mysterious "work assignment" coincides with the mounting threats on Stephanie's life. Ranger steps in to make sure Stephanie's troublemaking tendencies don't end up getting her killed, which, not surprisingly, they very nearly do.
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2.0 out of 5 stars
Lean Mean Thirteen, June 28, 2009
I have read this series from the beginning, and was really disappointed with Book 13. Sure, the writing was good, and the antics were funny, but when that is all there is it falls short. Character development was lacking if non existent.
One thing that was really annoying was the in depth explanation of history. I realize that Janet wants these books to be able to be read as a stand alone, but having every character and past incident explained again in more than usual detail almost made me feel there wasn't enough to say to fill up the pages.
Knowing this is fiction, it doesn't bother me like others that Steph and Rex never get older. What bothers me is that nothing in her character, Ranger, or Morelli changes. They actually get worse. Ranger and Joe have both been emasculated to the point that I don't even recognize them anymore. They both put up with Steph's sexual teasing, and if they were the real men they have been portrayed in the past, they would have both kicked her to the curb long ago not willing to put up with it. I used to think that Steph was just conflicted between the two men, but now I just think that she strings them along because she thinks she can with no ramifications.
I would have been better off if I had not read this book. I am afraid what the future holds for this series. Maybe it should have ended with 12.
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by Janet Evanovich
by Janet Evanovich
by Janet Evanovich
by Janet Evanovich
by Janet Evanovich
