Reviewed by L.D.Y.

Hardcover (available in mass-market), 149 pages, 2002

Rating: 6/10

Reason for Reading: Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum books are usually good for a few giggles.

Synopsis: It’s four days before Christmas, and klutzy bounty hunter Stephanie Plum needs to capture bail-jumper Sandy Claws, and finish (okay, start) her Christmas shopping, but there’s a strange-yet-gorgeous stranger standing in her kitchen…

Why you should read this book: Like all the books in the Plum series, there’s a few laugh-out-loud moments, usually brought on by Stephanie’s crazy grandmother.

Why you should avoid this book: This book is way too short to have any depth to it, and the usual main characters (Lula, Ranger, Joe) have short scenes, or in Ranger’s case, are left out entirely. There’s not enough time to build up scenes with Evanovich’s usual humour. A third romantic interest, the mysterious Diesel, is thrown into the mix for no apparent reason. You can definitely skip this side-project in the series without missing anything. Not worth the hardcover price; even as a mass-market it’s debatable. Try your library.

Opening paragraph:

My name is Stephanie Plum and I’ve got a strange man in my kitchen. He appeared out of nowhere. One minute I was sipping coffee, mentally planning out my day. And then the next minute – poof, there he was.

Fabulous quotes:

Grandma reached across the table to grab the bowl, knocked over a candlestick and the tablecloth went up in flames. This wasn’t the first time this had happened.
‘Yow! Fire,’ Kloughn yelled. ‘Fire. Fire! We’re all gonna die!’

My father looked up briefly, shook his head like he couldn’t believe this was actually his life, and returned to shoveling in his lasagna. My mother made the sign of the cross. And I dumped a pitcher of ice water into the middle of the table, putting an end to the fire.
Diesel grinned. ‘I love this family. I just love this family.’

‘Okay,’ Lula said, stopping for a light. ‘We got Christmas knocked. We’re on our way to Christmas.’ The light turned and the guy in front of us hesitated. Lula leaned on the horn and gave him the finger. ‘Move it!’ she yelled. ‘You think we got all day? It’s Christmas, for christssake. We got things to do.’

Also recommended: Skin Tight by Carl Hiaasen; The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde; In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson; Chopping Spree by Diane Mott Davidson.

Also by this author: Motor Mouth; Metro Girl; Hot Stuff; Plum Lovin’; Lean Mean Thirteen; Twelve Sharp; Eleven on Top; Ten Big Ones; To the Nines; Hard Eight; Seven Up; Hot Six; High Five; Four to Score; Three to Get Deadly; Two for the Dough; One for the Money; Full Scoop; Full House; Full Tilt; Full Blast; Full Speed; Full Bloom; How I Write; Back to the Bedroom; The Rocky Road to Romance; Love Overboard.

Author’s website: evanovich.com

© Lisa Yanaky 2003-2007