With a cast of characters that includes a "ho"- turned file clerk; a gun-toting, Harley-riding grandmother and a homicidal scorned woman, Janet Evanovich's Twelve Sharp is a hilarious yet suspenseful addition to her successful series.
In the 12th installment in her series, Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter not-so- extraordinaire, is living her life of chaos.
In addition to playing the role of bounty hunter, Plum must deal with her crazy family, talk an admitted perverted shoe salesmen off the ledge and destroying every car she drives.
Her life is turned even more upside down when she finds out she's being stalked by a woman who claims she's married to Stephanie's mentor and sometimes love interest, Ranger Manoso.
The situation is complicated further when the woman turns up dead outside the bond office Stephanie works at and a report comes out that Ranger has kidnapped his own daughter.
In reality, there's a Ranger wanna-be out there looking to steal Ranger's job, daughter and who he perceives to be Ranger's woman, Stephanie. Basically he wants Ranger's life.
Ranger and Stephanie, with the help and hindrance of Stephanie's crazy family, sidekick clerk and her actual boyfriend, search for the man who is holding Ranger's daughter hostage.
Although the plot is serious, its main story containing a missing child and a murdered psychotic woman, the novel lives up to the humor that is the trademark of the series.
The book is literally laugh-out-loud funny.
The comedy comes from the ridiculous situations the insane characters find themselves in. The characters are completely original, and they each have a very strong and distinct voice in the story.
Twelve Sharp is not a serious literary book and the only way to enjoy it is to know that from the beginning.
Evanovich herself has the books are a "light read," but to me, this doesn't make them any less enjoyable.
I don't personally believe that books have to be hard to make them worth reading, and if you do, Twelve Sharp is definitely not for you.
On the other hand, for those who are interested in taking a break from the drudgery that is reading from textbooks, this is the perfect book for it.
It's a quick read, it's funny, it's a page-turner and it gives your mind a break from studying.
While the book is aimed toward Evanovich's legion of fans, don't be afraid to start the series with this book.
You might miss some of the jokes, but it reads as a standalone almost as well as it fits into the series.
The only major problem with the Sharp is that the plot feels stretched out.
Evanovich has written these characters for 11 other books, and in this one it feels like she's running out of places to take them.
She wants the series to go on as long as possible, because it is so widely successful, but if she doesn't end it soon, the characters will go from being fresh and witty to being sleazy and stereotyped. There is a little bit of it in Sharp, but not to the point of ruining the book.
The characters are amusing, the dialogue is strong and the situational comedy is outrageous. Take it for what it is and you will have a couple hours of great entertainment. Grade B
-- Reviewed by Brianna Labuskes
