Look Alive Twenty-Five

[cornerofmadness]

Look Alive Twenty-Five by Janet Evanovich

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


As I’ve said in other reviews for this series, I read it hit or miss as either my mom or the library gives up a volume. As so many other reviewers said, the series has gotten long in the tooth, predictable and annoying in its formula. That said, this was one of the better ones I’ve read in a long while.

I put that down to Stretch and Raymond because they are new and brought something a little fresh to the story. They are the line cooks at crap diner that Stephanie’s cousin/employer Vincent, has inherited after the owner took off on his bond. He assigns Stephanie to watch over the diner as the manager (in addition to the three skip traces he gives her) .

The catch is the past three managers have disappeared from the diner with only one shoe left behind and the police don’t have a lot of clues. Plum isn’t thrilled about this new job (Lula is more excited about it because it’s food and all she does is eat apparently). Stretch and Raymond are laid back potheads (and Raymond seems to be an illegal from the Middle East) who are actually good at their job. The diner stuff was amusing, especially Lula’s theories and ‘evidence’ that this was all down to alien abductions.

Thanks to Plum, Morelli inherits the case from another detective (who apparently didn’t do a good job of it since there were so many clues not picked up on that should have been) and we need Morelli because we need endless reminders of the love triangle. Naturally Ranger has to help as well (and he still is a better character than Morelli).

I probably speak for everyone when I say we’re TIRED of the love triangle. Look, if you’re not going to end it (preferably in a polyamorous group) then expect reader fall off. I am not going to hold my breath for a poly group (she states clearly in this Morelli won’t share and she isn’t keen on it either). She also states Ranger isn’t interested in marriage and she is. Fine, marry Morelli and put this tired old chestnut out of its misery.

Other things I am super tired of in this series: Plum constantly whining how useless she is at anything (hard to believe after 25 successful cases) and how tall Lula’s heels are and how short her dress is. If I have to hear it barely covers her hoo-ha one more time I was ready to throw the book. (I was afradif to do a count of how many times the word hoo-ha appears in the text).

The deli stuff and the bond jumpers she had to track was fun, actually funny for a change. The rest (i.e. the stuff mentioned above) less so. One thing played for laughs that bothered me was Lula giving people whatever she wanted to feed them regardless of what they ordered. With food allergies (something that plays a role in this) are no joke. Oh well.







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