Culture

Author: Janet Evanovich

Smokin’ Seventeen is the latest instalment in the long-running Stephanie Plum series, a series that is a classic example of when an author didn’t know to stop. Evanovich jumped the shark long ago, as each book is more ludicrous and less plausible than the last. This ‘quirkiness’ was what made the series original to start with, but when you have to throw in a dancing bear and a toothless vampire for entertainment value, it’s probably time to gracefully resign. Not to say that the book isn’t enjoyable – it’s entertaining and incredibly readable.
 
Stephanie Plum is a bounty hunter, and not a particularly good one. Along with her zany sidekick Lula, she manages to catch a couple of bad guys this time round with a minimum of screw-ups and only two of her famed car-mishaps. Without the background of the previous 16 novels, the characters have little depth, and seem to spend an inordinate amount of time eating.
 
After the bail bonds office blows up and its employees move their headquarters into Mooner’s bus, the empty lot becomes a prime position for a killer to leave his bodies. Scary, but run of the mill for our characters until one of the corpses turns up with a note addressed to Stephanie. Meanwhile, Stephanie is the target of crazy Grandma Bella’s curse, leaving her insatiably polyamorous. As well as the usual two sexy men in her life she is juggling a new love interest, whom her mother is determined will be the one to make her settle down. The end would be anticlimactic if it weren’t for the general lack of suspense. As it was, it just felt rushed and poorly paced. For the few readers who hadn’t guessed who the killer is, the pieces begin to fall into place only a page or two before it’s all over.
 
It’s hard to say, as I’ve read all of the series up to this point, but I don’t think it would matter if you picked up this book on its own. Having said that, if you want to actually enjoy the novel, I would suggest starting at the beginning of the series, where you can read the stories without feeling like you’re losing IQ points.
 
This book is likeable, but beyond that there’s not terribly much going for it. It’s a step up from your Mills and Boon style saucy lady literature, although this instalment does feature a lot more gratuitous sex than usual. For those of you who have followed Stephanie’s adventures up to this point, don’t be tricked by the back cover. She may finally choose between Joe and Ranger (again), but that doesn’t mean that you, the reader, are made privy to the decision. Clever marketing ploy though.