The tenacious trio, Joe Morelli, Stephanie Plum and Carlos Manoso (alias Ranger) are at it again. This time they are drawn into a case of kidnapping that hits a little too close to home. With adversaries including an irate wife and a Ranger wannabe the trio experiences a multitude of problems not the least of which are being tazered and/or shot at. As in all the previous Plum books, Stephanie’s talents as a bounty hunter leave a lot to be desired as do her spontaneous declarations of love. Does her heart belong to Morelli or Manoso? The capricious Ms. Plum doesn’t seem to be willing to commit for more than one night.There is a little more meat on the bones of this story than in previous Plum offerings and we even get a little inside info on the life and times of the ever elusive Ranger. The continuing cast of eccentric characters like LuLu, the ex-hooker turned hunter….and part time cabaret singer and zany Grandma Mazur are, as usual, good for a few chuckles. Then there’s Melvin a new employee at the agency. He’s a bail jumping movie house perv upon whom Stephanie has taken pity. His personality is so over the top that you just know that he will end up being a continuing character in subsequent novels.All in all, there are very few new developments in the life of the ambivalent Stephanie Plum. Individually and as a group she and her cohorts are, and continue to be, a bunch of wise cracking smart-asses with abilities so limited you wonder how they survive from day to day. If you are seeking a thought provoking read, you’ve come to the wrong place. If, however, it is sheer mindless amusement your after, you’ve come to the right place.
First, I would like to say that a. I did not purchase this book b. I am suffering from jet lag induced insomnia and c. as a result of this insomnia I wasn't up to anything super intellectual at 4 AM so I thought I'd try the book my mom got for free at her company picnic in July.Obviously I wasn't thinking properly, period.I saw how bad this book was by page two (gratuitous descriptions of characters? CHECK over exposition CHECK fantastical plot/characters? CHECK) but kept going. I figured, it's book twelve of a series, there must be something redeeming or else she couldn't have gotten so far, plus it's set in Jersey (Trenton area) and that's always great. :)There were some interesting characters, such as Lula the former "'ho" (her spelling, not min) and the other employees of the bond agency were main character, Stephanie Plum, works, but the tantalizing men in her life? I'd take Morelli's (who she disconcertingly refers to as Joe TWICE, but that might be because she is on book 12 of this bizarre crime-laden love triangle) dog, Bob, over him. Bad boy Ranger isn't particularly exciting either (not just saying this because she gyps on sex scenes and has painfully not-sexy banter). Thanks to Evanovich's extraordinarily detailed fantasy life, however, I can picture exactly what he looks like.Now that I see what all the fuss is about, I can assure you that I won't be reading any more of her novels. The mystery of who Stephanie finally settles down with will just remain unsolved for me.
What do You think about Twelve Sharp (2006)?
The perfect brain candy for a holiday weekend, and a nice reward after some intense weeks of school reading and writing. The Stephanie Plum series makes me laugh out loud - I think that's why I love it so much. (Well, that and the fact that I am Jersey girl who lives just down the road from Trenton.) I only read one of these books a year, and I purposely stay one or two behind the newest release so that if I need a good, funny read to pick me up, I can always turn to one of these books in a pinch. Twelve Sharp was better than any I have read in a couple of years. Evanovich left out some of the minor characters that had begun to clutter up the last few books, and she didn't go overboard with gratuitous car explosions.
—Meg
At first I was pretty disappointed in Twelve Sharp because it wasn't hilarious. All of the other Stephanie Plum novels were super funny. I gave book #12 5 stars because of the following: 1. Stephanie used some of her Bounty Hunter woman power. She didn't seem so helpless and kicked a little butt. 2. We actually learn some interesting facts about Ranger. YAAYY! 3. Stephanie tells a certain someone she LOVES him, not just l-l-likes him ; )4. An important character gets severly hurt, which usually never happens. Tons of people have died in previous books, but usually the main characters get away pretty well off. Which in't to say I was happy about that person hurt, it just made the story a whole lot better.
—Amanda
Formula-driven story that I still find amusing, even when rereading it all of these years later. Does Stephanie ever improve her skills, make better decisions or choose between Ranger and Morelli? Ah no, not really. But you can count on her to find herself in unusual and funny situations, especially with the cast of regulars as well as bad guys and skips she’s attempting to capture.This one is a little more personal and emotional as Ranger’s daughter is kidnapped by a guy who looks like Ranger, and a woman shows up claiming to be Ranger’s wife and knows that Stephanie has been messing around with her husband. Forget the fact that not much changes and just enjoy the laughs.
—Bookmom
