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It’s been 25 years since author Janet Evanovich published her first Stephanie Plum novel, One for the Money. But while most series—and characters—just run out of steam after a few installments, this bumbling bounty hunter and her friends are still up to their same old tricks a quarter of a century later in Fortune and Glory (a.k.a.Tantalizing Twenty-Seven).
The story catches up with Stephanie as she’s trying to help her grandma find the treasure that her late husband left behind. She doesn’t have a whole lot to go on—though his former partners in crime are convinced that she knows exactly how to get to the treasure, and that’s putting both Stephanie’s life and Grandma’s at risk. And as Stephanie reaches out to both dark and mysterious Ranger and her currently off-again boyfriend, Joe Morelli, for help with the treasure, she continues working to bring in Jersey’s slipperiest bail-jumpers.
Even if it’s been a while since you joined Stephanie Plum on one of her wild and crazy adventures (as it has been for me), you’ll have no problem catching up with the lovable cast of characters. Stephanie still has a complicated relationship with both Ranger and Morelli. Her grandma is still as spunky as ever. Lula is still plowing her way into danger. And Stephanie’s luck with motor vehicles hasn’t improved at all.
Of course, after 25 years and 27 adventures, this latest installment in the beloved series doesn’t offer a whole lot of surprises. It’s more like your favorite old sweatshirt: broken in and comfortable. Stephanie and her friends are as amusingly quirky as ever. There’s a little bit of romance, plenty of action, and even more laughs. And while there are always new characters who show up along the way—like Potts, the skip with a troubling ailment—they feel familiar. This time around, the author brings in a little bit of competition for Stephanie: stylish and beautiful Gabriela, who seems to be on the same treasure hunt. But even a little competition doesn’t really change up the tried-and-true (albeit maybe somewhat worn) formula of this long-running series.
If you love the action and laughs—and the quirky characters—of the Stephanie Plum series, Fortune and Glory is a familiar kind of fun. It isn’t the place to start the series, but even if you’ve missed a few installments, you’ll still be able to enjoy the characters’ latest antics.
Listen to the review on Shelf Discovery:
