What do you think?
Rate this book
Stephanie Plum #11
Eleven on Top
Alternate cover for ISBN 9780312985349
Stephanie Plum is thinking her career as a fugitive apprehension agent has run its course. She's been shot at, spat at, cussed at, fire-bombed, mooned, and attacked by dogs. Stephanie thinks it's time for a change. So she quits. She wants something safe and normal. But the kind of trouble she had at the bail bonds office can't compare to the kind of trouble she finds herself facing now...
Stephanie Plum is thinking her career as a fugitive apprehension agent has run its course. She's been shot at, spat at, cussed at, fire-bombed, mooned, and attacked by dogs. Stephanie thinks it's time for a change. So she quits. She wants something safe and normal. But the kind of trouble she had at the bail bonds office can't compare to the kind of trouble she finds herself facing now...
Stephanie is stalked by a maniac returned from the grave for the sole purpose of putting her into a burial plot of her own. He's killed before, and he'll kill again if given the chance. Caught between staying far away from the bounty hunter business and staying alive, Stephanie reexamines her life and the possibility that being a bounty hunter is the solution rather than the problem. After disturbingly brief careers at the button factory, Kan Klean Dry Cleaners, and Cluck-in-a-Bucket, Stephanie takes an office position in security, working for Ranger, the sexiest, baddest bounty hunter and businessman on two continents. Tempers and temperatures rise as competition ratchets up between the two men in her life -- her on-again, off-again boyfriend, tough Trenton cop Joe Morelli, and her boss, Ranger. Can Stephanie Plum take the heat? Can you?
349 pages, Paperback
First published June 21, 2005
1121 people are currently reading
17532 people want to read
About the author
Janet Evanovich
330 books41.2k followersJanet Evanovich is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Stephanie Plum series, the Lizzy and Diesel series, twelve romance novels, the Alexandra Barnaby novels and Trouble Maker graphic novel, and How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author, as well as the Fox and O'Hare series with co-author Lee Goldberg.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,504 reviews
April 30, 2023
4 out of 5 stars to Eleven on Top, the 11th book in the "Stephanie Plum" cozy mystery series by Janet Evanovich. This book was one of the more funny in the series, particularly for two reasons:
Stephanie is being chased by someone who came back from the grave. She thought the person was dead, but it's not true... and someone has a grudge. The humor that comes along with this one makes it worth the read.
Stephanie, of course, needs more money. And she takes on multiple additional jobs besides being a crack detective. And she has the most hilarious jobs... gets fired in the funniest ways... and her two careers intersect to such a point that you will almost lose control from laughter.
It's worth it just to see what the average human will take in a dead-end job to try and keep above water. It's not a funny topic in real life, of course, but the author's style of writing and the way the character just leaps off the page, is hilarious.
Forget substance. Forget imagery. Forget great language. This is just an opportunity to laugh for 3 to 4 hours. It helps to have read a few books in the series so you know who each of the characters are... but even if you're new to the series, it'll still be a fun one.
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.
Stephanie is being chased by someone who came back from the grave. She thought the person was dead, but it's not true... and someone has a grudge. The humor that comes along with this one makes it worth the read.
Stephanie, of course, needs more money. And she takes on multiple additional jobs besides being a crack detective. And she has the most hilarious jobs... gets fired in the funniest ways... and her two careers intersect to such a point that you will almost lose control from laughter.
It's worth it just to see what the average human will take in a dead-end job to try and keep above water. It's not a funny topic in real life, of course, but the author's style of writing and the way the character just leaps off the page, is hilarious.
Forget substance. Forget imagery. Forget great language. This is just an opportunity to laugh for 3 to 4 hours. It helps to have read a few books in the series so you know who each of the characters are... but even if you're new to the series, it'll still be a fun one.
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.
May 11, 2016
This was shaping up to be a 3-star book for me because Stephanie decides to stop being a bounty hunter and goes from stupid job to stupid job in her search for something different. I was pretty meh on that part because she didn't quit for the right reasons. She has literally been tortured in past books, but that didn't make her reevaluate her career choice. If someone had me tied down and was burning me with a hot poker I would consider the button factory then, but she didn't even slow down or have PTSD after that (a few books ago).
even a warm poker would have me running for the hills!
She quits because she is tired of being shitty at her job, basically. Because she is always getting thrown in trash and getting her clothes dirty and crap in her hair. That's the reason. It just didn't feel real. It felt like the author just wanted to change things up for a bit so let's watch Stephanie bumble through silly jobs instead for a book.
yeah, that's a problem too..
But, I had to add a star because I fell completely in love with Ranger in this book. He's always been sexy and mysterious, but in this one he shows so much more. He really cares about Stephanie, and I think they would make a better couple than her and Morelli. She can't stand the boring monotony of everyday life that Morelli wants to provide. She goes crazy trying to fit into that mold. She needs the danger and constant movement of Ranger's life. And, Ranger needs her for some levity in his life or else he would be just too intense. Like a fire that burns too bright. He would just blind all of us. And, he's so hot that he's already burning up the pages. I get hot flashes when I'm reading his dialogue. (No, it's not menopause! Shut up!)
More like spontaneous combustion..
Ranger and Morelli already have a time-share plan when it comes to Stephanie's safety. They seem to tag-team it when she is in danger - which is most of the time. And, it seems that Morelli is even considering time-sharing in other areas when it comes to her:
"Look at the short shirt. Are you going to let me go to work like this?"
"Cupcake, I haven't got the energy to stop you. anyway, maybe if you look slutty enough, Ranger will take up some of the slack in the bedroom before you make a permanent cripple out of me..."
See? Now that would be Stephanie having her cake and eating it too. She loves cake!
mmmm, cake...
even a warm poker would have me running for the hills!
She quits because she is tired of being shitty at her job, basically. Because she is always getting thrown in trash and getting her clothes dirty and crap in her hair. That's the reason. It just didn't feel real. It felt like the author just wanted to change things up for a bit so let's watch Stephanie bumble through silly jobs instead for a book.
yeah, that's a problem too..
But, I had to add a star because I fell completely in love with Ranger in this book. He's always been sexy and mysterious, but in this one he shows so much more. He really cares about Stephanie, and I think they would make a better couple than her and Morelli. She can't stand the boring monotony of everyday life that Morelli wants to provide. She goes crazy trying to fit into that mold. She needs the danger and constant movement of Ranger's life. And, Ranger needs her for some levity in his life or else he would be just too intense. Like a fire that burns too bright. He would just blind all of us. And, he's so hot that he's already burning up the pages. I get hot flashes when I'm reading his dialogue. (No, it's not menopause! Shut up!)
More like spontaneous combustion..
Ranger and Morelli already have a time-share plan when it comes to Stephanie's safety. They seem to tag-team it when she is in danger - which is most of the time. And, it seems that Morelli is even considering time-sharing in other areas when it comes to her:
"Look at the short shirt. Are you going to let me go to work like this?"
"Cupcake, I haven't got the energy to stop you. anyway, maybe if you look slutty enough, Ranger will take up some of the slack in the bedroom before you make a permanent cripple out of me..."
See? Now that would be Stephanie having her cake and eating it too. She loves cake!
mmmm, cake...
January 10, 2023
Eleven on Top (Stephanie Plum #11) by Janet Evanovich
Synopsis /
Stephanie Plum is thinking her career as a fugitive apprehension agent has run its course. She’s been shot at, spat at, cussed at, fire-bombed, mooned, and attacked by dogs. Time for a change, Stephanie thinks. Time to find the kind of job her mother can tell her friends about without making the sign of the cross.
So Stephanie Plum quits. Resigns. No looking back. No changing her mind. She wants something safe and normal. As it turns out, jobs that are safe and normal for most people aren’t necessarily safe and normal for Stephanie Plum. Trouble follows her, and the kind of trouble she had at the bail bonds office can’t compare to the kind of trouble she finds herself facing now. Her past has come back to haunt her. She’s stalked by a maniac returned from the grave for the sole purpose of putting her into a burial plot of her own. He’s killed before, and he’ll kill again if given the chance. Caught between staying far away from the bounty hunter business and staying alive, Stephanie re-examines her life and the possibility that being a bounty hunter is the solution rather than the problem. After disturbingly brief careers at the button factory, Kan Klean Dry Cleaners, and Cluck-in-a-Bucket, Stephanie takes an office position in security, working for Ranger, the sexiest, baddest bounty hunter and businessman on two continents. It might not be the job she’ll keep for the rest of her life, but for now it gives her the technical access she needs to find her stalker. Tempers and temperatures rise as competition ratchets up between the two men in her life---her on-again, off-again boyfriend, tough Trenton cop Joe Morelli, and her bad-ass boss, Ranger. Can Stephanie Plum take the heat? Can you?
My Thoughts /
Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is back for another fast paced, madcap, chaotic, and donut fuelled adventure in Eleven on Top. With currently twenty-nine books in the series, (I’m only up to book eleven), it’s heartening to know there is a lot more fun and craziness to come! I’ll be chortling into my kindle for a while yet!!
Now, if you were thinking that you might like to try your hand at a little bail bonding, let me just drop this little snippet here……Over the course of her career, Stephanie has been spat on, cursed at, shot at, firebombed, and stalked by crazed killers. And I’ve lost count of how many of her cars have been set on fire or exploded. There has been more than a person’s fair share of open casket viewings (thanks to Grandma Mazur); way too much spandex being stretched, and donuts being demolished – all in the name of fugitive apprehension.
But during all this time, she’s stuck with it, Cheetos and all. However, even a kick-ass bounty hunter can get tired of being shot at. So when Stephanie ends up rolling around in a bunch of trash bags while apprehending a bail jumper, something inside her snaps. I mean, a girl can only take so much junk food being smooshed in her hair, right? So, in true Stephanie Plum style, she ups and complicates her life even further by resigning from her job at her cousin Vinnie’s business (ie. Vincent Plum Bonding Company). It’s time to get her life sorted. It’s time to get a sensible, normal job. But what’s a normal job look like for this Jersey girl? Let me give you a quick run-down…
First stop to find a job – visit the button factory – they’re hiring. Tick. Not going to get shot at there! Unfortunately for Stephanie, she’s late to work on her very first day, so is fired.
Next stop to find a job – visit the local dry-cleaners, Kan Klean Dry Cleaning Company. Tick. That’ll be a nice, safe place to work. However, since Lula had been having some trouble since taking over all of Stephanie’s previous apprehension cases she’d agreed to give Lula a hand on occasion. On this occasion, it turned out that Lula spews insults at the eccentric owner of the dry cleaning company, so Stephanie gets fired.
Next up to find a job – visit Cluck-in-a-Bucket Fast Food Restaurant. But you try working at one of your favourite eating places and, well, it’s hard! Plus, the uniform was hella embarrassing. Did she end up getting fired? Well, do Jersey Girls have big appetites???
Somehow, I don’t think she’s cut out for an ordinary job. Let’s recap. Doesn’t last one minute at the button factory; less than two days at the dry cleaners; and only just made it to the lunch shift on her second day at the chicken fast food joint.
All the while, she’s been getting notes. One says simply “I’m Back”. Another says, “Did you think I was dead?”. Someone is threatening her, and she has to figure out who it is – don’t they know she’s left her dangerous life behind!! When the threats get too close, Ranger and Morelli get involved. Morelli gets his leg broken and Stephanie finally gets a look inside Rangeman Security.
Again, this book delivers all that you’ve come to expect from a Stephanie Plum novel. Laugh-out-loud moments, a fast moving, well-crafted (albeit silly) plot; and filled with the usual family problems and relationship hang-ups. Oh, and cake. Lots and lots of cake!
Synopsis /
Stephanie Plum is thinking her career as a fugitive apprehension agent has run its course. She’s been shot at, spat at, cussed at, fire-bombed, mooned, and attacked by dogs. Time for a change, Stephanie thinks. Time to find the kind of job her mother can tell her friends about without making the sign of the cross.
So Stephanie Plum quits. Resigns. No looking back. No changing her mind. She wants something safe and normal. As it turns out, jobs that are safe and normal for most people aren’t necessarily safe and normal for Stephanie Plum. Trouble follows her, and the kind of trouble she had at the bail bonds office can’t compare to the kind of trouble she finds herself facing now. Her past has come back to haunt her. She’s stalked by a maniac returned from the grave for the sole purpose of putting her into a burial plot of her own. He’s killed before, and he’ll kill again if given the chance. Caught between staying far away from the bounty hunter business and staying alive, Stephanie re-examines her life and the possibility that being a bounty hunter is the solution rather than the problem. After disturbingly brief careers at the button factory, Kan Klean Dry Cleaners, and Cluck-in-a-Bucket, Stephanie takes an office position in security, working for Ranger, the sexiest, baddest bounty hunter and businessman on two continents. It might not be the job she’ll keep for the rest of her life, but for now it gives her the technical access she needs to find her stalker. Tempers and temperatures rise as competition ratchets up between the two men in her life---her on-again, off-again boyfriend, tough Trenton cop Joe Morelli, and her bad-ass boss, Ranger. Can Stephanie Plum take the heat? Can you?
My Thoughts /
Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is back for another fast paced, madcap, chaotic, and donut fuelled adventure in Eleven on Top. With currently twenty-nine books in the series, (I’m only up to book eleven), it’s heartening to know there is a lot more fun and craziness to come! I’ll be chortling into my kindle for a while yet!!
Now, if you were thinking that you might like to try your hand at a little bail bonding, let me just drop this little snippet here……Over the course of her career, Stephanie has been spat on, cursed at, shot at, firebombed, and stalked by crazed killers. And I’ve lost count of how many of her cars have been set on fire or exploded. There has been more than a person’s fair share of open casket viewings (thanks to Grandma Mazur); way too much spandex being stretched, and donuts being demolished – all in the name of fugitive apprehension.
But during all this time, she’s stuck with it, Cheetos and all. However, even a kick-ass bounty hunter can get tired of being shot at. So when Stephanie ends up rolling around in a bunch of trash bags while apprehending a bail jumper, something inside her snaps. I mean, a girl can only take so much junk food being smooshed in her hair, right? So, in true Stephanie Plum style, she ups and complicates her life even further by resigning from her job at her cousin Vinnie’s business (ie. Vincent Plum Bonding Company). It’s time to get her life sorted. It’s time to get a sensible, normal job. But what’s a normal job look like for this Jersey girl? Let me give you a quick run-down…
First stop to find a job – visit the button factory – they’re hiring. Tick. Not going to get shot at there! Unfortunately for Stephanie, she’s late to work on her very first day, so is fired.
Next stop to find a job – visit the local dry-cleaners, Kan Klean Dry Cleaning Company. Tick. That’ll be a nice, safe place to work. However, since Lula had been having some trouble since taking over all of Stephanie’s previous apprehension cases she’d agreed to give Lula a hand on occasion. On this occasion, it turned out that Lula spews insults at the eccentric owner of the dry cleaning company, so Stephanie gets fired.
Next up to find a job – visit Cluck-in-a-Bucket Fast Food Restaurant. But you try working at one of your favourite eating places and, well, it’s hard! Plus, the uniform was hella embarrassing. Did she end up getting fired? Well, do Jersey Girls have big appetites???
Somehow, I don’t think she’s cut out for an ordinary job. Let’s recap. Doesn’t last one minute at the button factory; less than two days at the dry cleaners; and only just made it to the lunch shift on her second day at the chicken fast food joint.
All the while, she’s been getting notes. One says simply “I’m Back”. Another says, “Did you think I was dead?”. Someone is threatening her, and she has to figure out who it is – don’t they know she’s left her dangerous life behind!! When the threats get too close, Ranger and Morelli get involved. Morelli gets his leg broken and Stephanie finally gets a look inside Rangeman Security.
Again, this book delivers all that you’ve come to expect from a Stephanie Plum novel. Laugh-out-loud moments, a fast moving, well-crafted (albeit silly) plot; and filled with the usual family problems and relationship hang-ups. Oh, and cake. Lots and lots of cake!
January 14, 2022
This was a good plum novel a little bit different than the previous books in the series. I really didn't expect the ending and that was surprising but got to live Stephanie Plum!:)
May 10, 2018
Even when she decides she's going to dump the job and get another, Steph still tries hard at every job she gets. Even fast food. Anyone who has ever worked in that industry knows how hard that can be. Love how, in the end, she doesn't let the alpha boys in her life to stop her. Steph takes the bad guy down herself.
Re-read again. 5/24/16
Reread—May 2018
Steph is once again cohabing with Morelli. But Ranger is getting closer. She decides she has had enough crap as a bounty hunter and she quits.
Every job gets worse and worse. And funnier. Finally she ends up working for Ranger while they hunt the bad guy.
Someone is terrorizing Steph (again, right?) It gets a bit scary a few times, but luckily she has Ranger. Oh, and Morelli.
Re-read again. 5/24/16
Reread—May 2018
Steph is once again cohabing with Morelli. But Ranger is getting closer. She decides she has had enough crap as a bounty hunter and she quits.
Every job gets worse and worse. And funnier. Finally she ends up working for Ranger while they hunt the bad guy.
Someone is terrorizing Steph (again, right?) It gets a bit scary a few times, but luckily she has Ranger. Oh, and Morelli.
March 20, 2024
*** 4.55 ***
Stephanie and Lula's lives are hilariously pathetic! They suck at everything they do, but despite that and their rotten luck, they might get down for a tad, but their relentless optimism and lust for life keeps them going! I want to have that attitude every time life gets tough! I already have the family and friends 😀.
This rating is not at all objective or scientific. It reflects how these books make me feel when I am down and when I am in good spirits both - they always make me smile 😀. The helpless, hopeless and yet always full of forward momentum Stephanie is a great, relatable character who stumbles into the most absurd situations and finds a way to come out on the other side, with some random trash bits hanging off of her hair and another car destroyed in her wake, but knowing in her heart of hearts, that once she wakes up in the morning, life will only get better! ❤️👍
Stephanie and Lula's lives are hilariously pathetic! They suck at everything they do, but despite that and their rotten luck, they might get down for a tad, but their relentless optimism and lust for life keeps them going! I want to have that attitude every time life gets tough! I already have the family and friends 😀.
This rating is not at all objective or scientific. It reflects how these books make me feel when I am down and when I am in good spirits both - they always make me smile 😀. The helpless, hopeless and yet always full of forward momentum Stephanie is a great, relatable character who stumbles into the most absurd situations and finds a way to come out on the other side, with some random trash bits hanging off of her hair and another car destroyed in her wake, but knowing in her heart of hearts, that once she wakes up in the morning, life will only get better! ❤️👍
July 15, 2008
Joe Morelli is right. Stephanie Plum is a danger magnet. Because even when she quits her job as a bounty hunter she is still wrecking havok all over town. With no income she needs a new job and manages to go through three different ones in three days after being fired for being late, shooting up a cleaners and burning down the Cluck-a-Bucket. So what else can she do but work for hot bounty hunter extraodinaire Ranger? With a nice safe desk job, right? But that still doesn't keep her out of trouble (or Morelli and Ranger) As an added bonus Steph gives up sweets and turns into a sex-crazed maniac...much to the glee and soon dismay of her two would-be suitors. One of my favorites of the series!
And my favorite part...
"When I came back Morelli was asleep with his head on the table. I put a mug of coffee in front of him, and he opened an eye.
'You have to open both eyes,' I said. 'You're going to work today. Laski's picking you up in five minutes.'
'That give me five minutes to sleep,' Morelli said.
'No! Drink some coffee. Get some legal stimulants into your system.' I danced in front of him. 'Loook at me. I'm wearing a gun! And look at this short shirt. Are you going to let me go to work like this?'
'Cupcake, I haven't got the energy to stop y ou. Anyway, maybe if you look slutty enough, Ranger will take up some of the slack in the bedroom before you make a permanent cripple out of me. Maybe you should wear that shirt with the neckline that lets your boobs hang out.' Morelli squinted at me. 'Why aren't you tired?'
'I don't know. I feel all energized. I always thought I couldn't keep up with you, but maybe you've just been slowing me down all these years.'
'Stephanie, I'm begging you. Eat some doughnuts. I can't keep going like this.'"
CLASSIC!!
And my favorite part...
"When I came back Morelli was asleep with his head on the table. I put a mug of coffee in front of him, and he opened an eye.
'You have to open both eyes,' I said. 'You're going to work today. Laski's picking you up in five minutes.'
'That give me five minutes to sleep,' Morelli said.
'No! Drink some coffee. Get some legal stimulants into your system.' I danced in front of him. 'Loook at me. I'm wearing a gun! And look at this short shirt. Are you going to let me go to work like this?'
'Cupcake, I haven't got the energy to stop y ou. Anyway, maybe if you look slutty enough, Ranger will take up some of the slack in the bedroom before you make a permanent cripple out of me. Maybe you should wear that shirt with the neckline that lets your boobs hang out.' Morelli squinted at me. 'Why aren't you tired?'
'I don't know. I feel all energized. I always thought I couldn't keep up with you, but maybe you've just been slowing me down all these years.'
'Stephanie, I'm begging you. Eat some doughnuts. I can't keep going like this.'"
CLASSIC!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 15, 2021
The Stephanie Plum series is my favorite. I love her! Stephanie gives up being a bounty hunter in this book, thinking life would be much simpler. She's tired of the bad guys. A ghost from the past has other ideas. Ranger to the rescue in more ways than one! 😎
This is the book where the relationship between Stephanie and Ranger deepens. The growth between these two characters is amazing. Ranger starts to open up about his life and his feelings for Stephanie.
This is the book where the relationship between Stephanie and Ranger deepens. The growth between these two characters is amazing. Ranger starts to open up about his life and his feelings for Stephanie.
October 13, 2017
There really isn't much to say about these books. They follow a formula and require minimal effort and brain power, perfect for stressful baseball postseason reading when your favorite team is trying to kill you with heart attack baseball. These books are comfort food without the calories, carbs, and sugar.
July 11, 2013
I let someone at a library sale convince me to pick up a couple of her books, once she learned I'd never read the author. She handed me what felt like ten, and I discretely put a few back when she wasn't looking.
Reading the back cover of this book, I kind of think I should've put this one back, too. Giving it a shot.
----
Color me shocked. I loved this character.
I'm not exactly known for my grown up taste in books, nor for my appreciation of anything that comes close to "chick lit" (GOD, I hate that term). So, I really was expecting to hate this.
Skimming the other reviews, I see a lot of complaints that the Stephanie Plum series is formulaic. Well, I read James Patterson, and let me tell you. Formulas are used for a reason.
Stephanie Plum is a fantastic character. She's smart, effing hilarious, with just the right amount of imperfect, the right amount of self deprecation. She's not "the greatest bounty hunter this little town's ever seen", she doesn't like carrying a gun. She doesn't swoon over the two men she's involved with. No love triangle? No woe is me, what shall I do? No, "No, no, Stephanie, you must choose!"
Why was I not reading these before?
So, there you go. I'm a Janet Evanovich fan. Woo.
Reading the back cover of this book, I kind of think I should've put this one back, too. Giving it a shot.
----
Color me shocked. I loved this character.
I'm not exactly known for my grown up taste in books, nor for my appreciation of anything that comes close to "chick lit" (GOD, I hate that term). So, I really was expecting to hate this.
Skimming the other reviews, I see a lot of complaints that the Stephanie Plum series is formulaic. Well, I read James Patterson, and let me tell you. Formulas are used for a reason.
Stephanie Plum is a fantastic character. She's smart, effing hilarious, with just the right amount of imperfect, the right amount of self deprecation. She's not "the greatest bounty hunter this little town's ever seen", she doesn't like carrying a gun. She doesn't swoon over the two men she's involved with. No love triangle? No woe is me, what shall I do? No, "No, no, Stephanie, you must choose!"
Why was I not reading these before?
So, there you go. I'm a Janet Evanovich fan. Woo.
October 15, 2019
Eleven On Top, 5 easy, no-brainer stars. This is the second Stephanie Plum novel I have read and it is official - I am in love with Stephanie Plum, and I am not even gay!
Stephanie is a sassy, kick-ass bounty hunter who wants to put the bad guys behind bars, preferably without the aid of a gun - I get where she is coming from I don't like guns either.
In this book she has quit her job because she has had enough of being shot at, kidnapped, stalked, firebombed, spat at, cussed at, run off the road and rolled in garbage. Well you would!Unfortunately for Stephanie, her friends and the maniac who is trying to kill her won't let that happen.
I love the banter between Stephanie and the two men in her life - Joe Morelli: 'six feet of lean, hard muscle and hot Italian libido' (p8) and Ranger: 'hot and mysterious and oozes testosterone' (p74).
Stephanie and Joe Morelli -
'''I need happy food.''
''You should have called,'' he said hooking his finger into the neckline of my white tank, pulling the neck to take a look inside. ''I have just the thing to make you happy.''
I have co-habited with Morelli from time to time and I knew this to be true. ''I have stuff to do this afternoon and doughnuts take less time.''
'' Cupcake, I haven't seen you in weeks. I could set a new land speed record for getting happy.'''(p9)
Stephanie and Ranger -
'I crawled under the covers and pulled the quilt over my head. I was almost asleep when the quilt was yanked back. I let out a shriek and stared up at Ranger.
''What the heck are you doing? I yelled at him, grabbing the quilt.
''Visiting, Babe.''
''Did you ever think about ringing a doorbell?''
Ranger smiled down at me. ''That would take all the fun out of it.'''(p17)
It is just as well that Stephanie burns calories with Joe physically, and mentally with Ranger because this girl eats. Personally I love a character that eats. Stephanie seems to know every bakery and fast food outlet in New Jersey. She wolfs down doughnuts - who knew there were so many varieties - cake, takeaways and, of course, her mum's excellent cooking usually with cake for desert.
Food leads me to Lula, Stephanie's co-worker/friend - 'a size-sixteen black woman squashed into size-ten leopard-print spandex. And the weird thing is, in her own way, Lula looks pretty good in the animal spandex.' (p3) I love Lula, she is one funny character and I enjoy the way they bounce off each other.
I was glad to see that Stephanie's gun-toting Grandma Mazur was still there as, like Lula, she is a big personality - every family should have a Grandma Mazur.
This whole book is a laugh from start to finish and I recommend it.
Stephanie is a sassy, kick-ass bounty hunter who wants to put the bad guys behind bars, preferably without the aid of a gun - I get where she is coming from I don't like guns either.
In this book she has quit her job because she has had enough of being shot at, kidnapped, stalked, firebombed, spat at, cussed at, run off the road and rolled in garbage. Well you would!Unfortunately for Stephanie, her friends and the maniac who is trying to kill her won't let that happen.
I love the banter between Stephanie and the two men in her life - Joe Morelli: 'six feet of lean, hard muscle and hot Italian libido' (p8) and Ranger: 'hot and mysterious and oozes testosterone' (p74).
Stephanie and Joe Morelli -
'''I need happy food.''
''You should have called,'' he said hooking his finger into the neckline of my white tank, pulling the neck to take a look inside. ''I have just the thing to make you happy.''
I have co-habited with Morelli from time to time and I knew this to be true. ''I have stuff to do this afternoon and doughnuts take less time.''
'' Cupcake, I haven't seen you in weeks. I could set a new land speed record for getting happy.'''(p9)
Stephanie and Ranger -
'I crawled under the covers and pulled the quilt over my head. I was almost asleep when the quilt was yanked back. I let out a shriek and stared up at Ranger.
''What the heck are you doing? I yelled at him, grabbing the quilt.
''Visiting, Babe.''
''Did you ever think about ringing a doorbell?''
Ranger smiled down at me. ''That would take all the fun out of it.'''(p17)
It is just as well that Stephanie burns calories with Joe physically, and mentally with Ranger because this girl eats. Personally I love a character that eats. Stephanie seems to know every bakery and fast food outlet in New Jersey. She wolfs down doughnuts - who knew there were so many varieties - cake, takeaways and, of course, her mum's excellent cooking usually with cake for desert.
Food leads me to Lula, Stephanie's co-worker/friend - 'a size-sixteen black woman squashed into size-ten leopard-print spandex. And the weird thing is, in her own way, Lula looks pretty good in the animal spandex.' (p3) I love Lula, she is one funny character and I enjoy the way they bounce off each other.
I was glad to see that Stephanie's gun-toting Grandma Mazur was still there as, like Lula, she is a big personality - every family should have a Grandma Mazur.
This whole book is a laugh from start to finish and I recommend it.
June 12, 2008
There is only so much a girl can take. And this girl has had enough! Enough of chasing bad guys, wrestling them to the ground, having them shoot at her and always ending up covered in garbage. So Stephanie Plum quits her job as a bounty hunter. She quickly finds out there are other jobs she is much worse at! She can’t seem to keep a job. She temporarily works at the button factury, a fast food place, a dry cleaners, before landing a gig at a security company, with the very good looking Ranger as her boss. Assuming bad guys would stop coming after her once she left the bond enforcement world, she tries very hard to ignore the notes and gifts left for her by someone who she believed was dead. This girl cannot get away from danger and destruction… it keeps creeping up on her.
While spending time trying to figure out what to do with her life, Stephanie also dwells on her sister’s wedding, which she is dreading due to the vegetable dress she has to wear, and at which she has somehow volunteered to play the cello (not even sure what a cello is!); she nurses a wounded cop back to health; helps Lula out in her new career as a bounty hunter; and goes through a sugar detox.
Fun book. Quick and easy read. Perfect to read at the beach or by the pool. Looking forward to the next one.
While spending time trying to figure out what to do with her life, Stephanie also dwells on her sister’s wedding, which she is dreading due to the vegetable dress she has to wear, and at which she has somehow volunteered to play the cello (not even sure what a cello is!); she nurses a wounded cop back to health; helps Lula out in her new career as a bounty hunter; and goes through a sugar detox.
Fun book. Quick and easy read. Perfect to read at the beach or by the pool. Looking forward to the next one.
December 7, 2025
These books make me so happy. Easy, fun, predictable. When my brain needs to relax, this series is my main go-to.
Stephanie tries out several jobs. She only lasts one day at the button factory, and her one shift at Cluck-In-A -Bucket is a disaster. Then she gets a job with Mama Macaroni and her horrible, hairy mole. That one lasts more than a day, but not much longer. Someone is determined to blow up everything in Stephanie's life.
She finally gets a nice safe job at Range Man, running background checks. In other news Joe was in an accident and Stephanie is taking care of him, all while trying to give up sugar.
As usual, Lula is my fave. I just adore her. Love that I'm buying all these on Audible as I go through again. I know this will be a series I always return to.
Review #1 - July 2022
Stephanie has had enough of bounty hunting. She's ready to try her luck at a more "normal" job. Unfortunately bounty hunting isn't ready to let go of her. A case from the past is rearing it's ugly head and a nutjob is blowing things up and stalking Stephanie.
My favorite thing about these books are the humor. They always make me giggle. My favorite character is Lula. She cracks me up and I love her confidence. I loved her and Mama Macaroni in this book, though that mole was very disturbing...
Sometimes I think Stephine is a bit stupid in her choices, but she never lets that get her down. She always figures a way out. I'm wondering, at this point, if her and Joe can last. It's mentioned more and more how her job and life stress Joe out.
Stephanie tries out several jobs. She only lasts one day at the button factory, and her one shift at Cluck-In-A -Bucket is a disaster. Then she gets a job with Mama Macaroni and her horrible, hairy mole. That one lasts more than a day, but not much longer. Someone is determined to blow up everything in Stephanie's life.
She finally gets a nice safe job at Range Man, running background checks. In other news Joe was in an accident and Stephanie is taking care of him, all while trying to give up sugar.
As usual, Lula is my fave. I just adore her. Love that I'm buying all these on Audible as I go through again. I know this will be a series I always return to.
Review #1 - July 2022
Stephanie has had enough of bounty hunting. She's ready to try her luck at a more "normal" job. Unfortunately bounty hunting isn't ready to let go of her. A case from the past is rearing it's ugly head and a nutjob is blowing things up and stalking Stephanie.
My favorite thing about these books are the humor. They always make me giggle. My favorite character is Lula. She cracks me up and I love her confidence. I loved her and Mama Macaroni in this book, though that mole was very disturbing...
Sometimes I think Stephine is a bit stupid in her choices, but she never lets that get her down. She always figures a way out. I'm wondering, at this point, if her and Joe can last. It's mentioned more and more how her job and life stress Joe out.
February 19, 2023
This is a Cozy Mystery, and this is the 11th book in the Plum series. The Plum series is funny and fast reads. I love the characters in this book and series. I found this book to be a fun and funny read. I just enjoyed this book so much.
July 28, 2009
A Stephanie Plum "Mystery." Stephanie quits her job as a bounty hunter, yet, despite this, continues to fail at common sense. Lula gets promoted and somehow proves to be even worse at the job than Stephanie. Morelli is hot and strangely calm. Ranger is hot and doing his best to save Stephanie from herself. Bob eats things he shouldn't, then does a lot of hunching and vomiting and crapping.
Look. It's a hundred degrees here. I wanted something mindless, and I knew Evanovich would deliver. I wasn't even mad when Stephanie intentionally shot a guy in the foot for no reason. I barely cared when Mama Macaroni starting shooting up the dry cleaners with an automatic weapon. I didn't blink when Stephanie's apartment was broken into for the nth time and she kept going back inside. It's just that hot.
Two stars. Stephanie blunders around, accidentally solves the crime, is in mortal peril for the last six pages (two of which are the bad guy explaining how he did it, because Stephanie didn't actually figure that part out), is rescued, the end. Until next time.
Look. It's a hundred degrees here. I wanted something mindless, and I knew Evanovich would deliver. I wasn't even mad when Stephanie intentionally shot a guy in the foot for no reason. I barely cared when Mama Macaroni starting shooting up the dry cleaners with an automatic weapon. I didn't blink when Stephanie's apartment was broken into for the nth time and she kept going back inside. It's just that hot.
Two stars. Stephanie blunders around, accidentally solves the crime, is in mortal peril for the last six pages (two of which are the bad guy explaining how he did it, because Stephanie didn't actually figure that part out), is rescued, the end. Until next time.
October 12, 2020
I love the Stephanie Plum series! I think I've read nearly every one of these up to number twenty.
December 8, 2011
The Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich is incredible.
Fun characters. Exhilarating mystery. Crimes to be solved. Lusts to be sated.
Eleven on Top is a neat book. It is however, not on my top picks for this series. Nonetheless, the novel is amazing and I enjoyed every minute of it.
Old men disappear and an old enemy keeps trying to blow Stephanie away. She has an idea who is behind the threats, but as Morelli and Ranger keep explaining to her, she has no evidence and is working based of ‘supposedlies” …
Stephanie quit her job and suffers through other career options. The fragile and intense team effort between Ranger and Morelli becomes interesting when Stephanie accepts an office job by Ranger.
Stephanie is one of my favorite characters ever. She is hilarious and is followed closely by Lula in the badass contest.
I’ve been stalked by crazed killers, taunted by naked fat men, firebombed, shot at, spat at, cussed at, chased by humping dogs, attacked by a flock of Canadian honkers, rolled in garbage, and my cars get destroyed at an alarming rate.
Ranger is my sexy devil. I could snuggle in his bed and never get enough.
Ranger is the mystery man. He’s a half head taller than me, moves like a cat, kicks ass all day long, only wears black, smells warm and sexy, and is percent pure perfectly toned muscle. He gets his dark complexion and liquid brown eyes from Cuban ancestors. He was Special Forces, and that’s about all anyone knows about Ranger.
Mrs. Plum and Grandma Mazur finally have their special moment. If you have read the books in order, you will appreciate Mrs. Plum being licked silly from drinking and instigating a cake food fight with her mother and pulls in Stephanie and her father.
“Excuse me?” my mother said. “No control? Did you say I had no control? I am the queen of control. Look at this family. I have a daughter in Disney World with oogly woogly smoochikins. I have a granddaughter who thinks she’s a horse. I have a mother who thinks she’s a teenager.” My mother turned to me. “And you! I don’t know where to begin.”
“That’s it,” Grandma said, narrowing her eyes. “Eat dirt and die!” And Grandma scooped up a wad of cake and icing and smushed it into my mother’s face.
“I can’t see!” my mother shrieked. “I’m blind.” She was wobbling around, flailing her arms. She lost her balance and fell against the table and into the cake.
I recommend this book to everyone with a mature mind Some vague sexual content and interesting semi mild violent scenes.
~Happy reading!
Fun characters. Exhilarating mystery. Crimes to be solved. Lusts to be sated.
Eleven on Top is a neat book. It is however, not on my top picks for this series. Nonetheless, the novel is amazing and I enjoyed every minute of it.
Old men disappear and an old enemy keeps trying to blow Stephanie away. She has an idea who is behind the threats, but as Morelli and Ranger keep explaining to her, she has no evidence and is working based of ‘supposedlies” …
Stephanie quit her job and suffers through other career options. The fragile and intense team effort between Ranger and Morelli becomes interesting when Stephanie accepts an office job by Ranger.
Stephanie is one of my favorite characters ever. She is hilarious and is followed closely by Lula in the badass contest.
I’ve been stalked by crazed killers, taunted by naked fat men, firebombed, shot at, spat at, cussed at, chased by humping dogs, attacked by a flock of Canadian honkers, rolled in garbage, and my cars get destroyed at an alarming rate.
Ranger is my sexy devil. I could snuggle in his bed and never get enough.
Ranger is the mystery man. He’s a half head taller than me, moves like a cat, kicks ass all day long, only wears black, smells warm and sexy, and is percent pure perfectly toned muscle. He gets his dark complexion and liquid brown eyes from Cuban ancestors. He was Special Forces, and that’s about all anyone knows about Ranger.
Mrs. Plum and Grandma Mazur finally have their special moment. If you have read the books in order, you will appreciate Mrs. Plum being licked silly from drinking and instigating a cake food fight with her mother and pulls in Stephanie and her father.
“Excuse me?” my mother said. “No control? Did you say I had no control? I am the queen of control. Look at this family. I have a daughter in Disney World with oogly woogly smoochikins. I have a granddaughter who thinks she’s a horse. I have a mother who thinks she’s a teenager.” My mother turned to me. “And you! I don’t know where to begin.”
“That’s it,” Grandma said, narrowing her eyes. “Eat dirt and die!” And Grandma scooped up a wad of cake and icing and smushed it into my mother’s face.
“I can’t see!” my mother shrieked. “I’m blind.” She was wobbling around, flailing her arms. She lost her balance and fell against the table and into the cake.
I recommend this book to everyone with a mature mind Some vague sexual content and interesting semi mild violent scenes.
~Happy reading!
March 30, 2021
Probably the funniest I've read from this series in a while, mostly because it is one of the earlier ones.
I think Mama Macaroni was my favorite part. I can imagine her and Lula going back and forth until they had their shoot out. lol And that her mole started it all haha. It was great that Stephanie thought it had been mailed to her and Morelli's reaction was so amazing.
I feel like Stephanie's mother is the highlight character of this one. Trying so hard to get one daughter married off and out from under her and the other to have a job that doesn't risk her life (and cause gossip lol)
"Four days to the wedding and you're burning down the 'Burg" hahaha
No wonder the poor woman drinks. Her mother doesn't make it any easier. But I still love Grandma Mazur so much!
I love that she worked with Ranger. Like he gave her a doable job for her. Morelli didn't even give her any attitude about it. The outfits, sure, but she did that just to bother him. haha
One thing I didn't care for is that, once again, Ranger had to come to her rescue. Morelli would have been right there too if he didn't have a broken leg. Her having to be saved gets old.
I think Mama Macaroni was my favorite part. I can imagine her and Lula going back and forth until they had their shoot out. lol And that her mole started it all haha. It was great that Stephanie thought it had been mailed to her and Morelli's reaction was so amazing.
I feel like Stephanie's mother is the highlight character of this one. Trying so hard to get one daughter married off and out from under her and the other to have a job that doesn't risk her life (and cause gossip lol)
"Four days to the wedding and you're burning down the 'Burg" hahaha
No wonder the poor woman drinks. Her mother doesn't make it any easier. But I still love Grandma Mazur so much!
I love that she worked with Ranger. Like he gave her a doable job for her. Morelli didn't even give her any attitude about it. The outfits, sure, but she did that just to bother him. haha
One thing I didn't care for is that, once again, Ranger had to come to her rescue. Morelli would have been right there too if he didn't have a broken leg. Her having to be saved gets old.
July 19, 2017
:: 5 Gut-Busting Stars ::
Oh man do I love reading the Stephanie Plum series. Janet Evanovich consistently writes books that keep readers hanging on the edge of their seats (while laughing out loud). In Eleven on Top, Stephanie Plum finally decides she has had enough of bounty hunting. She is tired of being stalked, abused, and scared of all the crazies she has to get. So, she hops from one job to another- the button factory, cluck-in-a bucket, and more! But, do these jobs actually keep her safe? NOPE! Someone is out to get her again. Maybe it’s not the apprehension job that keeps her unsafe after all.
With hilarious hijinks, white whales smothering smoochie-umpkins, viewings at Stiva’s, and grandma Mazur’s gossip, Eleven on Top becomes yet another favorite read of mine. I simply cannot get enough of this series. When I need a break from drama filled book I know this is the series that I go to. Therefore, I highly recommend this book AND the entire series. I adore it!
Oh man do I love reading the Stephanie Plum series. Janet Evanovich consistently writes books that keep readers hanging on the edge of their seats (while laughing out loud). In Eleven on Top, Stephanie Plum finally decides she has had enough of bounty hunting. She is tired of being stalked, abused, and scared of all the crazies she has to get. So, she hops from one job to another- the button factory, cluck-in-a bucket, and more! But, do these jobs actually keep her safe? NOPE! Someone is out to get her again. Maybe it’s not the apprehension job that keeps her unsafe after all.
With hilarious hijinks, white whales smothering smoochie-umpkins, viewings at Stiva’s, and grandma Mazur’s gossip, Eleven on Top becomes yet another favorite read of mine. I simply cannot get enough of this series. When I need a break from drama filled book I know this is the series that I go to. Therefore, I highly recommend this book AND the entire series. I adore it!
August 10, 2015
Romantic, Sexual Tension, Suspense & Funny!!! A Fun Read! I Loved It!
February 23, 2022
3.5/5.
This book was quite funny and that was the best thing about this since the mystery this time around was quite subpar and felt like an afterthought.
This book was quite funny and that was the best thing about this since the mystery this time around was quite subpar and felt like an afterthought.
July 13, 2011
Okay, so I promised myself this had to be the last one for a while. And it was a great one to end on. Got to see Plum try to leave the bounty-hunter business behind and, of course, it was just one glorious disaster after another.
I still get mad about her, "He's sexy, oh no he's sexy" stuff. I realize it's a tension-building love triangle...thing. I guess I just don't get into those when the one stuck in the middle stays (mostly) in a relationship. You're in a relationship, you chose to be in it and do seem to enjoy it; so, like, stop letting the other guy kiss you.
In spite of that, though, I love everybody in these books. And I love following them around, and this book was, to me, a lot more about following everyone around and 'hanging out with them' than about the mystery plot.
Which is cool. And I haven't been mentioning the mystery plot of each one as I've gone along, but they're almost always mapped out well, with some cool red herrings. I've figured some things out, but it doesn't make me hate the plot or anything when I do. I could do without Evanovich's tendency to have the "bad guy" sum up all his motives and actions at the end of the book, when Plum's "getting him to talk," though. Yanno? But it hasn't been too particularly irritating, either, probably because I tend to kind of skip over those paragraphs of dialogue.
Heh.
Anway, definitely there are problems with the books, but they are still hella entertaining.
And, as I said, this was a good one to stop on. But here's the deal. There's a preview of the next book at the end, in the form of that book's first chapter. And when I got to the end of that preview, I had to throw the book out in the yard. Somehow, I felt that doing that would keep me from going back no my promise to stop on Eleven on Top, at least for now. Because, dude. DOOOD.
(When it started to sprinkly outside, I hurried to rescue the book. It's fine.)
I still get mad about her, "He's sexy, oh no he's sexy" stuff. I realize it's a tension-building love triangle...thing. I guess I just don't get into those when the one stuck in the middle stays (mostly) in a relationship. You're in a relationship, you chose to be in it and do seem to enjoy it; so, like, stop letting the other guy kiss you.
In spite of that, though, I love everybody in these books. And I love following them around, and this book was, to me, a lot more about following everyone around and 'hanging out with them' than about the mystery plot.
Which is cool. And I haven't been mentioning the mystery plot of each one as I've gone along, but they're almost always mapped out well, with some cool red herrings. I've figured some things out, but it doesn't make me hate the plot or anything when I do. I could do without Evanovich's tendency to have the "bad guy" sum up all his motives and actions at the end of the book, when Plum's "getting him to talk," though. Yanno? But it hasn't been too particularly irritating, either, probably because I tend to kind of skip over those paragraphs of dialogue.
Heh.
Anway, definitely there are problems with the books, but they are still hella entertaining.
And, as I said, this was a good one to stop on. But here's the deal. There's a preview of the next book at the end, in the form of that book's first chapter. And when I got to the end of that preview, I had to throw the book out in the yard. Somehow, I felt that doing that would keep me from going back no my promise to stop on Eleven on Top, at least for now. Because, dude. DOOOD.
(When it started to sprinkly outside, I hurried to rescue the book. It's fine.)
July 4, 2010
Shake the other ten in a bag, dump out a bit at a time, & you get 11 !!
We hate to say it, as some of the other ten were definitely amusing, but there's not much smile factor left in Plum et al that we haven't heard or seen before. While there is a smidge of a plot (four small business owners are missing, and Steph keeps getting threatening notes and cars bombed), one can almost predict the rest: Lulu can't get her bond jumpers, so eats fast food; Steph shacks up with Morelli (again) but hankers after Ranger all book; Grandma Mazur and the rest of the clan have a wedding cake food fight; Steph's several cars burn up or blow up; Bob the Dog tinkles on the lawn (wow!), etc.
"Eleven" smacks of one of those books any of us could have written -- just take snippets out of each of the other ten, slap 'em together in almost random order and you wouldn't be far off. One rather poignant scene, almost depressing actually, saw Stephanie spending a (rare) quiet moment thinking (rare!) how useless her life has been -- she realizes she's not good at anything, has no hobbies or interests, and has no idea what to do with her love life or her future. She fantasizes she can play the cello, then actually tells her family she can (despite being unable to even recognize one!), which leads to what little fresh hilarity the book has on display.
Maybe Evanovich has just run out of steam with this set. Maybe that explains the attempt to diversify manifested in the largely ho-hum "Metro Girl". Maybe the old joke about 1000 monkeys with typewriters could do just as well is right on. Maybe we're just "Plum" full of this series. Sorry, but from our reading we just didn't get that much entertainment, let alone go out "On Top"!
We hate to say it, as some of the other ten were definitely amusing, but there's not much smile factor left in Plum et al that we haven't heard or seen before. While there is a smidge of a plot (four small business owners are missing, and Steph keeps getting threatening notes and cars bombed), one can almost predict the rest: Lulu can't get her bond jumpers, so eats fast food; Steph shacks up with Morelli (again) but hankers after Ranger all book; Grandma Mazur and the rest of the clan have a wedding cake food fight; Steph's several cars burn up or blow up; Bob the Dog tinkles on the lawn (wow!), etc.
"Eleven" smacks of one of those books any of us could have written -- just take snippets out of each of the other ten, slap 'em together in almost random order and you wouldn't be far off. One rather poignant scene, almost depressing actually, saw Stephanie spending a (rare) quiet moment thinking (rare!) how useless her life has been -- she realizes she's not good at anything, has no hobbies or interests, and has no idea what to do with her love life or her future. She fantasizes she can play the cello, then actually tells her family she can (despite being unable to even recognize one!), which leads to what little fresh hilarity the book has on display.
Maybe Evanovich has just run out of steam with this set. Maybe that explains the attempt to diversify manifested in the largely ho-hum "Metro Girl". Maybe the old joke about 1000 monkeys with typewriters could do just as well is right on. Maybe we're just "Plum" full of this series. Sorry, but from our reading we just didn't get that much entertainment, let alone go out "On Top"!
July 24, 2019
Another laugh out loud episode of Lula, Grandma Mazur, Stephanie, Morelli, Ranger and the gang! Full of ridiculous scenarios that lightens up my day!
January 31, 2008
Number 11 in the Stephanie Plum series proves Janet Evanovich could go on forever. This best-selling author keeps the humor flowing with the wacky situations Stephanie and her cohorts manage to get themselves into.
Stephanie is beginning to question where her life is going and makes the drastic decision to quit her job as a bounty hunter. She ends up working in a button factory but gets fired the first day before she even begins work. Her next job at a dry-cleaning establishment ends when the owner takes a semi-automatic and tries to shoot her, and her try at a fast-food restaurant ends in disaster when she manages to set the place on fire. While all this is going on, Stephanie is receiving threatening notes and being shot at while cars and buildings and people around her are blowing up. Ranger finally steps in and offers Stephanie a job with him, which gives her the chance to try to find out who's after her while under the protection of bad-boy Ranger. Meanwhile, Stephanie has moved in with Joe Morelli, her on-again, off-again boyfriend, to help while he nurses a broken leg, a byproduct of one of Stephanie's fiascoes.
What a fun series this is. The triangulated relationship between Stephanie, Ranger and Morelli is teasing and deliciously anticipatory for the reader. The characters are wonderfully portrayed and only get better as the series evolves. Looking for a fun read? This won't disappoint.
Stephanie is beginning to question where her life is going and makes the drastic decision to quit her job as a bounty hunter. She ends up working in a button factory but gets fired the first day before she even begins work. Her next job at a dry-cleaning establishment ends when the owner takes a semi-automatic and tries to shoot her, and her try at a fast-food restaurant ends in disaster when she manages to set the place on fire. While all this is going on, Stephanie is receiving threatening notes and being shot at while cars and buildings and people around her are blowing up. Ranger finally steps in and offers Stephanie a job with him, which gives her the chance to try to find out who's after her while under the protection of bad-boy Ranger. Meanwhile, Stephanie has moved in with Joe Morelli, her on-again, off-again boyfriend, to help while he nurses a broken leg, a byproduct of one of Stephanie's fiascoes.
What a fun series this is. The triangulated relationship between Stephanie, Ranger and Morelli is teasing and deliciously anticipatory for the reader. The characters are wonderfully portrayed and only get better as the series evolves. Looking for a fun read? This won't disappoint.
December 1, 2019
I listened to the audio version this time around and it was great. At the end is an interview with Janet Evanovich and that was fantastic. I highly recommend both the book and the audio. What can I say? I spent Black Friday shopping and waiting in line listening to this book and it made waiting in line so much fun. You just can't stop from laughing out loud and I must have been the only person waiting in those horrid lines who was actually enjoying herself.
Eleven on Top opens with Stephanie Plum quitting the bail bonds gig. She thinks there has to be something she can do that won't put her life in jeopardy. Unfortunately, no matter how safe and normal she wants to be, it just isn't in the cards for her. Woops! there goes another car up in flames, but this time there is someone in it and it isn't Stephanie.
Trying to hold a normal job is for normal people and that just isn't Stephanie. When Mama Marconi, Steph's supervisor at Kan Klean Dry Cleaners, is blown up in Steph's car, she has to come to terms that it looks like someone wants her dead, again. It also looks like that someone who is after her is back from the grave. Since it's not safe for Steph, or anyone else, to have her on the streets, Ranger hires her at Rangeman as office support, just to keep everyone safe. While there, Steph figures out why four area men have disappeared, but when Steph disappears will Range find her in time?
Eleven on Top opens with Stephanie Plum quitting the bail bonds gig. She thinks there has to be something she can do that won't put her life in jeopardy. Unfortunately, no matter how safe and normal she wants to be, it just isn't in the cards for her. Woops! there goes another car up in flames, but this time there is someone in it and it isn't Stephanie.
Trying to hold a normal job is for normal people and that just isn't Stephanie. When Mama Marconi, Steph's supervisor at Kan Klean Dry Cleaners, is blown up in Steph's car, she has to come to terms that it looks like someone wants her dead, again. It also looks like that someone who is after her is back from the grave. Since it's not safe for Steph, or anyone else, to have her on the streets, Ranger hires her at Rangeman as office support, just to keep everyone safe. While there, Steph figures out why four area men have disappeared, but when Steph disappears will Range find her in time?
June 11, 2008
Stephanie Plum is thinking her career as fugitive apprehension agent has run its course. She's been shot at, spat at, cussed at, fire-bombed, mooned, and attacked by dogs. Time for a change, Stephanie thinks. Time to find the kind of job her mother can tell her friends about without making the sign of the cross. So Stephanie Plum quits. Resigns. No looking back. No changing her mind. She wants something safe and normal. As it turns out, jobs that are safe and normal for most people aren't necessarily safe and normal for Stephanie Plum. Trouble follows her, and the kind of trouble she had at the bail bonds office can't compare to the kind of trouble she finds herself facing now. Her past has come back to haunt her. She's stalked by a maniac returned from the grave for the sole purpose of putting her into a burial plot of her own. He's killed before, and he'll kill again if given the chance. Caught between staying far away from the bounty hunter business and staying alive, Stephanie re-examines her life and the possibility that being a bounty hunter is the solution rather than the problem. After disturbingly brief careers at the button factory, Kan Klean Dry Cleaners, and Cluck-in-a-Bucket, Stephanie takes an office position in security, working for Ranger, the sexiest, baddest, bounty hunter and businessman in two continents. It might not be the job she'll keep for the rest of her life, but for now, it gives her the technical access she needs to find her stalker. Tempers and temperatures rise as competition ratchets up between the two men in her life --her off-again, on-again boyfriend, tough Trenton cop, Joe Morelli, and her bad-ass boss, Ranger. Can Stephanie Plum take the heat? Can you?
June 9, 2010
Stephanie has hit hard times. Well, harder times than usual that is. Having reached a breaking point, Stephanie quits her job as a bond enforcement officer and pursues other career options much to her chagrin and my personal amusement. Life seems to b!tch slap Stephanie at every turn, and though it is not entirely realistic, it is no less endearing or humorous.
Anyone who has read enough Plum novels to get to "Eleven On Top", knows these books are formulamatic. Stephanie blows up a car, or two, Stephanie fails to apprehend someone due to blatant stupidity, Grandma Mazur tries to lift a casket, Ranger says "Babe", a lot, Lula eats while wearing too tight spandex, so on and so forth. I suppose reading the same tried and true scenarios would become redundant to some, but for me, it's much like slipping on my much worn and oh so loved pjs. They may be tired, but I love them just the way they are.
As for the much heated debate, Ranger vs. Morelli, I thank vati that Stephanie hasn't chosen. I love them both. Asking me to choose between Morelli and Ranger is like asking me if I want a cheese burger or Mexican for dinner, java chip frappachino ice cream or chocolate chip cookies for desert, I am simply not equipped to make these sorts of decisions! My eye is twitching just thinking about it...
As always, hi-lights include...
1. Stephanie whacks a mole... off Mama Macaroni's face
2. Stephanie clucks in Cluck in a Bucket
3. Grandma Mazur vs. Grandma Bella smackdown, literally
4. Joe gets run over, lol
5. The glories of going commando
6. Enticements of the one eyed snake, what leg-hole will it come out next?
7. Lula gets handcuffed, naked, while making an apprehension, go figure
8. Stephanie gives up sugar, oh the horror!
Anyone who has read enough Plum novels to get to "Eleven On Top", knows these books are formulamatic. Stephanie blows up a car, or two, Stephanie fails to apprehend someone due to blatant stupidity, Grandma Mazur tries to lift a casket, Ranger says "Babe", a lot, Lula eats while wearing too tight spandex, so on and so forth. I suppose reading the same tried and true scenarios would become redundant to some, but for me, it's much like slipping on my much worn and oh so loved pjs. They may be tired, but I love them just the way they are.
As for the much heated debate, Ranger vs. Morelli, I thank vati that Stephanie hasn't chosen. I love them both. Asking me to choose between Morelli and Ranger is like asking me if I want a cheese burger or Mexican for dinner, java chip frappachino ice cream or chocolate chip cookies for desert, I am simply not equipped to make these sorts of decisions! My eye is twitching just thinking about it...
As always, hi-lights include...
1. Stephanie whacks a mole... off Mama Macaroni's face
2. Stephanie clucks in Cluck in a Bucket
3. Grandma Mazur vs. Grandma Bella smackdown, literally
4. Joe gets run over, lol
5. The glories of going commando
6. Enticements of the one eyed snake, what leg-hole will it come out next?
7. Lula gets handcuffed, naked, while making an apprehension, go figure
8. Stephanie gives up sugar, oh the horror!
March 4, 2011
These really are the perfect books to read while on an airplane. They're sort of like popcorn for the brain... fun, enjoyable and quick. I know some of my friends started to get tired of the series after awhile, but I actually do think the books keep getting better (or maybe it's just that my mindset about them has changed enough that I'm enjoying them more).
Oddly, one of the biggest complaints I've heard about the series is how the whole love triangle just drags on and on... but I'm finding I actually rather like the way it's being handled. Sure, I don't find the reactions of some of the characters to be terribly realistic, but for the length of the book, I'm willing to suspend my disbelief (especially for what are, essentially, humor books masquerading as mysteries).
Anyway, really enjoyed this one. Got quite a few laughs out of it... sadly, not easy to share with my husband who was wondering what all the chuckling was about, since you really need to understand the characters for it to make sense. Must work on getting him to read the books too!
Oddly, one of the biggest complaints I've heard about the series is how the whole love triangle just drags on and on... but I'm finding I actually rather like the way it's being handled. Sure, I don't find the reactions of some of the characters to be terribly realistic, but for the length of the book, I'm willing to suspend my disbelief (especially for what are, essentially, humor books masquerading as mysteries).
Anyway, really enjoyed this one. Got quite a few laughs out of it... sadly, not easy to share with my husband who was wondering what all the chuckling was about, since you really need to understand the characters for it to make sense. Must work on getting him to read the books too!
May 7, 2021
Alternative Title: Stephanie has an identity crisis and tries to quit sugar- chaos ensues. This one actually had me laughing out loud. Lula goes full bounty hunter to pick up the slack for Stephanie after she leaves. Morelli and Stephanie are still kinda up in the air after the last book and Ranger and Morelli both express their feelings for her. Stephanie is unable to say the "L" word back to either. Her family is a disaster: her sister and fiancee dip out on the wedding and run off to Disney and her mother and grandmother end up having a very expensive food fight with the wedding cake lol. This book was a lot of fun lol...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,504 reviews