Evanovich, Janet: Three to Get Deadly

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Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series started strong, with good writing and likable characters. (See my review of One For the Money.) The second book (Two for the Dough) was less enjoyable, primarily because of an over-emphasis on Stephanie's annoying Grandma Mazur, an old bitty with attitude. In my review of the book, I expressed my hope that Grandma be killed off sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, she's still around in book three, but her role is, happily, much reduced. This time around the annoying character with too much air time is Lula--whom we've also met in previous books in the series--an ex-prostitute turned office worker turned bounty hunter in training. She provides assistance throughout the book while Stephanie tries to locate "Uncle" Mo Bedemeier, a revered character who's sold candy to generations of Trenton's kids. But Lula is hardly credible as an assistant. She brings a driver's licence and wheels to the mix--which is handy, since Stephanie so often has car trouble--but otherwise she's all brash talk and recklessness. I keep wondering if she's worth whatever cut she's going to earn from the cases she works on with Stephanie.

I continue to like enough about Evanovich's series to continue with it (probably). Stephanie is an okay character, and I enjoy her romantic dance with bad boy-turned-cop Joe Morelli. I also very much like the character of Stephanie's bounty-hunting colleague Ranger, an enigmatic Superman with cuffs and an undisclosed home address. But in this third outing there's a lot to dislike also. The story is hard to swallow in many places. Lula has become obnoxious. And for all the high-octaine scenes--gun blasts and comic chases and a guy in a chicken suit--the story drags. I'm hoping things will improve in book four. If not, I'm not sure there will be another next time for me.