Plum Spooky

Title: Plum Spooky
Author: Janet Evanovich
Series: Stephanie Plum
Published: January 2009
Genre: Mystery novel, humour

Recommendation: Good for fans of the series who want to see more Diesel action.
Rating: 6.5/10

Summary: Stephanie gets to babysit Carl the Monkey, Diesel shows up hunting for an Unmentionable named Wulf. On top of it, Stephanie needs to bring in Martin Munch, a quantum physicist who smashed his manager's nose with a mug and stole a cesium vapor magnetometer.

Reactions: I look forward to some light reading whenever I pick up a book by Janet Evanovich. Stephanie Plum novels tend to be quick, fun, and completely absurd. She destroys at least several cars in any given novel, gets attacked by lunatics, and eats at least a dozen donuts. Plum Spooky doesn't veer off course.

I think the biggest disappointment in this book is the fact that we don't see a whole lot of Ranger. He is the guy who makes things interesting, whereas Diesel just doesn't have the same appeal to me. Since the relationship plotline is almost nonexistent in this novel, Evanovich makes up by adding a dozen monkeys and the Jersey Devil.

A little excerpt:

Carl was in the kitchen, feeding cereal to Rex, when we got home. Carl would drop in a Fruit Loop, Rex would rush out of his can, stuff the Fruit Loop into his cheek, and rush back to his can. Carl would repeat the drill.

“Cute,” I said. “Carl has a pet.”

“Either that or he’s fattening him up for the kill.”

“Do monkeys eat hamsters?”

Diesel shrugged. “They eat pizza with pepperoni.”

Mental note: First thing tomorrow, take Rex to stay at parents’ house for duration of monkey visit.

Overall, Plum Spooky was entertaining, but some of the Diesel jokes seemed a little old and there weren't a whole lot of events that stood out too much for me. An evening worth of relaxation, but hardly the best in the series. Yet, there's something about Stephanie Plum novels that will make me pick up Finger Lickin' Fifteen when it comes out this summer.