No. 9) (Stephanie Plum Novels) - To the Nines (Stephanie Plum

The gags are becoming more overused and the plots less engaging as we read more and more and more and more. Stephanie needs to learn some new wisecracks and her characters need some new idiosyncrasies if she is to survive.

This book was written in the language of a fifth grader. I felt like I was reading about Jack and Jill. Besides being utterly annoyed with the simplistic story-telling, I found the plot slow and silly.

PLOT OR PREMISE:
To the Nines (St. Martin's Press, 2003, ISBN/ASIN: 978-0312991463, Plum (9)) is the ninth outing in the bounty hunter on LSD series, starring Stephanie Plum, Jersey girl. This one has Plum chasing an immigrant on a work visa bond, all the way from Jersey to Vegas.
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WHAT I LIKED:
The girls' trip to Vegas was awesome with Connie along, and Stephanie's random wiping out of RangerMan employees is kind of epic.
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WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
The "there's a psycho stalking me" subplot gets old pretty fast, and she's done it in at least four of the books so far. This one is actually menacing for a change, but that's about it, and the plot with Singh as immigrant is kind of bland. However, the main plot for the story is revealed only by happenstance, and that's a giant no-no for me. Almost no way to figure it out until some random tertiary character reveals it all at once. Sloppy plotting.
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DISCLOSURE:
I received no compensation, not even a free copy, in exchange for this review. I am not personal friends with the author, nor do I follow her on social media.

Stephanie's latest case involves a trip to Las Vegas searching for a guy who jumped bail and abducted a dog in the process. Her antics are usually bonkers enough on her home ground so you can just imagine the sort of madness that goes on when she's in Vegas with Lula and Connie! As always this series is full of crazy but hilarious situations (in this case made even funnier by Lula's latest fad diet), Stephanie running around like a headless chicken trying to work out what the heck is going on around her and the ongoing mess of her romantic life where she can't seem to make a final decision between Morelli and Ranger.

Ranger is used to Stephanie destroying his cars but this time around it's his men she keeps wiping out with a series of ever more bemusing accidents. I think Morelli just hasn't got a clue how to handle the crazy that Stephanie brings, his life would be much quieter without her but he can't seem to resist her anyway. I love Stephanie's family, Grandma Mazur in particular and Lula is a hilarious sidekick.

I have to admit the mystery was a little lacking here - it was far too easy to spot the bad guy! - and I should be getting irritated by the fact that Stephanie never seems to learn any bounty hunter skills at all but I just enjoy these books too much to complain about those details. When I'm in the mood for something light hearted, something that requires absolutely no brain power but is guaranteed to make me laugh out loud then this is my go to series and I can't see that changing anytime soon.

Stephanie Plum is back with a winner in "To The Nines." I have to admit that "Hard Eight" was a bit of a slump for me, but "To The Nines" is back on top, as fun and fresh as ever.

Vinnie issued a Visa Bond (again with the exotic bonds - in "Hard Eight" it was a custody bond) to a now missing Samuel Singh. Stephanie is on the hunt - but everyone she talks to ends up dead. And she starts getting flowers and scary notes - really scary notes - no matter where she is. A lead on Singh points to Las Vegas, and since it's Vegas, Connie and Lulu go with her (try reading about that episode without waking up the hubs). Near the end it gets to be a little predictable identifying the bad guy, but then, I've read a few mysteries in my time and live in geekville - I'm still entertained.

Morelli and Stephanie are back on, but he's touchy about Ranger; Ranger is as seductively helpful as ever; meanwhile, Morelli's grandmother keeps popping up with a few ominous visions while Stephanie's sister Valerie is pregnant and the size of a yacht - all in all it's a great ride.

I think I have read all of the Stephanie Plum books up to the most current one...not sure how many there are but there are a bunch of them. I have not read these books in order and while that may be a nice thing to do, it most certainly not necessary in order to enjoy this series. As a matter of fact, it may be an advantage in some ways.

Now one thing about this series is that if you read one then you pretty well know what you are getting in the rest of the books. I say this in a good way. These books are silly books that make you laugh out-loud. The best way I could describe them is to compare them to the old ‘I Love Lucy’ show...you knew that Lucy was going to mess everything she touched up and she always did it in a funny way...Stephanie is a Lucy; a bounty hunting Lucy and probably the worse bounty hunter in history.

In this one she gets involved in a deadly ‘game’ ran by what apparently is a psychopath. Bodies are dropping everywhere and Stephanie learns quickly that she in the primary target of a very bizarre game where death is the consequence of loosing.

Of course she has her usual number of “criminals” she is chasing attempting to round them up for skipping out on their bale. The book contains the normal cast of characters and we still have a strong three way love interest. The author is the master of one-liners and her work shines though in this one.

I personally found this to the one of the funnier books in the series and that is saying a lot because I have yet to read one that did not have me in a constant state of chuckling to myself.

This book, like the ones before and the ones after, was a fast read and is most certainly at the top of my list for mind candy; enjoyable mind candy.

This was a library find.

It is time to share another Janet Evanovich novel To The Nines. This novel is the ninth in the Janet Evanovich Stephanie Plum series. What trouble could she possibly get into? Are you ready for the next adventure with Stephanie and the gang?
Synopsis:
Stephanie and Ranger have to find Albert Singh who has skipped on his visa bond. The type of bond is different from others that Stephanie has pursued in the past. Singh worked for this company TriBro but also expressed some unusual behavior. It is extremely important that Samuel Singh is found because it could put Vinnie her cousin out of business. Then Stephanie would have to find another job. In typical Stephanie fashion the case does not go as planned. As they put together the clues to find Singh, Stephanie finds out lot more about a game he participated in. What is this game? How does it impact Stephanie?
My Thoughts:
I didn’t know how I would feel about this novel initially. I did enjoy it. I listened to the audio version which was narrated by Lorelei King. I feel she does a great job of narrating Janet Evanovich’s novels. I hope that she continues. So now let’s get back to the story.
The story is set in Trenton New Jersey. There is a side trip to Vegas included in this novel. The author is extremely creative when coming up with new characters or showing us growth in the ones that we know so well. When writing a series it is always good to keep the audience or readership interested. I am ready for my next Janet Evanovich novel.

Stephanie Plum is up to her usual tricks when she gets assigned to find Samuel Singh, an illegal immigrant who has jumped his immigration bond. Ranger, her co-worker, is put on the case, too, but the leads are slim.

Stephanie and Ranger soon learn that Singh's disappearance is tied to random events and people. Stephanie investigates Singh's place of employment, TriBro. The Cone brothers, Andrew, Bart, and Clyde run the establishment. Soon, Stephanie begins receiving death threats along with red and white carnations. Still, Stephanie doesn't give up and even takes a trip to Las Vegas in the hopes of finding Singh. Stephanie knows she's a target, but finding who's behind the flowers and the death threats will be her biggest challenge to date.

Evanovich's writing is easy to read and completely engages the reader. She uses a solid first person voice that makes the reader feel like a part of Stephanie's world. Her supporting characters are honest and endearing. Lula is a true friend, Ranger an anti-hero, and Grandma Mazur tries to keep the family peace as Stephanie's sister, Valerie, prepares for birth.

The story is a cozy mystery with plenty of well placed clues and several red herrings. "To The Nines" has adventure, nail-biting suspense, laughs, and plenty of heartwarming moments. It is good for 13 years old readers and older. The novel is a fine addition to the series. I highly recommend this book.

My thrill with this thriller series took a bit of a nose dive in this book.

In this latest installment, less-than-adequate bounty hunter Stephanie Plum has to track down an elusive Visa bond jumper, an immigrant who doesn't seem content with upcoming arranged marriage. As always, there's a few other greasy contenders for Plum's time, but, in the end she always gets her man or woman.

The old formula that has worked for the last 8 books in the series is still working here. It's a funny, easy light hearted read. It's one where you don't have to pay too much attention to, so feel free to take it to the beach and doze off in the sun. Plum's on-again/off-again romance with Morelli takes an unexpected turn and the heat with Ranger goes up a notch or two. That part I really liked!

What I didn't like is that Plum is starting to seem like a static character. By now, she's bagged at least 30 criminals. Shouldn't she be getting a little better at her job? Isn't she tired of living in a dump and driving a wreck? Her lack of growth as a character is starting to wear thin. I hope future books show a Plum that has some changes in her life and psyche.

Certain things keep us coming back to this series: Morelli, Ranger, most-def Stephanie, the large-and-in-charge sidekick Lulu, and all the hilarious madcap shenanigans thrown into the mix.

I have to say though at this point, the back-and-forth between Morelli and Steph has grown a bit weary, not to mention the whole break-up just for the sole sake of an excuse for Ranger and Steph to get their hook-up on...yea, still not jazzed about that part. I mean I knew it was gonna happen but it could have been handled better, but then again this is Evanovich and we can't expect the norm in this series.

To The Nines is a funny book, and part of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series. Even though this is the ninth book in her series, it can be read as a stand alone. Each of her mysteries builds upon the previous one, so it’s best to read them in order, but not necessary.

Stephanie Plum is a ditzy, inexperienced bounty hunter who is often in need of rescuing. As a bounty hunter in Trenton N.J., Stephanie has a gun registered to her. But since she’s actually afraid of hurting people, Stephanie leaves her gun at home in a cookie jar for safe keeping. Fortunately Stephanie has two men in her life, and a plus size ex-ho sidekick, with an attitude, who come to her aid on a moments notice and on a regular basis.

One of her rescuers is Joe Morelli, an undercover cop and her main squeeze. He’s a rough around the edges, Italian stallion type of guy. Joe and Stephanie have known each other all their lives, and both secretly know that they’ll probably marry one another at some point. But for the moment the two of them have an “understanding”.

The other rescuer in Stephanie’s life is Ranger. He’s an ex-special forces-turned bounty hunter- alpha male. Ranger is every woman’s dream fantasy man. He’s drop dead gorgeous, sexy and mysterious. Ranger cares for Stephanie a great deal, but not enough to have an actual relationship with her. He loves to tease her though, with his not so innocent flirtations. Stephanie can’t seem to stop her reaction to him and feels guilty about it, but not enough to actually put an end to his flirting. And since Mr. rough around the edges- Italian stallion is my favorite character, I’m not one of those women who swoon at the very mention of the verbally challenged, dark and sexy Ranger. In fact I would really like for the two word conversationalist to keep his “babe” and “yo” to himself and leave Stephanie alone.

In this book Stephanie’s boss Vinnie, is on the verge of a major public embarrassment, and has charged everyone in his office with the assignment of bringing in a Mr. Singh. Stephanie is hot on the evasive man’s trail, but it also appears that he is hot on hers’. Someone is leaving signature presents for Stephanie. And the deeper she digs into her assignment, the more threatening these signature gifts become, and the more deaths she finds popping up around her.

Janet Evanovich writes funny very well; and her characters are always quirky, dysfunctional and lovable, even the secondary ones. To The Nines is a light, and ridiculously unrealistic, but hysterical read. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to read a light mystery and to laugh…a lot.

** spoiler alert ** Again another really comforting joyful read. Stephanie is in charge of finding a guy that Vinnie wrote a Visa Bond for. Of course we all know that at some point Stephanie is going to stumble upon a mess and get into trouble. Usually requiring the back up of the most of the not so helpful Lula, Ranger, and Joe.

Valerie is driving her family insane and about to give birth. Their father is in the process of moving out, because he cannot handle everyone at home, their mom is hanging on, and Grandma is drinking. Which we all know is never good and can only lead to trouble. Stephanie gives up her apartment to Valerie to help her parents out and kinda sort of moves in with Joe. For awhile they are getting along until insecurities rise up. Surprisingly though Stephanie makes it through the whole book without leaving Joes house because of an argument.

The bad guy for this one actually sort of surprised me. I knew the guy she thought was behind the flowers was not Bart but I honestly thought it could have been Andrew. Who knew it would be Clyde right??? Well, Stephanie joins up with Lula and Connie to search for the missing Bond guy in Vegas. Connie and Lula stay out all night, Lula lost money and is consuming huge amounts of meat, Connie lost her shoes and has a picture that leads her to believe she married and Elvis impersonator. Stephanie finds her guy (the police actually do and he's dead), but She finds the dog and can't wait to bring him home.

This again was another really good book.

Oh Stephanie Plum. You crack me up. I took a break from the Stephanie Plum series after reading 8.5 books all one after another and decided I didn't want to ruin a good thing by having too much of it. But, then I randomly watched One for the Money (again) and I decided the break was over and Stephanie and I (more like Morelli, Ranger, and I) were going to need to rekindle. And I had a smile on my face from page one. Even when she's just awaken from being knocked out with some of her hair missing, and in front of a dead body you can't help but think "You're awesome Steph." This mystery definitely topped the majority of the other books because the killer was SO sadistic. I really loved it. It reminded me of Ramirez from the first few novels. And, even though there were moments when I thought man that person is sick, I couldn't help but laugh at some of the random things that go through Stephanie's mind and some of the awkward situations she gets herself into. And then of course Stephanie finally has some stuff figured out. Does she have the guy thing figured out? No. Does she have the career thing figured out? Nope. Ok, well she barely has things figured out, but she come to realize what she does want in her future and I thought that was a big move for Steph. Not to mention the characters, Steph, Morelli, Ranger, Lula, Connie, and even her sister and her sister's "boyfriend" all crap me up. They are some strange characters that you just can't help falling in love with. Stephanie Plum never makes anything simply, but also never leaves you bored or without a smile on your face.

Good:

Stephanie--"My poor bambinos". Cracked me up.

Morelli--I use to hate when guys called me Cupcake. Now if a guy called me Cupcake I would smile...and probably be picturing you instead of them.

Ranger--Babe. Hot damn Ranger is awesome and I love the tension between Stephanie and him.

Lula, Connie, and the rest--As always you are all awesome.

Bad:

There were some moments when the story goes a little slow. They are few and far in between, but they still exist. And sometimes when Stephanie is collecting clues it tends to get a little bit boring.

Overall (Writing style, story line, and general):

Overall Stephanie Plum has never really let me down. Neither has Janet Evanovich. The story was pretty easy to follow, although sometimes there are so many characters your head spins just trying to remember them, but I never really had to re-read something to understand it. Stephanie isn't really a genius (although sometimes I think she is) so everything is laid out pretty easy for the reason to understand. The story-line was a good one, and as always the characters were awesome. I am definitely not apposed to reading some more Stephanie Plum.

Samuel Singh violates his visa bond he has with Plum's bond company by going missing, and with the women he rents a room with's dog, Boo. Stephanie, Ranger, Lula and Vinnie are on the mission to find him and bring him back. The mystery begins as why he left and where he is. TriBro Tech is whom Singh was working for as a computer nerd and the three brothers who own the business are all questionable. As Stephanie begins to delve deeper into this case, she finds herself getting photo's left in her apartment of dead people, roses and carnations. Her on and off again boyfriend, Joe Morelli, is not the flowers type and neither is the elusive, sexy and flirty Ranger. Lula is on an all meat diet that can only be hysterical, Valerie, Stephanie's sister, is ready to have her baby in a house with Grandma Mazur who you never know what is going to go on with her next, her mother who is in denial of being in menopause, Valerie's two girls, (one who thinks she is a horse) and her father who is ready to fly. No wonder Joe Morelli no longer wants to have meals there. Another plot is Morelli's grandmother Bella who is having visions of Stephanie being dead. Another zinger is people have been seeing Joe leaving out a window of ex-girlfriends Gilmans apartment, then finds him and his car sitting in a sleezy motel parking lot. If he is doing the dirty deed with Gilman, all hell could break loose, and her heart. This whole story takes you from Trenton to Vegas to find Singh and bring him back. The last two people to take to Vegas to do anything is Connie and Lula.
I love these books, and this one was a "can't breathe" laughing book. All the sub-plots just kept you laughing, and the climax of the plot is suspensful and unpredictable. Joe and Stephanie get more comfortable in their relationship and Joe Morelli just can never get enough. Ranger is always a sexual tension in the story. Great book as always.

So, it’s beginning to look like the series is going towards a more psychological thriller direction than the silly, almost cozy, mystery style read. The biggest problem I had with that, was I didn’t find it to be very thrilling since I thought the villain was glaringly obvious fairly early in the book. It still has all the slapstick comedy we’ve come to expect from Stephanie Plum and company, though I’m fast getting tired of Lula. She’s exhausting to read.

Bounty Hunter Stephanie Plum is partnered with Ranger when a man on a work visa bond goes missing and she finds herself caught up in a deadly game. All of the regulars are on hand to add chaotic humor and in a twist, instead of destroying cars, Stephanie is destroying Ranger’s men.

These books are potato chip reads; light and easy to get through and you’re done before you know it. Don’t expect any growth on Stephanie’s part and that’s part of the charm, as is the sexual tension with Ranger while in an “on again” stretch with Morelli. We see a lot of both in this book.

I don’t know how many times I’ve reread this book over the years, but it still brings enjoyment and a nice escape from reality.

To the Nines is a great continuation of the Stephanie Plum series. Stephanie is firmly ensconced in Morelli's life and home and her biological clock is starting to tick a bit louder. Of course, she still has to contend with his family, including his scary Grandma Bella.

If that wasn't enough, her sister Valerie is seconds away for going into labor and eating for sixteen driving the entire Plum family crazy. At work, Stephanie is tasked with finding Samuel Singh. Singh is in the US on a visa and The Plum Agency has gotten a lot of publicity for providing the visa bond. His disappearance seems to be a case of running from an arranged marriage, but something much more mysterious and nefarious is at work here. It's all very twisted. The search for Singh brings Stephanie, accompanied by Lula and Connie, to Las Vegas. They don't stay in Vegas long enough to really do it up Jersey style, but it's humorous nonetheless.

Ranger and his band of burly men make numerous appearances in this book. We get to spend some quality time with Tank and even meet some of Ranger's other associates. Stephanie even steps into the technological present with the addition of a new laptop. Tuns out, email is perfect for receiving scary anonymous notes of a threatening nature.

To the Nines was lots of fun. Stephanie shines as always and in a completely surprising turn of events - not one car was harmed in the making of this book. Stephanie has become bad luck for something else entirely and it's highly entertaining.

Stephanie is a pawn in a deathly game where instructions are handed by e-mail, and all she was looking for was Samuel Singh - a missing immigrant with a very important bound to Vinnie (her boss). Missing is also Boo, a poodle that seems to be connected to Singh. In the meantime Lula is dieting, Stephanie is back with Morelli and his grandmother's visions of death, and Valerie is about to have a baby and eat the whole country in the process.

I have to say this book would get 5 stars if I didn't know who the main killer was almost from the beginning. I loooooved that Stephanie didn't blow up any car but started taking Ranger's men as unfortunate targets. I laughed so much at the hospital scene that I'm even embarrassed about it! As always these books are great entertainment, even though in this one we can feel Stephanie more worried about her fate as the plot thickens. I can't wait to read the next installment as Stephanie's maternal instincts spurred to life with her youngest niece. This seems quite promising!

Samuel Singh has disappeared, which is bad news for Vinnie Plum, owner of Vincent Plum Bail Bonds in Trenton, New Jersey. Cousin Vinnie signed a three-month work Visa for Singh, and now Singh's gone MIA right before the Visa is set to expire, taking his fiancee's dog with him. Vinnie's never been one to enjoy losing money (and he doesn't like being pestered by overweight Indian women, either, like the mother of Samuel's fiancee), so he puts his best and brightest bounty hunter on the case, the one who puts the rest of the bounty hunters to shame: Ranger. (Bet you thought I was going to say Stephanie Plum, right? Don't worry; she's on the case, too.)

Stephanie's investigation takes her to TriBro, the company--run by three strange brothers--where Singh worked, and to Las Vegas (with ex-hooker Lula, of course, who refuses to be left behind in Jersey, in true Lula fashion). It looks like Stephanie might actually have a relatively smooth apprehension (smoother than her last one, which ended with her covered in Vaseline, wrestling with a naked man...well, okay, so maybe this one won't be quite THAT smooth). But when a man is shot point-blank right in front of her and she begins receiving ominous e-mails and creepy bouquets, Steph realizes that the bounty hunter has become the hunted. Someone will stop at nothing to claim his prize in a deadly game; and the prize is Stephanie Plum. Ranger sets Steph up with a series of bodyguards to protect her--and even though it's usually cars she has a problem with, Stephanie just can't seem to keep a bodyguard for very long.

But psychotic murderers and scary messages are the least of Stephanie's worries. Here are just some of the things she has to deal with in TO THE NINES: She and her hamster Rex have moved in with her boyfriend Joe Morelli, Trenton's finest cop, and Joe's Grandma Bella keeps showing up at the door, making strange predictions for Stephanie's future; Ranger's sexuality is still sending Steph into a tizzy; Mrs. Apusenjah, Samuel Singh's landlord, is calling her some very inappropriate names; and her sister, Valerie, is nine months pregnant and is eating her parents out of house and home. Stephanie's life is just as chaotic and surreal as ever--and once again, Evanovich has taken us along for the ride!

A lot of people argue that the Stephanie Plum books are too formulaic, that they're getting tired. Yes, we know that Stephanie's going to inevitably be tagged by a psycho in every outing; we know the love triangle involving Stephanie, Ranger, and Joe is going to get even more dramatic; we know Grandma Mazur's going to inevitably act inappropriately at a funeral; we know Rex is going to be fed a grape in every book.

So it may be true that the books are formulaic, but I've found that I don't really read the books for the plot. It's the characters that keep me, at least, coming back for more. I mean, where else are you going to find a super-sized ex-hooker, a pisol-packin' grandma, a goat-loving bailbondsman, and a mysterious, sexy Cuban semi-outlaw all in the same book? Evanovich's characters are absolutely fantastic, eccentric and wacky and so lovable and realistic that it's hard to believe you can't travel to Jersey and look them up. New Jersey itself, gritty and beautiful, is a lively character in the Stephanie Plum books; Steph's story wouldn't work anywhere else in the world.

TO THE NINES isn't my favorite Plum to date--the "whodunit" was pretty predictable, and this one wasn't as funny as some of the previous outings. I definitely enjoyed the fact that Evanovich mixed it up at bit and took Stephanie to Las Vegas, and the minor plotline about Lula trying different diets in order to become a supermodel was hilarious! I hope Evanovich goes clear up to a hundred with this series (yes, I'm exaggerating); it's my not-so-guilty pleasure, and I just can't seem to get enough of Stephanie & Co.!

BE WARNED THERE IS A SPOILER IN THE END IF YOU HAVEN'T READ PREVIOUS BOOKS!!!
Janet's books are tops on my list. What I really enjoy is that her books are always laugh out loud funny, so they are perfect for Audio productions. Audio narrators however are a matter of your particular taste. For some reason Janet's publishers aren't doing her the justice her books deserve.
Janet's Stephanie Plum series of books have had several different narrators. C.J. Critt of [...] fame is the Queen of Stephanie Plum character voices. C.J. Critt makes Stephanie come to life through her voice with a great talent of making each additional character have a distinct voice of their own. At any given moment you know that it's Joe, Ranger, Grandma Mazur, Lula, etc.
I was absolutely thrilled to find that Recorded Books had recorded volumes 1-6 done by C.J. Unabridged. She is the best in my opinion for the series. Books 1-6 have also been read by a variety of other narrators from Debbie Mazar, Lori Petty and the narrator for this version Lorelei King.
Then came a stumbling block when the people who okay which company will produce Janet's Audio version of the series chose Brilliance Audio for Book 7. They chose a narrator named Tanya Eby who was so horrible that even now several years later people still are asking on the Janet message board if there will be another version done. However, it seems that there is not chance because that company got exclusive rights. Let's just say I'd fire those people who make those decisions if it was me.
Now, we move on to Books 8 & 9. Luckily for my personal taste [...] got enough of the contract to produce what they call the Library version of books 8 & 9. No news on 10 at this time. So, I was jumping for joy because C.J. Critt was back after the horrifying ordeal with Tanya Eby on book 7.
You are wondering why I mention all of this and this is why, Lorelei King is the narrator of the most commonly available versions. She is a wonderful narrator, but for this series I think she is absolutely wrong. As mentioned by another review she is too upper crust sounding for Stephanie's character. Stephanie is from Jersey, she's educated, but she's not an Ivy League girl. She's a Jersey neighborhood girl. So to give her a voice that seems so out of character seems like a disservice to the series. I was saddened to see that Lorelei once again will be reading the next Stephanie Plum book. What's really bad is that instead of getting the quality performance that C.J. gives you get a run of the mill let's get the books narrated as fast as we can production of an audio book. I'm glad so far for most of the series I have had the option. What is scary is that a company like Recorded Books isn't doing whatever needs to be done to keep Janet and the people that give out those contracts happy to make sure they do get to do her books. Because the combination of their production and Janet's books are a perfect combination.
Now for my view on To the Nines, I thought it was hilarious. Opinions are varied on this volume in the series, but for me it was laugh out loud funny. I don't take these books seriously when I pick up a Stephanie Plum book I am looking for the laughs and the love triangle between Stephanie/Ranger/Joe Morelli.
In this volume though it's leaving me a little tired. By the storyline it's obvious the choice of which guy will win has been made, so the flirting and conflict is becoming old and stale.
That's really hard for me to admit because I still love the series, but this time it was the humor that held me in and kept me for the ride.
The Steph/Ranger/Joe thing has run its course since we've been shown how Steph is going to run scared from Ranger at every possible opportunity. He would be my choice because I always like the guy who doesn't seem the obvious choice. However, because of comments made within the story it seems he's nothing more than the plaything/mystery man for the entire series.
It seems like the Steph/Joe thing has only one conclusion that is just simply being drug out until someone finally decides the series is close to an end for it's big climax of wedded bliss.
I love the series. My only complaint is that this back and forth mess with Steph/Joe where they are off and on again so often it's like a never-ending tennis match. I keep coming back for more because the rest of the story is always great, but that part has become old and stale to me. How many times do a couple have to break up and get back together or how many times does the book end with a question of who will she choose only for surprise, surprise it's Joe. Other than that, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the series! The many zany characters are always worth waiting for. In To the Nines the guy covered in Vaseline still has me laughing out loud and I have read or listened to this book a dozen times.
I'm eagerly awaiting Ten Big Ones! As long as Janet keeps writing I'll keep buying and keeping telling all my friends.

Typically, the Stephanie Plum books are very funny, but a little lacking in terms of plot complexity. This time around, Janet Evanovich brings us a book as funny as she's ever written which also has a plot that is worthy of the mystery genre. Go Janet! Bingeaux!
She does have Stephanie running all over the place in this installment of Plum's story - miraculously, though, Stephanie manages *not* to explode, incinerate or otherwise destroy her car this time; she does, however, seem to be blowing through Ranger's band of Merry Men, almost all of whom sustain some form of injury whilst acting as her bodyguard(s). Speaking of Ranger, he's back in true form - making suggestive...well, suggestions, close body contact, employing standard Ranger charisma...which Stephanie has a difficult time fending off. My mental image of this man is about as close to perfection as any man could possibly come - I think Evanovich has possibly created the sexiest fictional character - EVER.
Lula also features prominently in the story, bouncing from one diet to another, until she settles upon the all-meat diet and carries around purses full of whole chickens, pounds of bacon and sundry other delectables - much to the delight of the local street dogs. Stephanie's family goes back to cameo roles, thankfully - the family home works so well as a break from the action, but when Evanovich spends too much time with Grandma Mazur or Mom, it slows things down far too much. There is quite a lot of drama happening with the family, though, and many laughs to be had, largley at the expense of poor, ready-to-give-birth Valerie, who is systematically eating her parents out of house and home ("you know how she gets when she's interrupted in the middle of a ham!")
The gist of the plot itself is this: There's a serial killer around, or so there seems to be, and Stephanie thinks she knows where the killer is headquartered - a local business owned by three very different brothers. As she gets closer to locating key people (witnesses, friends and the man who skipped bond and fled town,) Stephanie finds them turning up dead. After their deaths, photographs of their bodies frequently find their way into her apartment, accompanied by flowers and a note insinuating that her turn will come soon. Naturally, this makes Morelli more than a bit nervous, and he and Ranger work together to ensure Stephanie's safety as best they can. Their work is cut out for them - throughout the story, Stephanie is shot with a tranquilzer dart (twice,) hit with a tazer, beaten up, stalked and finally taken hostage to be the rabbit in a sick game the killer wants her to play. Further, Morelli's grandmother keeps having visions in which she's dead. Stephanie's relationship with Morelli is in a very comfortable place in this book - things are looking like they may settle down together, as more and more of Steph's belongings find their way into Morelli's house.
Bravo, Janet Evanovich! You've turned out an excellent story with _To the Nines_, and I hope to see more of the same sort of material in your next Plum book. Thank you for the laughs and the entertainment.

Heroine: Average
"Bawdy, raucous, and outrageously sexy" don't even begin to do justice to this thriller series which reads like an episode of "Moonlighting" meets "Married to the Mob". Heroine Stephanie Plum is from the Burg, a close-knit neighborhood in Trenton, New Jersey where the gals wear their skirts tighter and shorter than their spandex biker shorts, their make-up is louder than their booming car stereos, and their ultra-tall back-teased hair barely fits under the doorways at the mall.
Formerly a discount lingerie buyer, Italian-Hungarian Stephanie falls on hard times and, in a fit of desperation, approaches her sleazy cousin Vinnie about a job as a bond recovery agent at his bail bonding business. Murder, mayhem, and mishaps abound as Stephanie tries to get her "collars" and discovers the job is far more difficult when you're the only unarmed person in Jersey. (Stephanie actually owns a piece but prefers to leave it in the cookie jar in her kitchen.)
What worked for me:
As much as I enjoy the zany plots and wacky secondary characters, I think what keeps me coming back to the series the most is Steph's tangled love life. (It must be nice to have not one but two delicious hunks chasing after you!) Janet Evanovich honed her word craft skills while writing romantic fiction, so she certainly knows how to spin out the sexual tension between the superbly-drawn characters of Stephanie, Morelli, and Ranger. In fact, it takes several books of the series before there is any culmination of lust and love whatsoever. Talk about extended foreplay!
Some folks might not find the mysteries convoluted enough, but not being a Perry Mason myself I like the fact that I catch on to the clues before Steph. Makes me feel quite the sharp cookie. :^)
As far as size goes, Stephanie lays a few numbers on you weight-wise, but you get a sense that she's fudging them a bit. There are some characters who have a decidedly fat-phobic view on life but fortunately Lula is there to straighten them out. (Note she goes on a diet in book nine, but it all works out ok in the end.)
What didn't work for me:
Serial writing is a great gimmick. It's all about leaving the reader hanging by a thread waiting desperately for the next installation in the series. I was lucky, having jumped on the band wagon late I was able to zip through all of the books back-to-back. Now that I am all caught up, though, I too shall have to endure the agony of waiting to find out what will happen in the next book.
Overall:
Excellent writing, interesting plots, wildly colorful recurring characters* (see cast list below), and an infusion of humor make this series a great joy to read, with each book even better than the one before! Since the novels build on each other it's best to read them in order.
Warning: there is coarse language used in these books, and they must be read while eating pizza and/or doughnuts.
If you liked the "Stephanie Plum" mystery/thriller series, you might also like "Ain't Nobody's Bizness", "Plum Girl", "Princess Charming", "Infernal Affairs", "Fast Women", "Welcome to Temptation", "Faking It", "Switcheroo", "Lola Carlyle Reveals All", the Sam Jones series, the Odelia Grey mystery series, "Walking After Midnight" and "Looking for Laura".
*Joe Morelli: dedicated cop; known for having the best buns in the Burg. As the neighborhood wolf, he's had dozens of mothers saying rosaries for their daughters over the years, including Mrs. Plum when she learned that 8 year old Joe had lured 6 year old Stephanie into his father's garage to play "Choo-Choo".
Ranger: Ultra-fit, dark, mysterious former military man, now mercenary bounty hunter with questionable side-businesses. So gorgeous that women walk into walls when he flashes a smile. Once had to release Stephanie from a pair of handcuffs which held her chained in the all-together to her own shower stall.
Grandma Mazur: Stephanie's 70-odd year old grandmother, who doesn't look a day over 90. Likes to wear the same wild clothes as her granddaughter, especially to viewings at the local funeral parlors, which is the main social activity in the neighborhood. Recently learned the joys of sharp shooting when she shot a roasted chicken "in the gumpy".
Lula: full-figured former hooker with a heart of gold and knuckles of brass. Loves to ride shotgun with Steph to pick up skips, but pouts when she is told not to actually shoot anyone.
Mom and Dad Plum: Stephanie's parents. Dad is retired but drives a cab just to get away from Grandma Mazur and his wife. Mom is the ultimate hausfrau who lures food-loving Stephanie to the house with wonderful home-cooked meals then subjects her to hours of nagging, which gives Steph an unfortunate twitch in her left eye.
Joyce Barnhardt: our heroine's nemesis who was once caught using Steph's now ex-hubby's backside to polish to the dining room table. Joyce "persuades" Vinnie in a similar manner to hire her on as a skip tracer, much to Steph's everlasting exasperation.
Big Blue: An ancient powder blue Buick with windows like portholes. Steph hates this car because it's old, ugly, and turns on a buck-and-a-half. It sticks out like a sore thumb on stake-outs and is likewise useless for tailing people, but on the plus-side it's the only car to-date that Steph's managed not to blow up.

Jersey Girl Stephanie Plum is back and she's looking for a missing Indian man named Samuel Singh. Stephanie works for her bailbondsman cousin Vinnie. "Vinnie sat on a rotting branch of my family tree." He's a pervert, a con man and a paranoid grouch. He's like Louie De Palma on TV's Taxi. Vinnie wrote the bond ensuring that Singh would leave the country when his work visa expired. Now that Singh's missing (along with Boo the Cockapoo), Vinnie's in a tailspin and assigns Stephanie to work with the sexy and mysterious Ranger to find Singh. Ranger, once Special Forces, is Vinnie's top gun. "He has a lot of muscle and a skill level somewhere between Batman and Rambo." Although Stephanie is in a somewhat comfortable relationship with Trenton's hunk-cop Joe Morelli, there's a history with Ranger that makes both Stephanie and Morelli a little edgy. "Ranger sometimes works a tad too far left of the law."
Singh was working at TriBro Tech in quality control. A real computer geek. So, after someone breaks into Steph's apartment and leaves flowers and a threat, she shacks up with Morelli and Bob the dog. Some guy gets shot just inches from Steph, she gets shot with a tranquilizer dart and is getting threatening e-mails. Just part of the job.
Following a lead on Singh, Steph, Lula and Connie head to Las Vegas where they encounter a convention of 1,400 Elvis impersonators and a show featuring a Tom Jones impersonator. Who knew the 2 groups didn't get along? There's also a Cher impersonator (with a beard and mustache). Needless to say, there was an incident. "Lula's a plus-size black woman in a size-seven white world." For readers who know Lula, picture her . . . now picture her on a diet. Connie, the office manager, is "a small, Italian version of Mae West." Imagine this trio in Vegas.
Also, Steph's sister Valerie is 9 months pregnant and living with their parents, her 2 daughters and Grandma Mazur. It's getting pretty crowded. There's been 3 murders and don't forget Morelli's Grandma Belle and her scary visions and evil eye.
I didn't laugh aloud as much as usual, but still enjoyed this 9th book in the Stephanie Plum series. After reading all the others, I'm just totally addicted to the characters.

If you're like me, you approach the latest book by your favorite authors with mixed emotions. Excitement, joy and anticipation are often dampened by the knowledge that when you finish it will be all over for another year, at least. And don't the good ones read too darn fast? Somehow I need to learn to savor but once I get started I just keep soaring through to the end
To the Nines by Janet Evanovich takes the reader on another zany adventure with Stephanie Plum, queen of the bounty hunters, and her wacky entourage of weirdos...that is they are weirdos to anyone who does not live in Trenton, New Jersey. In Trenton it is perfectly normal to see a bail jumper like Punky Balog mooning the entire block from his second story window. That being his most effective way of expressing how he feels about Stephanie trying to apprehend him. And, in Trenton, no one gives a second look at large black woman with a purse full of freshly fried pork chops. After all, Lula is just trying to become a supermodel by losing weight on "this great new diet where you eat meat all day long." Thus begins the ninth book in the Stephanie Plum series and Evanovich keeps up the pace all the way through.
This time out Stephanie has gained some stature in the bounty hunting business and doesn't mess up her captures nearly as much as she used to. Growth, I like that. However, the laughs keep coming and a smile just seems to stay on your face as you read through the book. I like that too. Reading this series is like going to a dysfunctional family reunion as we get to spend plenty of time with Morelli, Ranger, Grandma Mazur and the other wacky people we've come to know and love. I especially like that.
It's easy to get so caught up with the zany characters and merry mayhem which fills the pages of To the Nines that you forget there's a darn good mystery going on which needs to be solved as well. Finding a bond jumper and a psycho stalker leads Stephanie and her companions on a wild chase that takes them to Las Vegas and back with nothing to show for it but another dead body. You may figure out who dunnit but the why will keep you guessing.
Janet Evanovich has done it again. For the ninth time she has written a book that will satisfy her many fans and attract a horde of new ones. Irresistible.

This is a review of the unabridged audio cassette version of To the Nines.
Stephanie is still romping about the Burg with all the familiar friends to support and frustrate her. She still seems to be the reluctant Bounty Hunter who has learned little about her profession, but boy does she attract attention from the bad guy here.
Shockingly, some unknown perp is killing people and threatening our hero! Ranger starts assigning his buddys to protect her, but Steph seems to have a knack of getting her protectors disabled, lost or left behind.
This time the story, as if we care about the plot anyway, is about a visa bailee, a Indian man, Samuel Singh who disappears. I listened to this while driving to Mississippi for a family vacation and there are laugh out laugh moments. Steph, Connie and lula get a little trip to Vegas alone the way. I found this ironic since I was on my way to Biloxi for some blackjack while my kids enjoyed Kids Quest and other amusements.
Valerie is expecting and everyone ends up living at mom and dads house... Valerie and her now 3 children and Kloughn share one bedroom, granny Mazur has a bedroom and mom and dad have one. Dad is using the toilet down at the corner gas station. You can guess where Stephanie is.
Grandma Bella is having her visions and of course they seem to be mixed up. She sees lots of babies and also sees Stephie dead and in the ground. Some reviewers have called this book boring, Huh? Sure the plots are silly, but that is part of the fun.
This book is contained on 5 cassettes. The reader does a great job doing the various voices. My copy had a poorly made tape 4, and yes I cleaned the heads but the last third of side 8 was like listening to something in slow motion. Fortuneately tape 5 was fine for the exciting chase in pitch dark.
I can't believe that Evanovich keeps cranking out these wonderfully funny and entertaining visits to the wacky world of Miss Plum. I now have all 9 on audio and hope that there is a 10th.

My what a pleasure this book was. After being thoroughly dissapointed in the last few in this series I was almost ready to write it off... but J.E. had this one come out 2 days BEFORE my birthday so I figured it was a sign LOL
Anyhoo my review. It was Fantastic!!! and keeping in mind that I was ready to be letdown, you can imagine my elation. First of all Stephanie (IMO) has matured in the relationship department (if I say more than that it will give away to much of the anticipation of seeing who she is with now) Lula is "HELL"-Arious. I found that I was laughing quite a bit, chuckling over the ordeals that Stephanie customarily find herself in. I can always tell when a book is good to me, by how often I am willing to part from it. Everytime I went somewhere I had this book in tow LOL ie; Lunch, Restroom, Browsing Bookstores, Get my hair done, while waiting at the Gas Stations or Restaurants etc.
As someone mentioned before J.E. let go of some of the "staple" incidents with Stephanie and some of the "bizarre" characters that she tends to borrow from previous books are also missing... which I'm happy to say is probably why this one was so good. It was almost like a START UP to the series.
You do get to see Stephanie's family and Joe's family <---- BOY was that a hoot!! their trip to Vegas was hysterical and the hunt for the killer was kind of non-climatic in the end, instead of the Cars getting demolished throughout the book you get Rangers Army of Mighty Men having their very own mishaps while shadowing Stephanie.
I say if you like this series it is worth the price for the Hardcover... I know a lot of my friends have started just waiting for the paperbacks to be released cuz they didn't feel it was worth it. Not so with this one.
Respectfully Reviewed

This episode, we see Steph in hot water again, trying to track a missing FTE. When the FTE turns up dead, Steph becomes the unwitting target of a serial killer. Can Steph survive, despite the fact that she's the most inept bounty hunter on the planet?
I'm a big fan of the Stephanie Plum series. What I like about this series is the character of Stephanie and her relationship to Morelli and Ranger. I'm also a big Ranger fan (sorry Joe), but part of me thinks this love triangle is getting stale. The triangle only really works, when there is some doubt about the outcome. Steph has been with Joe for several books now. Time to end the flirting, or move forward with the relationship. (Although I DO think that settling Steph with either guy will be the 'kiss of death' to this series).
The Good:
I love Lula. Its great to see more of her. AND I'm SO glad that Evanovich dropped the 'blown up car gag,' that was getting very old. The addition of the bodyguards was rather funny. Getting out of the "Burg" was good as well. I also loved seeing Ranger. Yum.
The Bad:
Grandma Bella. Who cares? The baby predictions got tiresome after a while. Second: Stephanie's ineptness. Just once, I'd like her to get a bit tougher. For goodness sake, this is book nine and she's still a complete wimp. I'm beginning to think Evanovich cannot write tough heroines. Why is it that only the men are competant and the women helpless ninnies? Please girl, time to choose another profession if you keep your gun in your cookie jar. Finally: I am a bit tired of serial killers. I hate to say it, but the last one was bad enough. Lets have some sane villains please.
Overall, a fun, fast romp but nothing that we haven't seen before.

Stephanie Plum just keeps getting better. We now catch her getting all slick with Vaseline and chasing a lead to Las Vegas, while the people she talks to are dying. Ranger would accompany her except he's having a disagreement with the State of Nevada over weapon's violation charges. A girl can't go to Vegas alone (I think there is a state law outlawing such behavior) so Stephanie takes Lula and Connie.
Another round of hilarious humor is delivered in this refreshing story. (No cars get blown up, can you believe it???) I literally had to set the book down numerous times, because I was laughing so hard I started crying. There is just something about Lula and Stephanie that tickles the funny bone. Lula plays a stronger role in this installment, while our regular cast of crazies take a backseat. It seems other readers have complained that Grandma Mazur wasn't showing her usual antics. However, I enjoyed the break. This book is full of things outside the typical Plum formula but it kept me interested. Getting to know Joe's family was a pleasant surprise.
Joe and Ranger are around to help protect Stephanie. Joe is in a lot of scenes but seems more subdued this time around. It's almost like Stephanie has broken him in and he is immune to her antics. He moves Stephanie in for protection since she is involved in something they can't quite figure out. Ranger is still in the picture and works with Joe (in shifts) to protect her. It's quite a good thing going for Stephanie (and us) to watch her the situation with her two protectors.
My only complaint is Stephanie REALLY needs to visit the Batcave (hopefully for an extended period of time but I'll take what I can get)!!!!

I must first explain that this is my first Evanovich novel, so I had no expectations! I did like the fact that the book was a quick and easy read, and I didn't really have to think. The story was interesting and evolved into more than I initially anticipated. And there were frankly parts of the story where I laughed out loud (hint: dinner scene and conversation between future brother-in-law and grandmother).

Stepahnie Plum is a sassy bounty hunter who is trying desperately to locate Samuel Singh, a computer nerd who has skipped bail for her Boss, who fears that he will lose everything if he doesn't get him back. Following several clues and having many misadventures, a seemingly simple case has evolved into one that involved serial killings and a game, where Stephanie may be the ultimate prize. There are a host of very interesting characters, from Stephanie's pregnant sister Valarie (who refuses to marry the father of her baby); her elderly grandmother (who is overly concerned with her hair); her present boyfriend (Joe Morelli, who is a cop and who swears she will be the death of him); her partners, Ranger (ex-special forces/scary guy/hot ex-lover), and Lula (overweight ex-prostitute whose ultimate goal is to have the body of a supermodel by eating only meat); Vinnie (her cousin and Boss); and a very unstable killer.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel and probably would read another installment so that I could find out what ever becomes of the love triangle between Plum, Morelli and Ranger.

There are few authors who continue to provide strong plots and great, long lasting characters after their first few novels. Fortunately for fans, Janet Evanovich knows how to deliver. Stephanie Plum, Jersey's wild and outrageous bounty hunter returns in the ninth novel of the series strong as ever. Once again Stephanie partners with Ranger, the secretive and sexual bounty hunter superstar to find Samuel Singh. Singh has disappeared and the chase to find him lands Stephanie in the middle of a dangerous and sinister game. With bodies piling up and startling e-mails appearing on her computer, Stephanie is caught between two protective men in her life. Ranger sends his mysteriously, muscle clad men to protect her while she seeks refuge in the home of Trenton cop Joe Morelli, also her current boyfriend. On top of everything crazy that makes up her life, her sister Valerie is ready to deliver a baby and Stephanie can not get her own biological clock to stop ticking. To the Nines take Stephanie, LuLu and Connie from Jersey to Vegas and back again in this spectacular book. Janet Evanovich's writing will leave your stomach muscles tightened from laughing out loud and you will find yourself panting and flushed from the sensual encounters between the two leading men. On top of that, you will enjoy a suspenseful mystery that will keep the pages turning and the night-light on. High praises for To the Nines.
Valerie Jones
[email protected]

We've read all the author's books about Trenton-based bounty hunter Plum, and had feared we were tired of them when in "Seven" and "Eight" the stories seemed weak and the humor forced. "Nines" corrects that with a real pleaser � plenty of natural humor, an almost gripping plot putting Steph in real danger, and lots of sexual tension with Ranger and Morelli. The other regulars -- Bob the dog, Grandma Mazur, Vinny, the parents, sister Valerie (and father-to-be Kloughn) � especially fellow "helper" Lulu, whose dieting efforts in the story were outrageously funny, contributed to the good humor we had come to expect from the earlier books. After an opening scene in which Stephanie captures a greased up "skipper", her hunt for a fellow named Singh, secured by a visa bond (something we learned about in ths book), caught her and Ranger in a gruesome computer fantasy game gone bad: where the losers not merely failed to proceed in the game but got killed for their sub-par efforts. Soon enough, Plum herself becomes the prize in this game of hunt or be hunted. While this series is not particularly designed to create suspense, this one rated up there close to the serial killer novels of John Sandford. Evanovich even managed to work in some subtle relationship and trust commentary regarding close colleagues of the opposite gender, involving separately both Steph and her current roommate Morelli.
So -- not just a good beach book, but Plum back in her finest with an honest to goodness whodunit, with the crazy funny cast of supporting characters all in good form. Enjoy!

Here's the scenario, folks.
At this writing, I'm recovering from surgery where they took a metal plate and four screws out of my left arm (I broke it a year ago and this is the last procedure, thankfully). When I started reading this book I was feeling a bit sick, and tired out from the pain medication I was taking. This is the first Evanovich book I've read, so I wasn't sure what I was in for.
I laughed out loud two or three times within the first page. The humor is natural, not at all contrived, and is a hilarious-but-true view of what it's like to be a young, single woman in an albeit unusual occupation. It's impossible for me not to idetify with Stephanie Plum; she's smart but does not have an IQ of 210, she hassles with having to pay her bills, and while she likes dressing in a very feminine manner, she still carries tennis shoes in her shoulder bag should her "strappy" shoes fail her.
This book is a genuine mystery -- she's being stalked in New Jersey and it doesn't let up even in Las Vegas. It will keep you guessing as all good mysteries do.
Her female cohorts are equally hilarious --especially the rotund Lula, who is on a diet strangely (VERY strangely) resembling Dr. Atkins'plan, although I seriously doubt that Dr. Atkins would recognize it.
The humor is great, the story is page turning -- and even though it hasn't taken away my after-surgery pain, it has given me a lot of wonderful laughs.
In fact, if "laughter is medicine," this one is a pharmacy!

I adored the first four Stephanie Plum novels. Janet Evanovich's heroine was funny, plucky, and without a doubt the worst bounty-hunter who ever crossed the Delaware River. I absolutely loved the idea of a solidly working-class character who was reasonably smart but still incompetent. Stephanie not only can't bring in her bail jumpers, she can't even get through a novel without having several cars explode.
The next four novels, however, seemed to be running on the first four's momentum. There are only so many times one can laugh at a sex-starved grandma who enjoys opening coffins at the funeral home. The feud with Joyce was getting tiresome, too. Stephanie's shtick was wearing.
In _To the Nines_, Evanovich learned to drop what needed dropping yet keep what made Stephanie such fun to hang out with. Colleague Lula is trying yet another ridiculous diet, her family is coming apart at the seems as sister Valerie is about to deliver a baby out of wedlock, and the tension between Joe Morelli and the mysterious Ranger is cranked up as both trade off serving as Stephanie's bodyguards. And I'm thrilled with what Evanovich came up with to replace the ruined cars Stephanie used to go through.
A fun read, with a thrilling chase scene at the end. While figuring out who the bad guy is was easier than usual, the strong characterizations and interesting plot turns make up for it. If you've gotten tired of this series, come back To The Nines.

Stephanie Plum is a bounty hunter, and she is on yet another hunt down for a computer geek by the name of Samuel Singh. He's dissapeared on a visa bond, and Vinnie and Singh's employer don't want to lose their money by losing him. And oddly enough, he's taken the dog, Boo, who belongs to Nonnie and Mrs. Apusenja, who had rented to a room Singh.

Someone is aware that Stephanie is looking for Singh, and has begun sending her red roses and white carnations with unpleasant messages on them. The stalker has started a game of Cat and Mouse, dangling the fear of death in front of Stephanie as he begins killing off people with leads to Singh.

In addition to being followed by a maniac, Stephanie's sister Valerie is pregnant, and the house is already ripping apart at its seams with people! And now Stephanie has to be constantly followed by bodygaurds, as the killer has started attacking her a dangerous number of times. The case takes a massive turn, and the whole thing ends up being a game of death among many other victims.

---

I'd tell you more, but that would give away the whole book ;) This one has been my favorite! The ending was so unexpected and so unusual! It made for a really interesting book! The plot was much different from a typical Janet Evanovich plot.

Unlike the last few books, in my opinion, the action had started within just a few chapters. When I say action here, I mean you can't but this book down! You'll be so incredibly anxious to see what happens next! The novel still has a slight laugh factor for the sarcastic humor, but this one is all about the action!

I enjoyed this book perhaps a little more than the other ones. It definitely had a little more excitement to it-that's for sure.

This time, cousin Vinnie, Stephanie's boss, gives her an assignment that is not only tough-but very dangerous. She has to capture Singh, who violated his visa bond and disappears. She tracks him down as being in Vegas, so good old Lula, the tough former prostitute, and Connie, the office manager, go along with her and find out after they've arrived of course, that Singh is dead. There is more danger lurking in the background, and Stephanie is definitely being stalked. The stalker has to be someone from TriBro, Singh's old workplace. There was trouble there, and that's where this whole charade began. The only thing is, which guy is after Steph? Is it Bart, or Clyde? Someone is leaving Steph deadly notes along with carnations telling her she better watch out. Ranger and Morelli, Stephanie's two loves are watching out for her, but may not be able to keep her safe all the time, (they don't).

And there is always the eccentric Grandma Mazur, goofy as ever. Then along with that on the homefront, Stephanie's sister Valerie is expecting a baby and is not yet married. Her parents have a houseful and are ready to go out of their mind. So in the last part of the story, Stephanie has them all move in to her tiny apartment together before the family hates each other.

Not a boring moment in this book. Very hard to lay it down!

I don't think there is the need to add any more regarding the contents of this book, because the other reviewers have already done a great job there.
The combo-pack of Steph and Lula is really a disaster waiting to happen. Besides trying to apprehend Samuel Singh and Steph's being hunted by the Carnation Killer/The Web Master they fight their way through Lula's membership with "FatBusters", Lula's new supermodel diet which might give her carnivore incisors, Steph's new haircut ("cute" or looking like Ron King, depending on how you look at it), not-so-saintlike-anymore Valerie working her way through umpteenth layers of food (having gained 70 punds during pregnancy), Grandma Bella's Italian Voodoo (her giving the eye to people) and Lula living in a size-seven white world despite of being a plus-size black woman.
I would have loved to see Lula's "King Kong thong" (nope, I am not going to give away the scene but it is on p.145) Would also have loved to see Steph in her state of "euphoric slobbering contentment" (p. 218) or Steph's "hair disaster of biblical proportions" (p.224).
Steph doesn't wreck cars in this book, but causes havoc among Ranger's "Merry Men" (one broken leg, one concussion and one smashed hand). Neither does Grandma Mazur pay respects at Stiva's (but has a nice spikey hairdo...hehehe).
However, Grandma Mazur still lusts after Ranger (just like every other female on the Plum-planet), the situation in her parents' house is getting even worse (with the new baby being born and Albert Kloughn moving in as well) and Steph is even thinking about having a baby.
It was good to have a little less of Grandma Mazur's antics and more of Lula's histrionics of a "retired 'ho'".
Steph's adventures may not be the most thrilling around, but they are definitely the funniest:
This book is hilariously funny from page one right to the very end. I couldn't put it down and kept chuckling right through (e.g. "genuine fake tiger", Lula in regard to her tee, p. 7), because I knew the next Plum-disaster was right around the corner and I wasn't disappointed.
Reading this book is like visiting with old and dear friends who become dearer each time you meet them.
Neither can I wait for book No. 10 in this series nor can I wait for the screen adaption!
Mrs. Evanovich got me hooked!
Result: Definitely 5 stars!

I know I am biased because I've been a Janet/Stephanie fan since book two, and I spent the first 27 years of my life in Trenton. Janet got the people right, the place right, and by now her characters are real to me. The first two books of the series, and the past two before this one, had some weak spots, but not fatal ones. This effort is really, really funny, especially Lula's efforts to master the Atkins diet. If you are already a fan, this one is worth buying in hardcover rather than waiting for your turn on the library list. If you are a beginner, I think you ought to get the whole series in paperback and then buy this one. You can read a Plum novel in one night if you have a few hours to spare, and easily in a week even if you are a "busy person." They are comic, suspenseful, sexy and just plain nuts by turns. Steph has pluck, attitude, street smarts and a good heart, but seldom has good luck. Two cool men lust for her, a dog adores her, and somehow she always survives but never thrives. One novel follows the previous one with very little time passed inbetween. Through nine books, probably only a year or so has gone by in the lives of the characters. Yet there is growth and change visible among many of her friends and family. This is not deathless "literature"---these short books are just great fun. Worth the money, worth the time.

This was a very eagerly-awaited book for me - I have vastly enjoyed the Stephanie Plum series and was interested to see where Janet Evanovich could further take her characters.

It is a good book but perhaps not quite at the same level as the earlier ones. The crime aspect of the book is still good - cleverly plotted, it's not obvious who the 'baddie' is, but the relationship side between Stephanie, Morelli and Ranger was less satisfying this time. It's never quite made clear why Morelli and Ranger are so keen on Stephanie when she's such a walking disaster area!

The synopsis provided on the store (and elsewhere) is actually incorrect - Sally Sweet doesn't appear in this book. There are less of the usual crowd of new odd characters in this instalment - Evanovich makes more use of the existing characters like Lula, Connie Rosolli, Tank etc.

All in all I would say it's a great read and very amusing as always, but Evanovich may have written Stephanie into rather a corner with Morelli and Ranger. If she's with Morelli she can't be with Ranger and still be respected by us, so we have to make do with smouldering looks (from Ranger) and the thoughts of what could be... were Stephanie not with Morelli.

Read and enjoy!

To be honest, I was afraid to read the latest Stephanie Plum novel, 'To the Nines', because I wasn't very impressed with the previous Plum installment 'Visions of Sugar Plums' - plus, when I read 'Hard Eight' last year, I thought I might be growing out of my Stephanie Plum phase. But having been a huge supporter of this series, there was no way I was going to pass up reading this latest one - whether I got disappointed or not. Well, I was not disappointed. In fact, I started reading the book today, and finished it just a couple of minutes ago, and I couldn't have been more pleased. I couldn't put the book down until I finished it.
It starts off with its signature humor and slapstick apprehensions, and only gets better from there. This time around, Stephanie's job is to track a missing guy who skipped bail. Nothing new about that. Only this time, it leads her to Las Vegas - momentarily. This is because she soon realizes there's a lot more to this case than she thought, and she finds herself in danger once again. Yeah, nothing new there either. However, I found this installment to be more suspenseful than most of the others, and more enjoyable than 'Seven Up' and 'Hard Eight'. This one has totally renewed my faith in the series. Now, if we can only get Janet Evanovich to write more than just one of these a year.
'To the Nines' was a fast and easy read - the perfect "beach book". It hooks you on the first page and doesn't let you go until page 312. Everyone's favorite characters are still here: Morelli and Ranger are still as hot and sexy as ever; Grandma Mazure is still as crazy as ever; Lula is still as hungry as ever; and Stephanie is still just as terrible at bounty hunting as she was in 'One for the Money'. If you've read all the other books in the series, well then you are most likely going to read 'To the Nines'. If you haven't, it can be read as a stand-alone (Evanovich is good at summarizing everything in the beginning, in case any first-timers are reading), but it is way more fun when you've been following these characters since book one. Either way, it's a great book (the best one I've read in quite a while). Just be prepared to postpone everything in your life until you're done.

Only Stephanie Plum can cause me to laugh out loud-in public-while reading. And it happened again with "To the Nines," a typical Plum adventure that's heavy on Lula (yes, a pun) but a tad too light on Grandma Mazur.
No problem, though...there's plenty here to satisfy all Plum fans, as Stephanie and crew try to track down a missing foreign student whose expired Visa had been underwritten by none other than Vinnie's bail bond outfit. Now Vinnie's in real trouble, and even romance with a duck won't cheer him up. Can Stephanie find the culprit in time? Will Lula's diet (yes, a diet!) of meat products cause the desired effect? Will Stephanie's hugely pregnant sister Valerie stop shoveling down the food in time to give birth? And what of her swain, the eager-to-please Albert Klough (pronounced "Clown," as we know from a previous book)?
And then, of course, there's the ultra sexy gorgeous Morelli...whose grandmother with the evil eye is really scary in this book...and the equally sexy Ranger, leaving Stephanie as usual in a perpetual state of unrest. I won't reveal any more plot except to say that Stephanie's Jersey Girl hair undergoes a terrible transformation. I can say no more! Definitely a great addition to the series. Read it, or suffer the Morelli curse!

Stephanie Plum always gets her man. Well usually. Nearly always anyway. And sometimes she even knows why she has him.
I've enjoyed every book in this series, despite the fact that it has a gimmicky naming convention I would usually find off-putting. The protagonist is Stephanie Plum, a Jersey girl and bounty hunter employed by her cousin Vinnie. Her main job skill is persistence, and an uncanny ability to attract the attention of wackos and murderers wherever she goes. To The Nines is no exception, as what starts off as a simple hunt for a foreign computer geek who skipped out on his visa bond evolves into a cat and mouse game between Stephanie and an unknown assailant determined to do something unknown to her.
One of the endearing characteristics of these books is that Stephanie very rarely understands what her real problem is until it's solved, and sometimes not even then. The plot here twists back and forth, and sometimes pauses while Ranger and Morelli, the two very macho love interests, duel for position in Stephanie's heart and bed. The resolution is entertaining as always, even if hard core fans of the series will be slightly disappointed by the survival of Stephanie's car through the entire book. Highly recommended!

It always starts out simple, but never stays that way long. When cousin Vinnie branches out to include visa bonds in his bail bonds business, it looked like good pr, until the resident alien in question skipped out on the bond, leaving Plum Bonds out a fee and with egg on its face. One meeting with his future mother in law is enough to reveal why he might have skipped, but even with such a good reason, Stephanie still has to find and bring him and the dog he kidnapped home. Her search is rather fruitless until she gets a tip that sends her, Connie, and the now dieting Lula to Vegas where the trail literally dead ends with the skip found shot. They do find the dog alive. That does not end the case though. Someone targets Stephanie as the next prize in a deadly game, prompting Ranger and Joe to set aside their rivalry to protect the woman they both care about. In the middle of all this, Steph's sister gives birth, which proves very messy for one of the bodyguards.
**** With the perfect mix of laughs and chills, readers once again get to share the fun of a Plum mystery. If you want a good time, then picking up To the Nines is a no brainer. ****
Amanda Killgore for Huntress Reviews.

"In a race against time that takes her from the Jersey Turnpike to the Las Vegas Strip, Stephanie Plum is on the case of her life. The unforgettable characters, nonstop action, high-stakes suspense, and sheer entertainment of To the Nines define Janet Evanovich as unique among today's writers."
This was the first novel by Janet Evanovich that I have tried. I chose the Unabridged Audio Cassette version narrated by C. J. Critt. Ms. Critt did an excellent job with the various voices throughout the novel. I certainly don't know how she remembers the voices for each character.
From the beginning when Stephanie is trying to bring in a little fat bail jumper who has completely greased himself up with Vaseline, this book gets you laughing and giggling. Not to mention the antics of Lula, the overweight ex-hooker who also works for Vinnie and sometimes partners with Stephanie. The voices Ms. Critt uses to portray the characters only add to their personalities.
Unfortunately, the plot in this novel is drawn out to much and it is the spurts of comedy that keep the unabridged version of this novel going between events. Perhaps if this were the abridged version I would feel differently.
Ms. Evanovich did a great job of fooling me with the plot (even with it taking a while to develop) of this novel. With Samual Singh working for a company that makes parts for slot machines, I was expecting something completely different.
Don't let my negativity stop you from getting this book as it wasn't bad. I just couldn't find it in me to rate it more then average. Will I read or listen to other books by Ms. Evanovich? Yes. I never just read or listen to one book by an author. After all, everyone needs a second chance, and besides, my wife is currently reading One for the Money which I believe is the first Stephanie Plum novel by Ms. Evanovich and she tells me that it is excellent.
Ms. Evanovich has won the Silver Dagger award and truly she can be compared with other winners of this award such as Patricia Daniels Cornwell, Eric Ambler and James Lee Burke. I don't know if they have ever won the Silver Dagger, but I would also like to compare Ms. Evanovich to Tess Gerritson and Margaret Truman.

The Stephanie Plum novels are not so much about the mystery as they are about the crazy characters who cavort across the pages of these delightful books. Janet Evanovich is back with all of our favorites and they get themselves into some very interesting situations. Stephanie's boss, her cousin Vinnie, is in trouble because of the disappearance of Samuel Singh, an illegal immigrant for whom Vinnie has posted bail. Vinnie assigns Stephanie the job of finding and apprehending Singh, which becomes even more fun when the trail leads to Las Vegas where Stephanie is accompanied by her pals Lula and Connie. Dead bodies begin to accumulate and it is assumed that the killer is the same person since each murder is accompanied by flowers. Stephanie receives threats and it appears that she is the next one on the killer's list. My favorite character is Lula and she is at her best as she goes on a high-protein diet in her quest to be a supermodel. Never mind that her idea of a diet is 7 cheeseburgers (without the bun) or a half-dozen pork chops at one sitting. The girls stir up some big trouble in Las Vegas, and this book lives up to its predecessors on the laughter scale. Enjoy!

Rating this book was VERY difficult (for reasons which will be explained below). I really did not feel it rated a 4 on its own merit but, because I have been such a huge fan of the series, I gave it a higher score.

I have been a fan of the Stephanie Plum series from book #1 and have read 9 of the 10 (in order) and enjoyed them all to varying degrees. But I must say that I think this series is starting to falter. That's not to say it's not still funny. In "To the Nines" in particular, Lula's "all meat" diet and especially the scene in Vegas at the Tom Jones show had me ROLLING. However, a few funny scenes does not a story make.

I'm getting really tired of Stephanie being the victim, screwing up over and OVER again (doesn't she learn ANYTHING from her mistakes?) and constantly needing a white knight (namely Morelli, Ranger or one of the Merry Men) to ride in and rescue her. What kind of image is this for women???

Maybe it's just me and I'm getting tired of the series, but I am just not finding the same level of "I HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK NOW!" excitement with #9 that I had earlier in the series.

I'm reading the Plum books in order and usually give 4 stars, but I really liked this one. I felt that Morelli and Ranger were more 3 dimensional in this one. I liked the dynamics of the relationships here. I still think Stephanie is an idiot more often than not, but at least she's a likable idiot. As far as the mystery goes, I had it figured from the start, but there were some interesting meanderings before getting to the point. This is my escapist entertainment, and this one REALLY entertained. I couldn't put it down.

I'm giving 4 stars because of my very fond attachment to Stephanie Plum and her cohorts. As several other reviewers noted, most of the antics/feelings/situations in this 9th installment are getting too repetitous and tedious, but we love Steph so we will, in fact, continue reading the entire series, for as long as it may last. Whether we actually buy the book(s) or check them out of the library is the question though.
I did laugh out loud with this one (something that was lacking in 8), and Lula is really developing into my favorite character! The Las Vegas "thong" scene was hilarious! Joe is beginning to sound like a long-suffering 'husband', and Ranger honestly needs to get a real girlfriend - he's too virile to be second-choice in any more installments.
One for the Money was absolutely superb and got me hooked. A quick, entertaining read, an absorbing mystery, comical as hell, and the main character endeared herself to us right off the bat. To the Nines was adequate, but not superb. Please Ms. Evanovich - give us something to get excited about in the next installments!

What a tour de force from Janet Evanovich! To the Nines is so deftly executed. This series just keeps getting stronger and this installment has lots to recommend it.
In To the Nines Stephanie, Lula, and Connie fly to Las Vegas to kick some fugitive butt. The best part about the Vegas trip is that it doesn't forestall Stephanie's significant relationships, but is a mini-break in the book and gives Lula a chance to live large(r than usual.) Morelli and Ranger are present through at least three-fourths of the book to watch Stephanie's back in Jersey, engage her in wittily suggestive and affectionate repartee, loan cars, and provide bodyguard service. Rounding out the cast of characters are Morelli's mother and Grandma Bella, who more then compensate for a lack of funerals. Also included are healthy servings of Stephanie's family (with the expectant Valerie, kids, and Albert Kloughn) during dinnertimes.
Clean writing, setting-appropriate dialogue, not to mention Stephanie's quality time with Morelli and some with Ranger make this book one of the best of the series. Five stars!

One of my favorite things about the writing of Janet Evanovich is that the reader is to expect the unexpected. If it's bound to be hilarious, then you'll find it in one of her stories. Can you imagine a guy who has jumped bond apprehended nude and coated in Vaseline? Go one step more and imagine Stephanie Plum and Lula wrestling said nude fugitive to get him in the car and to the police station. Yep, when this was the opening scene in TO THE NINES, I knew it was going to be a great journey!

This story line focuses on a man who has fled a Visa bond (a new thing that is available and Cousin Vinnie sees dollar signs with this additional bond type). Samuel Singh is an immigrant who has skipped just before his immigration papers expire and he is to be sent back to his homeland. Stephanie has to find him and fast - Vinnie doesn't want the negative publicity. Once Stephanie meets the fiancée and her mother, she begins to think the disappearance is warranted. The soon to be mother-in-law is rude and obnoxious - calling Stephanie a variety of colorful terms none of which are nice. Stephanie's journey leads her to Singh's last employer, a company who deals with slot machines owned by three brothers who are each a bit on the weird side. And finally, Stephanie soon uncovers a deadly role playing game, where killing your opponents advances you to the next round in which Singh may or may not have been involved.

The slot machine angle leads Stephanie and group on a trip to Las Vegas. Imaging the mischief they can get into was part of the fun, but Evanovich didn't disappoint us and had the mayhem in full swing in Nevada! There was so much mayhem that Lula had to drive back to New Jersey and Connie had to take a later plane to see if she really did get married while intoxicated. Yep, fun abounds with this group!

Character development is Evanovich's strong suit. I love these characters! I enjoy catching up with Lula, an ex-ho turned file clerk for Vinnie's Bails Bonds office. Her super-sized remarks and outfits are enough to invoke a few chuckles. Joe Morelli is still around schmoozing Stephanie in their on again, off again relationship. Waiting in the wings is Ranger, the bad guy with the mysterious past and present - seems no one knows a lot about the guy, only that he's built and sexy. We also see Grandma Mazur (one of my favorites) who goes along with Stephanie and thinks she's young again. Heck, she's probably younger acting than most adults!

Evanovich is definitely quick witted and sarcastic enough to be comical. Who else would have the villain shooting sleep inducing darts at Stephanie one minute and sending flowers the next. Interesting doesn't begin to describe this plot line.

TO THE NINES has a bit of everything for everyone. There's the hot romantic aspect of Stephanie and Joe, the lust aspect of Stephanie and Ranger, and the craziness of a family who would rather pretend they are normal! It's the best series to come along in a very long time!

I have enjoyed this series but this is by far my favorite Plum adventure yet. Stephanie is a good bounty hunter by accident and always gets her capture, even if it lands her in a heap of trouble. Her family reminds me of my own which just makes things that much better for me as a reader. Her sister and her problems, her mom worrying about her safety, a dad who practically tries to ignore the craziness and of course Grandma Mazur who is always interesting. Then of course their is her love life, Joe and Ranger. Joe whom loves her and wants to marry her and his true Italian family. Then Ranger who is mysterious but not the marrying kind.

This adventure lands her, Lulu, and Connie in Vegas. They find out their man is dead, dog nap a dog, cause all kinds of havoc at the airport and find out they were followed by the killer. Joe is concerned of course because he is Trenton and Stephanie is in Vegas for a time period. Connie isn't sure she didn't marry Elvis and Lulu... well thinks Vegas is a retired ho's dream. Stephanie gets caught in a web of interesting characters and situations in this book.

This is a must read and you don't have to read the book series in order to understand what is happening, that is the best part to me.

'To the Nines' was a real treat for this Stephanie Plum fan! Evanovich has written another funny, entertaining adventure for our girl Stephanie.
The characters that we have loved in previous books are here including the whole crazy Plum household and there is about to be an addition to the family (maybe two).
Lulu and Connie (Vinnie's bail bond office manager) accompany Stephanie to Las Vegas when Stephanie is sent west to track down a very high profile bond jumper that Vinnie can't afford to lose.
Stephanie has always been better than average at discovering dead bodies, but there is an even larger than normal body count as a madman (or woman) stalks Stephanie and sends along pictures of murder victims to terrify Stephanie even further.
It's a tightly plotted mystery and a couple of notches more intense than Evanovich has given us in the last few outings. Evanovich still finds plenty of opportunities to inject humor to lighten the mood. When you have Plum telling the story and the usual cast of friends and family that Stephanie is saddled with, there is never a lack of weird, goofy and downright bizarre happenings.
I literally could NOT put the book down until it was finished. So the lights at the Abbott's were on until around 4 a.m. and I went to sleep with a grin on my face.
Now I'm just waiting for the first of the double digits! Thanks, Ms. Evanovich! Keep 'em coming!

After putting out four duds (two of which were Stephanie Plums), Janet proves that she remembers how to write a good book. This isn't as great as "One for the Money," but it shows that perhaps the author can return to that level.
In this book Stephanie actually improves in her job -- hooray! She's not teetering on the edge of bankruptcy (which she'd better steer clear of if she follows through on these baby wishes!), and her friends aren't ALL over-the-top stereotypes. We get yet another new <yawn> way to bond someone (like Eight), and another attempt to show cutting-edge geek hobbies -- something that has never quite worked in the series.
But the humor is still there, as are the wacky (but not too wacky; I think one more person in the book had to operate at Lula levels for the lunacy to really work) secondary characters. THANK YOU for omitting the now-tired car gag and for coming up with an original new gag!
Fingers firmly crossed after reading this book, I can now hope that Ten will have Stephanie continuing to improve her professional image, will ease Stephanie out of her "straight man" role into at least a couple of scenes in which she's the center of the joke, will have at least a chapter's worth of steamy Ranger sex (we were cheated in Eight!) while continuing the Morelli situation, and will return to a solid, terrifying "ordinary" whodunit plot like One had. I look forward to it!

If you are a fan of Stephanie Plum then you just have to read this book. You can't get all the way to eight and just stop! I gave this book four stars because it was really, really good, but not Janet's best work. I have to agree with another reviewer...I was really disappointed with Visions of Sugar Plums, so I hope there's better stuff to come.
The story has the same Plum humor and the same great characters, but focuses a more on the love triangle of Ranger, Morelli, and Stephanie. I don't know who to root for! A search for a runaway bond takes Stepahnie, Lula, and Connie to Las Vegas. So different being out of Trenton! Lula is hilarious in this story and you learn more about Connie, but there wasn't enough of Grandma Mazur for me. That lady cracks me up.
This book was a tiny bit predictable. Normally there's a twist or something that makes your mind wander, but this one focuses on the the "killer" too much and you can figure it out. That's the only bad thing about the story. Otherwise, it's good 'ole Plum. Definitely read it!

I was expecting this book, being the ninth in the series, to lose a bit of steam, to go less funny, less gripping but it didn't. It's down to a great author to keep us interested an Evanovich has done just that. This book, like all before, had me splitting my sides with laughter.
It's the usual stuff, Stephanie has to find a skip (someone who has violated their bond order) as well as manage her love life and deal with the (Seemingly) the whole neighbourhood breaking into her apartment. So the story, Stephanie has to find an Indian guy who skips his immigration bond, while on the case she gets caught up in a complex internet game of cat and mouse (I think the author had the internet idea as a way to plug IBM's new Ibook). The story takes Stephanie and her entourage to Las Vegas in search of the missing Asian guy and well the rest you have to read. Throughout the book you get the many doses of laughter you expect from a Stephanie Plum novel and more, its a great book.
4 Stars.

TO THE NINES is another mystery adventure in the fast-paced life of Stephanie Plum, Bounty Hunter. In this story, Stephanie is living with the love of her life, Joe Morelli, but still flirting with the mysterious Ranger. Stephanie can't quite make the marriage commitment yet, but does not want to give up Morelli.
Stephanie and her co-workers, Lula and Connie take a trip to Las Vegas where they are seeking Samuel Singh, an Indian man who is in violation of his bond. They meet Elvis impersonators one evening and the next day Connie shows up with a picture of herself married to one, but she can't even remember the ceremony. Lula is on a protein diet and carries pork chops and bacon around in her purse. Dogs follow her everywhere. These Stephanie Plum stories are completely outrageous and funny.
The dark side of the book is the mystery man who sends Stephanie flowers as he constantly threatens to kill her. As usual, Stephanie's life is one wild and crazy ride.

I've been hooked on the Stephanie Plum series ever since my mother gave me copies of "One for the Money" and "Two for the Dough." But "To the Nines," when compared to the previous eight books in the series, just didn't quite have that swing.

The difficulties of keeping a series fresh and interesting are understandable, and with ten books in the Plum series (and an eleventh on the way), Janet Evanovich has got to be itching to take a break. And considering she's continuing this series while simultaneously pursuing other projects ("Metro Girl," the "Full" series), writing about Stephanie Plum has got to seem like a job to her at this point. The problem is, it's showing in her writing. Much of the humor in "To the Nines" seemed forced and there was a rushed quality to the writing, like Evanovich was trying to crank this out by a certain deadline. However, "Nines" did have its moments. I particularly enjoyed the chapter in which Stephanie's self-appointed sidekick Lula disrupts a Vegas performance of a Tom Jones impersonator.

Evanovich deserves her props for keeping the Plum series entertaining and fun for eight books, at least. But perhaps it's time Janet slow down, take a long break, relax a little bit, and recharge her creative engines. Readers will wait. We promise.

I marvel at Evanovich's achievement: A collection of characters and dynamics that are stable enough to make us comfortable, and variable enough to keep us entertained. Stephanie lovers (like me!) will find this to be an entirely acceptable instalment in the series. She doesn't blow up any cars or make it to Stiva's this time, but there is plenty of Ranger, Morelli, and a little more Connie than usual.

This incarnation had several good laughs, which I think I appreciate more than ever these days.

I'm issuing five stars because it is exactly what it is supposed to be: a dumb serial that made me laugh some and turn pages and get interested in another world for a while. If you're seeking fine literature, you can look elsewhere, but if you're looking for a good Stephanie Plum tale, you will find it here.

TO THE NINES by Janet Evanovich

September 24, 2005

the store rating 4/5

For those who love this series, here's yet another fun filled adventure with Stephanie Plum and the gang. In this novel, Stephanie's bounty hunter job is to locate a missing man, Samuel Singh, who disappeared unexpectedly. He was engaged to his landlady's daughter, who he lived with in their home where he was renting a room. Mrs. Apusenjah and her daughter Nonnie are very upset. Not only was he engaged to Nonnie, but he also stole her dog Boo.

Stephanie's involved because Singh had jumped his visa bond, and this is bad publicity for her boss, Cousin Vinnie. So, she's now on the trail of Samuel Singh, which takes her and her "partner" Lula the ex-hooker to Vegas, and while Stephanie thought this was going to be an easy case, it turns out to be quite the opposite. There's a mystery that involves the missing Singh, which puts Stephanie's life in danger. Morelli and Ranger are both there to help her out, but she still manages to get herself into a lot of trouble, a life and death situation.

I didn't find this as funny as the previous installments, but it was still amusing and fun to read just the same. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series, TEN BIG Ones.

Always enjoy the ditzy Stephanie and her fumbling, very humorous "bounty hunting" This time she was the hunted and it made for interesting reading, the ever present Lula (except when she's away with Boo) and her food fads are always good for hilarity!
The sexy Ranger was also very present in this story, but the Italian Stallion won out because Steph was actually living with him - how lucky can a man get.
Janet wrote one of her better stories with this one - thoroughly enjoyed it! The cast of characters from mother, to sister to Grandma are a really funny bunch - love them.

I am a recent convert to Janet Evanovich and read her previous 8 Stephanie Plum books in a span of about 4 months. Even though they were a scream and Stephanie and her budies never failed to amuse, I thought the last couple of books started to get a little trite. But with To the Nines, Janet AND Stephanie are at their peaks! Of course, we have the usual zany cast of characters including Stephanie, LuLu, Connie, Vinnie, Joe Morelli, Ranger, Grandmom Mazur and the rest. Add to that a very pregnant sister, a crazy webmaster, a trip to Las Vegas, a guy on a visa bond who vanishes, the usual love triangle, a fluffy dog and lots of dead bodies, and you have Evanovich at her best. I usually read mysteries because I find them interesting and like to learn something (Tony Hillerman comes to mind). But I read Evanovich solely for enjoyment--you will split your sides laughing and have tears rolling down your cheeks. They're that good!

Any mystery series writer has to walk a very fine line, continuing to work the formula that made the series a success, while adding enough novelty with each volume to keep it from reading like a formula re-run.
The problem with "To the Nines" is that it's too long on formula, too short on novelty. After nine books, Stephanie hasn't grown as a character at all. She still can't remember her bullets, still can't get a skip into cuffs and down to the station. The joke's getting old.
Don't get me wrong. I love -- repeat, ***LOVE!!!*** -- Stephanie and her entourage, especially Grandma Mazur. And the scene in "Hot Six" when the guys take off with the dog in the black Lincoln is one of ten funniest things I've ever read. But I keep waiting for Stephanie to **move**, to learn how to use cuffs and charge a stun gun and move on to bigger, more complicated, more subtle mistakes (or car explosions).
I'll continue to read Stephanie novels, regardless. But here's hoping that "Ten Big Ones" breaks some new ground. Steph, I'm rootin' for ya!!!

If you are not yet addicted to Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series--you will be with this book. I started reading the series with High Five and Seven Up. Since then I've read them all and you should too!
The series can be savored without worrying about reading in order, but I've enjoyed the tiny threads woven through each book even more by going back and reading from the beginning.
Stephanie, a bounty hunter by default, is zany and witty. Her cast of characters includes a grandmother who loves to go to viewings of the recently deceased, an on-again-off-again boyfriend who is a cop, a sexy bad-a** bounty hunter(sometimes partner)named Ranger and his cast of merry men. (The mutual attraction between Stephanie and Ranger creates some interesting heat.)
Through this series you'll meet her family, friends, and co-workers--and entertaining fugitives--all in technicolor vibrance.
Don't miss this one!

When it comes to Stephanie, I'm always gonna love it! There's just no getting around it. Stephanie Plum is always a great read and "To the Nines" delivers the goods and will keep you laughing.
Be prepared for more bodies than usual and a tightly plotted story that actually takes Steph and her friends and co-workers, Lulu and Vinnie's office manager Connie, off on an adventurous trip to Las Vegas. (Ranger can't make the trip 'cause he's in trouble with the whole state of Nevada.) It's just possible that Stephanie's merry band of lunatics may cause a riot or two when they meet up with the Elvis impersonators. And Lulu's big purse could get them arrested for B & E before they can get out of town.
Back home, the Plum household is filled to bursting and about to get an additional member. Stephanie's mother is praying for a miracle and her father is having to wait in line for the bathroom, what with all the traffic. Valerie is eating for two and is very conflicted about what to do with her life. Joe Morelli's Grandmother is having visions that involve poor Stephanie and a coffin. And Stephanie is having another hair crises, not to mention "fun with fast food".
In other words, it's business as usual for a Stephanie Plum novel!
You'll giggle and groan and laugh until your eyes tear up. And when it's finished, the wait will begin for number 10! Enjoy!

I enjoyed this for the same reason several reviewers did not - the dark, serious mood that prevailed instead of the slapstick comedy that seems to dominate the other nine novels. This was also a good mystery, the idea of the "game" was superb, the action intense, the romance and heat between Stephanie, the cop and Ranger still going strong...

I would like to see more along this line. We are sick of the car problems, the nutty grandma and that &@$& hampster. Evanovich excels in the introduction of minor characters that somehow become part of the overall story - witness Ranger and Lula not to mention the cross-dresser and Valerie's man. The plot line was more in line with traditional mysteries and the surprise - that the people were killing each other in a "game" - was only a prelude to the horrifying chase through the dark factory. Highly recommended.

If you are a fan of Stephanie Plum then you just have to read this book. You can't get all the way to eight and just stop! I gave this book four stars because it was really, really good, but not Janet's best work. I have to agree with another reviewer...I was really disappointed with Visions of Sugar Plums, so I hope there's better stuff to come.
The story has the same Plum humor and the same great characters, but focuses a more on the love triangle of Ranger, Morelli, and Stephanie. I don't know who to root for! A search for a runaway bond takes Stepahnie, Lula, and Connie to Las Vegas. So different being out of Trenton! Lula is hilarious in this story and you learn more about Connie, but there wasn't enough of Grandma Mazur for me. That lady cracks me up.
This book was a tiny bit predictable. Normally there's a twist or something that makes your mind wander, but this one focuses on the the "killer" too much and you can figure it out. That's the only bad thing about the story. Otherwise, it's good 'ole Plum. Definitely read it!

I was expecting this book, being the ninth in the series, to lose a bit of steam, to go less funny, less gripping but it didn't. It's down to a great author to keep us interested an Evanovich has done just that. This book, like all before, had me splitting my sides with laughter.
It's the usual stuff, Stephanie has to find a skip (someone who has violated their bond order) as well as manage her love life and deal with the (Seemingly) the whole neighbourhood breaking into her apartment. So the story, Stephanie has to find an Indian guy who skips his immigration bond, while on the case she gets caught up in a complex internet game of cat and mouse (I think the author had the internet idea as a way to plug IBM's new Ibook). The story takes Stephanie and her entourage to Las Vegas in search of the missing Asian guy and well the rest you have to read. Throughout the book you get the many doses of laughter you expect from a Stephanie Plum novel and more, its a great book.
4 Stars.

TO THE NINES is another mystery adventure in the fast-paced life of Stephanie Plum, Bounty Hunter. In this story, Stephanie is living with the love of her life, Joe Morelli, but still flirting with the mysterious Ranger. Stephanie can't quite make the marriage commitment yet, but does not want to give up Morelli.
Stephanie and her co-workers, Lula and Connie take a trip to Las Vegas where they are seeking Samuel Singh, an Indian man who is in violation of his bond. They meet Elvis impersonators one evening and the next day Connie shows up with a picture of herself married to one, but she can't even remember the ceremony. Lula is on a protein diet and carries pork chops and bacon around in her purse. Dogs follow her everywhere. These Stephanie Plum stories are completely outrageous and funny.
The dark side of the book is the mystery man who sends Stephanie flowers as he constantly threatens to kill her. As usual, Stephanie's life is one wild and crazy ride.

I've been hooked on the Stephanie Plum series ever since my mother gave me copies of "One for the Money" and "Two for the Dough." But "To the Nines," when compared to the previous eight books in the series, just didn't quite have that swing.

The difficulties of keeping a series fresh and interesting are understandable, and with ten books in the Plum series (and an eleventh on the way), Janet Evanovich has got to be itching to take a break. And considering she's continuing this series while simultaneously pursuing other projects ("Metro Girl," the "Full" series), writing about Stephanie Plum has got to seem like a job to her at this point. The problem is, it's showing in her writing. Much of the humor in "To the Nines" seemed forced and there was a rushed quality to the writing, like Evanovich was trying to crank this out by a certain deadline. However, "Nines" did have its moments. I particularly enjoyed the chapter in which Stephanie's self-appointed sidekick Lula disrupts a Vegas performance of a Tom Jones impersonator.

Evanovich deserves her props for keeping the Plum series entertaining and fun for eight books, at least. But perhaps it's time Janet slow down, take a long break, relax a little bit, and recharge her creative engines. Readers will wait. We promise.

I marvel at Evanovich's achievement: A collection of characters and dynamics that are stable enough to make us comfortable, and variable enough to keep us entertained. Stephanie lovers (like me!) will find this to be an entirely acceptable instalment in the series. She doesn't blow up any cars or make it to Stiva's this time, but there is plenty of Ranger, Morelli, and a little more Connie than usual.

This incarnation had several good laughs, which I think I appreciate more than ever these days.

I'm issuing five stars because it is exactly what it is supposed to be: a dumb serial that made me laugh some and turn pages and get interested in another world for a while. If you're seeking fine literature, you can look elsewhere, but if you're looking for a good Stephanie Plum tale, you will find it here.

TO THE NINES by Janet Evanovich

September 24, 2005

the store rating 4/5

For those who love this series, here's yet another fun filled adventure with Stephanie Plum and the gang. In this novel, Stephanie's bounty hunter job is to locate a missing man, Samuel Singh, who disappeared unexpectedly. He was engaged to his landlady's daughter, who he lived with in their home where he was renting a room. Mrs. Apusenjah and her daughter Nonnie are very upset. Not only was he engaged to Nonnie, but he also stole her dog Boo.

Stephanie's involved because Singh had jumped his visa bond, and this is bad publicity for her boss, Cousin Vinnie. So, she's now on the trail of Samuel Singh, which takes her and her "partner" Lula the ex-hooker to Vegas, and while Stephanie thought this was going to be an easy case, it turns out to be quite the opposite. There's a mystery that involves the missing Singh, which puts Stephanie's life in danger. Morelli and Ranger are both there to help her out, but she still manages to get herself into a lot of trouble, a life and death situation.

I didn't find this as funny as the previous installments, but it was still amusing and fun to read just the same. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series, TEN BIG Ones.

Always enjoy the ditzy Stephanie and her fumbling, very humorous "bounty hunting" This time she was the hunted and it made for interesting reading, the ever present Lula (except when she's away with Boo) and her food fads are always good for hilarity!
The sexy Ranger was also very present in this story, but the Italian Stallion won out because Steph was actually living with him - how lucky can a man get.
Janet wrote one of her better stories with this one - thoroughly enjoyed it! The cast of characters from mother, to sister to Grandma are a really funny bunch - love them.

I am a recent convert to Janet Evanovich and read her previous 8 Stephanie Plum books in a span of about 4 months. Even though they were a scream and Stephanie and her budies never failed to amuse, I thought the last couple of books started to get a little trite. But with To the Nines, Janet AND Stephanie are at their peaks! Of course, we have the usual zany cast of characters including Stephanie, LuLu, Connie, Vinnie, Joe Morelli, Ranger, Grandmom Mazur and the rest. Add to that a very pregnant sister, a crazy webmaster, a trip to Las Vegas, a guy on a visa bond who vanishes, the usual love triangle, a fluffy dog and lots of dead bodies, and you have Evanovich at her best. I usually read mysteries because I find them interesting and like to learn something (Tony Hillerman comes to mind). But I read Evanovich solely for enjoyment--you will split your sides laughing and have tears rolling down your cheeks. They're that good!

Any mystery series writer has to walk a very fine line, continuing to work the formula that made the series a success, while adding enough novelty with each volume to keep it from reading like a formula re-run.
The problem with "To the Nines" is that it's too long on formula, too short on novelty. After nine books, Stephanie hasn't grown as a character at all. She still can't remember her bullets, still can't get a skip into cuffs and down to the station. The joke's getting old.
Don't get me wrong. I love -- repeat, ***LOVE!!!*** -- Stephanie and her entourage, especially Grandma Mazur. And the scene in "Hot Six" when the guys take off with the dog in the black Lincoln is one of ten funniest things I've ever read. But I keep waiting for Stephanie to **move**, to learn how to use cuffs and charge a stun gun and move on to bigger, more complicated, more subtle mistakes (or car explosions).
I'll continue to read Stephanie novels, regardless. But here's hoping that "Ten Big Ones" breaks some new ground. Steph, I'm rootin' for ya!!!

If you are not yet addicted to Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series--you will be with this book. I started reading the series with High Five and Seven Up. Since then I've read them all and you should too!
The series can be savored without worrying about reading in order, but I've enjoyed the tiny threads woven through each book even more by going back and reading from the beginning.
Stephanie, a bounty hunter by default, is zany and witty. Her cast of characters includes a grandmother who loves to go to viewings of the recently deceased, an on-again-off-again boyfriend who is a cop, a sexy bad-a** bounty hunter(sometimes partner)named Ranger and his cast of merry men. (The mutual attraction between Stephanie and Ranger creates some interesting heat.)
Through this series you'll meet her family, friends, and co-workers--and entertaining fugitives--all in technicolor vibrance.
Don't miss this one!

When it comes to Stephanie, I'm always gonna love it! There's just no getting around it. Stephanie Plum is always a great read and "To the Nines" delivers the goods and will keep you laughing.
Be prepared for more bodies than usual and a tightly plotted story that actually takes Steph and her friends and co-workers, Lulu and Vinnie's office manager Connie, off on an adventurous trip to Las Vegas. (Ranger can't make the trip 'cause he's in trouble with the whole state of Nevada.) It's just possible that Stephanie's merry band of lunatics may cause a riot or two when they meet up with the Elvis impersonators. And Lulu's big purse could get them arrested for B & E before they can get out of town.
Back home, the Plum household is filled to bursting and about to get an additional member. Stephanie's mother is praying for a miracle and her father is having to wait in line for the bathroom, what with all the traffic. Valerie is eating for two and is very conflicted about what to do with her life. Joe Morelli's Grandmother is having visions that involve poor Stephanie and a coffin. And Stephanie is having another hair crises, not to mention "fun with fast food".
In other words, it's business as usual for a Stephanie Plum novel!
You'll giggle and groan and laugh until your eyes tear up. And when it's finished, the wait will begin for number 10! Enjoy!

I enjoyed this for the same reason several reviewers did not - the dark, serious mood that prevailed instead of the slapstick comedy that seems to dominate the other nine novels. This was also a good mystery, the idea of the "game" was superb, the action intense, the romance and heat between Stephanie, the cop and Ranger still going strong...

I would like to see more along this line. We are sick of the car problems, the nutty grandma and that &@$& hampster. Evanovich excels in the introduction of minor characters that somehow become part of the overall story - witness Ranger and Lula not to mention the cross-dresser and Valerie's man. The plot line was more in line with traditional mysteries and the surprise - that the people were killing each other in a "game" - was only a prelude to the horrifying chase through the dark factory. Highly recommended.

Samuel Singh is in the USA on a work bond that Vinnie put the money up for. Signh is now missing and its up to Stephan Plum our favorite bounty hunter to find him. There are a ton of suspicious people. Singh's fiance, his bosses, the folks he works with the list goes on. Stephan has also moved in the Joe Morrelli again. Not only is someone stalking her, but the winner of a killing game gets permission to hunt her. Stephanies day can't get any better, or should is say worse. Ranger details several of his hired hands to back up Stephanie when he and Morrelli aren't around. But it's Ranger's hired hands who need a trip to the hospital after hanging with Stephanie! Lula and Albert Kloughn are hostages. This isn't the funniest of the nine books. But its certainly not the worse. I found this to be a great read, a bucket of chuckles and definitely worth the reading time!

I have devoured the Stephaine Plum series this year and now have the job of waiting until next year for the next title. I got my vote in that it is called Hang Ten!
As for To The Nines, Stephanie is back in usually bounty hunting ways. This time she is teamed up with Ranger to get an almost skip on a visa bond for her cousin, Vinnie. Stephanie is really only in it; in hopes of retrieving the missing doggie, Boo. However, Steph remains the centre of attention and seems to be the prize in the game. Who'd have thought getting flowers could be so deadly?
Other story lines in the book, Stephanine still has that hot attraction to Ranger but her and Morelli are getting closer. Stephanie's sister is pregnant with Albert's baby and the Plum house is only getting crazier. The living arrangements when the book ended could make for a very interesting book 10.

My wife and I were away for a brief vacation when I ran out of reading material. Luckily, my wife had a supply of books, so I selected this one, because it looked short enough to cover the time away that we had left. Having read this book, and thoroughly enjoyed it, I am very happy that I selected it. The narration is extremely amusing, and the tale moves along quite quickly. The characters are well-drawn, and even if one hasn't read the other eight books in the series (which I have not done), there's no feeling of missing anything. The plot is solid, although the killer's identity was very clear (at least to me) quite early in the book, and all of the clues were there, but ignored by the good guys. It's a greatr romp and read, and if you have a few hours to kill and want to laugh and be entertained, I recommend this book.

Trenton's most popular bounty hunter Stephanie Plum's finds her personal life going smoothly. She and her significant other Joe Morelli are a strong entry while she and fellow bounty hunter Ranger strike enough sparks to light up the Manhattan skyline. Her sister is hours from giving birth and remains undecided if she wants to marry her baby's father. Joe's grandmother, who isn't Stephanie's fan, keeps having visions of Joe married to some one else.
Professionally, Stephanie feels under siege. Her cousin Vinnie signed a bond for Samuel Singh but his landlady says that he disappeared, leaving all his belongings, except has laptop behind. Stephanie goes to his place of business but his boss claims he was a loner without any friends. During her search for him, she gets shot at, tranquilized with a dart, and a psycho stalks her, sending roses and threatening notes. She sees a man shot and receives snuff snapshots. Morelli and Ranger do there best to protect to protect her, but Stephanie knows if she wants her life back, she must outwit the stalker.
Janet Evanovich does the impossible by injecting a great deal of laugh out loud humor into a serial killer book. TO THE NINES ratchets up the heat between the heroine and the bounty hunter while showing that Stephanie can stay in a relationship with her true love Joe. The fast paced plot is loaded with lots of tension, sexual and life threatening, while the perpetrator is hidden in plain sight. The more one reads a Stephanie Plum novel the more one wants to sit in a corner with the next book.
Harriet Klausner

Anyone who has enjoyed any of the eight previous Stephanie Plum novels would be very foolish to skip this one. If you haven't read any of those, you can safely start with this one . . . but don't expect the earlier ones to be nearly this good.
Stephanie Plum, the down home city girl from the Burg in Trenton, continues in her bounty hunter job, and she takes on some pretty unusual ones in To the Nines. As Stephanie describes it, her retrievals have more to do with Lucy Ricardo from I Love Lucy than with Wonder Woman. The book opens with Stephanie and Lula, her sometimes heavyweight sidekick, trying to pick up Punky Blalog. The rest of the escapade has to be read to be believed . . . but Vaseline plays a large role. When she returns to the office, she discovers that her cousin Vinnie faces an enormous embarrassment if he cannot find and bring in one Samuel Singh, a temporary worker from India, for whom Vinnie wrote a visa bond. Vinnie sends Stephanie and her mentor (and sometimes squeeze) Ranger out to find Singh. A major plot line of the book revolves around this search which takes her to Las Vegas before the book is done.
A secondary and engrossing plot involves the mystery of who is threatening Stephanie and killing people around her after she has lunch at McDonald's. Because of the threats, Ranger or his men play bodyguard for Stephanie whenever her undercover policeman boyfriend, Joe Morelli, isn't around. In many of the novels, Stephanie goes through cars like tissue paper. In this one, the bodyguards take it on the chin . . . and just about everywhere else.
A third and happier plot involves Stephanie and Morelli becoming much closer to one another.
A fourth plot focuses on Stephanie's unmarried sister, Valerie, who is nine months pregnant and the family's desire to get Valerie married and out of her parents' house.
There's also a fine and funny story line about Lula trying different diets so she can become a super model.
On top of these interesting plots and subplots, the mystery is quite engrossing. I had no idea what was really going on until about 60 pages from the end.
On top of this, the book is filled with hilarious little scenes featuring the manic members of the Burg, including her man-crazy Grandma Mazur, Morelli's Grandmother Bella who has visions of dead women all the time, the generously endowed Connie Rossolli from Vinnie's office, and even Stephanie's mother who's having trouble coping.
The pace of this book is amazing. There's something significant happening on almost every page. The scenes intersect with each other in truly inspired ways. For example, while Stephanie is finishing up her first bounty hunting gig, she gets an emergency call from her Grandmother Mazur. And you'll never guess what the problem is. The result of that scene then cuts into a woman making off-color comments about Stephanie because she seems to have an excess of Vaseline about her. And on it goes. The laughs come almost as fast.
I was thoroughly delighted with this book . . . except for one little problem. It was totally clear who the evil doer was in the last 60 pages. The attempts at misdirection seemed strangely inept. If Ms. Evanovich had cut down that section, this book would have been the perfect Plum. As it is, I think To the Nines is my favorite Plum to date.
After you finish racing break-neck through these pages, think about where your heart's desires may be leading you in contradictory directions. Then, go do something about it!

As always it was a pleasure to sit back and relax with a Stephanie Plum book. In this one, Stephanie is trying to find a killer, who send his/her victims red roses and carnations before they are murdered. All the while she is trying to catch the killer, she finds herself marked as the next victim, and she has to look over her shoulder with every step she takes. The criminal plot in this book is not the strongest yet, but the ususal characters surrounding Stephanie more than make up for a weak plot. As usual, Stephanie moves in, temporarily, with her sexy boyfriend and cop, Joe Morelli, while the mysterious Ranger moves around on the fringes of her life as well. There are many funny scenes in this book, and it was a very good read. It can be read without knowing the other 8 previous books, but they are definitely also worth a read.

Stephanie is looking for a new type of skip, an immigration bond. He isn't yet overdo but he is missing. The man's landlord and fiancé show up and Stephanie looks into his employers to try to get a lead. Its a weird case with ties to Vegas and just lacked some flow to me

The worst part about this book? It ENDS!
If you haven't read the Stephanie Plum series...get #1 and start! These books are simply several hundred pages of fun!
For those that love the series, rest assured this book is not showing any signs of slowing down. Janet is still capable of bringing new laughs to regular characters that seem more like old friends than fictional people. This book Stephanie isn't losing cars, but Ranger's men seem to not be so lucky when it comes to tagging along. A refreshing idea that is sure to leave you laughing. And look out cuz Lulas on a diet!!
9 Books and I still can't decide who is the better man...Joe or Ranger!? Either way, I'll never tire of the diaglogue involving either of em....if only they were real! LOL
Now if only I didn't have to wait a year for #10 :(

TO THE NINES, aptly named, is the ninth in the Stephanie Plum, Trenton's lady bounty hunter, series. Vinnie, her boss, has posted bond on an illegal immigrant who is reported as missing. Stephanie is hot on Singh's trail when bullets start flying. In the past, Plum has built a reputation as the demolisher of vehicles, suddenly she is haunted by bodies instead. Even her protectors are dropping like bowling pins. As pieces of the puzzle unravel, leading Stephanie closer and closer to the conclusion of a deadly game, her very life is in jeopardy. Evanovich writes action packed novels filled with both suspense and humor and TO THE NINES is no exception. Pick up a copy, you won't be disappointed.
Beverly J Scott author of "Righteous Revenge" and "Ruth Fever." Reviewer for Intriguing Authors and Their Books at [...]

I got to Border's at 9:10 on Tuesday to get the new Stephanie Plum and raced through it. Stephanie's cousin Vinnie has bonded
Singh and he's going to lose much money if Singh doesn't show up before his visa expires. As Stephanie tracks down leads, the people surrounding Singh turn up dead...one killed right in front of her. The search takes Steph, Lula, and Caroline to Las Vegas. Will Vegas ever be the same again? Not after a confrontation between Tom Jones and Elvis impersonators brought on by our lovely ladies and a giant pink thong!
Flowers and notes from the psycho killer follow Stephanie wherever she goes. The bodyguards that Ranger assigns to protect our heroine are dropping like flies.
There are many funny food moments as Lula consumes huge amounts of meat on her new high protein diet (animals are following her everywhere) and Stephanie's sister Valerie, 9 months pregnant, consumes everything in sight.
While Evanovich has not departed from laugh-out-loud adventure, 2 things were missing...Stephanie's vehicle did not get demolished and we did not visit the funeral home this time.
I do not read this series for the plot, although this one was
a little more intricate that most of the others. I read it for
the zany cast of characters that I have grown to love.
P.S. Ranger, come see me sometime...anytime!!!

In this ninth tale in the crazy Plum series, Stephanie's on the hunt for Samuel Singh--Vinnie's first visa bond has gone AWOL, and Vinnie is losing his mind. At first, Stephanie thinks that the most frightening part of this case is Singh's soon-to-be mother-in-law (who wouldn't go missing?), but while investigating his disappearance Steph uncovers a cast of characters far more sinister. Soon she becomes a target, and it's up to the sexy Ranger and the equally yummy Morelli to protect her.
This Plum tale takes the reader to Vegas in their hunt for Samuel Singh, with both Connie and Lula in tow...so Stephanie fans know that nothing but fun will follow!! Throw in the very pregnant Valerie and a horny Grandma Mazur, and Plum groupies know that this one cannot be missed.....!!!!
DYB

To the Nines is a terrific book. Stephanie Plum is tracking down a man for her Uncle Vinnie. It sounded like her basic apprehension. What happens is anything but ordinary as Stephanie randomly uncovers a bizarre murderous plot that seems to be enveloping her. She is protected by Ranger and Joe Morelli and yet strange things continue to occur. Meanwhile Lula goes on a "South Beach" style diet, Stephanie's sister is eating her way through her pregnancy, Stephanie's father is walking out and a mystery man continues to send Stephanie roses and carnations. Throw in a crazy trip to Vegas and a possible wedding and what you have is one of the best books in the Stephanie Plum series. My only regret, I read it so fast and now I have to wait for the tenth book of the series to come out!!

Stephanie Plum is one of my heroes. She has such a cute way about her; loves her job, doesn't really care how she looks most of the time, has a personality and looks that attract the men, and is not wonder woman! Janet Evanovich, author of "To the Nines" has created characters that have me laughing and chuckling to myself. They are so real that I can see them in my mind. I have an image of Lula, the big size ex-ho, turned bonds-woman; Ranger, the ex-Special Forces turned bond enforcement; grandma, the woman who likes wigs and is as crazy as Stephanie-wonder whom Stephanie takes after; and Morelli, the cop, Stephanie's lover. Janet Evanovich has such a wonderful imagination- I want to meet that woman.

Stephanie is in trouble again. She is working with Ranger to find Samuel Singh, a missing computer nerd who is out on bail. Vinnie, Stephanie's boss will lose money if Mr. Singh is not found. Stephanie does all the right things, she looks in all the right places, asks all the right questions, and of course, she is a marked woman. Trouble seems to find her, she is left flowers with a devious message, shot at with a dart, email messages of a dark nature left on her computer. This mystery takes her to Las Vegas and has one of the funniest scenes with Lula I have read. Lula may just be taking some of the best scenes from Stephanie- Stephanie should talk to the author about what is going on:-)

Stephanie's family seems to take front page in this mystery. Her sister Valerie, is pregnant, large as a house and eating as much as she can. He boyfriend wants to marry her, but she isn't quite ready, and Valerie's two children are all living with Stephanie's mom and dad. No one is happy about this, and the house is getting too small, especially since Grand mom lives there also. What a mess.

This novel is one of the better ones. Many readers of Janet Evanovich, complain that her books tend to follow the same format-well, they do, but each one is different and so enjoyable. Ms. Evanovich lives near my hometown- I have to meet this woman who has brought me so much enjoyment, A mystery novel that brings humor to the forefront- what more could one ask? prisrob

I like to read reviews on any novels that I consider purchasing before I buy them, and I saw that 'To the Nines' had definite mixed reviews. Some people thought it was funny, some didn't. Some people thought it lacked a little of Stephanie's character, some thought this novel was the best one yet. One part of me wanted to buy the novel, the other didn't want me to spend so much money on a hardcover. But, in the end, the huge admiration for the series in me told me to buy the book, expensive or not. I turned to the first page, and two hours later, I finished reading the novel with a smile on my face and a pain in my stomach from laughing so hard.
This novel, in my opinion, is full of hilarity, as were the previous eight...or seven (depending on what you thought of them). We see more of Lula but less of Grandma Mazur. Sure, Grandma Mazur was one of the many reasons why I love this series, but even without her in the majority of the book, Janet Evanovich managed to make me laugh. The scene with Valerie at the hospital is hilarious, as is the airplane scene with Lula.
Agh, I can't believe I have to wait another year until the next novel comes out! I really hope the next one is as good as this one.

Even though neither of my sisters is perfect, either, I could enjoy the mess former "perfect daughter" Valerie's life has become. I feel sorry for Stephanie's parents (must admit her mother bakes a mean bribe). I like Morelli and his family, so I didn't have a problem with having plenty of him in this book. Joe & Stephanie's dog, Bob, saw more action than Rex the hamster, but I doubt that Rex minded. The trip to Vegas with Lula and Connie was the highlight of the book. I can hardly wait to see how Ranger is going to pay Stephanie back for a trick she pulls on him. Ranger's Merry Men probably wish that she'd gotten cars blown up as usual. For me the only flaws in this entry are that the killer was much too easy to figure out and the lack of car destruction meant no Big Blue. Bob and Boo, the other dog, while fun, were not adequate substitutes.

The first 8 were so good. Fast, witty, even a little endearing. This last one is a decent read, but not as good as the first ones, for sure. And I do think the Stephanie Plum books should be read in order to really get the most fun out of them. The thing with Ranger and Joe can't be really appreciated, I don't think, unless you are in on it from the beginning. It's just not the same picking up that particular thread in the middle. Another drawback for me is that I can get through one of these books in just a few hours. I wish she'd write something a little more substantial and not let Stephanie move in with Joe.
All in all, though, I recommend this Evanovich series. There are some good laugh-out-loud moments in each and every one.

This book would be on the one top of the best Stephanie Plum books I read so far and all of them are GOOD. This book had me rolling on some parts. And Lula had to be her funniest with her diets.
Stephanie is on very important bond case where she is working with Ranger as her partner, she is bounder hunter, as you may know. There is sort of a stoker after her who calls them self Webmaster who wants Stephanie dead. Almost the whole book Stephanie is living with Joe Morelli. And Grandma Bella keeps having vision of Stephanie dead. Lula goal is to become a super model & Stephanie goal is pretty mush to live to see the next day with a nuts-o on her trail. Stephanie suspects Morelli to be cheating on her is it true? And Vinnie is in big trouble. Valire is finally haves her baby but isn't sure if she wants to marry Kloughn. And Stephanie stops wrecking her cars it some thing new can you guess what is now? They even go to Las Vegas in this book where in Las Vegas where there is thong throwing, fake Elvis, gambling, danger, shopping, airplanes, death, and marriages? But now in this book the table are turned and Stephanie, she is the one hunted...
This book is excellent BUY IT! I will always keep this book it was sooo Good could not put it down, I read it only in a few days. Wonderful book!!!!! I love it!!!! Very GOOD READ!! I just love this book! One of my favorite, I want to buy the 10th book NOW!!!!

Janet Evanovich cranks out yet another installment of her very successful Stephanie Plum ("bounty hunter chick from Jersey") series with 'To The Nines'. For those who fear the series has run out of steam and has become, gasp!, boring ... relax. Evanovich continues her comic writing ways and gives the reader what he/she is looking for: laughs and escapism.
But what about the story? It is the usual Stephanie Plum nonsense. Murder and mayhem in Trenton. This time Evanovich becomes a bit more topical by throwing in internet stuff (yes, Stephanie Plum surfs the net), and her full-sized ex-prostitute sidekick Lola goes on the Atkins diet. And Evanovich throws in a trip to Vegas for good measure. However some of the enjoyable yet tiresome routines (Grandma's visits to funeral parlors, Stephanie's cars getting blown up) are thankfully absent.
Bottom line: not a memorable installment but certainly an enjoyable Stephanie Plum experience. Enjoy.

Stephanie Plum is back in her ninth outing in TO THE NINES. Stephanie is a bounty hunter extraordinare, extraordinarily inept that is. Stephanie might not be good at bounty hunting, but she is fun. Her life is never dull, with a totally wacky family and two hot men after her.
Fans of Evanovich will not be let down with this book. Not all the Stephanie Plum books are equally good, but I would rate this as one of the better ones. Romance has taken a bit of a backburner, Grandma Mazur's antics are missing, but the mystery is more developed than in some of the other books. The humor is still present, I laughed out loud several times.
I high recommend this book to anyone who wants to feel good after putting the book down.

I keep thinking I'll eventually tire of girl bounty hunter Stephanie Plum and her Jersey street smarts and big mouth - but so far it hasn't happened. The good cop boyfriend Morelli and the stranger named Ranger (the shadowy 'other' boyfriend...sorta). The gravel-voiced granny, flamboyant sidekick Lula, and mom and her macaroni... It just doesn't get stale, thank god. This time, ol' Stephanie is trying to find a guy named Singh who skipped when his visa expired. Then there's a murder, then more, and threats of still more - directed to Steph herself. Hilarious slapstick set pieces, something Evanovich excels at, are interspersed with real knuckle-biters. It's sexy, too; sexier than her others, in fact - and it's all good.

This is a great book in the Stephanie Plum series! I must admit that I was getting a little jaded, and they didn't seem as funny anymore, but this book is wonderful! In it we see Stephanie at her fiestiest, and we get good doses of both Morelli and Ranger, as well as Lula. Also, we see the Jersey girl on the road (or air) to Las Vegas while she tries to capture a FTA. This book puts her in all kinds of danger, and she's up against a real nutcase this time. Even with Ranger's Merry Men as bodyguards, Stephanie finds herself in some pretty hairy situations. And you can laugh at her the whole time. There's a scene in the hospital when her sister is in labour that is sure to make you laugh outload. Great stuff!

I normally love the Stephanie Plum books. I started with Hot Six and was hooked. I immediately read through the series from the beginning.
This latest installment left me feeling a little disappointed. The main plotline was incidental, at best. Although that's happened before, it's usually because the main plot is playing a backseat role to the romance. Not so in this book. So, a weak plot line, coupled with a non-existant romantic story, leaves me feeling empty. Admittedly, there were a few (very few) laugh out loud moments. Just not enough to make up for it's shortcomings.
I'm keeping hope alive for the next one, but I won't rush out to buy it. I'll just rent it from the library whenever it becomes available.

Just when you think that you can't take yet another of a Plum novel, Evanovich comes back with a surprise! Stephanie's latest skip-trace takes her bigtime as she combs Las Vegas for her bounty, but things go (deliciously) awry and three mob guys want to make sure she never gets home.
As should usually be the case with these things, don't read too many reviews, kills the thrill of discovering the plot on your own. This is everything you know Evanovich for, it is a fast, fun read as usual and you'll be carrying your book around until you are done. If you like your stories hilarious, with memorable characters, and that little twist of romance, then To The Nines is for you. Highly recommended!

I have read all of the books in this series and they were each great reads. My sister kept talking to me about this series and I finally gave in and bought one. Then another, and then the next three. And before you know it, my best friend and sister in law are reading the series too!
There is no way that you couldn't love Stephanie Plum! This is one woman who just cannot help but find trouble in everything she touches. It always ends up in a hilarious disaster. And all of the supporting characters are just bundles of entertainment.
If you are just looking for pure entertainment and not alot of prose or scholarly writing, then this is for you. Give the first book a try and soon you will find yourself reading the last. I am anxiously waiting for the next to come out!

Just like your favorite sweet or crunchy snack, it's impossible to sample just one Stephanie Plum mystery. After finishing Hard Eight last week I immediately rummaged through my bookshelves in hope that I had the follow-up stashed somewhere. *phew* To the Nines was successfully located and promptly devoured.

This title has Stephanie chasing after a South Asian technology worker who has skipped his work visa bond. Of course there are all sorts of twists and mishaps along the way and the requisite amount of one-liners (Lulu starts the Atkins' diet and takes to carrying meat around in her handbag) but this story is less slapstick than previous ones. Ranger and Joe Morelli figure prominently as they attempt to protect Stephanie from the psychopath who is behind the worker's disappearance and the closing chapters are reminiscent of one of the more horrifying scenes from Silence of the Lambs.

The major downside to this story was my lack of surprise when the identity of the criminal was revealed - I thought it was pretty obvious right from the start. Time to put the Stephanie snacks away and move on to another book.

Every time I read another one of the Stephanie Plum series, I find myself laughing out loud. The mystery is there, the romance is there, but the situations are hilarious, the characters are so clearly drawn you can easily figure out how situations happen. This one is everything you want in a mystery novel and a bunch of laughs to boot; a great read.

I loved this book, and had so many laugh out loud moments. In a few I was crying I was laughing so hard! It was hard to finish, I did not want it to end. I relly felt the book shold be at least 300 pages longer, (must be too used my Harry Potters).
Tons of Morelli and Ranger like in the old books, none of this one or the other thing. They take turns guarding her because as usual she has some freak chasing her.
I got lots of laughs from Lulu, and Connie goes on a trip to Vegas with Lulu & Steph. Ranger and Joe take turns being her bodyguard, and now instead of blowing up Rangers cars, she is injuring the bodyguards he puts on her. Typical Steph!!
This book is worth the hard back price. This book also seems to stand on it's own, I do not think you need the background to read this. It is funny no matter what! Buy it now!!

I read the Stephanie Plum novels because I like to laugh out loud. After the dissapointment of Hard Eight and Visions of Sugar Plums (Did I laugh out loud during either? I can't remember.) I was relieved to find the laughter back in To The Nines. These books are such fast reads, one good belly laugh is worth the price of admission, so this book is worth the read if only for the scene in which Lula gets to see Tom Jones perform in Vegas. (I'm not going to give it away.) Also some chuckles from the fact that Stephanie has switched from putting one car after another in the shop (or the junkyard) to putting one bodyguard after another in the hospital. Evanovich still hasn't worked up a villian who inspires the sense of suspense and terror I got from One for The Money, but she is getting closer. Might have been more suspenseful had it not been quite so obvious very early in the book who the "secret" villain really was. Oh yeah- and she gets laid. Am I the only one who gets irritated when she goes two and three books at a time with Morelli and Ranger around, and somehow never gets any save a proximity buzz?

I have read most of Janet Evanovich's books and if it's humour as well as mystery you're looking for, get her books! Each new one you read keeps you up-dated on where Stephanie stands not only with her family, but also with her up and down love-life that parallels her humourous but hectic bounty hunter episodes, each more entangled than the next. There is no swearing in Janet's books, but the sex innuendoes keep you laughing all the way. You may want to be broad-minded, but hey, Stephanie Plum's just a New Joisey girl at heart and you can't help but be with her all the way. Not everyone will get off on her books, but I think they're great.

I read one in the series every now and then....always find them fun and a pleasant change of pace. The characters are all classics and I find it amazing that this series can go on and on without wearing out. Now that I watch tv almost exclusively on Roku, I couldn't help wondering on this read when Stephanie Plum is going to show up on Netflix.

I have been waiting for this book to come out for over a year, and I was not disappointed. Stephanie is back with all the regular characters, and I do mean characters!
This book is full of the regular Stephanie mishaps plus a few new ones. She does manage to keep the same vehicle through the whole thing but goes through quite a few of Ranger's "Merry Men" bodyguards, each one suffering a fate more hilarious than the last one.
I recommend this book to any one who is in need of a good laugh and a serious Ranger and Morelli fix!

With To The Nines, Janet Evanovich returns with smooth story-telling form. I found Nines to be significantly better than Seven or Eight, although One and Three are still my favorites.
First, the bad news. The plot is somewhat predictable, and you'll be pretty certain who the villian is fairly early on, although the reason is a surprise and won't become apparent -- even to Stephanie -- until the very end.
The other bad news? Grandma Mazur only has a small part in the story, and she's one of the saner characters. For the last five or six books, Grandma Mazur has kept me laughing.
And the last piece of bad news? Stephanie defies tradition and manages to make it through an entire tale without her car being blown up. Exploding cars have been a Plum tradition.
Now for the good news, and there's plenty. Janet returns to form and constructs a fast-paced tale that advances a sizable number of previous plot elements. While you don't have to have read any of the previous books to enjoy this one, having done so enhances the story.
Among those subplots: Stephanie's sister Valerie delivers a possibility of normalacy. And while Stephanie's Joe/Ranger angst continues, she's pretty much in one bed.
What's best about Stephanie Plum books, though, is Janet's ability to construct outrageously funny, yet plausible, situations. "Kiss my can, you can't catch me, I'm the Vaseline man" left me roaring with laughter. The scene with Valerie at the hospital is a hoot, and turns out to be important to the plot as well.
If you've never read any Stephanie Plum books, order the first book (One for the Money) and read it first because it sets much background for what happens in the series. Then read this one. If you have read and liked any other Stephanie Plum books, you'll enjoy this one. Janet Evanovich has managed to deliver a story that's every bit as good as the previous ones while breaking new ground and keeping the characters fresh and entertaining. You can't ask for more than that.

To The Nines by Janet Evanovich was released in 2003. Stephanie Plum along with her friend Lula have one of their wildest adventures yet, and even go to Las Vegas, far from New Jersey, to hunt down killers. Fans of Janet Evanovich will like this the most.

This is a "situation comedy cop show", but it's a good one. Bounty Hunter Stephanie Plum must deal with more crises than a soap opera, between the opening scene where she tries to catch a vaseline covered naked bounty jumper, only to be interrupted by a more pressing family crisis and the closing where it looks like the next book may turn into "Ten Little Plums", between Stephanie's sister's family claim jumping her apartment while she considers the fact that her lover says it might be nice if she was pregnant.
The story in between those though, the main story of the book, was far too predictable. I had figured out who the bad guy was almost immediately upon "meeting him" and couldn't see why it wasn't obvious to Stephanie, even giving her excuses for the stress she was under with family, lover and bounty hunter pressures.
I'm also getting tired of a ex-hooker, fat chick Lulu being the comic relief. Why not allow her to show some intelligence and stop the fat jokes?
Overall, I read the book and enjoyed it, like I enjoy an occasional trip to McDonald's. But it's certainly not enough to live on.

I was very excited when this book came out. I made my husband rush out and get it. Unfortunatly, this book was dissapointing. One of my favorite character Grandma Mazur hardly makes an appearance in this book. There is a lot more sexual innuendo which I found unecessary to the plot. In this book, Lulu was the most amusing character and Stephanie Plum was pretty dull and the scrapes she kept getting into were very predictable. Overall, the book is probbaly worth reading if you are a big fan, but save your money and check it out of the library.

This is a great series if this is your style. Fairly light tone, amusing, with just enough romance, action, & suspense to keep you guessing and turning pages without inducing nightmares. An easy read with not too many characters, good vocabulary choice.

I just happened to pick up this book (in hardback) on the sale rack in a bookstore and stood there and read the first few pages and was laughing so hard I was crying. I was so entertained that I didn't even care that people were looking at me like I was crazy. I never start a series in the middle like this, but I could not leave that store without this book. I read it the next day and then promptly went out to buy the first eight books in the series, plus, Ten Big Ones was out also, so I bought that one too. I got all of these just before spring break and read all ten of them that week(yes, I reread book 9, because I had to read them all in order...OCD anyone?). These books are hysterical and fun and they lift my spirits. I LOVE them and always get the new one as soon as it comes out!

Janet Evanovich's 9th novel restores the author's rank among top female crime fiction writers.

Just as we'd been getting a little bored with Stephanie Plum, not-all-that-good-at-her-job bail bondsman; and just when we were getting tired of that "Ranger Vs. Morelli" romantic thing and just when we were wishing for something intangible to happen in this detective series, it did.

And one is want to say, "You go girl!"

"To The Nines" further developes Plum and her professional abilities, her crazy family and her friend Lula and even manages to take a crack or two at the Atkins Diet.

In addition, she skillfully weaves in the humorous vagaries of trans-continental air travel and Las Vegas culture and the sometimes sad and desparate lives of Indians and Pakistanis living in the U.S.

All together resfreshing, it's more of a 10 than a 9.

before i get all the hatemail-ilove this series-but-this one feels contrived and formulaic. her first capture is a total throwaway-not funny just stuck in there-there is virtually no mystery plot to this book at all, just further ramblings about ranger and morelli that are yesterday's news. the only somewhat funny bit is lula's diet-i've wondered how much steam this series had left and i'm sorry to say that it feels like there ain't much gas left in the tank--sorry janet, but this one feels like you're only in it for the money

I finally got around to reading a book from this popular series. I read about 30 pages and then gave up. The characters didn't appeal to me right from the start and I found the story boring and not worth continuing to read to the end of the book.

Returned for a refund. Did not live up to all the hype.

To The Nines, the ninth part to the Stephanie Plum Series was entertaining, and would be a fun book for someone who hasn't read the previous eight installments. But for someone like me who is reading the series in order, it was too much of the same. Same Stephanie, same Morelli, same Ranger, same Lula, same Connie, and same Vinnie; nothing new happens here.

I gave it three stars because I like the series and will continue to read it in order.

After a total disappointment of a book "Visions of Sugarplums". Stephanie is back to her original great form in "To the Nines". I found this book as funny and offbeat as the first eight in the series. It was a wonderful read; I couldn't put it down once I started it. It shows that even with bodyguards (who turned out to be in more danger fr/ Stephanie than her enemies) Stephanie can still get herself in deep, deep trouble and still survive. A great read which I highly recommend.

To The Nines is another entertaining read from Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. In this installment Stephanie is trying to find what appears to be a serial killer before they carry out their threat and turn their sights on eliminating her as well. Fun from the first to the last page, fans of the series will definitely enjoy #9 in this series.

After a disappointing "Vision of Sugar Plums" novella released at Christmastime, Janet Evanovich fans will be glad to find the author back on track with her ninth full length novel starring Stephanie Plum, female bounty hunter from the 'burg (aka Trenton, NJ). All of our favorite characters are back this time with Ranger, Morelli and Lula in the forefront. Grandma Mazur is less prominent this time. Alot is packed into this tale and it moves hilariously from Trenton to Las Vegas with the plot coming to a head back in "The Burg". Die hard fans will love this one. It's classic Evanovich at her best!

I liked this book, as well as all of the other books. This one was full of fun and adventure, but I would have to say I figured out the "whodunnit" half way through the book. Even so, I enjoy the whole electricity that is between Stephanie, Joe and Ranger. If you are looking for a deep mystery or something with a "deep" meaning behind it, don't get the book. But if you are looking for fun and just enjoy the series... then read this book.

get ready for mayhem and laughter!!
Stephanie's looking for a skip...and a missing dog. She's still attracted to Ranger, she's living with Joe, and she's getting flowers and notes from another man...a man who wants her dead. What's a girl to do? Stephanie handles it all with her usual flair. And in between catching bad guys, she's tangled in her family's problems.
To the Nines is a fantastic addition to the Stephanie Plum saga!

This was an interesting read. I am a big fan of Janet Evanovich's and enjoyed the plot. I was a little disappointed about the personal life of Stephanie, I was there would be more sparks with Ranger this go around... but nope, it was all like Wham Bam Thank you Mam' now back to Morelli you go. Lula was hilarious in this book as usual, without her, it would totally not be fun. I was kept guessing to the end. Bring on the next Plum story!!

This could well be called "Stephanie and Friends Do Vegas" the humor seems more forced in this book and most of it is focused on Lulu the reformed whore. Stephanie still...can not make up her mind with whom she is in love and her skills as a bounty hunter seem to be getting worse not better. The earlier books were more fun to read and not so "raunchy". Die hard fans will enjoy this, but the uniqueness of an imept bounty hunter is beginning to wear thin.

I listened to Loralei King narrate the audio version of this story. I thought CJ Critt was the best narrator for the Plum stories, but King does an amazing job with the voices and accents too. Great story that moves along quickly. Some very funny scenes, especially with Lula on her diet. Also some good scenes with yummy Morelli and Ranger. You can't go wrong with this series - very entertaining!

Ok, War and Peace, its not. What it is IS a Good Grab-you-and-not-let-go Fun Read with the same whacky cast of characters. If you've enjoyed previous Stephanie Plum novels, you'll enjoy this one, despite what some 'take it all much too seriously' reviewers have said! Ms. Evanovich has her finger on the pulse of her readership; she keeps giving her readers what they like to read. I can't wait for #10.

I have to say that J. Evanovich's novels keep getting funnier and funnier. I laughed out loud at some parts- Lula is hysterical, and the dialogue between Stephanie and Lula is always guaranteed to please. I also love the interplay between her family- great writing.
I am, however, a little fed up with the Ranger/Morelli/Stephanie triangle. It seems as if the author is dragging it out a bit. At this point, I am saying- enough already!!
Anyway, read it-if you like her previous books, you will love this one.

A truly good one by Evanovich and as always makes me await her next installment with Stephanie and those men of hers, Morelli and Ranger. This story has some really hilarious passages centered around Lula, Plum's partner, and Valerie, Plum's pregnant sister. They are again on the bounty hunt for another
'winning personality', Samuel Sighn, and it gets nuttier and nuttier from chapter to chapter.

I had to really keep pushing myself to keep reading. Stephanie is interesting, the characters in the book are kind of interesting. Lula is a bit overplayed, and kinda stereotypical. She only gets away with it, because many of the characters in the book are sterotypes.

As far as this being a mystery, well that is where it fails. I figured otu what was going on pretty early. Just way too obvious.

Having read all of the Stephanie Plum novels, I can state that I am a great fan. This book, however, downplays the sexual tension between Steph/Ranger/Morelli (still some hot scenes, though) in favor of great sideshows involving Stephanie's family (sister Saint Valerie is very pregnant and unwed; Grandma Mazer is odd, as always) and Joe's ever-scary Grandmother Bella (visions of Stephanie's demise abound). The highlight of the book is definitely Lula, Stephanie's plus-size sidekick and a former "ho" who decides to go on an all-meat diet to achieve super-model proportions for her new boyfriend (who we never meet). Like many others in this book, the scene in which Lula runs away from a pack of dogs who want her bacon is laugh-out-loud funny! Oh, yes, the mystery is o.k. (I figured it out about a third of the way through), but that's not why you read Evanovich. Her characters are unique, her writing fast-paced. This book was a lot of fun!

Samuel Singh, in the country on a visa, has gone missing. Stephanie's cousin, Vinnie, had posted bond on Singh's visa and now she and fellow bounty hunter, Ranger, are charged with tracking him down. I don't read Evanovich's books for the plots (although, this was a pretty good one). The characters and the humor have me hooked. I wasn't one bit disappointed with this installment.

Janet Evanovich has created another mystery masterpiece in the Stephanie Plum series with "To The Nines". It's easy to see why she has won so many crime writers' awards. Although this is a fictional book, it is rated R material. The use of bad language, nude imagery and violence is intended for a mature audience. But don't think that this is a hardcore murder mystery, because it's not. I can't remember when I laughed so much. The plot will keep you totally engrossed, but the characters will make you want to keep reading. Stephanie Plum is a bail-bondsperson living in New Jersey. The job alone would be full of action and adventure, but add a killer and you've got great reading. I love a good "who done it book" and Mrs. Evanovich delivered! She keeps you guessing to the end. I really enjoyed reading this book and I plan to read her other 8 Stephanie Plum novels.

This book is everything you have come to expect from the Stephanie Plum series, all the usual dramas in her life and of Lula is always along for the ride. There is the added extra of a trip to Vegas and of course nothing goes to plan in true Stephanie style. Ranger steps in and adds his usual confusion into to Stephanie's life, and his bodyguards don't seem to enjoy Steph as much as Ranger does. It looks like at long last Steph and Morelli might have finally got their act together and have moved in together much to Grandma Bella's disgust. Valerie has her baby and nothing seems to be straight forward to her either, but will she ever actually marry Kloughn, I suppose we will get the answer to these questions in the next book, I hope Janet Evanovich is writing her heart out to bring the next installment in Steph's tragic life.

The woman who read the CD unabridged version of this book was spectacular. She did all the voices just the way they should sound, although I never considered what that might be when I read on paper the other eight books.

The plot is minimal, the dopey events max. But Lula is still great and I liked Stephanie even more when she was "telling" me the story outloud.

If you've read the first few Stephanie Plum novels you need read none of the rest. Janet Evanovich needs to let her character learn from her mistakes and grow! I was excited when I found the "Plum" novels and read through them very quickly. They were great. Both funny and fun to read. By number six I was getting worried. Enough wrecked cars. Enough fear of guns. I waited quite a while before picking up To the Nines and doubt that I will bother to read #10. Sorry, Janet. Grow up Stephanie.

Janet and her "girl" Stephanie keep you on your toes with anticipation, laughter and the "who did it and who will do it next?" Since finding this author I have been reading every book. Highly recommend for the mystery lover and the reader who likes a little laughter while she reads.

This Plum novel starts out fairly calm, but certainly picks up in the end! I enjoyed the change of intensity and darker side criminals, interlaced with the continuing racy relationships with Morelli and Ranger. As always a fun read!

I have to say that J. Evanovich's novels keep getting funnier and funnier. I laughed out loud at some parts- Lula is hysterical, and the dialogue between Stephanie and Lula is always guaranteed to please. I also love the interplay between her family- great writing.
I am, however, a little fed up with the Ranger/Morelli/Stephanie triangle. It seems as if the author is dragging it out a bit. At this point, I am saying- enough already!!
Anyway, read it-if you like her previous books, you will love this one.

A truly good one by Evanovich and as always makes me await her next installment with Stephanie and those men of hers, Morelli and Ranger. This story has some really hilarious passages centered around Lula, Plum's partner, and Valerie, Plum's pregnant sister. They are again on the bounty hunt for another
'winning personality', Samuel Sighn, and it gets nuttier and nuttier from chapter to chapter.

I had to really keep pushing myself to keep reading. Stephanie is interesting, the characters in the book are kind of interesting. Lula is a bit overplayed, and kinda stereotypical. She only gets away with it, because many of the characters in the book are sterotypes.

As far as this being a mystery, well that is where it fails. I figured otu what was going on pretty early. Just way too obvious.

Having read all of the Stephanie Plum novels, I can state that I am a great fan. This book, however, downplays the sexual tension between Steph/Ranger/Morelli (still some hot scenes, though) in favor of great sideshows involving Stephanie's family (sister Saint Valerie is very pregnant and unwed; Grandma Mazer is odd, as always) and Joe's ever-scary Grandmother Bella (visions of Stephanie's demise abound). The highlight of the book is definitely Lula, Stephanie's plus-size sidekick and a former "ho" who decides to go on an all-meat diet to achieve super-model proportions for her new boyfriend (who we never meet). Like many others in this book, the scene in which Lula runs away from a pack of dogs who want her bacon is laugh-out-loud funny! Oh, yes, the mystery is o.k. (I figured it out about a third of the way through), but that's not why you read Evanovich. Her characters are unique, her writing fast-paced. This book was a lot of fun!

Samuel Singh, in the country on a visa, has gone missing. Stephanie's cousin, Vinnie, had posted bond on Singh's visa and now she and fellow bounty hunter, Ranger, are charged with tracking him down. I don't read Evanovich's books for the plots (although, this was a pretty good one). The characters and the humor have me hooked. I wasn't one bit disappointed with this installment.

Janet Evanovich has created another mystery masterpiece in the Stephanie Plum series with "To The Nines". It's easy to see why she has won so many crime writers' awards. Although this is a fictional book, it is rated R material. The use of bad language, nude imagery and violence is intended for a mature audience. But don't think that this is a hardcore murder mystery, because it's not. I can't remember when I laughed so much. The plot will keep you totally engrossed, but the characters will make you want to keep reading. Stephanie Plum is a bail-bondsperson living in New Jersey. The job alone would be full of action and adventure, but add a killer and you've got great reading. I love a good "who done it book" and Mrs. Evanovich delivered! She keeps you guessing to the end. I really enjoyed reading this book and I plan to read her other 8 Stephanie Plum novels.

This book is everything you have come to expect from the Stephanie Plum series, all the usual dramas in her life and of Lula is always along for the ride. There is the added extra of a trip to Vegas and of course nothing goes to plan in true Stephanie style. Ranger steps in and adds his usual confusion into to Stephanie's life, and his bodyguards don't seem to enjoy Steph as much as Ranger does. It looks like at long last Steph and Morelli might have finally got their act together and have moved in together much to Grandma Bella's disgust. Valerie has her baby and nothing seems to be straight forward to her either, but will she ever actually marry Kloughn, I suppose we will get the answer to these questions in the next book, I hope Janet Evanovich is writing her heart out to bring the next installment in Steph's tragic life.

The woman who read the CD unabridged version of this book was spectacular. She did all the voices just the way they should sound, although I never considered what that might be when I read on paper the other eight books.

The plot is minimal, the dopey events max. But Lula is still great and I liked Stephanie even more when she was "telling" me the story outloud.

If you've read the first few Stephanie Plum novels you need read none of the rest. Janet Evanovich needs to let her character learn from her mistakes and grow! I was excited when I found the "Plum" novels and read through them very quickly. They were great. Both funny and fun to read. By number six I was getting worried. Enough wrecked cars. Enough fear of guns. I waited quite a while before picking up To the Nines and doubt that I will bother to read #10. Sorry, Janet. Grow up Stephanie.

Janet and her "girl" Stephanie keep you on your toes with anticipation, laughter and the "who did it and who will do it next?" Since finding this author I have been reading every book. Highly recommend for the mystery lover and the reader who likes a little laughter while she reads.

This Plum novel starts out fairly calm, but certainly picks up in the end! I enjoyed the change of intensity and darker side criminals, interlaced with the continuing racy relationships with Morelli and Ranger. As always a fun read!

Janet Evanovich definitely knows how to write an entertaining book. She's had me laughing repeatedly out loud in public with Plum books 1 thru 8. However, in 9, the recipe she uses is becoming too clear. And, maybe I'm just a little dense and all of the other Plum readers out there have started to see the recipe by book 3 and just kept reading. I don't know. Anyway, I'm finding it a little tiresome this time around. Although she still has me chuckling in public.

To the Nines was my introduction to Stephanie Plum and Janet Evanovich. I read it on a cross-country flight and was chuckling so often that several passengers asked the name of the book I was reading that I was enjoying so much.

Since then I have read all of the other Stephanie Plum novels, from One to 15, and I still believe that To the Nines is the BEST of the series to date!

This book might be the best in the series. I couldn't put it down. I keep waiting for the series to have a book that's not as good, but this wasn't it. It is flat out laugh out loud. It has all the normal side characters, Like Grandma and Lula, who is on a pretty interesting diet. It also has Stephanie being stalked by a pretty imaginative killer. The tension is still there between Joe and Ranger, but it's interesting how they work together when it's important. This is a can't miss best seller.

Stephanie is back! I was a little worried after that "Visions of Sugar Plums" disaster...but all is well and it is SO GOOD to be back in the Burg!! Ten minutes into the book I was already laughing out loud hysterically when Stephanie and Lula have to arrest an FTA who is naked and has covered himself in vaseline. Evanovich has created a real fun bunch of characters and it's been a pleasure reading about them for the past 9 books! I hope these never stop!

honestly, i think that janet evanovich should cease everything else in her life except writing stephanie plum books. one a month would probably satisfy. i am so glad that i happened upon the series, and i've turned many friends and family members on to them as well. we wait anxiously for each book. we quote lula and grandma mazur. we argue on who stephanie should end up with - and most of all, we debate who should play who in the movie versions of each book. WHEN WILL SOME SMART MOVIE EXECUTIVE START GIVING US STEPHANIE MOVIES?? please, janet, write more! write faster! QUICK!!! QUICK!!!!

See storyline above.
I hate to say it but Evanovich's novels are one of the funnest and enjoyable to listen to. This one was read by Lorelei King and she did an outstanding job with the narration and the voices (Lula just makes you laugh out loud). Easy to follow and perfect for the drive too and from work.
Highly recommended.

Someone left a couple of these Stephanie Plum novels at my work and I immediately became addicted to this series. I had to go back and read all the ones I didn't get to read for free. I love the storylines, they are highly entertaining and so good I can hardly put them down till I'm finished.

This is the first book of Stephanie Plum that I read and have the two must important things that a book must have , the main story is very interesting and unpredictable and will keep you in the book all the time, the second story, her personal life will keep you laughing all the time, so you will not be bored while you read this book.

I agree with the editorial reviewer who said this book wasn't as good as her others. It wasn't, but even that still merits four stars. It still made me laugh out loud, feel miserable and also cringe horribly (particularly towards the end).

I belong to a "Stephanie Plum" book group with a few of my girlfriends. We've read volumes one through nine and eagerly await number ten. The only bad thing about these books is if you are reading them in a public place, it is embarrassing when you laugh out loud at Stephanie and her cast of characters' antics! I only hope that Ms. Evanovich keeps putting out new adventures of my favorite bounty hunter!

Okay, the Stephanie Plum series is not great literature, but the stories have good plots, a great protagonist, and some great wry humor.
I think Lorelei King as the read for the unabridged version adds just the right amount of character to the reading to enhance its enjoyment. Unlike many readers, she does not allow emoting to interfere with the story.

I gather, from reading the other reviews of this latest Stephanie Plum novel, that I am in the minority. But I felt the book was definitely not up to Janet Evanovich's standards. It lacke the wit and cleverness that her earlier books have. When reading her earlier novels, I would sit and laugh my rear end off, throughout the book. But "To The Nines" gave me a few snickers, at best. I hate to say it, because, like so many others, I have waited eagerly for the next Stephanie Plum novel, and will await her next one next summer, but I wonder if Ms. Evanovich is finally coming upon her personal brick wall? I hope not, and I sincerely hope that she regains her form, but this book was a disappointment.

This book was a lot of fun, especially the trip to Las Vegas and Lula's dieting antics. There was a darker side to this novel with the stalker, too, which gave it interest (of course, it was easy to figure out who the main bad guy was, but that didn't ruin the fun of the novel). This one should definitely be on your summer reading list!

I loved it!!! The book is just wonderful!! It is a load of laughs. I could not stop laughing at some parts. Lula is soooo funny!! I liked the fact that story moved out of the Burg and to Las Vegas for a minute. The Vegas part was very interesting. Of course, you still have the love triangle between Stephanie, Joe, and Ranger. The plot thickens with those three. I can't wait to see how the author is going to play it out. Stephanie's sister is in this book also. She is a total trip. I could not put the book down. I finished it today. It only took me a week to finish it!!! The beginning was pretty interesting. She kept you in suspense trying to figure out who was the killer. The ending was great! I just loved it!! I can't wait for #10!!!

I was very disappointed in "Hard Eight" and much much happier with "to the nines." The story is a bit more complex, more things happen, and Stephanie is showing a little bit of growth as a character and as a bounty hunter. The other characters are developing a bit too. Looking forward to the next one.

"To the Nines" is Evanovich's best yet novel in the Stephanie Plum series. I've read all of her others and I was so excited when it FINALLY came out. I sat down to read it and finished it in about 3 hours. I just couldn't put it down. More sparks between Stephanie and Ranger, the heat between those two could set the pages on fire, but Joe is steadily becoming a better influence over Stephanie and we hope it stays that way. Maybe they'll eventually *gasp* get married, they could probably do that without bloodshed or Grandma Bella's visions of many bambinos. No more diets for Lula, and Ranger's G-men army need to watch out when Steph and Lula are on the prowl.

I am a very big fan of the Stephanie Plum novels. "To the Nines" was very disappointing. It was not funny and exciting as her books in the past have been. In fact, there were parts that were very boring, and I had the feeling that I was missing something. I kept reading and waiting for the real "Stephanie" to kick in. Everyone can hardly wait for the next Plum novel, and I think that this book was not given a whole lot of time and thought. I hope the next one is better. I have turned all of my friends and family onto reading these Janet Evanovich novels, and all of them have told me this same thing. I wanted to make sure it was just not me.

To the Nines put Janet Evanovich back on my list of favorite authors. I was very, very disappointed in Visions of Sugarplums. It wasn't even worth finishing. But, Janet Evanovich is back on track with To the Nines. The tug of war between Ranger and Morelli keeps things exciting - who can resist two bad boys!
Keep up the good work.

Stephanie Plum is back with a story line that could only be done by Janet Evanovich. With a combination of Elivs impersonators figthing a Tom Jones impersonator (who gets smacked in the face by Lula's thong) in Las Vegas, Lula trying to go on a diet,and of course the constant flipping between Ranger and Morelli (I am stopping there...don't want to give you too much info) you just can't help but laugh out loud. Janet has created a series that is so unique that you just can't find it in any other book around and you just can't help but jump up and down once a new Stephanie Plum book comes out. To The Nines is a showing of a author that is at the top of the list and is an excellent edition to an already wonderful series. This book is at the top of my all time favorites and I highly recommend to everyone!!!

Evanovich gives us exactly what we want from Stephanie (Along with Ranger and Joe, holy cow!). She's fun, sassy and if nothing else, recognizes her ineptness but... who cares? (This is what I call making her real, she's just like me!, a little tough and a little wimpy..except she has 2 guys after her, hm.) We're just along for this awesome episode of "The Stephanie Plum Show!" It's fun, quick and if you loved her before, you'll love her again. And I, personally, still can't decide between Ranger and Joe... what sane woman could?!

Evanovich's Christmas novella, Visions of Sugar Plums, stunk but this book redeems the series. In fact this is the best one yet. The scenes with Lula, the plus-sized ex-hooker, attempting to lose weight on the Atkins Diet were hilarious. Make sure you log onto Evanovich's website to enter the contest to name the 10th book in the series.

This series is one of my favorites ever! I was laughing within five minutes of starting this book. Reading a new Stephanie Plum book is like visiting with old friends, I didn't want it to end. I thought this was a great addition to the series. I highly recommend it.

This is the best Plum book since Four to Score. It had a great story line, Crazy Plum Family Moments, both Ranger and Joe, lots of Laugh out Loud moments, Lula and Connie with Steph on a Mission to Vegas, with some mystery and scary moments thrown in the mix. This book would be fine to read without having read the previous Plum books, when your done and if you love it, go start at the beginning with One For The Money.

If you like the other Stephanie Plum books, you will love this one too! The usual antics as a bail bondsperson, grandma Mazur is funny as usual. Of course, Joe Morelli and Ranger are hotter than ever. It is an easy, quick enjoyable read. You do get looks when you start laughing out loud. Don't miss this one. I am only sorry I have to wait so long for the next one.

I read the series in order. Once I got to the 8th book I thought Janet was loosing her touch. I thought Hard Eight sucked. I was certain To The Nines would be the same old thing, but was pleasantly surprised. It was hilarious. I couldn't put it down.

Evanovich gives us exactly what we want from Stephanie (Along with Ranger and Joe, holy cow!). She's fun, sassy and if nothing else, recognizes her ineptness but... who cares? (This is what I call making her real, she's just like me!, a little tough and a little wimpy..except she has 2 guys after her, hm.) We're just along for this awesome episode of "The Stephanie Plum Show!" It's fun, quick and if you loved her before, you'll love her again. And I, personally, still can't decide between Ranger and Joe... what sane woman could?!

Evanovich's Christmas novella, Visions of Sugar Plums, stunk but this book redeems the series. In fact this is the best one yet. The scenes with Lula, the plus-sized ex-hooker, attempting to lose weight on the Atkins Diet were hilarious. Make sure you log onto Evanovich's website to enter the contest to name the 10th book in the series.

This series is one of my favorites ever! I was laughing within five minutes of starting this book. Reading a new Stephanie Plum book is like visiting with old friends, I didn't want it to end. I thought this was a great addition to the series. I highly recommend it.

This is the best Plum book since Four to Score. It had a great story line, Crazy Plum Family Moments, both Ranger and Joe, lots of Laugh out Loud moments, Lula and Connie with Steph on a Mission to Vegas, with some mystery and scary moments thrown in the mix. This book would be fine to read without having read the previous Plum books, when your done and if you love it, go start at the beginning with One For The Money.

If you like the other Stephanie Plum books, you will love this one too! The usual antics as a bail bondsperson, grandma Mazur is funny as usual. Of course, Joe Morelli and Ranger are hotter than ever. It is an easy, quick enjoyable read. You do get looks when you start laughing out loud. Don't miss this one. I am only sorry I have to wait so long for the next one.

I read the series in order. Once I got to the 8th book I thought Janet was loosing her touch. I thought Hard Eight sucked. I was certain To The Nines would be the same old thing, but was pleasantly surprised. It was hilarious. I couldn't put it down.

The Stephanie Plum series are the only books of which I have first editions of every book on my bookshelf. That being said, this installment fell just a little flat. There were some laugh out loud moments, but not quite as many as usual. I was able to figure out the protagonist from the first clue, and this is an absolute rarity for me.
That being said, I enjoyed myself and will faithfully pre-order the next in the series, as she is still my favorite.

Janet Evanovich is delightful to read! I love the Stephanie Plum series and find myself getting caught up in the action. To the Nines was just one more example of why Evanovich is considered one of the best authors in the game!

I just didn't feel the energy in this book that I have in most of the other "Plum" series books. I had the honor of meeting Ms. Evanovich and she says she has a lot more to come. I am a big fan of this series but this book was preditable with every page I turned. Sorry.... I know this is not a popular response.

This was my first Stephanie Plum novel (picked it up while I was at the pharmacy). To the Nines is one interesting, fascinating read with one helluva lot of interesting characters. When you get to Lula, Ranger and (...) Grandma, you'll know just what I'm talking about lol. Janet knocked this one out the park. Fantastic work, honey. And I can't wait to get through 1-8 and your new one Ten Big Ones.

I am a die hard Evanovitch fan, and this book will keep me going for a long time. If you haven't read any of the Plum books, this one is great. I would recommend starting at One for the Dough and reading stright through. I read the first 7 books while on vacation for a week at the beach. They are easy and great reads. Keep up the good work Janet.

This is a great series and this is a good book but, it's just not up to the standard I've come to expect from Evanovich. It was too short and under developed. Also, the ending was not very climactic. This felt like Visions of Sugar Plums part II. I would recommend it mainly because the characters are so funny they can carry a less than stellar story.

I am a big fan of Stephanie's but I'm seriously disappointed with the latest installment in the series.
Stephanie Plum lost her feistiness and it seems like Lula and Connie have more spank than our bounty hunter. I did laugh out loud in several places but overall pace of the story lulled me to sleep. It's OK for summer read but not worth the hardcover expense.

I have just discovered the Plum series. After reading the first, I immediately bought all of the others and read them through within a week! I couln't wait to find out what happened next. Each one gets better than the last and I love Evanovich's sense of humor.

This is Evanovich at her best - the story is replete with all of our favorite characters - plus a new dilemma for Stephanie! This is a much better written book than Eight. My only dilemma is that I devoured this book and will now have to wait for the next . . . Highly recommended read!

Most of the Stephanie Plum novels I have enjoyed, and I guess I did enjoy this one. Very repetitive from the other 8. But the worst factor for me was......... I had the stalker figured out 1/2 way through the book! I want to be surprised....amazed....
I want to gasp at the outcome..... Not so here, Janet I hope you haven't lost your touch.

Stephanie Plum is back and better then ever in this ninth installment of the Series. I have to say I was very pleasently surprised with how great this book was considering how Miss Janet had started to go downhill after book six. But she still has some tricks up her sleeve. Read this book. It goes from sexy to laugh out loud funny to terror in three pages. Welcome back Stephanie Plum your better than ever.

this was my introduction to the fabulous author, janet evanovich. i had a hard time putting this book down. if i didn't have a baby at home, i would have read it in one day. i love janet's style of writing, very captivating. i am now buying all of the other stephanie plum novels. you won't be disappointed. keep up the great work, janet.

I enjoy reading all of the Janet Evanovich books. Her character, Stephanie Plum behaves like a normal person with a job that she needs to do and somehow does it well. She has a crazy family with out dated values, but who can't relate to that.

I couldn't put this book down. It's starts out with Punky who is an fta and he covers himself with vaseline and he's naked, but that doesn't stop Steph. My fav. quote from the book is "... Nah, nah nah. Kiss my can, you can't catch me, I'm the Vaseline man." And Clyde cone the comic book freak. This book is filled with suspense and laughs. If you love this book you have to read the next.. their addictive.

~*wOLf*~

sitting poolside this a great summer read!!! being a jersey girl i love reading about lulu in spandex and stephanie running in heels...right on!!! makes me want to go "south jersey" on someone who messes with my day...bravo janet for creating a light-hearted series capturing east coast humor

I have read the previous books in this series and have enjoyed all of them. The characters are lovable and I felt an instant kinship with Ms Plum as she tries to balance family, job, love, friends, and self while all the while bringing in the "bad" guys. This book is a fun, easy read that just might have you laughing out loud too.

As usual, I loved this Stephanie Plum novel. You can always count on Evanovich to deliver wit and suspense, along with a humorous bunch of characters. I could not predict this read, which gives any potential reader just one more reason to pick up this story.

This was my first time reading a Stephanie Plum novel. I thought it was great! I love the way Evanovich writes the story in a down to earth manner. I will defintily go out and buy more of her books. This story was funny yet it kept you on your toes. I couldn't wait to get to the next page.

Janet Evanovich is right on track with To The Nines. Received the book yesterday and finished it already. I was laughing out loud through the whole book. I like that the book focused more on Stephanie's personal life than her job, it was a nice change. Joe and Ranger are as hot as ever, thank you Janet. Looking foward to the next one.

Love Janet Evanovich, her books are hilarious. Albert Kloughn is such an endearing addition to her character family. Lula on Atkins? Love it!
This series get a little formulaic after a while, though.

The lastest in the Stephanie Plum series will make you laugh out loud as all the previous books have. All the much loved characters make an appearance and the mystery will not disappoint. It is a very quick read! The only downside...How long do we have to wait for the next one?