No. 10) - A Stephanie Plum Novel - Ten Big Ones (Stephanie Plum

I adore Stephanie Plum, the feisty, sassy, suma cum laud bond enforcement agent, (bounty hunter), from Trenton, NJ - the bane of every psycho criminal in the Garden State, and destroyer of at least 10 cars. I love Grandma Mazur, Stephanie's maternal grandmother, and a pistol-packin,' roller blading clotheshorse. The super sexy men in Steph's life, hot cop, live-in lover Joe Morelli, and "The Ranger," who is beyond description in a simple book review, are the best - as are all the other wacky eccentrics who populate Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum mysteries. To tell the truth, I would probably read a plotless Stephanie novel, just to visit with the cast. However, "Ten Big Ones," the 10th volume of her adventures, is far from plotless and will keep you on the edge of your seat, scared, spellbound, and roaring with laughter, while you enjoy the frequently hilarious capers. Steph's less dangerous bail-jumpers, and their crimes, are too funny, and the humor balances the dangers she faces.

Stephanie, as always, is on the wrong side of every door. She and her partner, trigger happy, reformed prostitute Lula, go out for nachos and walk into a robbery at the local convenience store. The robbery leads to an explosion which inevitably leads to the destruction of another car. Stephenie did get a look at the devil-masked hold-up man's face. Because she can identify the "Red Devil," his gang wants to eliminate her. She decides to hide, with the help of the enigmatic Ranger who offers her sanctuary, while she figures out how to capture the dangerous killer known as "The Junkman." Her long suffering boyfriend, Joe Morelli, is not thrilled with her hiding place or with the entire situation. He never is. He'd love for Stephanie to become a stay-at-home Mom. Hah!

This is one of the most suspenseful novels yet. I love this series. What a trip!!

JANA

Stephanie Plum is back in "Ten Big Ones," watching her latest car explode (I think she's lost a car in every book so far), annoying Joe Morelli, being marked for death by a totally scary local gang because she can identify one of them as an arsonist/robber/murderer, and, as if that's not enough, squatting in (one of) Ranger's mysterious apartments without permission.

The story moves along at a gratifyingly rapid pace. We have that scary gang tagging every place she touches. Stephanie's sister is finally getting married, and might be looking for a wedding coordinator - if she can find the right one - at which point she'll move out of Stephanie's apartment (at last). Vinny the bondsman is short-handed, so we have creative bail jumpers Stephanie must apprehend all over the place. And we have Joe in his usual state of irritation over Stephanie's job, Ranger, lack of commitment, gangs, and whatever else comes to mind.

I'm not quite sure what the "ten big ones" were - maybe the bail jumpers? - but I'm starting to spot a formula here: Stephanie watches car explode (feelings of chagrin, police humor, maybe slapstick). Ranger gives Stephanie amazing tricked out car and a smoulder (sexual tension). Stephanie gets death threat related to explosion (family and Joe pressure to get better job). Stephanie has distracting bail jumpers to catch (much slapstick humor involving hooker-turned-filing-assistant Lulu, sometimes Vinny's receptionist Connie gets roped in for some laugh-out-loud moments). Stephanie starts to solve crime (pressure from Joe to let police solve crime, followed by female empowerment moment after which Stephanie usually falls smack on face). Stephanie has near-death experience because she's solved crime (tension, police humor, more slapstick) and day is saved. Yaay!

I really hope I'm wrong, because this was a darn good one, and I'm hooked into #11. Or maybe it doesn't matter, because Evanovich is entertaining no matter what.

The Stephanie Plum series has been going on for quite some time now. I have read the majority of the books in this series over the years. After reading the reviews here and on Evanovich’s other books it would appear that some people like the Plum books; others not so much. Odd thing is though that each book sells a lot and this series has a very large following. I personally enjoy this series and while I fully realize that some of the books are better than others, for me all them are a joy to read and I get a kick out of the zany situations Stephanie gets herself into and the plethora on one liners and running jokes that go from book to book.

Now to be honest a person can read two of the books in this series; any two in any order and pretty well know that the rest of the books are going to be like. Hint: If you did not like the first two you read then you will not like the rest of them. On the other hand, if you like what you read...well, read on because you now know what you will be getting in the rest of the books.

In this one Stephanie is still balancing Ranger with Joe. There are new bad guys but the over all cast of characters are pretty much the same. I will say that the body count in this one is a bit higher than in some of the other books I have read.

I suppose these books; their over all tone and nature, would be that of the old I Love Lucy Show...lots of ridiculous situations and lots of slap-stick. This book just drips with these two factors.

In this one Stephanie is being targeted by a hit man brought in from the West Coast and her life is in constant danger. We get a lot of Lulu in this one and many of the situations the two get into are hilarious.

While this book and the others in the series cannot be considered ‘high literature” by any stretch of the imagination, they are fast and fun reads and most certainly entertaining. I liked this one.

This was a library find.

PLOT OR PREMISE:
Ten Big Ones (St. Martin's Press, 2010, ISBN/ASIN: B00179FNRI, Plum (10)) is the tenth outing in the Plum series, and this one has Stephanie starting a mini-war with a gang after she sees one of them committing a robbery.
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WHAT I LIKED:
Hijackers of chip trucks, Sally Sweet still in a dress, and school buses all show up to enliven the plot.
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WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
The whole shower thing for Valerie gets old real fast, adding nothing to the story. And I don't really care about wannabe gang kingpins.
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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.

Janet Evanovich's, Ten Big Ones is funny, funny, funny! This writer has a sense of humor that make me laugh out loud. Steph Plum is at it once again. Torn between her Italian lover and Ranger is funny in and of it's self. Her sister falling for a lawyer and pregnant with his child, they decide to marry. But whom do they ask to help with the wedding? None other than Sally the guy who plays in a small band. Slayers have placed a price on Plum's head and Morelli is trying to keep her safe. Plum moves in with him once again but it is not a good move. Something happens to cause her to move once again. But where to? Yes, again she needs a car for her latest car is burned because of a guy in a devil's mask. Read this novel by Evanocich and you'll want to read all of her books. Rated not for children under eighteen. Strong language, sexual descriptions, and violence. DP. Castro Valley, CA.

Stephanie’s latest caper could be her most dangerous, and possibly most deadly. We’ve grown accustomed to the blur of lightning fast capers that always include dead bodies, broken vehicles, and FTAs that seem to outsmart her at every turn. And this book doesn’t disappoint in that aspect. As usual, Stephanie’s wacky family and unlikely allies help her to bumble her way to successfully solving another impossible situation. The push/pull of her attraction between to Morelli and Ranger always adds an extra element of drama. But, I’m team Joe all the way so the continuing tension between them in this book makes me very sad.

This might be the most ridiculous one yet. Stephanie is with Lula at the store. Lula shoots a bike tire and the owner comes out in a mask having just robbed the store. He then firebombs the store but is so annoyed he removes his mask leaving Stephanie able to identify the new gang banger criminal on a string of burglaries. She gets in more trouble when she goes into gangland to see if she can ID him. Then because shes a lucky girl a hit is put on her and she goes into semi hiding using Ranger resources. The ending is ridiculous beyond words. So insane you have to enjoy but doesn't mean I don't feel guilty afterwards that I spent a couple hours with this twaddle.

The Stephanie Plum novels are consistently great. This week I wanted to read a book that would make me laugh which is why I started in on Ten Big Ones. Once again, Evanovich knocks me off my feet and makes me giggle as I am reading. I really liked this book and for many reasons.

FIRST…
Stephanie Plum once again goes after the bad guys as her bounty hunting job depends on it. With hijinks that ensue one cannot help but laugh out loud at many points in this book. What with the weight loss –sigh—and slightly going after gang members that want her dead, Plum makes the book entertaining and keeps readers on their toes in anticipation as to what will happen next.

SECOND…
Lula is HILARIOUS. This is typical for the character and without her in the book it just would not be as entertaining.

Third…
Grandma Mazur. All fans of the series know why SHE makes the series excellent. She is by far the most HILARIOUS character of them all. While I wish she played a bigger role in this story, I can’t wait to see what she’s up to next

FINALLY…
Ranger and Morelli. Both of these characters add an edge to the book, but I would like to see some more developments with them in future books.

Overall rating: 4.5 GREAT

Would I read again? YES!

My Love of Books

Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is on hand to witness the robbing of a store by the Red Devil, a masked guy who robs stores, sets fire to them and gets away on his bike. Discovering he’s part of one of the local gangs, she makes the mistake of cruising through their territory trying to spot him, and to escape when her car is mobbed, has to run a few of them over. Now there’s a contract on her head and they seem to find her wherever she goes.

To add to her problems, Ranger is out of town, although this turns out to be a good thing as she discovers the location of the Bat Cave. While trying to lay low and avoid gang members, she still has to bring in skips, deal with the preparations for her sister’s wedding and her relationship with Morelli.

As with the prior stories, chaos reigns and there is both plenty of action as well as humor and sexual tension. And the ending is rather unexpected.

Forget common sense and the fact that Stephanie doesn’t seem to grow and many of the gags have been used before. It’s still a fun story and a great way to escape reality for a few hours.

This is the tenth book in Janet Evanovich’s hysterical Stephanie Plum Series. It follows in the same footsteps as its predecessors. It’s a laugh-out-loud, very funny mystery that is ridiculously unrealistic, sometimes silly, but always thoroughly enjoyable. 

Ditzy NJ bounty hunter Stephanie Plum and her ex-ho sidekick Lula find themselves witnessing a gang related robbery. The thief, Red Devil becomes aware that Stephanie Plum can positively ID him. So to the Red Devil, crazy bounty hunter Stephanie Plum becomes a problem…a problem that needs to be eliminated a.s.a.p. A contract for her head is instituted and suddenly Stephanie’s life is no longer her own. She is not only the hunter, but now she is also the hunted.  
Stephanie always has two male rescuers in her life – Joe Morelli, a NJ.cop and her long-time lover, and Ranger, a mysterious, too sexy for his own skin ex-special forces bounty hunter. Each book in this series tends to focus on Stephanie’s attraction to and her romantic interludes with, either Joe Morelli or Ranger, except for in this book. There is very little romance in it, which I found disappointing. I also found the way both these men behave in her life did not always ring true to their character’s nature.  

For instance, Stephanie is afraid for her life, and since Ranger is away, she breaks into his apartment for a safe place to stay. While there, she makes herself at home and enjoys (even though she feels guilty) Ranger’s personal items. I find it very uncharacteristic for control freak, over-protective cop, Italian Stallion Joe Morelli to be okay with Stephanie staying in Ranger’s apartment. It is unclear whether he even knows that Ranger is away, or if he is aware, then he doesn’t know when Ranger will be returning. And Ranger, who doesn’t do relationships beyond sex, ends up having a feelings conversation with the woman he finds in his bed. 
But all in all I enjoyed this book and if I didn’t know the characters as well as I do, these inconsistencies wouldn’t have bothered me at all. The book has lots of witty dialogue and funny outlandish situations. As a bonus, I have a new favorite character…Sally Sweet the transvestite. Just wait until you meet him, you are going to just love him..her. 

Ten Big Ones by Janet Evanovich is another hilarious tale. Adventure as always with Stephanie Plum. A woman sleuth who gets into ore trouble than she should. Even with help, Stephanie still lands into danger. This time, involving a powerful gang out to quiet her. Stephanie Plum, doesn't just solve crimes but catches the bad guys too. Entertaining as ever...with a bit of romance. Risks are something that the protagonist lives for....it's funny watching her go stir crazy with nothing to do. Overall, Ten Big Ones is a great read.

I bought this from my local Human Society store.

Stephanie Plum is out of control. Seriously, she needs to get it together.

She's still living in a dump, still working for her uncle, still can't do her job even half-way decently. Her on again/off again relationship with a great guy is definitely off again and she can't help put push him away. All that is mostly the plot of the book which is mixed in with some really bad criminals who are determined to kill her, again. She goes to the only person who doesn't mind bending the rules for her, again. She skates by on the skin of her teeth, again. This girl. I feel like starting a fund so she can get a life coach.

I feel the plot in the last book was starting to wear a bit thin, but this book made a bit of comeback. I'm hoping it might be a turn-around for Plum. I've been through ten books with her, but it's getting a bit monotonous to watch her make the same mistakes without learning anything, kind of like Rex on his gerbil wheel. Fingers crossed that #11 will bring something new.

This had to be my favorite one so far. I've been told by quite a few people they do not like this series and do not understand why I read it. Well, let me tell ya this series makes me actually laugh out loud. They are a joy to read, because of the stupid luck Stephanie has. The trouble, her band of back up, and the triangle between Ranger, Steph, and Joe. I mean really in her position I would probably do the same things.

Stephanie manages to get herself in deep this time with the gangs of Trenton. Her sister is getting married, Sally Sweet makes a return appearance (which excites me because I really like his character), Steph yet again loses another car and Ranger comes to the rescue. This time I was surprised she manages to lose and have all three cars destroyed or in need of repair, but manages to keep all three of Ranger's vehicles clean.

Ten big ones, Stephanie, Lula, and Connie band together to get answers from a gang member they bonded out of jail. To the Nines I really enjoyed the three working together in Vegas, but in Ten big ones it was hilarious their inability to interrogate the gang member.

The love triangle going on between Ranger, Stephanie, and Joe sometimes bugs me a little bit, because Joe wants her to quit her job and do as he says. However we all know that if she did that would Joe really be happy? Less stressed yes, but why else has Stephanie always kept his attention. If she changed and got out of Bounty Hunting and stayed out of trouble. It really wouldn't be Stephanie anymore.

She decides to hide in Rangers apartment. I thought we were getting closer to the BatCave. Sadly we haven't yet, but I feel Stephanie will finally find it at some point. Ranger doesn't want Stephanie hurt either but he approaches it in a different way. He knows she will go against any demand that is made of her she doesn't like so he is smart enough to send someone to protect her if he can't. This is what Joe needs to learn. Yes he's Italian and a cop, but still. He's known Stephanie for how long???? Just ask her instead of demanding. She usually knows the danger she's in and is admitting it until Joe makes a demand that sends her usually into more trouble. I cannot wait to pick up the next book and read the next adventure.

I received a paperback of this as a birthday gift from a friend who didn't know my feelings for Janet Evanovich changed drastically around book six. Still, I tried. Until book nine. But because my friend gave me this, and I'd always loved the series so much, I went into this with an open mind. Sadly it seems like recycled crap, just like book nine, and maybe worse.
Other readers whom I hooked on this author and her once delightful series, assume most 4 & 5 star reviews come from Evanovich's/Plum's first time readers who haven't been through the redundant dialogue for six or seven other novels. Enough is enough. Either write a new and intriguiging storyline or kill off this series.

Cute, clumsy, Stephanie Plum went from being fun to watch with various hijinks, to turning flat out stupid. STUPID! As was one of Ms. Evanovich's biggest fans who recommended her novels to everyone I met (until I tired of her repetitive stories) I refused to write a bad review based on her first five novels. But what was once original and funny has become "Not that line, again!" Maybe the author (or whomever is penning her books now, thinks slightly rewriting used lines is something her readers aren't sophisticated enough to notice. We do.

No grammatical errors, just errors in judgment. Too sad for this once great author. Retire the series, already!

I am reading the Stephanie Plum series in order and while there are some issues, overall I enjoyed the continuing saga that is Stephanie's life. I love that Sally is back, and I am enjoying all the antics. I laughed out loud at several places in this one. It is a fairly funny installment. I am a little restless over the romantic situation and feel that it needs to move in one direction or another, but I look at this series like I would a TV series, it's all for entertainment. The end of the book left a lot to be desired. I thought it was missing a few chapters. It also was a little over-the-top in the suspension of belief category. Overall though, when I compare this series to what's out there, it's better than most. So, it still gets 4 stars. Of course I didn't pay $9 for it either.

There is marriage in the making , apartment seeking and of course mischief in the new Stephanie Plum novel. Stephanie's sister Valerie is getting married to Albert Kloughn , the father of their new baby. During a bond pick-up our two favourite gals Lula and Stephanie re-connect with Sally Sweet - the tranvestite from the early books. He is now working during the day as a School bus driver and since of course he is such a fashionista , Sally takes on the role as Valerie's Wedding Planner. What's a Stephanie Plum novel without a bit of car blowing up , trouble and the chemistry between Stephanie, Morelli and Ranger. In Ten Big Ones , Stephanie and Lula stumbled into the middle of a gang war and Stephanie is able to identify the leader known as Red Devil. Now hot on her tail is a contract killer known as The Junkman . Can Morelli keep Stephanie safe ? What happens when Stephanie has enough and finds herself staying at one of Ranger's apartments ? Will this along with the new car that Stephanie has to borrow from Ranger add her even deeper to his debt and favours ? What will happen when Lula, Stephanie along with the help of Connie take matters into their own hands and end up kidnapping the "Red Devil" ? Will they find themselves out of a job and their employer Vinnie having to bail them out ? As we all know Vinnie is a slimy sex fiend we find out in Ten Big ones who he calls and what his nickname and preference is ?.
Another awesome installment in the Stephanie Plum series and the one major thing I love about these books is the chemistry between Joe Morelli and Stephanie / Ranger and Stephanie and of course the zany friendship and characters that Lula and Stephanie meet.
The biggest question that remains in Ten Big Ones is though readers .....
Is Stephanie Plum pregnant and if so is it Ranger's or Morelli's bun in the oven ?

Stephanie is in the middle of a robbery on her lunch break, Lula shooting the tires of the robbers bike tires, and a bomb cocktail sets off another of Plum's zany escapades. She has gotten herself involved now with a bad-ass gang who now has put her on a hit list and there is a new leader from LA called "Junkman" who wants to do some really bad things to her, then kill her in the end. She gets in an arguement with her long time lover, Joe Morelli after her car and his house is graffitied from the gang. Not feeling safe to go home, back to Morelli's or her old apartment where her engaged sister, fiance and baby live, she uses Ranger's GPS and finds his hideout. With the elusive, sexy and mysterious Ranger gone for two weeks, she makes herself at home in his apartment. She becomes addicted to his body gel, towels and bed. Wait until Ranger comes home to find "Goldilocks Stephanie sleeping his bed. She has a big dilema, not only trying not to be passed around by gang members and then killed, but the conflicting feelings and thoughts she has for the two men.
I found this book still funny, but a bit more on the darker side With the gang issues, suggested torture and the conflict between Morelli and Ranger. I sort of thought it more suspenseful than hilarious. Still, Lula, Grandma Mazur and all of Stephanie's family, adding in the return of Sally the transvestite/singer, still keeps you chuckling.

I came in to see what was being said about this, because I'm confused, and wanted to know if I was alone. I read Full House, one of Evanovich's early works, and liked it so much, I decided to start looking into her other works.
(Full House has nothing to do with Plum) I am listening to the DVD, and I find it repetative from some of her other novels. I am finding this a lot in contemporary writers. They keep hashing out things already revealed in earlier works, etc., and for the real fan, this is boring. I just can't figure that out, Why they do that, if they didn't do that, wouldn't a reader be tempted to buy the earlier work to see what the background was?
I get so bored with 'Lenny' (I think is) the guys stingy slimy, unapprecitive character, and I keep waiting for Plum to tell him where to go and strike out on her own. What the heck harm could it do? Who needs a 'boss' like that? Especially in fiction????
I find Diesel rather amusing, but where the heck did he come from? I'd like to know more about the hunk. And the ex-prostitute's voice is almost overcoming and unbelieveable. I guess I'll finish it, I mean, I have it. But, I am reading it at night...it's putting me to sleep. I'd like to see more Full House type stories from JE. That one is a winner.

TEN BIG ONES is the tenth book in the hugely popular Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich.

This time Stephanie is in more trouble than ever as she becomes the focus of local gangs, who plan to hunt her down and kill her. In between avoiding the gangs Stephanie becomes deeper in her lusting for Ranger and trying to define her relationship with Morelli.

I'm not sure I would define TEN BIG ONES as a cozy mystery as there was no real "murder mystery". There were murders but it was pretty clear to the killer since the reader was told right away.

Nonetheless the series is a mystery/crime series so I'm going to review it for my mystery blog.

I've loved this series from the very beginning. The first book, ONE FOR THE MONEY, was one of my all time favourite books, but now, ten books later, the plot lines seemed very thin. Instead TEN BIG ONES mainly centres on the romantic interaction of the love triangle between Stephanie, her copy boyfriend, Morelli, and sexy bounty hunter, Ranger.

TEN BIG ONES was a fun read and I still find the love triangle enjoyable (I'm #TeamRanger). However the plot lines were pretty weak so this is just a 3-star read for me.

I will likely read the rest of the series but I won't be going out of my way to read them right now.

This is my routine for beginning a Stephanie Plum novel: I grab a few peanut butter Oreos and a glass of milk and curl up on the couch in my comfy pants. I open the book and read the first paragraph: "The way I see it, life is a jelly doughnut. You don't really know what it's about until you bite into it. And then, just when you decide it's good, you drop a big glob of jelly on your best T-shirt." And that's when I burrow just a little deeper into the couch cushions, confident that Janet Evanovich has written another laugh-out-loud winner I won't be able to put down.

Moments of hilarity abound in TEN BIG ONES, Evanovich's tenth foray into the world of Stephanie Plum. In this outing, Stephanie (out of that sheer bad luck she can't seem to escape) witnesses one of a chain of robberies by the "Red Devil," a gang member who's been terrorizing Trenton's convenience stores and delis for months. Not only does she see the robbery (and, inevitably, get her car blown up), but she also sees the Red Devil's face--which, unfortunately, makes her a target for two of Trenton's most prominent, scariest gangs.

Since she doesn't want to put on-again love Joe Morelli or her family in danger, Steph retreats into hiding in the only place she knows no one will ever find her, a place she only stumbled upon by sheer luck (good this time): Ranger's apartment (be still my heart). More bad news is awaiting her outside the walls of Ranger's plush digs, however: The Red Devil's gang has hired a contract killer called "The Junkman" to ferret her out--and to show no mercy when he finds her. But Stephanie still has a job to do, and reading about her attempts to bring in her FTAs while at the same time being on the lookout for her assassin is pure entertainment.

All our favorite characters are back--including Sally Sweet, rock-star drag-queen extraordinaire. He hasn't been around since FOUR TO SCORE, and he makes a triumphant return in TEN BIG ONES by adding school bus driver (think Otto, from The Simpsons) and wedding planner for Steph's sister Valerie to his résumé. There's Lula, of course, whose closet has no end of hot-pink and animal-print spandex clothing (if you could call it clothing); and Granda Mazur, who's 70 but looks 100; and Joe Morelli, who loves Steph almost as much as he is exasperated by her; and, of course, there's Ranger--enigmatic, good-smelling, sexy man of mystery who Stephanie (and me, too) finds completely irresistible. Steph's FTAs are great characters, too, as usual; among them is a woman who robbed a Frito Lay truck and has since developed an addiction to Doritos.

Whether you like this installment or not will come down to your individual preference. People who prefer the more action-packed Plum plots (say THAT five times fast!) may not be in love with this one; the plot of TEN BIG ONES tends to meander--Stephanie takes lots of showers, eats lots of doughnuts, and feeds Rex quite a few morsels in this one. But those who read the Stephanie Plum books for the characters, who feel like Evanovich's Trenton gang is a second family--you will LOVE this one. All our favorites are there, in all their glory, being just as goofy as we remember.

I'm a member of the second group of readers; I really enjoyed TEN BIG ONES. Aside from a rather abrupt ending, Janet Evanovich has offered up another winner.

On to Number 11...I can already hear the Oreos calling my name!

As usual, Stephanie Plum is up to wacky antics in Ten Big Ones. The only problem is, she has crossed paths with gang members who consequently want to find her and kill her. This is not a new type of predicament for Stephanie, but it's the first time she seems genuinely scared. Terrified enough to find a safe place to hide out that is not her cop boyfriend's house. The typical characters are all present and accounted for in Ms Evanovich's 10th installment in the series. Lula continues to be Stephanie's bounty hunter assistant, Grandma Mazur is still wacky as ever, Ranger & Morelli continue to be Stephanie's love/lust interests, and Stephanie's sister is planning a wedding which is inconvenient for Stephanie since she happens to be in hiding from the gang that wants to kill her. Ten Big Ones is another quick and fun read in this series. I will say the plot lines and some of the characters have become very formulaic, but I still enjoyed this novel from the series.

Janet Evanovich has a large and loyal following and I am sure those of us who rushed out and bought TEN BIG ONES will go out and buy her next book just as quickly. However, and I think this is an important "however", if her next book is as bland as TEN the fan index will drop off. Bland and regurgitated, which although not bland isn't inviting either, describe the dialogue and subplots in this Plum novel. Of course, as readers we are spoiled by previous episodes and have come to expect laugh out loud plots and dialogues. These were few in TEN. I agree with another reviewer, I just couldn't find the humor in the dog humping episode, and the unidentified glob in Stephanie's hair,(think "Something About Mary" but really weird and kinkier) went on too long and fell flat.
Perhaps, it is the total void of humor when dealing with gang bangers, although Ms Evanovich managed to make a book around a sociopathic boxer humorous, but in TEN Ms Evanovich seemed tired and uninspired. Even the sexual byplay was pretty pathetic. Ms Plum has been having regular relations with Morelli (who apparently is rather proficient) so the Ranger shower gel overkill was just that overkill. It didn't work. Finally the ending, I realize this is fiction but after being slugged so hard your teeth go through your bottom lip, manhandled by men who are going to gang rape you, and then watching numerous people get shot to death, I think a bit more of a reaction would have been elicited by Ms Plum and by the men in her life. Personally I think the wedding shower would have made a more humorous comic situation with a chance at introducing different facets to regular Plum characters.
Finally, I think Ms Evanovich needs to "fish or cut bait" with the never resolved Morelli vs Ranger. The part where I was rather intrigued was the Stephanie pregnant or "is she just fat" incident, just think of LuLu as a godmother or Morelli's grandmother's reaction if Stephanie refuses to marry or ...well I'm not an author but it does give one something to ponder.

Ten Big Ones is your average Stephanie Plum novel. The one thing that pushed the book past mediocrity was the ending. I loved the ending. It was one of those never saw it coming, awesome surprises. Probably the best ending of the first ten books.

Stephanie leaves Morelli (yet again). This time she's claiming it's for his safety. In fact, Stephanie seems to be trying to keep herself out of danger this time around. She's not as bumbling as usual and it's about time. She's still not great at her job, but at least she seems slightly less likely to be killed.

Lots of Ranger, though only a little Ranger action - in both senses of the word. Ranger actually starts to seem like a real live person in Ten Big Ones, rather than super hot, action-figure Ranger. He's even funny on occasion.

A great balance between Stephanie's home and work life as usual. Valerie's planning her wedding with Sally Sweet as her wedding planner. And he's good at it. Lula and Connie help Stephanie in a hysterical "torture" scene that'll leave you thinking less of all of them. All in all, an interesting addition to the series that leaves me wondering if Stephanie's days as a bounty hunter are numbered.

It must be hard to keep such colorful characters fresh after ten books. For all those of us who love Stephanie, Ranger, Morelli, Grandma Mazur, Lula, et al., I personally hope they go on forever. I will thoroughly enjoy each book, because I love the characters so much. That said, I have thought for several books that someone was ghostwriting for Janet. Sometimes the jokes are just too formulaic and we've heard them all at least ten times. This book was better than the last few, in places really sounding like Janet, but the ending was too abrupt and implausible. I was left thinking, well that was fun, but, c'mon, what really happened??? And please, Stephanie shared a bed with Ranger, but nothing else???? No breathing woman would do that. I disagree with those critical of Janet's use of racial stereotypes, since it is so much a part of the series' personality and never done maliciously. Stephanie and her family are themselves stereotypes, caricatures of the Catholic, working-class, Jersey family. I miss the kookier Stephanie, the one who got handcuffed to the shower rod or drove off with Morelli's clothes, leaving him naked in the road. I also miss the depth of plot and characters that made up the first three books. I agree with other reviewers that I'd rather wait longer for the next book and have it be more complex than pressure Janet to slam-bam out a book every year. But, Janet, we love you and the whole Stephanie crowd. I'll eagerly read them up to any number!

Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum and her co-worker Lula are off to buy nachos, but in the meantime witness a robbery from the "Red Devil". No one was hurt, but yet another one of Stephanie's cars gets destroyed.

Stephanie finds out the hard way that she is now being targeted by a gang. Now she's on a hit list for the famous "Junkman", and Stephanie has to stay in hiding to protect herself. Morelli and Stephanie are having a rocky relationship, and with fear that she might be endangering anyone she lives with, she sets off to find a good location. However, Stephanie manages to find her way to Ranger's apartment while he is away.

Ranger has returned just in time to get a lead on Junkman, but has also hired several bodygaurds to keep Stephanie safe. All the while, Valerie is planning a wedding, but Junkman has confronted and threatened Stephanie.

---

I want to tell you the end so badly, but you'll just have to read it for yourself! I must say I was somewhat disappointed with "Seven Up" and "Hard Eight", but this one exceeded my hopes. I didn't beat the last novel, but it still is a classic.

Janet Evanovich has done yet another great job adding an unusual twist to the life of Stephanie Plum, and I never would have expected it to even begin the way it did!

I know I can always count on these novels to be packed with plenty of thrills, and I still laughed. The best part was that we finally got more information on what Ranger is about. We didn't exactly see his "Bat Cave", but I was happy to hear Stephanie had finally managed to scope out his apartment, and so cleverly too!

This tenth Stephanie Plum adventure starts off with a bang (literally) as a trip to the convenience store for Stephanie Plum and her sidekick Lulu turns into an explosion. It turns out that Stephanie and Lulu with their bad luck of being in the wrong place at the wrong time have interrupted a hold-up of the store, and the Molotov cocktail intended for the store ends up destroying yet another of Stephanie's cars. However, Stephanie gets a glimpse of the gang member who torched her car, and then she learns that his Gang, the Red Devils, is out to silence her, permanently.

After she finds out that she's on the gang's hit list, Stephanie goes into hiding, ultimately spending most of the book hiding in fellow bounty hunter Ranger's apartment. I felt that there wasn't nearly as much action in this story as in the previous Stephanie Plum books. Plus, I did get tired of Stephanie moaning about her weight gain one minute, then eating a dozen doughnuts the next minute.

I honestly couldn't recommend this book to a reader unfamiliar with the Stephanie Plum series. "Ten Big Ones" just doesn't pack the laughs and zany action of the other books. However, the last few pages are great, vintage Stephanie Plum. I just wish the rest of the book was of the same caliber.

Stephanie Plum usually encounters danger during her job as a bounty hunter, but this time it happens while she's off-duty. While buying nachos at a local deli, she witnesses a robbery and gets a good look at the robber's face. He wants Stephanie dead, but she refuses to stay inside Joe Morelli's (her on and off again boyfriend) house all day long, angering Morelli. She hides at Ranger's apartment (one of his apartments, that is), while trying to catch the gang leader before he has her killed.

Janet Evanovich's books always have plenty of humor and this is no exception. Especially funny is the hiring of "Sally", a transvestite, as the wedding planner for Stephanie's sister's weeding. But nothing new really happens in this book although we get a glimpse of Ranger's apartment, and how he lives, at least part of the time. Connie is in the book a little bit more and the scene where she, Stephanie, and Lula "kidnap" someone is hilarious. But this book mostly reads like every other book in the series. Stephanie's car gets blown up, she eats too much and then worries about her weight, she and Morelli fight, she lusts after Ranger, etc. etc.

Fans of Stephanie Plum will like this book, but it isn't the best in the series.

number 10 here we are. I read these books and felt it only fair to post a review even though i read them several years ago. You see when I found and read the first book I was hooked. I had to know what was coming next now I am truly stuck. I have a hard time waiting patiently for the next book so I keep watching and waiting for a release date. then that day I get the book and finish before bed. Maybe I should slow down a little but I can't I have to know whats going on with Morelli and Ranger as well as whomever she is sent out to pick up for Vinny.

Deja Vu! I think I've read this book before. Everything in this book felt familiar; maybe because Janet Evanovich found her best-selling Stephanie Plum madcap romp formula. And she's laughing herself all the way to the bank. Ever since the books started going straight to the top ten lists, it feels like originality is sacrificed for "safe" humor. Follow a plotline or situation that has worked once before - just put a tiny new twist on it.

I love the books about Stephanie Plum. This one is no exception. My problem with the book was that I expected so much more from an author as creative and talented as Janet Evanovich. The books were different from the norm, and highly amusing. Now, they feel like a rerun of the Nanny - enjoyable, but you can always predict what is going to happen next, and with the lack of anticipation, some of the humor fades away to annoyance.

Several times I wanted to shake Stephanie for being so stupid. Since she remembers so much from her younger years, you think that she would remember things that happened recently (ie: from other books). I couldn't understand what motivated her behavior for most of the story: she should know better by now, learning from experience.

The book has WAY too much Lula and Grandma. I love these characters, but we see them so much that they're wearing themselves out. I've heard the fat and funeral parlor jokes one too many times for them to be as funny as they once were.

Unfortunatly, I don't see many of the legitimate fans opinions doing too much to change the direction of the series. The author merely has to slap her name on the book to sell a ton of copies, why change what is working?

Save your money, buy in paperback. You won't be as disappointed.

Stephanie Plum's the target of a hit man in the newest Evanovich episode ...her 10th book in the life of the funny New Jersey bounty hunter. She's got to find a place to hide, and she doesn't want to endanger her sister (now staying at Stephanie's pad) or Joe Morelli, or her parents. Naturally, with fellow bounty hunter Ranger out of town, Stephanie can hide out in his secure digs, if she can find them. Aside from the laughs, in this episode of Evanovich's series, Stephanie has serious trouble and is in real danger when she witnesses first-hand the "Red Devil", a dangerous and violent robber. She's trouble for the Red Devil and also for a local gang, the Comstock Street Slayers....together, they arrange for a hit on her. Gone are the days when Plum's bail bondsman adventures are all madcap...she's involved with real criminals, now.

In this episode, there are the usual jokes about the men in Stephanie's life, Krispy Kreme donuts and assorted fattening foods, Stephanie's crazy family and her office cohorts, Lula and Connie....and of course, Stephanie's dilemma about her "men". Will it be Morelli or Ranger? There are enough laughs, coupled with enough suspense, for the seasoned Evanovich reader. Nothing new here, but just as entertaining as Plum's former escapades.

Best of all, Sally Sweet, the cross-dressing bus driver from "Four to Score" is back, and displaying new talent as the wedding planner for Stephanie's sister's nuptials. Too funny for words!

Read it for a great escape into fun and light suspense from the woman (Evanovich) who really launched this genre.
Highly recommended...don't be fooled, no one really expects great characterization or intricate plotting from the Plum series. It's pure fun.

The latest is this long running series finds Stephanie Plum having one outrageous misadventure after another. She, somehow despite previous disasters and near misses along with some success, is still a Bond Enforcement Agent working for her cousin Vincent Plum. And she still manages to get herself into major trouble with or without Lulu's help. In this case, Lulu helped.

While standing in a parking lot debating lunch choices with Stephanie, Lulu decides to show Stephanie her gun. In so doing, she manages to shoot the rear tire of a bicycle leaned against the window of the local deli-mart. Seconds later, they witness the robbery of the deli-mart by a man in mask, known as the Red Devil robber. A number of things go wrong, including the fact that his escape vehicle, the bike, has a flat tire. In the ensuing chaos, not only does Stephanie lose her car to yet another fiery explosion, she can identify the robber. He is a member of the local gang known as the "Slayers." Of course, gangs thrive on violence and intimidation and they can't have Stephanie messing up their plans. So, while she is out chasing various people who failed to appear, the Slayers put out a contract on her life as well as three others.

All the usual characters are back in this adventure, which includes separate storylines on Grandma Mazur as well as Valerie and her love life. The sexual tension between Stephanie and Ranger continues while at the same time she might be finally ready to admit she loves Morelli. The humor is back as well, a hallmark of this series, with several downright hysterical scenes.

But, a word of warning as well. The risqué parts are back as well and more over the top with graphic descriptions than ever before. This is a trend that started several novels ago and shows no sign of stopping. As such, some of this may offend some readers. This is a good series but this novel certainly pushes the boundaries, as there is considerable sexual innuendo as well as graphic descriptions of suspects who have lost their pants, for one reason or another.

If you have read the series then you know what to expect. If you haven't, I would strongly suggest you start at the beginning, which was "One For The Money." Not only because this is an ongoing series with continuous character development and exploits, but also because of the risqué factor.

Book Facts:

Ten Big Ones

By Janet Evanovich

[...]

Random House Large Print

[...]

2004

ISBN # 0-375-43203-5

Hardback-Large Print

421 Pages

$27.95 US

$39.95 Canada

This entire review previously appeared online at the Blue Iris Journal Blog.

Kevin R. Tipple © 2004

I did enjoy this book, I've been waiting forever for the next installment in the Plum series. Sadly, I had it read in a little over two hours and put it down feeling very unsatisfied.
First of all, the book seems rushed. She builds up well and then loses it by wrapping everything up so quickly and neatly. This seems to be a trend with authors of series that start out paperback and then move to hardback and end up rushing and leaving everyone dissatisfied with the layout of cash for the HB that seems hurried along.
The book is hilarious though. The scene with the mad (...) dogs had me laughing so hard tears ran down my face. There's the usual insanity of the Plum family and the happy return of Sally Sweet who is now a school bus driver moonlighting as a cross dressing rock star. Grandma Mazur is her usual self and mom is drinking a heck of a lot of whiskey. Albert chokes and valerie gets cold feet, Morelli is sexy but insistent that Stephanie quit and Ranger is, as always, dark, dangerous and very very hot.
The mystery was good but again, I felt that it had good build up and ended up getting rushed. Where most books have at least a hundred pages that are superflous, this book needed at least another hundred pages.
Uh and Stephanie is in Ranger's bed in a tee shirt and (...)and we only get a hastily written kiss? The scenes between her and Morelli got a few paragraphs. I wanted more, the usual definition she gives so that you get a great feel for what they all mean to each other - that is the heart of a Plum book and that is what's missing in Ten Big Ones.
Evanovich can write well, she's got a great sense of humor and the characters are all interesting and have great chemistry together, which is a rare thing. I felt like this book had so much more potential and it got wasted.

I agree that Stephanie should be developing as a bounty hunter. It does get annoying when she leaves her gun at home and trusts these skips to go with her. Some of the books in the series do sound alike, but I also think that's part of the charm.

I disagree that the love triangle needs to be resolved. I think Evanovich should really consider giving Stephanie and Ranger a chance, but I wouldn't want to see Stephanie give up Morelli or Ranger. I like the fact that she's not tied down to either one. Both are described as delicious men and it would be ashame for Steph to lose out on either one.

I LOVED the fact that Stephanie found one of Ranger's hideouts. Let's be serious though, if you woke up next to a man described like Ranger would you simply get out of bed and conduct business as usual?? I think there was definitely a missed writing opportunity there.

As for the rest of the crew Lula is my absolute favorite. I also loved the return of Sally Sweet. Definitely added to the story. I love when Connie, Lula and Steph all get together, too. Read book 9 about when they go to Las Vegas. I almost wet my pants laughing so much! 10 wasn't the greatest this time, but I still finished the book in 3 days. Can't wait for book 11! I'll never stop reading the Plum series!

By now, faithful readers of Ms. Evanovich will already know the plot: goofy bounty hunter mediocre Stephanie Plum, in the midst of some bond enforcement shenanigans, ticks off the wrong person and is targeted for car fires, smacking around and death. Mixed in are some fighting with Morelli (will Steph commit or won't she), lusting after Ranger, abuse of Rex the hamster who only seems to get fed junk food and lots of zany sidekick action from Lula, Connie and the infamous Grandma Mazur. Ten books in, Evanovich sees no reason to mess with a winning formula, and it works again, only sort of this time.
Defying all logic, inept Steph manages to locate and infiltrate the Ranger Bat Cave, keep ahead of a major assassin, string Morelli along one book longer and yet again encounter the strangest people the burbs have to offer. The laugh-out-loud moments are fewer than in any other Plum book, but there are enough of them to keep you interested, if not glued to the pages. If you've read any of books 1-9, you already know the ending and you already know there won't be any resolution of the relationship issues.
Writing a long-term series strains the talents of even the best authors (J.D. Robb, Sue Grafton and Patricia Cornwell, among others), so Evanovich can be excused for some of the plot fatigue. I just can't help but think these characters should be moving along beyond the limits set within the first few books by now rather than replaying the same old schtick.
Ten Big Ones is a well-written and well-crafted book that reads fairly quickly. What disappoints is that it could and should have been a lot more. I hope Evanovich takes a little extra time with the eleventh installment and gives her loyal readers a better story next time around.

I am tired because I have been up late finishing this book! Evanovich has done it again!! If you are a Stephanie Plum fan than you will NOT be disappointed! If you have not read these books then you are in for a real treat! Get all ten of them, take a few days off of work, (because you won't want to put these down), and dive in! This light hearted series features the misadventures of one Stephanie Plum. The situations that Stephanie and her pals get themselves into are so crazy and off the wall that you can't help but laugh. Who else can blow up so many cars with such style?
There are two reasons why I love these books so much. Number one is the crazy situations. Being the kind of person who seems to attract natural disaster, I find that Stephanie is a kindred spirit. Number two is the hilarious dialogue. The way the characters react and talk to each other is a trip. Evanovich is a great writer with a lot of wit.
In Ten Big Ones a major lunch decision leads to a disaster and Stephanie ends up on a hit list. Car trouble, family drama, the sexual tension of her love triangle, and a couple of gang members provide the reader with comic relief and keep Stephanie firmly in trouble. What is amazing is that after ten books this stuff just doesn't get old. If anything it keeps getting better and better!
Warning...you will crave doughnuts while reading this book...

I have read most of the Stephanie Plum books and some of Janet Evanovich's other collaborative efforts. I think the Stephanie Plum series is a lot of fun. It is not a hard core mystery or suspense or even romance. It is light-hearted, some silly potty humor, some sexual FUN (jokes, innuendo, etc.) and lots of very weird but sometimes true-to-life characters. I could match a few people I know with Stephanie's sister Valerie (huh, that's my name too!) and her dad!

Ranger is the mysterious man of very few words. I think Ranger and Joe Morelli really love Stephanie and are both exasperated by her, sometimes frightened for her, but at the same time almost anticipate what trouble she might get into next.

This story has Stephanie and her sometimes-partner Lulu stopping at a convenience store that is being robbed by the "Red Devil" who is called that due to his manner of dress and because he firebombs the store upon leaving. Lulu and Stephanie hear the robbery going on so Lulu grabs her gun and accidentally shoots out the tires of the Red Devil's bike. He comes out of the store and throws in the fire bomb, sees his bike and starts coming after Lulu and Stephanie, the store owner comes out with the fire bomb in his hand and lobs it at the Red Devil so what does it do? Remember Stephanie's luck with cars?

Lots of menace and mayhem ensue as Lulu and Stephanie try to track the Red Devil, apprehend some bondees, get ready for Valerie's wedding and "borrow" Ranger's truck.

Are most of the situations improbable to impossible to believe? Sure but for me that is what a FICTION NOVEL is for -- to have fun with scenarios that would NEVER come up in real life.

If you just want some comic relief or craziness, you will have fun with this book. If you want serious plots, etc., don't bother!

I find my liking of Stephanie Plum books is directly correlated to how much ink her grandmother gets. In this one, she gets some time, but not enough for my liking. I find the series is getting progressively less funny and more violent. I also think Stephanie needs to make some sort of progress on which guy she wants. In short, I'm finding I still enjoy the books, but it's becoming more of an effort. They are not the easy-to-like books they was were. I think it's the whimsy that's missing.

Stephanie Plum is back in "Ten Big Ones." After losing yet another car in the first few pages of the book, Stephanie finds that she has accidentally enraged a local Trenton gang called the Slayers. The Slayers have called in a professional gang hitman that is called Junkman to kill Stephanie. While trying to dodge the gang related hit on her life, Stephanie happens upon the discovery of her young lifetime - Ranger's house, the so called "Batcave". Stephanie must apprehend several small time bail skippers and buy a gift for her sister's wedding shower before the gang members make their move on her.

Evanovich has done it again! Ten Big Ones is absolutely hysterical. I laughed out loud all through this novel! Grandma Mazur and Lula are absolutely priceless. If you enjoy a good mystery, a really quick read, and some plain old fashion fun, then I highly recommend the Stephanie Plum series.

I loved this book. It might be my favorite of them all . . so far. I'm reading them in order. The experience with the corn chip lady and the kidnapping of the gang member experience had me in stitches . . . I couldn't see the letters on the page because of the tears in my eyes from hysterical laughter! I loved the interplay with Morelli but especially with Ranger. Wow, that was so hot; the innuendos, etc. The fact that she is entertainment for his employees is absolutely priceless. The end was a little wild, but, then, it is Stephanie Plum! This book is on my shelf along with all the other Stephanie books. After I've read enough paranormal, sometimes I just need to laugh for a couple of hours and this fits the bill for me perfectly! I hope the series never stops.

When she accidentally spots a robbery, bounty hunter Stephanie Plum becomes the target for a gang assassination plot. Being a target assures Stephanie that sometime boyfriend Joe Morelli will shift into protective mode and, since she insists on keeping her job, mean a fight. Still, Stephanie is a bounty hunter (although a sometimes incompetent one) and she resolves to go on with her mission despite Morelli's resistance. It doesn't help that super-bounty-hunter and occasional backup (and occasional love interest) Ranger is out of town.
With the help of ex-Ho Lulu, Stephanie manages to get her car explosion out of the way quickly, track down another naked bail jumper, deal with a woman who has an obsession for Frito-Lay products (an obsession that seems perfectly understandable to both Stephanie and Lulu), and her sister's suddenly planned wedding (with transvestite Sally Sweet as wedding planner and an eggplant-colored maid of honor dress). Still, staying ahead of a hard-core gang killer is going to take more than Stephanie's normal bungling.
Author Janet Evanovich mixes humor and adventure in another fun-filled Stephanie Plum story. I'm happy to see that, while she still gets into constant mishaps, Stephanie is becoming more competent as a bounty hunter, successfully apprehending at least one suspect without being zapped with a stun gun. The romantic triangle between Stephanie, Morelli, and Ranger continues to add sizzle but it seems that Morelli now has a big lead over his rival.
Evanovich provides a consistently high-quality read and TEN BIG ONES is no exception. I couldn't put it down and have no hesitation in recommending it.

I'm currently rereading the Stephanie Plum series in order to refresh my history for Book 13. I'm surprised to read that some reviewers detested this book, because it is one of my favorites of the series. It's another one that will cause you to laugh-out-loud with the trouble that Stephanie and her cohorts get into/cause.

In Book 10, Stephanie gets fingered by the Slayer gang in Trenton and is marked for, well, elimination. Not to give too much away of the plot, but since she is marked with a big bullseye, she needs a place to hide out that won't put her family or friends in jeopardy. Where would you go? She tracks down the BatCave (and if you read the books, you know where I'm talking about.)

As far as continuity issues with the editing regarding the Porsche/SUV - there is no problem. Evanovich is referring to the Porsche Cayanne SUV that they were using, sometimes using Porsche and sometimes the SUV to indicate it had more than 2 seats.

I would have preferred another chapter that wrapped up the living conditions for Stephanie after the climax of the plot, but knowing Evanovich, she just wanted to let us all stew over what it all meant until the next book came out ... and who am I to question the master! :)

Stephanie Plum is on the quest again for people who miss their court dates, her freedom and, of course, junk food. Stephanie loses another couple of cars, has more men issues and is chased by a gang. This time we get to see where Ranger lives; and we get a very good idea of how Ranger smells. Men everywhere are going to start searching for that soap if it really exists. Or women are going to start buying it for their guys, more like it.
This book is a great summer read - it's fast paced, entertaining and engaging. I laughed out loud several times while reading it, which makes people look at your funny when you're reading in public. I thought the new characters of Sally and Carol were great additions to the crew. All in all, I liked this one better than the last two, and it's well worth a read.
If you've never read any other Stephanie Plum books, start with One for the Money. This series is too good to start with book ten.

I read a few of the reviews before my book came in the mail and I was prepared for a disappointing read. It's not what I got, though! This book isn't the best in the entire series, but it's pretty funny and entertaining. There isn't a ton of excitement and edge of your seat action like some of the prior books. There are a lot of laughs with the return of Sally Sweet, Grandma at her best, and of course Lula and Stephanie trying to catch skips. There is a lot of sexual tension between Stephanie and Ranger and confusion in the relationship with Stepahnie and Joe. I don't even know who I want her to be with...so I can see how she has a hard time figuring it out! The end does come a bit fast, but don't they all? I could have kept reading for hundreds more pages and still been entertained. If you're a Plum fan, then you definitely need to read this book. It won't disappoint you.

Since this is the first book I've read in Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, I seem to have the advantage over the other reviewers. With no other books competing in my mind against TEN BIG ONES, I can't say whether this is better or worse than the others.
All I know is that I enjoyed it very much, and Stephanie is my kind of woman: dazzling, daring, and delightfully humorous. If a bit accident-prone, that's okay. That adds to the realism and makes her more endearing. Who among us doesn't love a "klutz."
And then there's her family: too weird for words, but fun and exciting to be around. You never know what they're going to do next, especially Grandma.
I can see where Stephanie gets her penchant for getting into trouble and being in the wrong place at the wrong time: definitely from her family.
I like the men in her life and find them both sexy and intriguing. However, Ranger gets my nod in this book; I would choose him for our heroine. I realize that's not fair to the ever-faithful Morelli, but then I haven't followed him through nine other books, so don't feel the need for loyalty to him.
It will be interesting to see which one wins her heart when the series ends.
Meanwhile, to entertain us in delightful fashion, Stephanie is sure to get in a lot more trouble and blow up a few more things. That leaves little time for romance, but I hope there's enough time! I love a good romance, and may the best man win!
Betty Dravis is the author of the young adult novel, THE TOONIES INVADE SILICON VALLEY, just released in April, 2005, and of MILLENNIUM BABE: THE PROPHECY.

I am a fan of the Stephanie Plum series. The last two have been a little weak, as if the series is now boring Janet Evanovich and she is just cranking them out because she has been contracted to do so, but this one is much better, although it is not written with the same care and inspiration as the earliest ones. It is fast paced, and as always, you will have to suspend belief for the ending. It is written to the same formula, which is sometimes predictable, with larger than life characters.

The interaction with Plum's family, Lula and the sexual frisson between Stephanie and Joe or Ranger is superb.

It would have been better had Evanovich spent more time developing some of the characters and situations rather than just relying on old stereotypes and almost duplicating the descriptions. I am also getting sick of Stephanie's cars being destroyed, reading about the poor diet of her hamster and that she can only make sandwiches for dinner. It is just lazy writing that much of the content is copied from book to book and it shortchanges her fans to rehash so much.

The plot is generally good and Stephanie is as endearingly quirky and inept as ever. Passages including dialogue with her parents, especially her father's pithy remarks, are always good value and Grandma Mazur almost deserves a book of her own - she is totally over the top and hilarious.

There are some blaring inconsistencies in the book, and Evanovich's editor needs to read more carefully as the porsche morphs into an SUV more than once. Plum's hamster must be the oldest on record and why, with all the jobs Stephanie gets, she is always so broke because she never spends much on herself? They are small niggles, in what is often a laugh out loud book.

It is a good read and worth the money if you are getting it in paperback or from the library. I'd expect more for my money in a hardback.

If you are new to Evanovich, start at the beginning of the Plum series and you won't be disappointed. Don't buy the Full House/Blast, etc series as they are absolutely dire and definitely don't waste your money on Metro Girl as it is a weak and sloppily written imitiation of the Plum series.

I read it in one go on a long flight and was never tempted to watch the inflight movies. Ten Big Ones held me from beginning to end.

Good work Janet, I have even higher expectations for number 11 in the series.

After reading this series in order, and just finishing TEN BIG ONES, I still haven't figured out what the titles have to do with the books. Other than that confusion, I continue to be delighted with the characters and the plots.

Stephanie Plum continues to be featured in this series. In the first installation, she had to become a bounty hunter in order to pay her bills. Stephanie has absolutely no skill as a bounty hunter and relies more on blind luck than anything else which is exactly what we see in TEN BIG ONES. As Stephanie is trying to decide on nachos or a sandwich for lunch, she witnesses a robbery. When the theft goes bad, partly due to her sidekick Lula destroying the get-away vehicle, the notorious Red Devil removes his mask for a split second giving Stephanie a chance to see his face. Seeing a criminal in action is bad enough, but when he belongs to a local gang, The Slayers, things go from bad to worse.

We're given the usual group of support characters in TEN BIG ONES. I have to say that the plot is secondary to catching up with the happenings in each of the support casts' lives. I adore Grandma Mazur and just the mention of her name brings a smile to my face. She's feisty and refuses to be the sedate grandmotherly type - she relishes in Stephanie's escapades and joins her any chance she's given. Lula is becoming more of a partner to Stephanie as the series progresses and she's still the same street smart, smart mouthed ex-ho that we've all come to know and love. But TEN BIG ONES gives us a bit more detail about the ever elusive Ranger, bounty hunter extraordinaire.

Stephanie is on a hit list from the Slayers and has to hide to stay alive. She discovers Ranger's apartment and moves in while he's out of town. I never would have guessed that the apartment is luxurious and full of amenities not thought to be associated with Ranger - like ironed sheets and towels so thick you get lost in them.

Other sub cast members are delved into a bit more in this book ... like the return of Sally Sweet, the foul-mouthed drag queen rocker (Does Evanovich ever have "normal" characters? No, thank God! These are much more fun!). Seems Sally has become a school bus driver during the day and drag queen rocker only at night. He's loveable even though he's confusing. Lula is still around and enjoyable, but we don't see much of Vinnie, the owner of Vincent Plum Bail Bonds. I'm waiting for the book in which we get more info on him, now that should be interesting!

The plot is a bit confusing. Stephanie sees the Red Devil, he's part of a gang, so she's placed on a hit list. Huh? Why is she on a hit list - he's not one of the head guys, he's just a member of the gang. She retreats to Ranger's apartment and when he returns, we're not given the romance we'd expect, instead they dance around each other yet again. And Joe Morelli (Stephanie's on-again off again boyfriend) doesn't even have a coronary when he finds out she's hidden out with Ranger. Things that make ya go hmmm... but not for long, because the plot doesn't have to be solid for this series to be enjoyable. The characters alone make the price of admission worth it!

If you're looking for a solid mystery plot with fast action and a mind boggling journey, this is definitely not the book or series for you. If you want to enjoy a few hours and feel like you're at home with friends, and if you want to be entertained, then pick up this series and enjoy. You'll soon feel like part of the group and not be able to wait for more stories from them.

I love Plum and all her quirky chums. They've become an addiction I've passed on to my husband. In the latest edition, we see the return of a previous character, fowl mouthed Sally (a guy who dresses partially in women's clothing). Like the others this is full of lots of bad guys, lots of damaged cars, lots of running around like a chicken with her head cut off and of course lots of cheese doodles and donuts. There's essence of Ranger in this one but not nearly enough. Joe is also not as mainstream. Grandma and Lula have picked up more of a center stage and of course with the addition of Sally there just wasn't room for the tantalizing guys. As for mystery, Stephanie has angered someone and is on a hit list. She tries to stay alive while still bringing in her F.T.A.s. None of the bad guys have had the fear factor of the debut novel. There seemed to be an abundance of food fetishes left and right. While not the best, it didn't keep me from the ending or from my expectations of the next in the series. Like I said, addictive. It's best to start at the beginning.

For a few scenes, I laughed so hard I cried! My kids thought I was crazy, and it's just too hard to explain to them about Steph's antics while trying to read the book! I just love Stephanie and most of the crew......I will still read this series for as long as Janet writes it, but I do agree with many of the other reviewers - Steph needs to start taking charge of her life (did see a little of that in this book), get some REAL bounty hunter training (possibly a week or two training with Ranger?), and take her job a little more seriously if she's going to continue working for Vinnie since she's becoming the target for more dangerous criminals, and so on.

It was disappointing that Ranger only appeared a few times in this book, but at least Janet gave a better description of him this time - I used to think The Rock personified him in earlier books, but with this more updated description in #10, I'm now thinking a younger, buffer Antonio Banderas-type would be more accurate - or possibly a more muscular Olivier Martinez (Janet noted that Ranger is in his late 20's/early 30's this time). I also agree with another reviewer that David Boreantz (with longer, blacker hair) would make an excellent Joe Morelli.

The ending was too rushed - I realize that Janet needs to set the stage for #11, but as I turned to the last page, I honestly couldn't believe it WAS the last page - it was frustrating and frankly disappointing. Also, Valerie, Alfred and the kids just do not interest me, and I'd like to see less of them in future installments.

I also hope that we get to visit the real "Bat Cave" soon. We've visited Joe's house often enough, so Ranger's business apartment (one of 3 or 4, or so Ranger says) is too impersonal for me - it's time to see a little bit of "the real man" and his surroundings. It's interesting though, that Stephanie mentioned how safe and secure she felt in Ranger's digs. I don't think she was talking about the super building security as much as a general feeling of how Ranger makes her feel. Maybe wishful thinking on my part, but I'm rooting for Ranger sweeping her off her feet someday soon. I think that Joe is great, but he ultimately wants a "stay at home housewife" - something Stephanie just will never be, and we don't want her to be.

I know I share the following feelings with countless fans of the Stephanie Plum series: the first books in the series were a tremendous surprise-hilarious and endearing. Finding books with that much humor that were that fun to read in cheap, popular, paperback form is very rare, and a treasure to find, and it made me a big fan.

The books were fresh and original and funny in a way very few books of this kind are, and I think everyone should read the first books in the series. There was something quintessentially American about them and when I was lonely for my husband, family, and friends while doing research in a foreign country they cheered me up and reminded me of home while I froze to death waiting on a long line to be allowed into a poorly heated library.

I read and loved the first several books and recommended them to family and friends who also became big fans. And, like me, they also felt the series began to decline around the 8th book. This book was the absolute worst, though. My friend and I were discussing it and it was so bad it almost defies description. My friend said "I still love Stephanie Plum, but WHERE WAS SHE? This whiny person doesn't resemble the resilient Stephanie we've come to love AT ALL!"

The reviewers who say that this book gives undue attention to Ranger's shower gel and Ranger's sheets are not exaggerating! But most of all my friend and I and other reviewers were horrified at the ending. (Do not read on if you don't want a spoiler...but I don't recommend reading the book anyway).

For one thing, it showed a FRIGHTENING DISREGARD FOR HUMAN LIFE! Ok, the "Junkman", the "gang leader" who is supposedly obsessed with Stephanie is a sadist who had to be killed in self-defense. We can accept that. But my friend and I were horrified at the casual manner in which a laughing Stephanie, Ranger, and Morelli, and Sally Sweet, simply walk over the dead bodies of a bunch of KIDS with no regard for them. Some kids get involved with gangs/drugs and aren't bad-IN THE OTHER BOOKS STEPHANIE ALWAYS SHOWED RESPECT FOR HUMAN LIFE, AND COMPASSION FOR PEOPLE WHO NEVER HAD A CHANCE! That was one of the great features of Evanovich's books previously. She always had Stephanie regret death, even if it was in self-defense and even if the person was a jerk. She made Stephanie lovable and here she just makes her callous.

Not to mention, she was saved by Sally showing up in a bus. That was so contrived and silly. And I am sick of this ridiculous Ranger/Morelli triangle. Ranger is cool but not providing a future. Stephanie isn't 19, she's 30! As someone about to be turning that age in a few months, by this age I, and I daresay most young women my age, would not string along forever a guy they truly love who loves them so they can occasionally hook up with the dangerous guy. In the first few books Steph is attracted to Ranger, but he is a side note and Morelli is the main focus and the tension between them is great. I miss that.

Anyway, I'm going to get "Eleven on Top" at the library in hopes that Evanovich's editor had a talk with her and she will go back to writing the great books she used to. I hear Stephanie temporarily quits her job and tries her hand at some new ones in "11" which sounds funny and I hope it has the humor and warmth of the earlier books. I also am getting a little sick of Valerie, I wish they'd ship her off again. And I agree with everyone who said Lula is good in small doses, but cannot dominate the story. Nor can Grandma Mazur (I love her of course) etc. Nor can Connie, or Valerie, or her endearing but annoying husband, or any of the other side characters. Only Stephanie and Morelli can. And show more of Stephanie's nemesis Joyce, I love all the revenge she gets on her!

Ms. Evanovich, we do love you, and you are talented, but this book was so bad I could barely get through it and in fact had to skip portions, when I used to savor every word. What a tragedy!

What most of us wouldn't do to be Stephanie Plum! Two gorgeous hunks--one a cop, Morelli, and the other a man of mystery, Ranger, who skirts the edge of the law. For years, many of us have been pantingly eager to get a deeper glimpse into the oh-so-interesting Ranger. This book gives you that, and leaves to dying to hear more. And for those who may think sexy scenes require two characters, look out. There's a shower scene with Stephanie to die for, which makes it clear just how much seduction is in the mind for women (and it's only Ranger's shower gel. If it had been him in person, one expects the pages might have spontaneously caught fire).

For those of you who read the first chapters on Janet's website, be aware that the book is a great deal better than that may have led you to think. From the moment Lula pulls out her gun, misses, takes out a bicycle tire that belongs to a gang member busy robbing a convenience store, to Stephanie joining the gang's hit list and deciding the only safe place to stay in town is Ranger's -- as long as she does it without his knowledge (he's on a trip) -- to Lola's new bootie bomb method of capture, to Sally Sweet's conscription as a wedding planner for Stephanie's sister Valerie, to the kidnapping and failed torture (the girls are too squeamish) of a gang member, and the surprise finale (with an ending I defy anyone to predict) this is a nonstop Plum adventure.

Do not wait for this one at the public library. Patrons are going to want to reread it over and over again. Buy this book now! It's a keeper! And have fun reading. My only complaint is that these books don't come out fast enough -- I'm dying for more.

We're a fan of the whole Evanovich bounty hunter Stephanie Plum series. When we in the past read a few too many of her stories too close to each other, they all started to run together and the fun wore off. But we had to wait awhile for "Ten", which to us finds Plum back in good (and funny) form, with her usual problems bringing in her bond skippers despite help from her friend and co-worker Lulu. Sister Valerie and her family, including the hilarious Grandma Mazur, are all back and fussing over Valerie's impending marriage. Things get a little silly when Steph recruits bus driver and transvestite "Sally" to serve as wedding planner, but in the end he plays a key role in the ongoing plot. Yes, this one actually does have a bit of a plot as Steph is able to identify a gang member (the Red Devil) after she sees his face at a robbery; so in turn he puts out a contract on her, much to the consternation of her on-again, off-again roommate, cop Joe Morelli, as well as her sexy stealthy colleague Ranger. For a while, Plum even hides in Ranger's apartment, causing all sorts of delusions and guilt on her part -- she always did have trouble choosing between these two guys. {She almost tells Joe once in this book that she loves him, but backed down at the last instant.} At the end, she's saved from torture and death at the hands of the villains, so fortunately "Eleven Lords"(!) or whatever can come out next year!
So "Ten" seems like a fine addition to the Evanovich Plum series: funny dialogue and happenings, fast-paced action, romantic debate, and even danger. What more could we want for the beach!

Like T. Dunn said in an earlier review, I also ran out to buy this book the moment it came out in paperback, and within the first 20 pages was decimated from disappointment. I'm a die-hard Plum fan and have read all the others, so I expected to be wowed with this one.

Talk about being dead wrong!

It appears that Janet Evanovich is now comfortably surfing upon her wave of renown and is content to cruise aboard her luxury liner of a reputation, relying upon an established pattern to do the work for her rather than actually expending any energy and thinking about what it is she's trying to write. There is no plot to this book-- it's merely more of Grandma Mazur's smart-aleck mouth, Stephanie's "vapors" from being undecided between who gives her a case of the hots more, Morelli or Ranger, and Lula's braggadocio with a gun that's forever getting lost in her purse (been there, done that in all the other books, too-- Janet, it quit being funny around the time `Hot Six' was released).

There is no thinking required from reading this book at all and that, perhaps, is the most disappointing aspect. In all the other Plum novels, at least Evanovich attempted to try and give the reader a plot that they could wonder about with at least a thread of some sort of 'who-dunnit' atmosphere running throughout the pages.

I can't even write anymore about how badly disappointing this novel was. I'm giving it 2 stars simply out of loyalty to Evanovich and the Stephanie Plum books (don't bother with any of her other novels, they're excruciatingly bad beyond description). I hope #11 resuscitates Stephanie and breathes some life back into her truly unique character.

I eagerly awaited the release of the latest Stephanie Plum novel in audio format, and I was greatly disappointed. Ten Big Ones is just a rehash of the same `ol same `ol, Stephanie's cars blow up, her grandmother obsesses about Stiva's, and Stephanie's love life is just dull dull dull. I'm not a big Joe fan, but having Stephanie shack up with him, has been the kiss of death to this series. The only bright spot was the return of Sally Sweet, the drag queen, whom I really liked.
What disappoints me the most is that Stephanie is still incompetent. After ten books, she still hates guns, leaves them in the cookie jar and has her cars blow up, and men rescue her all the time. Please girl. Get some skill or get out of the bounty hunter biz!
I used to be able to take Stephanie with a modicum of seriousness, but the series has degraded into sophomoric humor and slapstick. Not my bag!

The plotting was typical for this type of mystery, but the humor was the type to make me snort with laughter. Usually, I am not crazy about mysteries that have an overabundance of bad language in it, but the idea of a bus driver trying to overcome his use of bad language in front of the kids by snapping a rubber band on his wrist was funny. Especially, since he had a major difficulty overcoming his propensity for foulmouthedness. I can just imagine how red his wrists must have been.

Stephanie Plum manages to get herself into and out of trouble all by herself. To add to this, she can't make up her mind about the two men in her life. She gets very prickly when they try to tell her what to do, but she would be equally annoyed if they didn't show that they cared.

Stephanie has managed to get herself on a hit list, and for a while there, it is not a sure thing...but rather a rumor. Enough of one to make her nervous. On top of that she has to deal with a neurotic family, a coworker who has her own strange sense of humor and right and wrong.

An enjoyable read...I'll be looking for more of her books that I've managed to miss.

Karen L. sadler

In the opening paragraph, Stephanie Plum compares life to a jelly donut. That alone is worth the price of admission. No matter what kind of mood I'm in when I start an Evanovich book, I soon find myself giggling at the antics of Stephanie, her friends and family. I find myself reading passages out loud to my husband to get him laughing. In this outing, Stephanie has lost another car to catastrophe and is reduced to driving her late uncle's '53 Buick which gets about 5 miles to the gallon. A contract is put on Stephanie's life by a local gang. The plot of this story is a little weak, but that's not why I read an Evanovich book. It's the journey, not the destination that makes this series so good. As mentioned by a few other reviewers, the ending did seem a little abrupt. I was looking forward to Valerie's wedding (bound to be a lot of fun), but I guess I'll have to wait until the next installment for those laughs. If you are looking for a deep, meaningful, thought provoking read, you won't find it in this book. This one is simply good fun.

If you've been following the Stephanie Plum series, you'll probably be pleased to know that the principal characters haven't changed a bit.

What has changed is the level of danger involved and this time Stephanie has managed to get herself on the hit list of a killer linked to a violent gang. Both Morelli and Ranger want to keep her under lock and key, but neither handcuffs nor stun guns can keep a good hard headed girl down.

Add in a cross-dressing foul-mouthed bus driver, the usual exploding car, and her sister's upcoming wedding, and you get a delightful mix of madness that only Janet Evanovich can deliver.

Fast paced and wickedly funny.

Amanda Richards, August 20, 2006

5 stars for another great book! Great laughs - I mean 3 pages in and I'm dying laughing! Sexual tension to die for and girl bonding that reminds you of all your great times with your besties! Love, love Stephanie and Janet for bringing her into our lives!

I loved this book. It might be my favorite of them all . . so far. I'm reading them in order. The experience with the corn chip lady and the kidnapping of the gang member experience had me in stitches . . . I couldn't see the letters on the page because of the tears in my eyes from hysterical laughter! I loved the interplay with Morelli but especially with Ranger. Wow, that was so hot; the innuendos, etc. The fact that she is entertainment for his employees is absolutely priceless. The end was a little wild, but, then, it is Stephanie Plum! This book is on my shelf along with all the other Stephanie books. After I've read enough paranormal, sometimes I just need to laugh for a couple of hours and this fits the bill for me perfectly! I hope the series never stops.

When she accidentally spots a robbery, bounty hunter Stephanie Plum becomes the target for a gang assassination plot. Being a target assures Stephanie that sometime boyfriend Joe Morelli will shift into protective mode and, since she insists on keeping her job, mean a fight. Still, Stephanie is a bounty hunter (although a sometimes incompetent one) and she resolves to go on with her mission despite Morelli's resistance. It doesn't help that super-bounty-hunter and occasional backup (and occasional love interest) Ranger is out of town.
With the help of ex-Ho Lulu, Stephanie manages to get her car explosion out of the way quickly, track down another naked bail jumper, deal with a woman who has an obsession for Frito-Lay products (an obsession that seems perfectly understandable to both Stephanie and Lulu), and her sister's suddenly planned wedding (with transvestite Sally Sweet as wedding planner and an eggplant-colored maid of honor dress). Still, staying ahead of a hard-core gang killer is going to take more than Stephanie's normal bungling.
Author Janet Evanovich mixes humor and adventure in another fun-filled Stephanie Plum story. I'm happy to see that, while she still gets into constant mishaps, Stephanie is becoming more competent as a bounty hunter, successfully apprehending at least one suspect without being zapped with a stun gun. The romantic triangle between Stephanie, Morelli, and Ranger continues to add sizzle but it seems that Morelli now has a big lead over his rival.
Evanovich provides a consistently high-quality read and TEN BIG ONES is no exception. I couldn't put it down and have no hesitation in recommending it.

I'm currently rereading the Stephanie Plum series in order to refresh my history for Book 13. I'm surprised to read that some reviewers detested this book, because it is one of my favorites of the series. It's another one that will cause you to laugh-out-loud with the trouble that Stephanie and her cohorts get into/cause.

In Book 10, Stephanie gets fingered by the Slayer gang in Trenton and is marked for, well, elimination. Not to give too much away of the plot, but since she is marked with a big bullseye, she needs a place to hide out that won't put her family or friends in jeopardy. Where would you go? She tracks down the BatCave (and if you read the books, you know where I'm talking about.)

As far as continuity issues with the editing regarding the Porsche/SUV - there is no problem. Evanovich is referring to the Porsche Cayanne SUV that they were using, sometimes using Porsche and sometimes the SUV to indicate it had more than 2 seats.

I would have preferred another chapter that wrapped up the living conditions for Stephanie after the climax of the plot, but knowing Evanovich, she just wanted to let us all stew over what it all meant until the next book came out ... and who am I to question the master! :)

Stephanie Plum is on the quest again for people who miss their court dates, her freedom and, of course, junk food. Stephanie loses another couple of cars, has more men issues and is chased by a gang. This time we get to see where Ranger lives; and we get a very good idea of how Ranger smells. Men everywhere are going to start searching for that soap if it really exists. Or women are going to start buying it for their guys, more like it.
This book is a great summer read - it's fast paced, entertaining and engaging. I laughed out loud several times while reading it, which makes people look at your funny when you're reading in public. I thought the new characters of Sally and Carol were great additions to the crew. All in all, I liked this one better than the last two, and it's well worth a read.
If you've never read any other Stephanie Plum books, start with One for the Money. This series is too good to start with book ten.

I read a few of the reviews before my book came in the mail and I was prepared for a disappointing read. It's not what I got, though! This book isn't the best in the entire series, but it's pretty funny and entertaining. There isn't a ton of excitement and edge of your seat action like some of the prior books. There are a lot of laughs with the return of Sally Sweet, Grandma at her best, and of course Lula and Stephanie trying to catch skips. There is a lot of sexual tension between Stephanie and Ranger and confusion in the relationship with Stepahnie and Joe. I don't even know who I want her to be with...so I can see how she has a hard time figuring it out! The end does come a bit fast, but don't they all? I could have kept reading for hundreds more pages and still been entertained. If you're a Plum fan, then you definitely need to read this book. It won't disappoint you.

Since this is the first book I've read in Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, I seem to have the advantage over the other reviewers. With no other books competing in my mind against TEN BIG ONES, I can't say whether this is better or worse than the others.
All I know is that I enjoyed it very much, and Stephanie is my kind of woman: dazzling, daring, and delightfully humorous. If a bit accident-prone, that's okay. That adds to the realism and makes her more endearing. Who among us doesn't love a "klutz."
And then there's her family: too weird for words, but fun and exciting to be around. You never know what they're going to do next, especially Grandma.
I can see where Stephanie gets her penchant for getting into trouble and being in the wrong place at the wrong time: definitely from her family.
I like the men in her life and find them both sexy and intriguing. However, Ranger gets my nod in this book; I would choose him for our heroine. I realize that's not fair to the ever-faithful Morelli, but then I haven't followed him through nine other books, so don't feel the need for loyalty to him.
It will be interesting to see which one wins her heart when the series ends.
Meanwhile, to entertain us in delightful fashion, Stephanie is sure to get in a lot more trouble and blow up a few more things. That leaves little time for romance, but I hope there's enough time! I love a good romance, and may the best man win!
Betty Dravis is the author of the young adult novel, THE TOONIES INVADE SILICON VALLEY, just released in April, 2005, and of MILLENNIUM BABE: THE PROPHECY.

I am a fan of the Stephanie Plum series. The last two have been a little weak, as if the series is now boring Janet Evanovich and she is just cranking them out because she has been contracted to do so, but this one is much better, although it is not written with the same care and inspiration as the earliest ones. It is fast paced, and as always, you will have to suspend belief for the ending. It is written to the same formula, which is sometimes predictable, with larger than life characters.

The interaction with Plum's family, Lula and the sexual frisson between Stephanie and Joe or Ranger is superb.

It would have been better had Evanovich spent more time developing some of the characters and situations rather than just relying on old stereotypes and almost duplicating the descriptions. I am also getting sick of Stephanie's cars being destroyed, reading about the poor diet of her hamster and that she can only make sandwiches for dinner. It is just lazy writing that much of the content is copied from book to book and it shortchanges her fans to rehash so much.

The plot is generally good and Stephanie is as endearingly quirky and inept as ever. Passages including dialogue with her parents, especially her father's pithy remarks, are always good value and Grandma Mazur almost deserves a book of her own - she is totally over the top and hilarious.

There are some blaring inconsistencies in the book, and Evanovich's editor needs to read more carefully as the porsche morphs into an SUV more than once. Plum's hamster must be the oldest on record and why, with all the jobs Stephanie gets, she is always so broke because she never spends much on herself? They are small niggles, in what is often a laugh out loud book.

It is a good read and worth the money if you are getting it in paperback or from the library. I'd expect more for my money in a hardback.

If you are new to Evanovich, start at the beginning of the Plum series and you won't be disappointed. Don't buy the Full House/Blast, etc series as they are absolutely dire and definitely don't waste your money on Metro Girl as it is a weak and sloppily written imitiation of the Plum series.

I read it in one go on a long flight and was never tempted to watch the inflight movies. Ten Big Ones held me from beginning to end.

Good work Janet, I have even higher expectations for number 11 in the series.

After reading this series in order, and just finishing TEN BIG ONES, I still haven't figured out what the titles have to do with the books. Other than that confusion, I continue to be delighted with the characters and the plots.

Stephanie Plum continues to be featured in this series. In the first installation, she had to become a bounty hunter in order to pay her bills. Stephanie has absolutely no skill as a bounty hunter and relies more on blind luck than anything else which is exactly what we see in TEN BIG ONES. As Stephanie is trying to decide on nachos or a sandwich for lunch, she witnesses a robbery. When the theft goes bad, partly due to her sidekick Lula destroying the get-away vehicle, the notorious Red Devil removes his mask for a split second giving Stephanie a chance to see his face. Seeing a criminal in action is bad enough, but when he belongs to a local gang, The Slayers, things go from bad to worse.

We're given the usual group of support characters in TEN BIG ONES. I have to say that the plot is secondary to catching up with the happenings in each of the support casts' lives. I adore Grandma Mazur and just the mention of her name brings a smile to my face. She's feisty and refuses to be the sedate grandmotherly type - she relishes in Stephanie's escapades and joins her any chance she's given. Lula is becoming more of a partner to Stephanie as the series progresses and she's still the same street smart, smart mouthed ex-ho that we've all come to know and love. But TEN BIG ONES gives us a bit more detail about the ever elusive Ranger, bounty hunter extraordinaire.

Stephanie is on a hit list from the Slayers and has to hide to stay alive. She discovers Ranger's apartment and moves in while he's out of town. I never would have guessed that the apartment is luxurious and full of amenities not thought to be associated with Ranger - like ironed sheets and towels so thick you get lost in them.

Other sub cast members are delved into a bit more in this book ... like the return of Sally Sweet, the foul-mouthed drag queen rocker (Does Evanovich ever have "normal" characters? No, thank God! These are much more fun!). Seems Sally has become a school bus driver during the day and drag queen rocker only at night. He's loveable even though he's confusing. Lula is still around and enjoyable, but we don't see much of Vinnie, the owner of Vincent Plum Bail Bonds. I'm waiting for the book in which we get more info on him, now that should be interesting!

The plot is a bit confusing. Stephanie sees the Red Devil, he's part of a gang, so she's placed on a hit list. Huh? Why is she on a hit list - he's not one of the head guys, he's just a member of the gang. She retreats to Ranger's apartment and when he returns, we're not given the romance we'd expect, instead they dance around each other yet again. And Joe Morelli (Stephanie's on-again off again boyfriend) doesn't even have a coronary when he finds out she's hidden out with Ranger. Things that make ya go hmmm... but not for long, because the plot doesn't have to be solid for this series to be enjoyable. The characters alone make the price of admission worth it!

If you're looking for a solid mystery plot with fast action and a mind boggling journey, this is definitely not the book or series for you. If you want to enjoy a few hours and feel like you're at home with friends, and if you want to be entertained, then pick up this series and enjoy. You'll soon feel like part of the group and not be able to wait for more stories from them.

I love Plum and all her quirky chums. They've become an addiction I've passed on to my husband. In the latest edition, we see the return of a previous character, fowl mouthed Sally (a guy who dresses partially in women's clothing). Like the others this is full of lots of bad guys, lots of damaged cars, lots of running around like a chicken with her head cut off and of course lots of cheese doodles and donuts. There's essence of Ranger in this one but not nearly enough. Joe is also not as mainstream. Grandma and Lula have picked up more of a center stage and of course with the addition of Sally there just wasn't room for the tantalizing guys. As for mystery, Stephanie has angered someone and is on a hit list. She tries to stay alive while still bringing in her F.T.A.s. None of the bad guys have had the fear factor of the debut novel. There seemed to be an abundance of food fetishes left and right. While not the best, it didn't keep me from the ending or from my expectations of the next in the series. Like I said, addictive. It's best to start at the beginning.

For a few scenes, I laughed so hard I cried! My kids thought I was crazy, and it's just too hard to explain to them about Steph's antics while trying to read the book! I just love Stephanie and most of the crew......I will still read this series for as long as Janet writes it, but I do agree with many of the other reviewers - Steph needs to start taking charge of her life (did see a little of that in this book), get some REAL bounty hunter training (possibly a week or two training with Ranger?), and take her job a little more seriously if she's going to continue working for Vinnie since she's becoming the target for more dangerous criminals, and so on.

It was disappointing that Ranger only appeared a few times in this book, but at least Janet gave a better description of him this time - I used to think The Rock personified him in earlier books, but with this more updated description in #10, I'm now thinking a younger, buffer Antonio Banderas-type would be more accurate - or possibly a more muscular Olivier Martinez (Janet noted that Ranger is in his late 20's/early 30's this time). I also agree with another reviewer that David Boreantz (with longer, blacker hair) would make an excellent Joe Morelli.

The ending was too rushed - I realize that Janet needs to set the stage for #11, but as I turned to the last page, I honestly couldn't believe it WAS the last page - it was frustrating and frankly disappointing. Also, Valerie, Alfred and the kids just do not interest me, and I'd like to see less of them in future installments.

I also hope that we get to visit the real "Bat Cave" soon. We've visited Joe's house often enough, so Ranger's business apartment (one of 3 or 4, or so Ranger says) is too impersonal for me - it's time to see a little bit of "the real man" and his surroundings. It's interesting though, that Stephanie mentioned how safe and secure she felt in Ranger's digs. I don't think she was talking about the super building security as much as a general feeling of how Ranger makes her feel. Maybe wishful thinking on my part, but I'm rooting for Ranger sweeping her off her feet someday soon. I think that Joe is great, but he ultimately wants a "stay at home housewife" - something Stephanie just will never be, and we don't want her to be.

I know I share the following feelings with countless fans of the Stephanie Plum series: the first books in the series were a tremendous surprise-hilarious and endearing. Finding books with that much humor that were that fun to read in cheap, popular, paperback form is very rare, and a treasure to find, and it made me a big fan.

The books were fresh and original and funny in a way very few books of this kind are, and I think everyone should read the first books in the series. There was something quintessentially American about them and when I was lonely for my husband, family, and friends while doing research in a foreign country they cheered me up and reminded me of home while I froze to death waiting on a long line to be allowed into a poorly heated library.

I read and loved the first several books and recommended them to family and friends who also became big fans. And, like me, they also felt the series began to decline around the 8th book. This book was the absolute worst, though. My friend and I were discussing it and it was so bad it almost defies description. My friend said "I still love Stephanie Plum, but WHERE WAS SHE? This whiny person doesn't resemble the resilient Stephanie we've come to love AT ALL!"

The reviewers who say that this book gives undue attention to Ranger's shower gel and Ranger's sheets are not exaggerating! But most of all my friend and I and other reviewers were horrified at the ending. (Do not read on if you don't want a spoiler...but I don't recommend reading the book anyway).

For one thing, it showed a FRIGHTENING DISREGARD FOR HUMAN LIFE! Ok, the "Junkman", the "gang leader" who is supposedly obsessed with Stephanie is a sadist who had to be killed in self-defense. We can accept that. But my friend and I were horrified at the casual manner in which a laughing Stephanie, Ranger, and Morelli, and Sally Sweet, simply walk over the dead bodies of a bunch of KIDS with no regard for them. Some kids get involved with gangs/drugs and aren't bad-IN THE OTHER BOOKS STEPHANIE ALWAYS SHOWED RESPECT FOR HUMAN LIFE, AND COMPASSION FOR PEOPLE WHO NEVER HAD A CHANCE! That was one of the great features of Evanovich's books previously. She always had Stephanie regret death, even if it was in self-defense and even if the person was a jerk. She made Stephanie lovable and here she just makes her callous.

Not to mention, she was saved by Sally showing up in a bus. That was so contrived and silly. And I am sick of this ridiculous Ranger/Morelli triangle. Ranger is cool but not providing a future. Stephanie isn't 19, she's 30! As someone about to be turning that age in a few months, by this age I, and I daresay most young women my age, would not string along forever a guy they truly love who loves them so they can occasionally hook up with the dangerous guy. In the first few books Steph is attracted to Ranger, but he is a side note and Morelli is the main focus and the tension between them is great. I miss that.

Anyway, I'm going to get "Eleven on Top" at the library in hopes that Evanovich's editor had a talk with her and she will go back to writing the great books she used to. I hear Stephanie temporarily quits her job and tries her hand at some new ones in "11" which sounds funny and I hope it has the humor and warmth of the earlier books. I also am getting a little sick of Valerie, I wish they'd ship her off again. And I agree with everyone who said Lula is good in small doses, but cannot dominate the story. Nor can Grandma Mazur (I love her of course) etc. Nor can Connie, or Valerie, or her endearing but annoying husband, or any of the other side characters. Only Stephanie and Morelli can. And show more of Stephanie's nemesis Joyce, I love all the revenge she gets on her!

Ms. Evanovich, we do love you, and you are talented, but this book was so bad I could barely get through it and in fact had to skip portions, when I used to savor every word. What a tragedy!

What most of us wouldn't do to be Stephanie Plum! Two gorgeous hunks--one a cop, Morelli, and the other a man of mystery, Ranger, who skirts the edge of the law. For years, many of us have been pantingly eager to get a deeper glimpse into the oh-so-interesting Ranger. This book gives you that, and leaves to dying to hear more. And for those who may think sexy scenes require two characters, look out. There's a shower scene with Stephanie to die for, which makes it clear just how much seduction is in the mind for women (and it's only Ranger's shower gel. If it had been him in person, one expects the pages might have spontaneously caught fire).

For those of you who read the first chapters on Janet's website, be aware that the book is a great deal better than that may have led you to think. From the moment Lula pulls out her gun, misses, takes out a bicycle tire that belongs to a gang member busy robbing a convenience store, to Stephanie joining the gang's hit list and deciding the only safe place to stay in town is Ranger's -- as long as she does it without his knowledge (he's on a trip) -- to Lola's new bootie bomb method of capture, to Sally Sweet's conscription as a wedding planner for Stephanie's sister Valerie, to the kidnapping and failed torture (the girls are too squeamish) of a gang member, and the surprise finale (with an ending I defy anyone to predict) this is a nonstop Plum adventure.

Do not wait for this one at the public library. Patrons are going to want to reread it over and over again. Buy this book now! It's a keeper! And have fun reading. My only complaint is that these books don't come out fast enough -- I'm dying for more.

We're a fan of the whole Evanovich bounty hunter Stephanie Plum series. When we in the past read a few too many of her stories too close to each other, they all started to run together and the fun wore off. But we had to wait awhile for "Ten", which to us finds Plum back in good (and funny) form, with her usual problems bringing in her bond skippers despite help from her friend and co-worker Lulu. Sister Valerie and her family, including the hilarious Grandma Mazur, are all back and fussing over Valerie's impending marriage. Things get a little silly when Steph recruits bus driver and transvestite "Sally" to serve as wedding planner, but in the end he plays a key role in the ongoing plot. Yes, this one actually does have a bit of a plot as Steph is able to identify a gang member (the Red Devil) after she sees his face at a robbery; so in turn he puts out a contract on her, much to the consternation of her on-again, off-again roommate, cop Joe Morelli, as well as her sexy stealthy colleague Ranger. For a while, Plum even hides in Ranger's apartment, causing all sorts of delusions and guilt on her part -- she always did have trouble choosing between these two guys. {She almost tells Joe once in this book that she loves him, but backed down at the last instant.} At the end, she's saved from torture and death at the hands of the villains, so fortunately "Eleven Lords"(!) or whatever can come out next year!
So "Ten" seems like a fine addition to the Evanovich Plum series: funny dialogue and happenings, fast-paced action, romantic debate, and even danger. What more could we want for the beach!

Like T. Dunn said in an earlier review, I also ran out to buy this book the moment it came out in paperback, and within the first 20 pages was decimated from disappointment. I'm a die-hard Plum fan and have read all the others, so I expected to be wowed with this one.

Talk about being dead wrong!

It appears that Janet Evanovich is now comfortably surfing upon her wave of renown and is content to cruise aboard her luxury liner of a reputation, relying upon an established pattern to do the work for her rather than actually expending any energy and thinking about what it is she's trying to write. There is no plot to this book-- it's merely more of Grandma Mazur's smart-aleck mouth, Stephanie's "vapors" from being undecided between who gives her a case of the hots more, Morelli or Ranger, and Lula's braggadocio with a gun that's forever getting lost in her purse (been there, done that in all the other books, too-- Janet, it quit being funny around the time `Hot Six' was released).

There is no thinking required from reading this book at all and that, perhaps, is the most disappointing aspect. In all the other Plum novels, at least Evanovich attempted to try and give the reader a plot that they could wonder about with at least a thread of some sort of 'who-dunnit' atmosphere running throughout the pages.

I can't even write anymore about how badly disappointing this novel was. I'm giving it 2 stars simply out of loyalty to Evanovich and the Stephanie Plum books (don't bother with any of her other novels, they're excruciatingly bad beyond description). I hope #11 resuscitates Stephanie and breathes some life back into her truly unique character.

I eagerly awaited the release of the latest Stephanie Plum novel in audio format, and I was greatly disappointed. Ten Big Ones is just a rehash of the same `ol same `ol, Stephanie's cars blow up, her grandmother obsesses about Stiva's, and Stephanie's love life is just dull dull dull. I'm not a big Joe fan, but having Stephanie shack up with him, has been the kiss of death to this series. The only bright spot was the return of Sally Sweet, the drag queen, whom I really liked.
What disappoints me the most is that Stephanie is still incompetent. After ten books, she still hates guns, leaves them in the cookie jar and has her cars blow up, and men rescue her all the time. Please girl. Get some skill or get out of the bounty hunter biz!
I used to be able to take Stephanie with a modicum of seriousness, but the series has degraded into sophomoric humor and slapstick. Not my bag!

The plotting was typical for this type of mystery, but the humor was the type to make me snort with laughter. Usually, I am not crazy about mysteries that have an overabundance of bad language in it, but the idea of a bus driver trying to overcome his use of bad language in front of the kids by snapping a rubber band on his wrist was funny. Especially, since he had a major difficulty overcoming his propensity for foulmouthedness. I can just imagine how red his wrists must have been.

Stephanie Plum manages to get herself into and out of trouble all by herself. To add to this, she can't make up her mind about the two men in her life. She gets very prickly when they try to tell her what to do, but she would be equally annoyed if they didn't show that they cared.

Stephanie has managed to get herself on a hit list, and for a while there, it is not a sure thing...but rather a rumor. Enough of one to make her nervous. On top of that she has to deal with a neurotic family, a coworker who has her own strange sense of humor and right and wrong.

An enjoyable read...I'll be looking for more of her books that I've managed to miss.

Karen L. sadler

In the opening paragraph, Stephanie Plum compares life to a jelly donut. That alone is worth the price of admission. No matter what kind of mood I'm in when I start an Evanovich book, I soon find myself giggling at the antics of Stephanie, her friends and family. I find myself reading passages out loud to my husband to get him laughing. In this outing, Stephanie has lost another car to catastrophe and is reduced to driving her late uncle's '53 Buick which gets about 5 miles to the gallon. A contract is put on Stephanie's life by a local gang. The plot of this story is a little weak, but that's not why I read an Evanovich book. It's the journey, not the destination that makes this series so good. As mentioned by a few other reviewers, the ending did seem a little abrupt. I was looking forward to Valerie's wedding (bound to be a lot of fun), but I guess I'll have to wait until the next installment for those laughs. If you are looking for a deep, meaningful, thought provoking read, you won't find it in this book. This one is simply good fun.

If you've been following the Stephanie Plum series, you'll probably be pleased to know that the principal characters haven't changed a bit.

What has changed is the level of danger involved and this time Stephanie has managed to get herself on the hit list of a killer linked to a violent gang. Both Morelli and Ranger want to keep her under lock and key, but neither handcuffs nor stun guns can keep a good hard headed girl down.

Add in a cross-dressing foul-mouthed bus driver, the usual exploding car, and her sister's upcoming wedding, and you get a delightful mix of madness that only Janet Evanovich can deliver.

Fast paced and wickedly funny.

Amanda Richards, August 20, 2006

Just this past fall I was turned-on to the Plum series by my neighbor. I've just completed the run with this one. Ten Big Ones was better than book Nine. The laugh-out-loud bits had returned, so through most of the book I was happily satisfied. But after the ending, I felt jipped! The ending was, to me, just silly. And once our heroine was saved (again), that was it! No wrap-up. No teasing of things to come with Stephanie's romances. Very disappointing! And, please, Ranger (one of my favorite characters) is turning into a comic book character. His one word dialogue (that being "Babe") is getting very boring. I'm hoping for better things in Eleven!

I really enjoyed how she actually became a detective and discovered what everyone was trying to find. I also enjoyed the fact that her friends and lover were their to defend her, especially Sally Sweet: he/she was awesome. This is the first book I shared with my mother who is an avid reader becaue I think it is Janet Evanovich's best.
I hope she picks a man soon. I like Morelli for the long term although both men are providers and protectors. Morelli puts up with a lot form her and her family.

Yes, time for guilty pleasures again... It's Janet Evanovich's latest Stephanie Plum novel, Ten Big Ones. Every time one of these come out, I always fear it's going to be the start of a downward spiral a la Patricia Cornwell. I'm happy to report that Evanovich is still on track with fun reads.
Stephanie Plum (a "fugitive apprehension agent") starts out at the wrong place at the wrong time when she witnesses a robbery by someone wearing a red devil mask. She also sees his real face, and she's the only person who can identify him and stop a string of increasingly violent hold-ups by this guy. Turns out he's part of a gang who wants her dead. Plum, her "partner" Lula, and Grandma Mazur end up dodging gang members who are hunting her down. Her cop boyfriend Morelli wants her to quit the job and hole up in his apartment, but she wants none of that. Ranger, the mystery man who excites and scares her, loans her his truck after her car gets blown up (again!). She hides out in his apartment, and then has to figure out how she feels about him vs. Morelli when he returns unexpectedly and finds her camping out there. Throw in her sister's impending wedding and a transvestite wedding planner/bus driver/singer, and you once again have a wacky read with unforgettable characters.
I've yet to read one of these novels that I haven't liked. There is less Vincent (the head of the bond agency) in this one, but much more Lula. In fact, Lula ends up going out with Stephanie on most of the collections, and adds plenty of color to the apprehensions. You also learn more about Ranger, and there's a fair amount of room there for the next installment. Which I already am looking forward to...

I had grown a little bored with the last couple of books in the Stephanie Plum series, but this one grabbed my attention and found me hooked yet again. Lets be honest, we don't read these books because they're great literature, we read them because they're fun. But the formula had grown a little tired for me. I think this book is an improvement over the last for two reasons. One, Stephanie is starting to grow somewhat as a character. She is even able to apprehend some fugitives with -- dare I say it? -- a minimum of disasters. She's starting to ask herself why she and Morelli have the same on-again, off-again, encounters year after year. But the real reason this book held my attention was the increased level of sexual tension between Stephanie and Ranger. Personally, I find the Morelli relationship played out anyway. But with ranger, this volume definitely turns up the heat!

I absolutely love the Stephanie Plum series. They are so much fun to read and I can count on them putting me in a good mood and making me laugh out loud through out.
I would honestly devour them all if it wasn't for the fact that I savor them and only read them when I really need that little extra something to make my week.
If you haven't tried this series yet you really should, you won't be disappointed. All the characters are funny and real and just amazing.

A fun, easy read about Stephanie Plume as she hunts down people who have skipped out on bail. She always gets her man/woman, but in the craziest, funniest ways. This time she has a killer on her trail, and sure enough she gets caught. She is saved by an unlikely hero, and funny all the way.

Stephanie Plum es una Caza-Fugitivos, quien en esta ocasion se hace acompañar para llevar a cabo sus busquedas de la aistente de oficina Lula y...porque no? de su abuela!... Tiene un Novio formal que es policia y muy guapo y sexy.... pero tambien tiene un "siempre admirador" que es caza fugitivos... dilema para Stephanie..

En esta serie se tiene que enfrentar la pandilla mas temible de Trenton y estos a su vez la quieren.. pero muerta.
Con una serie de actos un poco fuera de lo normal va saliendo paso a paso de todas las anomalias a las que se enfrenta...

Para contrarestrar sus emociones... Las ansiedades las cura con unas ricas donas y pasteles, las depresiones con una ida al Mall... y porque no comprar algo?...

Es secuestrada por lospandilleros y recibe ayuda de... Un trasvesti Armado con una Uzi en cada mano!

Es literatura refrescante, entretenida y que te llevan un poco mas alla la imaginacion..

...but still worth a read. Although I jumped on the bandwagon kinda late, I'm a big fan of the Stephanie Plum novels.
In this latest screwball story, Stephanie witnesses a gang member's robbery and becomes the key witness against him. This of course gets the other gang members down on her ass. Not the best novel ever, but full of the typical Evanovich humor we've grown to love. Recommended to readers who are already familiar with the main characters like Stephanie, Lula, Joe, Ranger, etc. Not just for high school chicks, this is a good lite summer read for many readers.
David Rehak
author of "A Young Girl's Crimes"

Evanovich continues the comedic life of Stephanie Plum the Bounty Hunter. I loved this episode, especially learning more about one of Ranger's hide-outs. The Chapter 3 scene around the Plum family dinner table while Albert Kloughn describes that "his guys" could swim is LOL funny. A+

I love the Stephanie Plum novels and for the past few summers have waited eagerly for the release date of the newest chapter in this entertaining series. Prior to the new releases I've gone back and read one or two of the preceding books just to refresh my memory and "gear up" for the continuing story.

My main problem is this: the story is NOT continuing! It's the same old song and dance every time. Stephanie's in trouble, Morelli's mad, Ranger's hot, Grandma's nutty -- not an issue. But nobody is progressing. Stephanie and Morelli (and Ranger) continue their dance, and it's just getting old. And for the first time I found myself irritated with Stephanie's reckless behavior and disregard for safety. She always says she's lazy, but she can't stand to stay inside and watch TV for one day?! I mean, c'mon already!

I wholeheartedly agree with the reviewer who said that Janet is "coasting." This was still a decent read; Janet remains true to the characters we all love, and there are still laugh-out-loud moments. Just not as many as in the past. And at points I was actually bored!

All in all, Janet's got me. I will buy the next book (and probably the next) without hesitation in the hopes of rediscovering some of the earlier magic of characters and plot lines. But I feel like "Ten Big Ones" is the first crack in the dam. I hope I'm wrong.

If you love this series, then this book was definetly worth reading. It was better than some in the middle of the series that I thought got a little slow. One high point was getting more into Rangers life and finding (at least one of) the "bat caves." The biggest let down for me was the ending. If feels like the book has a lot more to go, then in ten pages or less it goes from climax to caput! There needed to be much more winding down time. I love this series and I will read them all but I hope the next one is longer and finally wraps up some story lines that have been left 'to be continued,' a little to long.

It's not the best of the Stephanie Plum serial novels from Janet Evanovich, but it still made me burst out laughing like all the others before it. If you have read the series then of course you must continue, it's still too good to stop. And if you've never read Janet Evanovich or the Stephanie Plum novels then start right now (but obviously start with One For the Money). I gave all my friends the first book for Christmas and by New Year's they were addicts and now are buying the others in the series like mad. I've read other Evanovich novels and I still like Stephanie Plum the best out of all her characters. Can't wait for more.

Amazing is all I can say. Janet is my Wonder Women. She can tell a story like no one else can. If you love drama, murder, love and laughter read this series. I promise read one of Janet's books and you will have to read another one.

This book felt like abut 2/3 of what we expect from Janet Evanovich: too many loose details, scenes that start well and fizzle, characters acting too far out of character. It was a fun read, but nowhere near what I expected for either humor or plot. Worst of all, Stephanie seems to be regressing toward adolescence instead of maturing in this story, and that was particularly annoying.
FYI: there seem to be a lot of defective copies of this book - pages 281 to 312 missing, repeats of chapter 12 and 13, etc, so check the volume carefully before purchasing. Every single one in my local store was screwed up.

While this book had some funny scenes and some sexual tension, it was disappointing. I agree with the reviewer who said Ranger and Joe were flat. I also didn't get the feeling that either relationship had moved or changed.
There was only one car fire and even Grandma Mazur and Lula were boring in this one.
I got a strong feeling that someone else had a large part in writing this book; it just didn't feel like Janet's work and the writer seemed to have forgotten several important interactions between Ranger and Stephanie.
The book definitely has some good spots that make it worth reading, but if this had been the first in the series, I would not have bought the next one.
Hopefully, Janet's true writing will reappear in number 11. It's just too bad we have to wait another year to find out.

This one had real potential. There was an interesting plot introduced, but not developed. I like the gang related idea and the kidnapping. Lula had me laughing so hard I was in tears, but the ending was a major disappointment. It was like the air going out of a balloon. I finished the novel in just one afternoon, which was another disappointment. When you buy a hardcover book you want to be entertained for longer than a few hours. It was like a two minute romp in the hay. It got you all hot and bothered and left you wanting.

Well, the Stephster is at it again....she's in search of the usual FTAs (Harold Pancek aka SpongeBob, Carol the frito robber)....but she's also managed to get her name added to the hit list of a notoriously ruthless local gang. Of course, there's the usual car fire...and Stephanie borrows one of Ranger's many black vehicles, all of which are equipped with GPS tracking systems. The borrowing of the Ranger ride leads to a fight with Morelli--and Steph moves out--again----but this time with nowhere to go. Not wanting to endanger her family, Steph simply follows the GPS backwards.....has she discovered the BatCave?
With the usual "help" from Lula in all of her spandex glory and now the hormone-challenged Connie, Evanovich fans are in for the usual rollicking ride.
Fours stars only, however, for a couple of reasons. Evanovich and her sterotypical portrayal of African-Americans is troublesome at best. The only Black person who is a mainstay in her novels is Lula--who is of course a former "ho"--and now of course the gang in Ten who is out to get Stephanie. They are, of course, black, and involved in drugs and murder and the like. Ho Hum. Ms. Evanovich, you are doing a serious disservice to your African-American fans (of which I am one) by constantly portraying them in a negative manner. Or do you also believe that we don't read?
The other reason for the 4 stars is the abrupt ending to this story. What happened? I don't know, it seems like this one shut down right in the middle of everything.
DYB

Stephanie is at it again. I love how she keeps reintroducing old characters later in the series. Sally was one of the best and of course there is Ranger and Monelli and the continuing rivalry between the two. I wish she would pick one and get it over with but it now seems that Ranger wants sex without obligation and Monelli wants love without marriage.
The gang writing was very good, the nihilidm and hopelessness of the inner city "lifestyle" described to a "T". I suppose in a series one can't help but repeat oneself but I, for one, am tired of the car burnings and smart alecky Grandma Mazur. Both are good in small doses.
The "plot" to this one was more obvious yet not nearly as complex as some of the other books.
GOOD: Sally, Kloughn (the wedding), Ranger's hangout, the cornchip gal
BAD: Car bombing, Grandma Mazur, breakup with Monelli (again)
A great read for the beach.

I enjoyed Ten Big Ones more than I expected, but then again, I did wait for the paperback to come out. Loved the return of Sally to the story line. Loved that Connie, Lula and Stephanie discovered they had some moral lines they would not cross. Enjoyed Stephanie's dad and his frustration over the crazy women in his life. Appreciated that the donuts are finally impacting Stephanie's waist line. No one should eat that much junkfood and escape the consequences.

Thought it was interesting to see more hard core crime, in the form of gangs, move into Trenton. Appreciated that this crime scourge was harder to work against than the "mob".

I would categorize this as light summer readiing appropriate for the beach or a plane ride.

I really enjoyed how she actually became a detective and discovered what everyone was trying to find. I also enjoyed the fact that her friends and lover were their to defend her, especially Sally Sweet: he/she was awesome. This is the first book I shared with my mother who is an avid reader becaue I think it is Janet Evanovich's best.
I hope she picks a man soon. I like Morelli for the long term although both men are providers and protectors. Morelli puts up with a lot form her and her family.

Yes, time for guilty pleasures again... It's Janet Evanovich's latest Stephanie Plum novel, Ten Big Ones. Every time one of these come out, I always fear it's going to be the start of a downward spiral a la Patricia Cornwell. I'm happy to report that Evanovich is still on track with fun reads.
Stephanie Plum (a "fugitive apprehension agent") starts out at the wrong place at the wrong time when she witnesses a robbery by someone wearing a red devil mask. She also sees his real face, and she's the only person who can identify him and stop a string of increasingly violent hold-ups by this guy. Turns out he's part of a gang who wants her dead. Plum, her "partner" Lula, and Grandma Mazur end up dodging gang members who are hunting her down. Her cop boyfriend Morelli wants her to quit the job and hole up in his apartment, but she wants none of that. Ranger, the mystery man who excites and scares her, loans her his truck after her car gets blown up (again!). She hides out in his apartment, and then has to figure out how she feels about him vs. Morelli when he returns unexpectedly and finds her camping out there. Throw in her sister's impending wedding and a transvestite wedding planner/bus driver/singer, and you once again have a wacky read with unforgettable characters.
I've yet to read one of these novels that I haven't liked. There is less Vincent (the head of the bond agency) in this one, but much more Lula. In fact, Lula ends up going out with Stephanie on most of the collections, and adds plenty of color to the apprehensions. You also learn more about Ranger, and there's a fair amount of room there for the next installment. Which I already am looking forward to...

I had grown a little bored with the last couple of books in the Stephanie Plum series, but this one grabbed my attention and found me hooked yet again. Lets be honest, we don't read these books because they're great literature, we read them because they're fun. But the formula had grown a little tired for me. I think this book is an improvement over the last for two reasons. One, Stephanie is starting to grow somewhat as a character. She is even able to apprehend some fugitives with -- dare I say it? -- a minimum of disasters. She's starting to ask herself why she and Morelli have the same on-again, off-again, encounters year after year. But the real reason this book held my attention was the increased level of sexual tension between Stephanie and Ranger. Personally, I find the Morelli relationship played out anyway. But with ranger, this volume definitely turns up the heat!

I absolutely love the Stephanie Plum series. They are so much fun to read and I can count on them putting me in a good mood and making me laugh out loud through out.
I would honestly devour them all if it wasn't for the fact that I savor them and only read them when I really need that little extra something to make my week.
If you haven't tried this series yet you really should, you won't be disappointed. All the characters are funny and real and just amazing.

A fun, easy read about Stephanie Plume as she hunts down people who have skipped out on bail. She always gets her man/woman, but in the craziest, funniest ways. This time she has a killer on her trail, and sure enough she gets caught. She is saved by an unlikely hero, and funny all the way.

Stephanie Plum es una Caza-Fugitivos, quien en esta ocasion se hace acompañar para llevar a cabo sus busquedas de la aistente de oficina Lula y...porque no? de su abuela!... Tiene un Novio formal que es policia y muy guapo y sexy.... pero tambien tiene un "siempre admirador" que es caza fugitivos... dilema para Stephanie..

En esta serie se tiene que enfrentar la pandilla mas temible de Trenton y estos a su vez la quieren.. pero muerta.
Con una serie de actos un poco fuera de lo normal va saliendo paso a paso de todas las anomalias a las que se enfrenta...

Para contrarestrar sus emociones... Las ansiedades las cura con unas ricas donas y pasteles, las depresiones con una ida al Mall... y porque no comprar algo?...

Es secuestrada por lospandilleros y recibe ayuda de... Un trasvesti Armado con una Uzi en cada mano!

Es literatura refrescante, entretenida y que te llevan un poco mas alla la imaginacion..

...but still worth a read. Although I jumped on the bandwagon kinda late, I'm a big fan of the Stephanie Plum novels.
In this latest screwball story, Stephanie witnesses a gang member's robbery and becomes the key witness against him. This of course gets the other gang members down on her ass. Not the best novel ever, but full of the typical Evanovich humor we've grown to love. Recommended to readers who are already familiar with the main characters like Stephanie, Lula, Joe, Ranger, etc. Not just for high school chicks, this is a good lite summer read for many readers.
David Rehak
author of "A Young Girl's Crimes"

Evanovich continues the comedic life of Stephanie Plum the Bounty Hunter. I loved this episode, especially learning more about one of Ranger's hide-outs. The Chapter 3 scene around the Plum family dinner table while Albert Kloughn describes that "his guys" could swim is LOL funny. A+

I love the Stephanie Plum novels and for the past few summers have waited eagerly for the release date of the newest chapter in this entertaining series. Prior to the new releases I've gone back and read one or two of the preceding books just to refresh my memory and "gear up" for the continuing story.

My main problem is this: the story is NOT continuing! It's the same old song and dance every time. Stephanie's in trouble, Morelli's mad, Ranger's hot, Grandma's nutty -- not an issue. But nobody is progressing. Stephanie and Morelli (and Ranger) continue their dance, and it's just getting old. And for the first time I found myself irritated with Stephanie's reckless behavior and disregard for safety. She always says she's lazy, but she can't stand to stay inside and watch TV for one day?! I mean, c'mon already!

I wholeheartedly agree with the reviewer who said that Janet is "coasting." This was still a decent read; Janet remains true to the characters we all love, and there are still laugh-out-loud moments. Just not as many as in the past. And at points I was actually bored!

All in all, Janet's got me. I will buy the next book (and probably the next) without hesitation in the hopes of rediscovering some of the earlier magic of characters and plot lines. But I feel like "Ten Big Ones" is the first crack in the dam. I hope I'm wrong.

If you love this series, then this book was definetly worth reading. It was better than some in the middle of the series that I thought got a little slow. One high point was getting more into Rangers life and finding (at least one of) the "bat caves." The biggest let down for me was the ending. If feels like the book has a lot more to go, then in ten pages or less it goes from climax to caput! There needed to be much more winding down time. I love this series and I will read them all but I hope the next one is longer and finally wraps up some story lines that have been left 'to be continued,' a little to long.

It's not the best of the Stephanie Plum serial novels from Janet Evanovich, but it still made me burst out laughing like all the others before it. If you have read the series then of course you must continue, it's still too good to stop. And if you've never read Janet Evanovich or the Stephanie Plum novels then start right now (but obviously start with One For the Money). I gave all my friends the first book for Christmas and by New Year's they were addicts and now are buying the others in the series like mad. I've read other Evanovich novels and I still like Stephanie Plum the best out of all her characters. Can't wait for more.

Amazing is all I can say. Janet is my Wonder Women. She can tell a story like no one else can. If you love drama, murder, love and laughter read this series. I promise read one of Janet's books and you will have to read another one.

This book felt like abut 2/3 of what we expect from Janet Evanovich: too many loose details, scenes that start well and fizzle, characters acting too far out of character. It was a fun read, but nowhere near what I expected for either humor or plot. Worst of all, Stephanie seems to be regressing toward adolescence instead of maturing in this story, and that was particularly annoying.
FYI: there seem to be a lot of defective copies of this book - pages 281 to 312 missing, repeats of chapter 12 and 13, etc, so check the volume carefully before purchasing. Every single one in my local store was screwed up.

While this book had some funny scenes and some sexual tension, it was disappointing. I agree with the reviewer who said Ranger and Joe were flat. I also didn't get the feeling that either relationship had moved or changed.
There was only one car fire and even Grandma Mazur and Lula were boring in this one.
I got a strong feeling that someone else had a large part in writing this book; it just didn't feel like Janet's work and the writer seemed to have forgotten several important interactions between Ranger and Stephanie.
The book definitely has some good spots that make it worth reading, but if this had been the first in the series, I would not have bought the next one.
Hopefully, Janet's true writing will reappear in number 11. It's just too bad we have to wait another year to find out.

This one had real potential. There was an interesting plot introduced, but not developed. I like the gang related idea and the kidnapping. Lula had me laughing so hard I was in tears, but the ending was a major disappointment. It was like the air going out of a balloon. I finished the novel in just one afternoon, which was another disappointment. When you buy a hardcover book you want to be entertained for longer than a few hours. It was like a two minute romp in the hay. It got you all hot and bothered and left you wanting.

Well, the Stephster is at it again....she's in search of the usual FTAs (Harold Pancek aka SpongeBob, Carol the frito robber)....but she's also managed to get her name added to the hit list of a notoriously ruthless local gang. Of course, there's the usual car fire...and Stephanie borrows one of Ranger's many black vehicles, all of which are equipped with GPS tracking systems. The borrowing of the Ranger ride leads to a fight with Morelli--and Steph moves out--again----but this time with nowhere to go. Not wanting to endanger her family, Steph simply follows the GPS backwards.....has she discovered the BatCave?
With the usual "help" from Lula in all of her spandex glory and now the hormone-challenged Connie, Evanovich fans are in for the usual rollicking ride.
Fours stars only, however, for a couple of reasons. Evanovich and her sterotypical portrayal of African-Americans is troublesome at best. The only Black person who is a mainstay in her novels is Lula--who is of course a former "ho"--and now of course the gang in Ten who is out to get Stephanie. They are, of course, black, and involved in drugs and murder and the like. Ho Hum. Ms. Evanovich, you are doing a serious disservice to your African-American fans (of which I am one) by constantly portraying them in a negative manner. Or do you also believe that we don't read?
The other reason for the 4 stars is the abrupt ending to this story. What happened? I don't know, it seems like this one shut down right in the middle of everything.
DYB

Stephanie is at it again. I love how she keeps reintroducing old characters later in the series. Sally was one of the best and of course there is Ranger and Monelli and the continuing rivalry between the two. I wish she would pick one and get it over with but it now seems that Ranger wants sex without obligation and Monelli wants love without marriage.
The gang writing was very good, the nihilidm and hopelessness of the inner city "lifestyle" described to a "T". I suppose in a series one can't help but repeat oneself but I, for one, am tired of the car burnings and smart alecky Grandma Mazur. Both are good in small doses.
The "plot" to this one was more obvious yet not nearly as complex as some of the other books.
GOOD: Sally, Kloughn (the wedding), Ranger's hangout, the cornchip gal
BAD: Car bombing, Grandma Mazur, breakup with Monelli (again)
A great read for the beach.

I enjoyed Ten Big Ones more than I expected, but then again, I did wait for the paperback to come out. Loved the return of Sally to the story line. Loved that Connie, Lula and Stephanie discovered they had some moral lines they would not cross. Enjoyed Stephanie's dad and his frustration over the crazy women in his life. Appreciated that the donuts are finally impacting Stephanie's waist line. No one should eat that much junkfood and escape the consequences.

Thought it was interesting to see more hard core crime, in the form of gangs, move into Trenton. Appreciated that this crime scourge was harder to work against than the "mob".

I would categorize this as light summer readiing appropriate for the beach or a plane ride.

I look forward to each new Stephanie Plum book for the the humor and quirky characters, but this book lacked the spark of the others. I usually laugh outloud throughout her books - this one only provoked some smiles. Even Evanovich's usual selection of oddballs - Lula, Sally, Grandma Mazur - just weren't as funny and original as usual. Lula and Grandma were kind of tired with little new humor that I can recall, though Sally is fun and has a lot of potential. A lot of the book was repetitive - How many times do we have to read about the smell of Ranger's shower gel and the feel of his sheets? I hope Evanovich can crank up the outrageousness in number 11.

Nonetheless, it was fun and Plum-fans should spend an evening or two with it to keep up with the series.

This book is overall very good.
Janet Evanovich manages to keep the plot simple and the action funny, without sacrificing earlier ideas. While there is a bit more strain than in previous books, this book is also, in most ways, funnier.
The plotline between the guys does develop, despite some reviews to the contrary, with Stephanie learning more of Ranger - and the reader getting a closer look at him - which is different from previous novels, which focused on her relationship with Morelli.
Overall, a very funny book and well worth reading, even if you're not intimately acquainted with the series.

a bestseller from the NY Times list. Hallo! Good to see everyone... always wondering what everyone in Jersey is doing and how everyone is getting along, even the niece who wants to be a horse entertains me. But for real it took me 3 hours to read this book. There was no savoring. The print is huge. And honestly there are a few downers...having two men like Ranger and Joe in your life and not putting them to good use is a waste. Yes, I love that Ranger's shower gel smells heavenly. I knew that already from my dreams. And sure I know other things too from my dreams. But those are not the "real" things that happen in Stephanie's world. I still really love Evanovich. I remain an avid and adoring fan. I just want more and I want it to last longer. All women want that, don't they?

This book is good, diverting, enjoyable light reading and it am not giving up until I read to the end of all the numbered Stephanie Plum books. No matter what crazy things are going on in her personal life, Stephanie manages to bring in the bond skippers and solve crimes as well while making me laugh!

Frankly, this is probably the most poorly written Stephanie Plum novel in the series. The dialogue no longer feels authentic and many of the situations are just too over the top. The ending is thoroughly preposterous and feels as though Ms. Evanovich slapped it on because she had written enough. I agree with other reviewers that there is not enough interaction between Steph and Morelli or Ranger (Though I am happy to see more of Connie).
Throughout my reading of the novel, I often wondered if Janet is even still writing these, or if they are some sort of team effort like her romance novel redux. I love the series, love Stephanie and the rest of the characters, but really didn't like this book. This added less to the series than the holiday novella--the characters really didn't grow at all.

Janet Evanovich is a very popular writer, her books consistently appearing on the best sellers lists. Her most popular series is the Stephanie Plum series which contains the tales of a lingerie buyer-turned-bounty hunter.

In this, the 10th (hence the title) book in the line, Stephanie becomes the target of a gang assassin known as Junkman. While trying to balance doing her job, preparing for her sister's wedding and not getting killed, she stays pretty busy.

The writing is light-hearted and Stephanie, along with Lulu, her 'plus sized' coworker and Connie, her friend with mafia contacts, get into very interesting situations. Sally Sweet, her hairy, cross-dressing male friend just make the situations more interesting.

On the romantic side, Stephanie must balance her devotion to Cop and boyfriend Joe Morelli with her increasing physical attraction to the man in black, Ranger, her mentor and hero in the bounty hunting world.

This story is a lot of fun. Read it.

Either Aliens came down, abducted Ms Evanovich, and replaced her with a clone who cannot write or, even worse, the series has run it's course and the author has grown bored with the characters and run out of creative thought. If you are a fan and, like me, have enthusiatically followed the exploits of Stephanie Plum, you will be sorely disapointed by this latest installment. Bottom line--it is pretty bad. Have only about 50 pages left and it will be a struggle just to finish. Plot is weak requiring the Author to spend endless amounts of time on nonsense filler that has nothing to do with the real story. Still, there are some funny parts to the story, you will chuckle here and there. But these times are few and do not make up for the largely poor story telling.

Love love love. Listen to Lorelei King read this to me in the car and it makes any trip a delight. I don't expect this series to do anything more than entertain and I'm never disappointed. Loved the character Sally Sweet (FUDGE!) and of course the shower gel!

I ran out and bought this in hardback. I just couldn't wait. As usual, I loved it. Evonovich simply has such a wonderful voice. Her characters are REAL, and funny at the same time. My only quibble (the reason this didn't get 5 stars) is that the story didn?t seem to be done when the book ended. It ends with a bang, and I wanted another chapter to unwind in. I needed to sit with Stephanie and Morelli on the couch, and get drooled on by Bob a bit. I needed to drop another wildly inappropriate food into the hamster cage. I needed a little down time.

I agree that the book felt rushed, but I still found it to be a wonderful way to spend an evening. I like the fact that Stephanie and even Lula seem to be getting a littloe more competent, while still playing "screwball" roles. But I agree tht the series has reached a point where it needs more. It's time we got more of a real plot and more depth to the characters. I disagree with the criticism that the characters are actually regressing; I think we are learning more about the real characters of the cardboard cutouts (Steph's need for independence, Joe's Italian chauvinism)but I no longer feel like it's enough. I want something more serious to happen -- for example, Ranger disappears (even the RangeMen are worried) and Steph goes looking for him to save him, encountering mid-East terrorists and so forth. In sum, although Ten Big Ones didn't evidence much grown of Evanovich's writing skills, I will still read the next one.

The fact that the series is up to 10 does (at least in my case) lend me to think that she either has to come up with new gags that will work as well as the old or change things up some. The whole thing with Ranger and Joe is really starting to annoy me, I thought the series was back on the right track with {{{TO THE NINES}}} but again we return to the "same-old-same-old".
There are many reviews her on the store for this book from die-hard fans of this series that have been reading from the very beginning and I as one can say I agree with the LOT of them that were dissapointed. Stephanie does come across as flaky when it comes to men (especially since she has been living with Joe) and I would think that in all this time she would have become a better bounty hunter. The comic relief is here but it seems to me that they were trying really, really hard on it. The {{{Sally Sweet}}} and not trying to curse was hilarious, one of her FTA's has a obsession with Chips that went over the top of being funny and ended up being one of those things you wish would stop being the running gag, Ranger's shower gel.... yea okay we get it Ranger always smells good. JE is doing something with the race sterotypes in these books, it was real obvious in this one, and if I were her I would be careful she may loose some readers (not that that would matter to her)there is also a lot of reference to being fat as one other reviewer mentioned at first it was funny but then I was like my goodness can't they come up with something other than that???? Connie, Lulu and Stephanie does something so WRONG with a FTA that you wonder why in the heck did JE write that out that way??? it just wasn't plausible. The ending was so abrupt I had thought that I had got a bad copy and I needed to return it to the bookstore to see the end. Don't look to have any questions answered about Ranger and Joe.. neither one of those relationships progresses.
Overall PLEASE read all of the reviews if you can because if you are like me you will be dissapointed in paying full price at some of the bookstores when you can either get it here on the store for the discounted price, check it out from the Library or wait for it on paperback. Now when all is said in done I will of course purchase the next and will eagerly await that one as well, in hopes that JE redeems this down hill spiral.
Respectully Reviewed

I got this book and read it in under 3 hours! I love the writing and the story line between Ranger, Morrelli, and Stephanie is priceless. (I plan on going on a search for Bulgari body wash...) I enjoyed the book and felt that it stayed true to the characters. I really enjoy how the relationships of all the characters has stayed fresh and this shows the strength of Evanovich's writing. Many of us have found ourselves in situations that we seem "to fall into" and within these books it is believable how things can happen to Stephanie. Thanks for a great book. I am looking forward to book 11.

This story was a bit of a disappointment to me because I thoroughly enjoyed To the Nines, the last book in the series. I listen to all the Stephanie Plum books on audio because the narrator does such a great job with the voice impersonations. This story wasn't as funny as some of the others and parts were a bit repetitive. The parts about Ranger's apartment and his "merry men" were great incites into the mystery man's lifestyle. Overall it is a great series and I have to keep reading to find out whether Stephanie will ever make a choice between hot Ranger or hot Morelli!

This book is another superb entry in the Stephanie Plum series. While it isn't one of the the best, it's still filled with laughs, and plenty of sexual tension between the heroine, her policeman boyfriend, and her coworker bounty hunter. The ending was the only part of the book I was disappointed with, and I will eagerly pick up the next book.

By the way, if you love high-minded literary novels with long-winded descriptions and deep characterizations, skip this. This book is only for people who want to be entertained.

I really haven't enjoyed the last few books in this series. What used to be amusing is now getting overdone and tired.

This one was better than the past few, but still not as good as the earlier books. I noticed at the front of the book that Ms. Evanovich says "This book is an Evanovich/Enderlin publishing adventure!" Does this mean she's now taken on a co-author for this series, as she has with her other series (which happens to stink)? If so, that could explain why the series has been slowly going downhill.

Ten Big Ones is probably the best Plum Novel yet! In the four hours it took me to read it, I did not stop laughing once - except to recover from my Ranger/Joe Hot Flashes. My god, why can't they be real???
I don't want to ruin any plot points for those who have not read it... However, I will say I thought I was going to die from laughter when they were @ the beach house.
Run, don't walk, to your nearest bookstore and fall completely in love with this series. The only downfall to finishing Ten Big Ones is that you will have to wait a YEAR for the 11th book.

I have read all of the Stephanie Plum books; loved them at first, but they have gotten monotonous. The characters are just rehashing the same things in different settings. The writing is juvenile. The story was just plain stupid. I realize this is not to be taken seriously, but come on - some of the situations were just plain ridiculous. The blown up car bit has really had it. I just did NOT like this book. The only character that made me laugh was Sally - snap snap. It could have been written by a 12 year old; just plain awful. The ending? There was none. I think this will be the last Plum book that I read. A good series to read are the Sue Grafton books; much better writing and interesting stories. I am really sorry to see the Plum series degenerate into dribble.

If you've listened to Evanovich's first nine books on audio, prepare yourself for a monumental disappointment with number ten in the series. Loreili King flattens the Stephanie Plum character, delivering an uninspiring and boring interpretation of one of the most entertaining characters in print today. Having just read quotes from publishers on the quality of King's narration for the upcoming release of Twelve Sharp, it's difficult to believe that any listened to C.J. Critt's narration of books one through nine. Critt brought Stephanie Plum to life and seemed to innately grasp the essence of the character. Critt's narration deftly presented the listener with a Stephanie Plum that was utterly believable--sassy, funny, vunerable--and left the listener anxious for the next track.

Ten Big Ones isn't one of Evanovich's best works. The storyline isn't terribly exciting and the mainline characters like Grandma Mazur, Joe Morelli, Lula, and Ranger, are lackluster. This, combined with King as the narrator, makes for a ho hum listening experience, and is guaranteed to make you yawn.

Stephanie, Lula, Grandma Mazur, and the rest of the group always keep me smiling or outright laughing. Sally shows up again and adds to the chaos. This is just a fun series of books. I'm totally enjoying these as light-hearted reading.

The first Stephanie Plum novels were fun, laugh-out-loud affairs; they provided a good escape without requiring much effort. Unfortunately what was once amusing has become annoying in many cases. The series is becoming stale - too formulaic. The escapades get more and more ridiculous. The requisite car demolition is no longer interesting. The back-and-forth between Joe and Ranger is forced. Her love life is silly. Perhaps she needs a new love interest - she isn't able to really commit to either Joe or Ranger. Some of the peripheral characters are still amusing, and sometimes I still laugh. But overall, Ten Big Ones was a big disappointment.

Janet Evanovich can do no wrong with the Stephanie Plum series. I can't wait to read each no book and in preparation I start at the beginning with book one and re-read each book up to the newest addition.

Oh, I admit it. I love all things Plum. Evanovich's books are just a much needed jovial punch in the arm in a culture that takes itself far too seriously. "Ten Big Ones" may not be the best of the 10, but heck, who's counting? Still lots of self-deprecating humor, hijinx and hilarity. And the mysterious Bvlgari shower gel...so intriguing I sought the stuff out myself. My guess is that sales have soared. You can check out the Q & A at [...] The Plum books are the literary equivalent of a homemade grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup on a dreary day. Nothing fancy, but there's simply no substitute for down-home comfort food to warm the bones. Especially your funny bone.

I enjoy this series very much and this book was no exception. These books make me laugh out loud. Stephanie Plum may be conflicted about some issues (Joe vs.Ranger) and her family may drive her batty (her grandmother wants to help Stephanie in her bounty hunter duties, especially if she gets to bring the gun; her mother has a direct connection to insty-gossip -- no mistake or accident goes unnoticed) but Stephanie always gets her collar. Perhaps by accident or sheer dumb luck, and sometimes with actual skill, but the process is always entertaining. If Stephanie needs backup Lula is there for her. Lula is the ex-hooker with extra attitude. If the going gets too tough she can always count on Ranger to assist, but it might cost her.

Stephanie may be confusing to others but she knows who she is. She's the woman with big hair, commitment problems and a Jersey attitude who always gets her dessert first. She will never convince herself that her job is the most important thing in her life. If you want to read a novel in which "stuff happens" is just the beginning, this series is for you. As for the Joe (gorgeous first-love hunk) vs. Ranger (gorgeous, dangerous hunk) question, I bet you can't decide either. **grin**

I've read several reviews in which the readers have complained that this book is too formulaic. While I agree that each novel is similarly structured, it's because Evanovich has found a style that works for her, and she has OWNED it. As a child, I devoured the entire Nancy Drew series and looking back on it, each of those mystery stories followed a formula as well. Whether it's just me being nostalgic or not, I have taken to calling the Stephanie Plum series: "Nancy Drew for adults". When reading these novels in public spaces, I frequently receive strange looks, as I frequently emit loud bursts of laughter. I recommend this series to anyone who feels like enjoying a sit-com in paperback format.

She's always on the best seller list but this is the one and only Evanovich novel I've ever read. Definitely a cozy, 10 Big Ones is delightful not because of its plotting, but because of the personality that Evanovich has breathed into her heroine, Stephanie Plum. The supporting cast of characters is also entertaining, especially Grandma. This book had me laughing at least once every chapter. Very funny, very amusing, not necessarily a great mystery but a really good time. Stephanie, you go, girl!

Always entertaining, but I find the theme is repetitious. At some point Stephanie has to be able to defend herself -- at least a little bit. After all, anyone who always has killers after her should be smart enough to do the basics.

This was the first book that I started reading out of the series. I read it back in high school and ended up reading this one first because it was the first one that I found in my school's library and I did not realize at the time that it was part of a series. I absolutely loved this book and it made me read more of the series! I have now read books number 1 through 12. I haven't picked up a book in a while but when I do, it has always been a Janet Evanovich book. Each book has its own thrilling mysteries and plenty of excitement in many meanings. I believe that I need to catch up and start reading book number 13. I would definitely recommend any of these books in the series to someone looking for some comedic suspense with some spice mixed in.

I don't know what it is about these about these books but they are more addictive than Tastycakes! They have just the right balance of mystery, hot guys and all the comforts of my east coast home that I just can't get enough! The writing is light enough that I feel like I am escaping from my life as a busy doctor when I read, but of a caliber that I feel like Stephanie and I could be friends and carry on an intelligent conversation if she came into my office to get patched up after one of her adventures. Can't wait to read the next book!!!!

Just when I thought Stephanie had finally gotten her act together and was finally on right track to being a successful bounty hunter after reading "To the Nines" it appears she's back to being the same old Stephanie who doesn't have a clue, who can't decide what man she wants in her life and always Ranger/Morelli running to the rescue, another car lost (what insurance company would give her car insurance?), no bullets in gun or for that matter where is the gun? Enough already!!!

Why do I keep doing this to myself? Because I keep wanting to see Stephanie grow up and stop being the bumbling idiot that she is, but will that ever happen? At this point I am doubtful.

I have read all Janet Evanovich books in fact have all Stephanie books in hard back but wanted to read again. I now only use kindle due to eye problems.WMD. SO NOW HAVE THEM ON KINDLE! Always enjoy but think Steph should choose her man may e soon. I choose Morelli! Plan to read on!

One turns the pages, but the thrill is mostly gone.
As much as I admire Janet Evanovich and love the Stephanie Plum series, I have to say, at this point, she is stagnating. The problem is that her characters are not growing and changing, Stephanie in particular. One can only spend so much time going through the same old tired routines, car burned in first chapter, people angling in and out of cars, Big Blue, Grand'ma M, Morelli vs. Ranger, the family dinner scenes, etc. I mean, the only person who seems to be making any progress here is Sally Sweet, rubber band therapy and all.
And the humor suffers as a result. Carol Cantell and her Cheese Doodles, and the botched kidnap/intimidation of Anton Ward aka the devil guy are more painful than funny. The best, and most revelatory line in the whole thing is when Ranger tells Stephanie she's a line item in his budget.
I usually read Evanovich laughing out loud all the way through; this one rated about one good laugh (the dog humping scene), an occasional Ranger half-smile and a lot of Stephanie-style eye rolls.
I feel like I should get a refund on this one. Borrow it from a friend or wait for the paperback. Time to send Evanovich a message.

This was the most disappointing Stephanie Plum novel to date! There were laughs don't get me wrong there.
But the whole premise behind this book was all hype and the only things you really learn about Ranger only leave more questions and a feeling of loss at what we were given.
Morelli has become a whiney character who berates Stephanie's job and who at every opportunity tries to get her to quit. YES WE KNOW THE JOB IS DANGEROUS, but please this has gotten very old very quickly! How many times does Steph have to move in and out with Morelli and how many times does he have to suggest marriage in order to change the subject of an argument?
Lula, Grandma Mazur, Sally Sweet, Kloughn and the rest all made this book worth going through all the mess with Ranger/Morelli. They were funny and fresh.
The bad guys this time are a gang and one main guy the Red Devil along with a hitman they hire to kill Stephanie, but it falls flat in the end and left me with a bad taste in my mouth.
The usually cliff hanging ending wasn't even here in this book. It was over and I was looking back to see if I'd read correctly.
My finally complaint is the description cover of the book says the only place Steph has to turn to is Ranger. Well, he is barely even in the book he goes out of town and returns towards the end of the book. His scenes were brief and lacked the heat of previous books.
This is the worst book of the series in my opinion.

I've never laughed so much from reading a Stephanie

Plum book before. Kudos to Janet Evanovich for 10 Big Ones. These

books just seem to get better and better with each increasing number.

SP returns with all of her familiar characters. And this time there's a contract out, on her life. She takes refuge

in the 'Bat Cave'.

This book kept me involved to the very

last page. Keep up the good work, Janet:)

The new Plum adventure was OK, but not great! Not as many laughs as past books. I hate to see the series end, but it might be time? This back and forth with Joe and Ranger started out interesting, but is now just frustrating! The book shouldn't refer to Stephanie as Joe's girlfried and then have her kissing Ranger. Come on Janet one or the other, but don't make Stephanie a cheating girlfriend!

I love all of the characters in these books and that's what keeps me reading them. As the series progresses there is less and less to them: less plot and less pages. Just compare "One for the Money" to any of the subsequent novels and you'll see what I mean. I enjoyed reading "Ten Big Ones" but I only wish there had been more to it. Will we be looking for the Stephanie Plum novels in the easy reader section for children soon?

I have read all the Stephanie Plum novels and waited patiently for "Ten Big Ones," however, I was disappointed for several reasons.
The novel was short. I read it in one afternoon. It also lacked the excitement that we Plum lovers have seen in the past between Stephanie and Ranger. Ranger was hardly in the book at all and the exchanges between Stephanie and Joe were boring. It seems as though they have fallin into a so-so relationship that is more like a good friendship than a love affair.
The story-line started out really good and then fizzled at the end. I was expecting so much more from the plot but the ending left me feeling like there should have been more.
While I loved Lulu, Grandma Mazur and Sally Sweet ,the story still lacked something. If it hadn't been for these characters the book would have totally bombed.
Sorry, but Janet Evonovich wasn't ready for the "Ten Big Ones."

Omg, I am really getting a little sick of stephanies's character. I mean, is she really that stupid? So naive? She'd stay out of trouble if she wouldn't go looking for it. But then, there wouldn't be reason to write another book or another story about someone trying to kill her because she's too stupid or stubborn. I'm so rooting for her & joe & then she decides to "use" ranger's apartment. Now she knows that's going to piss joe off. Again, she just begs for trouble. Stephanie really needs to grow up. If I can't get the next download free from my local library, I think I'm done with this series.

I loved the previous 9 books in this series but just couldn't quite get into this one. The humor was great, as usual, and I laughed out loud more than once. I enjoyed reading more about Sally and finding out alittle more info on Ranger. The problem for me was that the story was so uneven. Stephanie sees the face of a guy who's holding up stores and suddenly there's a hit man and an entire gang after her. I actually skimmed thru the part where they kidnapped the "Red Devil" which I didn't think added anything worthwhile to the story. I also agree with other reviewers that the ending was poor. I'm sure I'll read the next book in the series if only to see if Ms Evanovich is back to her old form! Glad I borrowed this one from the library.

I love Stephanie Plum and all of the situations she finds herself in. It is always a laugh out loud read but this time I felt short-changed at the ending. I got the sense that the book was printed with the last chapter or two missing. I felt like I was left hanging and that things were not wrapped up with Joe and Ranger and the rest of the crazy bunch. Other than that it was pure Plum action. I guess I'll just have to wait for 11!

for the "no ending." But Janet Evanovich can really write a story - a perfect example of writing the same characters over and over again and still making them interesting. I love the way her mind works. Love all the quirky characters! They'd make a great movie! Stephanie=Jennifer Garner, Joe=David Boreanaz(Angel), Ranger=The Rock, Sally=Cojo(Today Show), Lula=Mo'nique, Connie=Debbie Mazur, Vinny=Steve Buscemi.

Great Series!

Stephanie has annoyed a local gang and now a hit-man is hunting for her. She's trying to decide just what to do with the two men in her life, and deal with being in her sister's soon-to-be wedding. The icing on her cake is the funny little rolls of fat that seem to be oozing around the waistband of her jeans.
Ten Big Ones is tons of fun!! Janet Evanovich is in prime form!

Bond Enforcement Agent Stephanie Plum and her sometimes partner Lula are outside the deli-mart trying to decide what to eat when a man wearing a red devil mask runs out of the store. He has a Molotov cocktail that he throws into the store he just robbed but the manager catches it and throws it back bouncing it off the culprit's head into Stephanie's car. The car catches fire and the criminal takes off his mask and Stephanie realizes she can identify him.
Her live in lover Joe Morelli tells her he is associated with the street gang Comstack Street Slayer. Without thinking of the consequences, Stephanie and Lula go into Slayer territory to look for the Red Devil robber when gang members, some of which jump on her car, surround them. She drives away, throwing the gang members into the street and the next thing she knows the Slayers have imported the hitman Junkman to take her and a few other people out. Stephanie comes up with an deliciously felonious plan to find out who is on the Junkman's hit list and why but she is still in danger with Joe and Ranger, the sexy bounty hunter who is Joe's rival doing their best to protect a woman who needs her freedom.
This is obviously the tenth Stephanie Plum novel and unbelievably it is one of the best in the series. It is fresh, funny, upbeat, and populated with the quirky characters readers have come to love. Stephanie's relationship with Ranger is definitely heating up. It is delightful to watch the heroine doing her job while hiding out from the gang members. Janet Evanovich score again with an undeniably great crime novel. This author has so much talent it is no wonder she is always on the bestseller lists.

Like many of the readers, I agree that Ms. Evanovich seems to have run out of ideas. The series could be written by a twelve year old. Just give them a checklist- blow up car, eat donuts, feed Rex a donut/grape/piece of pizza, eat donuts, vascilate between Ranger and Joe, eat six tastykakes. You get the idea. Ms. Evanovich did expand the plot a little with this book, though. She added in Ranger's shower gel to the list. It was only mentioned every other paragraph. Might I add that I have never smelled a shower gel that lingers quite like his supposedly does. Seriously, the books went downhill after the sixth installment. If Ms. Evanovich cannot expand the plots and allow more character growth rather than rehashing the same events over and over, perhaps she should consider ending the series.

Evanovich's Plum series is fantastic, eagerly awaited each year and a must read. All of her Plum books are good some are just superior in quality. Having said this I have to state that "10" isn't superior and it barely makes it to borderline good category. For a high quality/established author such as Evanovich it's a disappointment. The story drags and it shouldn't since she introduces alot of plot material that she doesn't follow through on. "10" has an interesting story line but it seems like Evanovich relies on her old material for character development and nothing new or exciting happens to any of her characters. If anything, some of her characters seem like shadows of their former glorious past stories. Parts of "10" are extremely funny but they simply can't carry the whole book. At the end I felt like I had been left hanging without a clever cliff hanger or ending that Evanovich usually manages to pull off for Stephanie & company.

It was too short in a good way. I had a great time reading this one as I always do with her books. It had me laughing the whole way. I wouldn't have put it down if I could have managed but work and a two month old baby have their own ideas. Looking forward to her next one...a year is too long to wait. If you haven't read any of her books I recommend you do..she is a great author and her books are very entertaining, are fast paced reads and overall a pleasure.

Stephanie, you are now trying to hide from gangbangers...very dangerous people who have called in a hit man. Now is the time to call upon Ranger. Oh, yes, you resort to sleeping in Ranger's hidden apartment. His Bulgari soap makes you swoon! Once again the characters over plot make for a wonderful read!
This one is scary, and you wonder how Stephanie will get out of
her predicament!

The tenth book in the Stephanie Plum series kept me up all night. In this novel, Stephanie manages to see the face of a robber who has been robbing and burning down mini marts. In doing so, she attracts the attention of the gang he belongs to and marks herself for assasination. Afraid to endanger Joe, her parents, or her multitude of friends, Stephanie is once again looking for a place to stay.... which Ranger provides without his knowledge!
The ending was abrupt but the book was vintage Plum... full of mass consumption of junk food, exploding cars, botched bounty huntering attempts and two sexy guys!

I have read other reviews and I think people are being really hard on Janet Evanovich. If she changes the formula too much people are going to freak. I admit the book is not the best of the series ( for me personally it was one, four, five and six) It was still an enjoyable read. The characters are fun and entertaining. The only thing I must admit is the ending was very rushed. The real Stephanie fans will enjoy this book.

I marvel at the fact that some writers can be consistently humorous over a long series of books, and this author is one of those people. Not only do we get an interesting story, but there is humor all throughout the book, some coming from the situations, and a lot from the totally wierd people that inhabit its pages. This series is one that, occasionally, I have to laugh out loud. It doesn't bother my wife, however, since she's already read the books first and done her out-loud laughing already. I hope this series continues ad infinitum!

Stephanie Plum, the heroine/bounty hunter, returns in this tenth novel, and it's as good as the prior nine. We get a good dose of family, romance with Joe? or Ranger?, and Ms. Evanovich's trademark humor. In this book, Stephanie steps into gang territory and there's a contract out on her. A fast-paced page turner, with out loud laughs probably on every page (I didn't count - I just enjoyed), Plum fans will not be let down. Though the climax at the end is a little short, it's easily overlooked with all the prime entertainment the novel gives us all the way through. Even the hardcover price is worth shelling out for. More, Ms. Evanovich! More!

Yes these Evanovich books are type cast books. There's the perpetual love triangle between Stephanie, Ranger and Morelli. Grandma Mazer is great! Someone is always trying to kill Stephanie and her car gets blown up in every book. But the author manages to keep the stories lively, entertaining, and you always get a bunch of belly laughs. They only get better and I hope she keeps on writing them.

At repeated urging from several friends, I finally bought the paperback edition of ONE FOR THE MONEY. Finished it in one evening...couldn't put it down!! A couple days later, I located TWO and THREE, and sat up two nights in a row until 4am reading them. Last Friday, I bought FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT and NINE, closeted myself at home for the weekend and read FOUR through SEVEN, finishing at 2am this morning. I am totally addicted to Stephanie Plum's adventures!! Can't wait to get home from work tonight to start on EIGHT. When I finally get to sleep, all bleery-eyed from eye strain in reading, my dreams are filled with visions of Joe Morelli and Ranger. Janet Evanovich is great in weaving these adventures...and teasing us with Stephanie's love interests!! Can't wait for her next novel!!

Oh, and P.S. I am a senior citizen!!

The ending leaves you flat, wondering, where do things leave Stephanie? Previous books have always ended with her and a man, whether you know which one it is or not, but this time it kind of just ends.
I agree with many of the reviewers, I have always bought the book the first day it's released, and I feel cheated. Is Janet writing with someone else? Handing over the type-writer ribbon to a novice to get their "finger's wet"? This just doesn't seem like Janet's writing. No funeral home was really visited, they live in the burg and they're going to Dunkin' Donuts? What about Barbero's or Italian People's?
And what about Juniak? Is he no longer in the book for a reason?
Overall I was disappointed, but I'll still buy the 11th book.

I can never wait until June/July each year for the Publication of a new Stephanie Plum. I love this series. But, unfortunately 8 & 9 seemed to lack originality and now 10 hits the jackpot for boredom. I have always loved the humour and the characters and when I re-read the earlier books I find them just as entertaining and amusing as they were on the first read. Stephanie in 10 I find, annoying, boring and childish, she is like a record stuck in a groove. When is she going to grow up!!! It would be much more interesting if the characters and their relationships evolved. This book started off OK but it is as if the author lost interest or lost the plot after the first couple of chapters. The ending is so abrupt I think in the end she lost interest completly. I hope Janet Evanovich can rectify this in the next book, if she can't she should finish this series and try something new, because Stephanie in her current persona is really getting old.

This was one of my top 5 out of the series so far. I will leave reviews for those as well. I just enjoyed how BEA Plum finally got it right. Used are her skills to figure out the mystery she had been trying to solve. That is what made this book great to me.

Character development? Let's face it, we're not reading the Stephanie Plum series for literary enrichment... it's just supposed to be FUN. And this one is lots of laughs.

To the reviewer who complained about the narrator - I had the library version which was narrated by C.J. Critt - I'm not sure why it's not offered for sale here on the store? I agree that she is - hands down - one of the best readers in the business. I'd listen to her read the tax code! Enjoy!

I've read several Stephanie Plum numbered books and everyone has the same family plot. Albeit the main investigation is different how many times can you read of an upside-down-cupcake? Or why... sometimes S.P. doesn't love Joe or why she likes Ranger?

If you already read another S.P. novel and you have another book take it. If this is your first novel you'll have some fun.

This series has been consistently good. Some books are better than others. "Ten Big Ones" is not particularly inspired - but then "To The Nines" is a hard act to follow. The thing that is bothering me is that although Stephanie and Joe are growing characters - the rest of the cast is not. Ranger remains a one dimensional being. He is unable to share any part of himself. Janet continually creates opportunities for him to develop his relationship with Stephanie - and Stephanie is open to it but he is never able to be human. Lula is becoming cartoon character. I resent this very much. She began to grow when she stopped being a prostitute. She got a real job. Now, all she is - is bored - and I'm getting bored with her. She can be funny and outrageous and still become a person! Stephanie's mother is stiffled. When is she going to break-out of the rut? I want to see these people go somewhere. Not just Stephanie and Joe - but the whole cast. However, I like the way Joe and Stephanie are growing. As a couple, they are comfortable and Stephanie has time to continue finding herself. Joe is becoming a man, a partner. I agree with the other reviewers that the story line is becoming predictable. I think Janet needs to talk with people other than her fans and get some objective feedback. I will continue to read this series because I am fond of the characters but I hope that Janet will consider that there needs to be some substance within the slapstick.

Ten Big Ones was just what I hoped for and needed for a good summer read. I count on Janet Evanovich to be outrageously funny and this book certainly lived up to expectations. But when will Hollywood or TV wake up to what good movies the stories about Stephanie and friends would make, or even better a TV series? I've got a mental list of actors who could play each of the parts--are you listening out there in LA?

The plot is pretty thin and it's not the best of the series, but the delightful characters and laugh-out-loud humor are what keep me coming back. It's astounding that Stephanie gets away with what she does, but I think Ranger says best the reason I so enjoy these books "this is a high-stress business, and you're comedy relief....." These are stressful times in which we live and I, for one, can certainly use comedy relief.

Hey, could somebody please run upstairs and tell Janet that she needs to go yell at her publishers .... they forgot to put in her last chapter. Thanks.
I was a nice, cute book, but I felt ripped off. It took less than 4 hours to read -- that's not a *book*, that's a romance novella! It was so short that I think they actually used the book report trick of increasing the font, line spacing and margins to make it fit the requisite number of pages. And the ending was frustratingly abrupt, like a bad lover that does the "wam-bam roll-over fall asleep" thing, without so much as a peck on the check. Common, I need some cuddling over here. It's called a dénouement and most good writers use one.
Read it. Have a good laugh. But be prepared to get ditched.

Stephanie Plum reminds me of my friends and family. For those that didnt find this book entertaining have never had a Lula in her life. I have and I nearly died laughing from her lingo and her craziness.

I read the book in one sitting...and was brought to tears during the scene with Connie, Steph, Lula, and the kidnapped thug. I even read it to my husband and I ruined it by the non stop laughter.

Im new to this series and started reading at 9 when I picked it up at JKF airport and I was drawn in. I love the fact that you dont need to read the other books prior to get the gist of the relationships...and Evanovich makes the 1st chapter of the new book the last chapter in the previous...at least thats what I noticed between 9 and 10.

Its definitely a fun read.

What a great book! Funny and a good thriller, too. My first Evanovich book, but I bought another before I finished this one. I am not usually an emotive reader, but this one had me laughing from the first page and kept me going all the way through. The staff at the doctor's office are all going to read it after watching me enjoy it. (Not recommended for children.)

I have read all of the books in this series and enjoyed most of them. However, the heroine in One for the Money was someone who not only accepted challenges but upgraded skills to meet those challenges. Today that heroine is proving to accept "adequacy" and too lazy to do what needs to be done to succeed. The ensemble of characters are fun and well drawn - excepting Ranger - who continues to provide nothing more than titillation for the readers.

If the heroine is going to do the job then do whatever it takes to excel - i.e. target practice, weight training, improved diet, and exercise. If, however, the chick is going to continue to rely on "males" to bail her out, this series' days are numbered.

So far the only interesting character who can think for himself, build a business from the ground up, survive impossible odds and accept his responsibilities is Ranger. I was very disappointed that he was not a more intrinsic character in this book although the promo led one to believe it.

Whatever happens to the main character is up to the author. Unfortunately, as a female, I am not only disgusted with the character's "development" I am very close to not caring.

Entertainment is one thing. Leading a very loyal readership down a garden path is another.

I have read all of these books. I loved Steph thru about book six. I kept reading to see if the triangle between Steph, Ranger and Morelli would get resolved. Despite some interesting characters, this series is getting tired and repetitive. It's not that funny to see Steph's car get wrecked for the umpteenth time. Time to wrap it up with Number Thirteen, Janet!! Quality over quantity...and Loyal Readers over Dollars.

TEN BIG ONES may well be the Stephanie Plum novel remembered as the one where Ranger came into his own. In many ways, Ranger is the subplot here convincing readers that -- yes -- this is the right choice for Stephanie, not mopey old Joe Morelli. Other readers will disagree with this assessment but not with the fact that Stephanie is in good form here, alternating blowing things up and endangering her life as per usual. Some reviewers have expressed disapointment at this book. I don't really understand that. This is classic Stephanie Plum. This is who she is and what she does. Great fun with little requirement for emotional participation. Sometimes that's OK.

Yes, it may be the same old same old, but when the same old is as good as this, what is there to complain about? It may be a little off the wall, but isn't that what we like about Stephanie? I really enjoyed the book and there are several laugh out loud moments. If you are looking for an intense drama, sitting on the edge of your seat mystery, this isn't your book. But if you are looking for an easy read, you are going to laugh book...this is the one for you.

I'm listening to Ten Big Ones but the narrator is CJ Critt. I don't like the Lorelei King versions. I accidentally got a couple of Lorelei King books and there is just no comparison (IMO) to CJ Critt.

The quality of this series continues to crater. Ms. Evanovich should concentrate on quality rather than churning out money. This book and her "extended" romances and the pathetic Christmas offering of a few years ago are insulting not only to her fans but to all readers. She's forgotten that it's the readers who put her where she is today. Pure drivel.

I am running late in my readings of Janet Evanovich's Plum stories. I just finished reading "To the Nines" about a week or so ago and I thought it was a super read. In this book "Ten Big Ones" I was delighted to find another super read. The story had a lot of my favorite characters from the earlier books and I thought this story had more bounty hunts than the other works. Overall, in my opinion this is great read that will keep your interest page after page.

OK, so you don't have to be from Jersey to love the Stephanie Plum series, but it couldn't hurt. If you can, read this series from One all the way through Ten Big Ones. They make more sense. This book was laugh out loud funny. I love Grandma --- she's a hoot. And to juggle two guys like Ranger and Joe, well that's every girl's fantasy. So this won't win a Pulitzer for great literature. It should win a reader's reward for pure entertainment. Stephanie and her family, friends and the people she meets are a great escape. I already have Eleven on order through the store. And growing up in a blue collar family in Jersey, well, let's just say I can relate to a lot of what goes on. Maybe my family isn't so weird after all. Hmmm...

The earliest Stephanie Plum books were cute, not great, but entertaining. I haven't read the ones in between, but this one is so dumb as to defy description. The writing,the dialogue, the characters. Beyond description. Far more comic book caricatures than comical characters. I won't be reading another of these books because I can't be sure when they started going downhill. Read the first few in this series and skip this one.

I have read all of the Stephanie Plum books and expected a surplus of laughter in the pages of this book, only the ending brought that reaction. We can all have a bad day and reading the next book will complete the picture hopefully of recovery of her particular type of humor. The book is good just not the excellent we all expect of Evanovich.

Beverly J Scott author

Ten big ones did what I expected the book to do, it entertain me. Are the characters becoming predictable? Sure, but that's what we want. I always look for the passage explaining how grandma Mazur came to live with the family. Also Stephanie's relectance to settle down even when a gang is after her is silly,strong willed and somehow comforting that someone will stand up to the bad guys. And the bat cave! No the characters aren't boring because they have become our fictional friends. Personally I can't wait to June 2005 for " Eleven like heaven."

First of all, this book gets three stars only because I laughed so hard I cried over the ending. Up to now I've absoutlely loved this series. It provides much needed "laugh therapy". Unfortunately this current book leaves much to be desired. Sure, I got a few genuine laughs (including the last chapter), but the characters haven't developed for many books. I think it would be great to have some major character and situation changes - especially with the Morelli/Ranger situation. Seems like the series would be fresher (and possibly even funnier) at this point if some of the main characters experienced some growth.

I love the Stephanie Plum books, as soon as I finish one I start right in on the next one. The writing is clever and witty and you can't help but love all the characters in the books, they are fleshed out so wonderfully! On to the next one!!

First, let me say that I LOVE Stephanie Plum! But this book was a big let-down. As fun as SP is, the plot for this novel just couldn't keep my attention. I mean, C'mon. There's a contract on her head, but she's running around shopping etc, as if she didn't have a care in the world. Totally implausible. But hey, if you need a book you can skim while tanning, then this is probably it. Buy it used. Better yet, check it out of the library. Save your $.

Ignore the poor reviews this book has gotten. Stephanie is back and although she hasn't grown up yet, she's thinking about it and that's why we love her. Read this book with a large bag of your favorite chips and afterwards go find Bulgari at the mall to smell Ranger's shower gell. One of the best things about this book is that the ending is fresh. (She's not saved by Ranger and/or Morelli yet again.) Ms. Evanovich, please stop collaborating on the "Full" books and give us more Plum!

I wanted to write this review because I had been browsing this site for some new books to read and found the reader reviews very confusing- from one extreme to the other! I am an avid reader, some of my favorites including Koontz, Coben, King, and Little. I also enjoy Nora Roberts, Kate White and Janet Evanovich which aren't anywhere near as suspenseful or serious as those above but are just pure fun. The entire series of the Stephanie Plum novels are meant to be light, fun and purely enjoyable- which they are! If you're looking for a light fun read I loved and would highly recommend them all. If you are looking for something more serious then go with King or Koontz!

Am I sick? I have just read the ENTIRE series in two weeks! Two weeks and my kids haven't went back to school yet. I can't get enough of Ranger & 'babe'. He reminds me of the man I have never met and that I am married and need books like Evanovich's Plum series to let my imagination soar! This book didn't disappoint.The "bat cave" is what I imagined, pefect. I loved that she brought Sally back and the sexual tension is stronger between Steph & Ranger. Now that she has Morelli, she needs to explore!! You go Steph, stay safe.

I must say I don't agree with some of my fellow reviewers, I loved this. I get the Plum books on CD from my local library, sorry the store but, I do give you guys plenty of money already.

Back to Ten Big Ones. I may have to stop listening to these, I'm afraid of totaling my car because I'm laughing so hard, and this one had me going. True, there wasn't the usual high sexual tension between Stepahanie, Joe and "her mystery man" Ranger. But, it was more than made up for by a new character, Sally Sweet. You'll have to read or, listen, to learn more about Sally and his antics.

The ending is one in to die for, laughing that is.

I have read all of Janet's books. Forget her outside romances, but her numbered ones are entertaining. One and four are the best so far. I read them for Morelli and Ranger. They were pretty much wooden here. But the rest of the book is an amusing read. Get them from the library. They really arent worth the high price of a hardcover, IMHO.

Some writers are trashing this 10th offering and accusing the author of having someone else write for her. So What! I laughed and smiled a lot as this book kept me company on my long daily commute. Have fun, buy it.. enjoy.

To all those who are getting tired of the same old same old: listen to these books instead of reading them. Lorelei King who does the tapes is a fabulous reader who does all the different voices in individual ways. Fun company when you're on a long drive!

This book is another good one in the series. All of our favorite side characters are here, as well as a decent plot, and some memorable bail jumpers. The ending is a little far-fetched, but the book as a whole is very good. Evanovich looks a little bit at the darker side of life, but it is done in a manner that is consistent with the book. It is still humorous, and a very good read.

I thought the book was good but the series is getting kind of long. I have read all the books and it's a really good series. But what is going to happen with Steph and Morelli? Are they ever going to ever get married or even just stay together without having a fight. I think I'm not the only one in saying that Mrs. Evanovich should make movies. I know if I was making the kind of money Mrs. Evanovich is making off these books I would keep writing also.. but don't keep with the suspense!

~*wOLf*~

I have been a Plum reader for years, the murder plots are great but the romance triangle is stalled. Since this is a big part of the story line would like to see Stephanie grow up alittle and make a decision. She needs to have confidence in herself. I think Stephanie has been working this job long enough to start to get her feet on the ground. She also needs to make a decision on which man. She needs to tangle with Ranger or marry Joe and settle down; even if it means the the end of the series.

All of these novels are hilarious. Who cares about plot?

But, to T. Dunn of Hilton Head re: the chase scene in the Porsche/SUV. She was driving Ranger's Porsche Cayenne. It IS a SUV! That's why Ms. Evanovich went back and forth between Porsche and SUV. [I was confused too, until I asked my husband, who knows alot about cars.]