No. 5) (Stephanie Plum Novels) - High Five (Stephanie Plum

You find out right at the beginning of the book that between the last one and this one she and Morelli have already been in a relationship and broken up. The one thing you've been waiting to happen for 4 BOOKS and the author cuts you out of it. Oh, you reading this for Stephanie and Morelli's relationship? Joke's on you. How rude of this author. Such a disappointment. I wish I never had invested the time or money into reading this series.

but it is a HORRIBLE ebook. There are parts missing entirely, horrid misspellings and editing errors... this is most definitely NOT worth the price! I got so frustrated with this as an ebook that I returned it and got the paperback version. HORRIBLE, needs edited big time.

The movie 'One for the Money" introduced me to stephanie Plum. the characters in the novel are a little harsher than portrayed in the movie, it takes a little adjustment when Stephanie is crass but overall a nice quick read.

I ordered the book 3 weeks prior to my book club meeting and received it 3 day prior. I received my other books in a timely manner except this one. Also the book looked like it came from a libarary and very used.

PLOT OR PREMISE:
Plum is on her fifth outing, looking for her missing uncle and one angry little man. Uncle Fred was complaining about paying for garbage pickup, and the truck skipped his house. So he went into complain and disappeared. Of course, he's in the Plum family, so the weird part is he left behind photos of severed body parts in garbage bags. Aunt Mabel wants Stephanie to look for him, although she's not entirely sure she wants the cheap bastard found and brought home. Plus, a midget missed his court date.
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WHAT I LIKED:
Stephanie's family is definitely on the wild side, and the uncle is pretty out there for 70. Fun to see all the pieces at play. Plus Stephanie decides she needs to "diversify" her income sources, so asks Ranger to help mentor her in new areas (i.e. to work for him), so we get to see more of his line of work and meet his crew/employees (like Tank). And Lulu and Stephanie chasing the short guy is hilarious to read.
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WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
Morelli's family is not as much fun as the Plums, and fairly one-dimensional. Plus Benito Ramirez is back, and is just annoying. My biggest objection though is a "cliff-hanger" ending on the romance side that deliberately plays with point-of-view to keep it vague who Stephanie is talking with at her door.
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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.

I love Stephanie Plum. After years of reading mysteries with Hercule Poirot, Ellery Queen, Perry Mason, Mike Hammer and The Saint, and having a glass of water by my bedside because, let's face it, the mysteries are good but pretty darn dry, Stephanie is like a lovely passion fruit daiquiri. Always broke, representing the best and worst of New Jersey, perennially wondering what her status is with hottie Joe Morelli, and with a family that drives her crazy, she's everything we didn't know we wanted in a good murder mystery.

In High Five, her family is the source of the mystery, with a distant/aged/cousin/uncle having vanished. Having nothing better to do, Stephanie starts looking for him, with her search leading her all over the neighborhood, involving the local garbage company (I think we all know that might also involve the mob), as well somehow involving Joe. Meanwhile, her search for jobs increases her intimacy with Ranger, the mysterious fellow bounty hunter, because she doesn't have enough confusion around her relationship with Joe. And Benito Ramirez has gotten out of prison, irony of ironies, on "good behavior" - but he has a long memory when it comes to Stephanie.

Entertaining as always - it's so often a pleasure to spend time with the erratic and unpredictable Stephanie Plum.

Stephanie doesn't have the best of luck but she's reached an all time low in this fifth instalment of the series. Things are on the rocks between her and Joe Morelli, her favourite stalker Benito Ramirez has been released from prison and gone straight back to hunting her, she's completely broke and nobody seems to be skipping bail right now so work is hard to come by. To top it all off her uncle Fred is missing and she's now obliged to spend her time trying to track him down, something that won't help her financial situation as it's a job she won't be paid for. Thankfully her fellow bounty hunter and mentor Ranger throws her a lifeline and offers her a side job working for Rangeman Enterprises but that's only going to make things more complicated, especially when Ranger turns the charm on full force.

The Stephanie Plum series is so much fun to read and I think that High Five was the funniest book yet, I giggled so many times when I was reading this thanks to Stephanie's disastrous luck with cars and there were some hilarious conversations around Ranger's increasing interest in her romantically. Now let's just have a quick chat about Ranger here, if you thought Morelli had things all sewn up in the relationship department Ranger is about to make you question everything, and, as someone who normally hates love triangles with the passion of a burning sun, it's amazing how much I enjoy this one.

It's been a long time since I read this series last but I'm on my 3rd read through of about the first 10 books and 2nd of the following 6 so I'm not a newbie by any means and I honestly STILL can't decide which one of the guys I like best. They both suit Stephanie in different ways and I actually think she'd stand a good chance of making things work with either of them but I do think her history with Joe puts him in a good position to come out on top (please don't spoiler me if you know who she chooses, I honestly can't remember if a decision has been made or not in the books I read in and I'm planning on reading the entire series so I will find out for myself soon enough). Up until this point Stephanie's chemistry with Joe has been the most obvious but they both currently have very different ideas about marriage and what they want from the future. Ranger is a man of mystery but we finally get to learn a little more about his background in this one, including a couple of surprising revelations about his relationship history. We still have a lot of questions about what he does with most of his time and how he can afford to keep Stephanie stocked with a seemingly endless supply of high level cars but it's pretty clear that he works in a few gray areas. I enjoyed seeing him push Stephanie a bit in this book, he knocks her out of her comfort zone and it makes for an interesting dynamic between them.

The romance really isn't the main focus of these stories though and it's Stephanie along with her friends and family that really make this series shine. I absolutely adore Grandma Mazur, she never fails to make me laugh and she gets herself into some hilarious situations this time. I'm actually quite surprised that Stephanie's poor father hasn't moved out yet, he must be close to a nervous breakdown by now! We get fun new side characters introduced in every book but this one sees the return of the creepiest villain of the entire series and he absolutely terrifies me. Stephanie is one gutsy lady to manage to stand her ground when facing him and I don't blame her in the slightest for falling to pieces afterwards. The mystery of Stephanie's missing uncle was well done and took things in a direction I wasn't expecting but that's something this series has always done well. These books are brilliant, light hearted, very, very funny and the perfect way to spend an afternoon, High Five ends on a MAJOR tease so I'm glad I don't have to wait for the next book to be released.

My sister asked, “What is a laugh-Out-Loud Funny book?” Any one of the Stephanie Plum books! These are the books for an afternoon or evening when you NEED a laugh and diversion from the realities of day-to-day. They are not to be analyzed, discussed at length, or taken as literary greatness…they are for your ENJOYMENT and ability to read great humor! Stephanie, Bless her heart… is a mess! Lula, bless her heart…is a riot of fun! Grandma Mazur, bless her heart…is spit-your-coffee-out hilarious! Joe and Ranger are…Bless my heart…well, uh…uhmm, intriguing…yes, that’s the word! Read starting with the first book or start with any one of the series, and Enjoy!

What's a bounty hunter to do when there is no one to hunt down? Well, you go to a fellow bounty hunter who seems to always be busy no matter how slow it is where you work that's what. Stephanie is a pay check to pay check kind of girl, and this whole "dry spell" of work is not what she needs or wants. She isn't thrilled with the case that does come her way of a measly 70 bucks, but it's more than nothing. In the meantime she starts working with Ranger on "special" assignments he picks up from...well who knows where. The job with Ranger is a bit over Stephanie's head, but she really needs money, so she muddles through the best she can. Soon, however, she finds herself in a pickle and then some. She is in dangerous situations, she has gotten shot at, her "easy" 70 buck case is way more than she ever dreamed and worth much much more than a measly 70 bucks for all the crap she is dealing with this guy about. Before she knows it she is living with a little person, being hit on by Ranger, having her life threatened by more than one person, wanting to jump Joe Morelli's bones, and to top all that off her bills are late and her Uncle Fred has gone missing. Stephanie's family recruits her to look for Uncle Fred. As she does, she finds out things that shock her and she can't understand. Like why would a cheapskate like Fred just leave after buying groceries and picking up his dry cleaning? And why on earth does he have photos of garbage bags with body parts in them in his desk??!! What was Fred into with this guy named Bunches, who keeps following Stephanie telling her that he needs to find Fred?? Can Stephanie find Uncle Fred...and alive? Will she survive long enough to find him? And what the heck can she do to get this little person out on bail out of her home?!? Is bounty hunting really for her or should she hang it all up and try to find a "real" job?

I just loved this book! Once again I was not disappointed with Evanovich's writing style or talent. This is a book filled with adventure, suspense, murder, mayhem, humor, and touches of romance. You just can't help but love a book with such great characters, old and new. This was one of those books that hooked you in the first few pages and you just couldn't get off that hook until the very last word on the last page. No one can get into as much trouble as Stephanie does and she is such a great character to follow because of it. There were many times in this book that I just had to laugh out loud because it was so funny! The things the characters do and say at times just leave you smiling and laughing. Stephanie's love life is something worth reading about too and how all that plays out. I simply love this series and can't wait to read on. I personally think every book gets better and better. The characters develop more with every book and there are always new characters to come to love too. This book was one that was best if you had read the previous books, but could have been read as a stand alone too if need be or you didn't realize it was part of a series. I say best if you have read the previous books because this book had a character re-appearing in it from the past, that just made more sense if you had read the past book. For me this was a great book written by one of my favorite authors that I think everyone should experience reading.

5/5 Stars!!

Evanovich pens another delightful romp with Stephanie Plum through Trenton, New Jersey with "High Five." Uncle Fred has gone missing and it's slow at the bond agency so Stephanie decides to help out and look for her uncle. Unfortunately, all she gets is trouble.

Stephanie meets with Aunt Mabel and learns Fred was in a dispute with the garbage company. She discovers Fred was cheap, a cheater, and had photos of a dead person. She reports them to the police. Soon she's being followed by a bookie named "Bunchy" who wants to find Fred, too. When she finally brings in a bail jumper named "Briggs," she's forced to take him into her house when his is wrecked.

Lula comes back to help Stephanie's investigations and Grandma Mazur tucks her gun into her handbag for an assist as well. Ranger offers Stephanie work to get by and both discover an attraction. Can Stephanie find out what happened to Uncle Fred before more people die at the garbage company?

Evanovich's writing is crisp, witty, and easy to read. The narrative will make you smile and then have you anxious about what's going to happen next.

The supporting cast consists of endearing characters that will have you cheering for them. Stephanie is a very likeable heroine, admirable to a fault, still struggling to find her way, but it's reassuring to know she's on the right path.

"High Five" is another excellent story and a "must read" in the Stephanie Plum series. It's full of smiles, laughs, and nonstop action. I highly recommend this book.

I accidentally read this one before #4 so I was out of the loop on a lot of stuff. #4 must have been a really busy book! I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the others and wonder if it is because I missed a book or if the series is starting to pale. I hate when that happens!

In this installment of Stephanie's crazy life, Uncle Fred is missing and Stephanie is put on the case. It's not her favorite uncle and her aunt doesn't seem too upset. Still, family is family. Instead of finding Uncle Fred, Stephanie finds a garbage full of body parts and is, once again, up to her eyeballs in trouble (literally) and over her head.

Stephanie is such a BAD bounty hunter. She bumbles that job like everything else she bumbles up in her life. She is like a blind fish in the ocean, bumping into things--some good (like food) and some bad (like sharks). It's refreshing to see a murder mystery series where is the main character is actually a worse detective than me. It gives me hope.

I disliked that there was less of Morelli since they seem to have broken up in book #4. Pity-he is so conducive to those nice sparks between the two of them. The plus side of less Morelli is more Ranger and I did enjoy that math equation. Ranger seems to be taking more than a professional interest in his protegee. I can't wait to see where that plot line goes.

The books are getting funnier. I don't read these expecting deep symbolism or a character with great depth. It's just good, fab fun.

If you have read books 1-4, you are already a fan, and number 5 will not disappoint. Stephanie is at the prime of her life in every way, and she is holding on with both hands. I highly recommend reading the books in order, so you understand the evolution of the relationships and characters in these books. It makes for a much more satisfying read.
There is a lot going on in this book, and some of the characters and situations get so involved they overlap. Grandma and Lula and all the crazy characters are back, and things are downright toasty between Stephanie and Joe and Ranger. I love my mysteries with humor and steam. But I do admit to rolling my eyes a few times at some of the events (maybe a little over the top). I will definitely continue the series though. I do read for escape after all.

Another book of witty conversations, unfortunate luck for Stephanie, and sexually charged encounters. Oh, and some crime on the side!
This book made me laugh out loud more than any of the previous books in the series. The way that Ranger and Morelli both just laugh when something unfortunate happens to Stephanie makes me laugh even harder.
If you need a pick-me-up, these are the books that you should read. There are plenty of interesting story lines with different crimes and mysteries, but there is also a lot of comedy. Whether it comes from Grandma Mazur, Lula, or Stephanie herself.
There is a good balance of funny and serious, and it keeps you interested the whole way through.
I was really annoyed with Briggs as a character when Lula and Stephanie were trying to catch him, but once she had to have constant communication with him, he really grew on me. I hope that he shows up in the following books. They had interesting banter back and forth, and I think he could be helpful to her.

I really wanted to just crack open the next book right after I finished this one. These characters are addicting.

5/5 Stars

Memorable Quotes: “Okay, so sometimes I wasn’t the world’s greatest bounty hunter. I wasn’t a fabulous cook. I didn’t have a boyfriend, much less a husband. And I wasn’t a big financial success. I could live with all those failings as long as I knew that once in awhile I looked really hot.”

“Stephanie Plum, master of diversion. If your hair is bad, shorten your skirt and ass extra mascara.”

“I really needed juice. And a Snickers bar. If I had juice and a snickers bar, I probably could forget about sex. In fact, I didn’t even need the juice anymore. Just the Snickers bar.”

Uncle Fred is missing with pictures left behind on his desk of a bag with body parts and a cancelled check from the garbage company. She has a bookie named Bunchie following her around also looking for Uncle Fred. People from the garbage company are ending up at Silva's funeral home one by one and Stephanie is no closer to finding Uncle Fred or putting it all together than she was from the start. Ranger has given her two "company" cars to use that end up being blown up or stolen. Only Plums luck. With bounty hunter jobs on the low, Stephanie begins moonlighting for Ranger. Grandma Mazur is up to her shannigans as always at the Funeral Parlor and Stephanie's stun gun at the dining room table. On top of all this, both Ranger and Morelli are making their moves on Stephanie.
I liked it very much, but didn't feel it had as much of the humor as the previous books did and felt it was a more drawn out. I need to read the next one to see who said "Take off the dress" at the very end. Ranger, Morelli or Bunchie?

Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series of numbered mysteries are absolutely delightful. They are very funny and a little romantic as well. The ancillary characters are hilarious and appear consistently in all the books.

I have read all of them up to No. 22, but am reading them again as my husband reads them, and he is enjoying them as much as I did years ago.

The numbered Stephanie Plums are much better than other mysteries by Janet Evanovich, and I would highly recommend them to anyone who likes light, funny mysteries.

Gah! Why do I keep reading these. So silly and unrealistic and yet entertaining. Stephanie has stopped talking to MOrelli and somehow fancied herself enthralled with Ranger. She has to go get a little person because its the only case. He moves in?!?!? Her uncle is missing and has pictures of a dead body in his desk and an uncredited garbage account. Oh and Ramirez got out of jail. So much nonsense but somehow enjoyable to read. Maybe its just Grama Mazur?

Stephanie Plum is a bounty hunter. Ummm...a Bail Enforcement Agent. And she works for her cousin Vinnie bringing in people that skip out on bail. Trouble is, business is a little slow and the rent is due. Enter Ranger, the Superman of Bounty Hunters. He handles all the really big, dangerous criminals and when he's not out catching bad guys, he's doing other odd jobs, mostly legal and sometimes moral. He lets Steph join the group, which includes guys with names like Tank. The jobs range from "interior decorating" (security) to chauferring a shiek. And Ranger even gives her a snazzy Porsche to use as a "company" car.

Then Steph's Uncle Fred disappears and her family wants her to look into the case. But when she starts digging into Fred's things, she finds pictures of a dead body....or at least the body parts. And what does all this have to do with the problems Fred has had with the garbage company....the errand he was running when he suddenly went missing??

What can I say?? I need to read something light and funny. And High Five was certainly all that. There is just no getting around laughing at the things Stephanie gets herself mixed up in. With a cast of characters that grows longer with each book, Evanovich weaves a good mystery with lots of fun. And sexual tension. The ever-present debate over who Stephanie should end up with is big talk among Plum fans. Should it be Morelli, the sexy cop with the smoldering looks that Stephanie has know all her life? Or should it be Ranger, the dark, dangerous bounty hunter that is gorgeous and built for speed?? For the first four books, I've been solidly in the Morelli camp. But Book 5, stepped up Ranger's interest....and I have to say I may be wavering a little!!

If you are looking for some fun, light reading, this is definitely the series for you. Now that I've finished High Five, I may have Plum Fever again. I definitely can't wait to see what trouble Stephanie can get into next!!

I don't know about you all, but when I'm thinking of buying a book, I always read the first couple of paragraphs to see if it sucks me in. How has Janet Evanovich gotten and maintained her legions of fans? By beginning her novels like this: "When I was a little girl I used to dress Barbie up without underpants. On the outside, she'd look like the perfect lady. Tasteful plastic heels, tailored suit. But underneath, she was naked. And being a bail enforcement agent is sort of like being bare-bottom Barbie. It's about wearing a lot of bravado on the outside when you're really operating without underpants." Who's that talking? That's Stephanie Plum, and she's the reason Janet Evanovich is quick becoming a household name.

HIGH FIVE is Stephanie's fifth adventure, and at the beginning of it, the bond business is slow in Trenton. Strangely, everyone is keeping their court dates, so there's no one for Stephanie to bring in and collect money on. Already a month behind on her rent, Steph's desperate for money, which leads her to ask her mentor, fellow bounty hunter Ranger, to hook her up with a job that is "marginally" legal. To top it all off, Stephanie's been recruited by her family to find her missing Uncle Fred, who, strangely, no one really seems to miss all that much. The elderly (somewhat perverted) chap disappeared one Friday afternoon while doing errands, leaving something strange behind in his desk drawer: a roll of film containing pictures of a dead body, chopped up and stuffed into garbage bags. As Stephanie delves further into the mystery of missing Uncle Fred, she stumbles upon an extortion scheme that goes real deep--and people are dying to protect the secret.

But Stephanie's got a lot of other things to deal with besides her missing uncle. She's temporarily housing a midget--excuse me, a "little person"--whose door she broke down while she was trying to apprehend him. Ranger equips her with a couple of "business cars": a Porsche that explodes and and Beemer that's stolen (but there's always the Buick, that indestructible, gas-guzzling, insufferable but dependable powder blue behemoth). Benito Ramirez is out of jail, and he wants Stephanie to find God--literally, he wants to kill her. She's been hired as a chauffeur for a 19-year-old Arabian sheik--and you'll never guess what the little punk offers her $5.00 for. And then there's Joe Morelli, who may or may not be having relations with a Mob girl; and there's Ranger, who's getting "touchie" with Steph, and who Stephanie's starting to fantasize about in spite of herself.

All of our favorites have returned: Lula, she of the short skirts and platinum hair; Grandma Mazur; the taciturn Mr. Plum (who's involved in a hilarious scene in which Grandma Mazur gets ahold of the stun gun). I was a bit disappointed that everyone's favorite drag queen Sally Sweet didn't return for this book, but aside from that I enjoyed the usual cast I've come to know and love, and they gave me just what I expected them to: lots of laughs and lots of over-the-top adventures.

What makes this book a little bit different from its predecessors is that it's a little heavier on plot. There is an actual mystery to solve in this one that doesn't seem too outlandish, and Stephanie is put in some very scary situations more than once. Although HIGH FIVE still contains gallons of that trademark humor we've come to know and love, it's also somewhat more serious (well, as serious as Stephanie can be). Our heroine seems genuinely confused about the state of her relationship with Morelli, and curious about what it would be like to be with Ranger. But don't worry: you'll still laugh out loud many many times at Stephanie's frank narrative!

And this one definitely leaves us wanting more. We're left with a cliffhanger at the end: Who's Steph taking that slinky black dress off for, Ranger or Morelli? I guess we'll have to wait for HOT SIX to find out!

This book goes by in a blur of lightning fast capers that only Stephanie Plum could find herself involved in. The entire thing stretches the bounds of credulity, but it’s just so darned fun I can’t seem to stop myself from reading this series. As always, Stephanie’s wacky family and unlikely allies help her to bumble her way to successfully solving another impossible case.

"High Five" by Janet Evanovich gets a High Five Stars from me! This fifth instalment in the uproariously funny Stephanie Plum series may just be the best yet. A well-written and suspenseful mystery is blended perfectly with Stephanie's hilarious misadventures to create an all-around wonderful read.
"High Five" begins with Stephanie, Trenton's "bombshell bounty hunter", in the midst of a financial depression. She is not making nearly enough money picking up FTA's to make rent and she needs to find a solution fast. It's not a whole lot of use to Stephanie when her family enlists her help to find her missing Uncle Fred the cheapskate, because there's no bond money involved when and if she does find him. But family duties cannot be ignored, so Stephanie sets to work trying to find out what happened to Uncle Fred, and why he disappeared on his way to the garbage company to settle a dispute over $2. Right at the start her investigation, Stephanie comes across some disturbing photos of body parts in garbage bags found in Uncle Fred's desk, which makes it clear that Fred had become involved in something very nasty.
But searching for Uncle Fred won't pay Stephanie's rent and when she turns to her mentor and fellow bounty hunter Ranger for help, he hires her as part of Rangeman Enterprises. This leads Stephanie to a string of disastrous and dangerous jobs of dubious legal validity that will have readers laughing out loud. Add to that a very small FTA named Randy Briggs who wants nothing to do with being brought back into the system and you have the recipe for a hilarious read.
But "High Five" has a dark edge to it as well. Benito Ramirez, the sociopathic boxer with a penchant for mutilating women who stalked Stephanie in "One for the Money", is out of jail and back to harassing poor Stephanie, who is justifiably terrified. On top of that, a series of mysterious murders all related to Uncle Fred's garbage company and a bomb planted on Stephanie's car, lead Stephanie to the conclusion that she is in the middle of something very serious, and that someone besides Ramirez wants her dead. Evanovich skilfully builds the suspense, and readers will be swept along with the intriguing mystery to a satisfying conclusion.
All the characters we have grown to know and love throughout the series are back and better than ever in "High Five". Gun-toting Grandma Mazur and 200+ lb ex-hooker Lula are guaranteed to keep readers laughing, while the sexual tension between Stephanie and the two men in her life, sexy vice cop Joe Morelli and enigmatic bounty hunter Ranger, is sure to tantalize and fascinate readers.
You just cannot miss with "High Five". Evanovich has crafted an enticing and exciting tale that will keep readers captivated and will leave them begging for more. It is downright impossible to dislike the intrepid Stephanie Plum, whose unique, sassy, and witty point of view makes this series so great. "High Five" comes very highly recommended.

I bought the audiobook and was disappointed in both this being an abridged version and the narrator. The first four in the series were not abridged so I didn't expect this one to be. After checking, I see the next ones are also abridged. It's a shame as I was enjoying both the series and narrator. This narrator seems to be in a rush to get through the text and, most annoyingly of all, pronounces some of the characters and place names differently than the first narrator. She also is very monotone and fails to do the voice changes that I found hilarious in the first books. I will not be buying the rest of the series, especially since I see the narrator changes again in book seven.

High Five is the fifth book in the Stephanie Plum series. It does not disappoint! There is enough mystery and fun to keep the reader entertained for hours.
Stephanie is struggling to pay the bills in High Five as there are no FTAs to apprehend. Her Uncle Fred has disappeared and out of loyalty and pressure from her family she is trying to find him. Since this isn't a paying job she becomes part of Ranger's work crew and does various jobs for him. She has developed an attraction to Ranger and isn't sure this is a good thing. Her relationship with Joe Morelli is currently off. And as is things aren't complicated enough, Benito Ramirez, the psychopathic rapist/killer, is out of prison on parole and is after Stephanie. Just another day in the life of the "bombshell bounty hunter".
High Five is an entertaining read. It has enough mystery to make it interesting and enough comedy to keep the reader laughing out loud. After each Stephnie Plum novel I read I wonder how the author could write anything else that would top it but Janet Evanovich does. She manages to keep the reader interested in Stephanie and her quirky family and friends. This book has all the characters we have come to love in it and also two new ones, Bunchy and Briggs, that kept it fresh. The plot was excellent. The reader is kept wondering what happened to Uncle Fred all the way to the end. And the ending itself is a mystery. Just who exactly came over to give their opinion on the little black dress? I thought this was an excellent way to end the book.
High Five is an excellent read that will keep the reader entertained and laughing for hours! A must-read book!

Trenton bounty hunter Stephanie Plum's Uncle Fred Schutz set out on a Friday afternoon with a long list of errands and never returned home. So Stephanie's family has asked her to find Uncle Fred. It turns out that Uncle Fred is a notorious cheapskate, and one of his errands on that fateful Friday was to stop at the RGC garbage service to compain about a $2.00 error in his bill. As the story unfolds, Stephanie uncovers some more dirt on the garbage company, and it begins to look like Fred's disappearance might be foul play.

Business is a little slow at Vinnie's Bail Bond agency, so Stephanie Plum is forced to look for other ways to make money. Fellow bounty hunter Ranger gives Stephanie a series of jobs to do for him, all with hilarious consequences. One of the perks of working for Ranger is that all his employees drive expensive black company cars, so Ranger surprises Steph with a black Porsche for her work. Readers of the other Stephanie Plum books will know that she has terrible luck with cars, and of course the Porsche is no different.

"High Five" is definitely the high point of the first five Stephanie Plum stories. The action is non-stop, as Stephanie is stalked by several scary characters from her past. Steph is also having man problems, as she broke up with boyfriend Joe Morelli in the last book, but now she's having second thoughts about him. I'd give this book ten stars if I could! If you haven't read this one yet, grab a copy and prepare to enjoy.

Stephanie Plum is at it again! In this book she has been recruited by her family to help search for her missing uncle and once again Stephanie finds herself in the middle of...Everything! Ramirez is out on parole and is stalking her, she has unwantedly found a new roomate in the form of a midget. Please don't call him that, he prefers little person, and is also being followed by Bunchy, bookie? Who knows, she has her own ideas on who he is but a bookie, NO. We once again get face time with Grandma, Lulu and of course the hot, but now on cooler terms Morelli and the infamous hot danger Ranger who seems to making the moves on Stephanie. This book was filled with several laugh out moments, especially loved the part where Stephanies dad got tazered by grandma. Stephanies feelings are still there for Morelli but all of a sudden she is fighting an attraction to Ranger and is finally able to see a little more into who Ranger is as she is now doing some side work for Rangeman and yes, a car get's blown up. What is with this luck? Can't wait to jump into the next book and was left on pins and needles wanting to know which guy showed up at her house? Ranger or Morelli????

Mystery novels were not my cup of tea when a friend supplied me with a bunch of Janet Evanovich books as I recuperated from a broken hip (at 30, such an injury was quite debilitating and left me overwrought with cabin fever). What I found in this series utterly - and pleasantly - surprised me: smart, funny stories with characters so real I felt I could run into any one of them on a Trenton street.
High Five was one of the best, I think. By this time, the characters are so well-developed and real that their interactions are as engrossing as the plot itself. Stephanie Plum, the heroine, is as flawed as she is funny, and while some of her escapades and escapes verge on being too slick, this does not detract from the fun of reading High Five.
I know, from what I've read, that some find these books as much romance novels as anything else. I'm not a fan of that genre myself, nor did I feel that these books fall into that character despite an off-and-on relationship that spans the series. That complicated and interesting aspect merely, for me, added to the fun and funny stories without taking over the tone of the books.
Now that these books are firmly entrenched on my bookshelf between George Eliot and Faulkner, I highly recommend all of the Stephanie Plum books to any reader looking for something new and different, some truly likable and engaging characters or a book that is just plain fun and hilarious while still remaining clever and suspenseful.

In this high-powered action mystery, Stephanie Plum (bounty hunter extraordinaire) starts with her life at a low point. She is broke, she has no work to do, she has broken up with her policeman boy friend Joe Morelli, and she has an unwelcome unpaid investigative job to find her annoying cheapskate Uncle Fred. But life does improve by the end, and Stephanie saves the day!
If you have not yet read a Stephanie Plum novel, let me explain about her. She is one of the most endearing mystery characters ever developed. Fiercely independent, her attitude is always showing (although she may shake like a leaf afterwards). Tremendously attracted to aggressive men, she plays it coy as much as she possibly can. Prone to disasters, she keeps her chin up and keeps on trucking. Loyal to her family, she is often babysitting her Grandma Mazur when she and her Father are not hitting it off. And she makes her living by bring in people who are out of jail on bail and fail to appear in court. She gets 10 percent of the bail amount when she succeeds. It's a tough way to go for the former lingerie model, but it excites and challenges her to the core.
If you already know Stephanie, you will find her at her caring, jealous, lusting, nosy, sneaky, obtuse, hungry, and persistent best. She finds herself more and more attracted to Ranger (her bounty hunting mentor) and to Joe Morelli (her policeman exboy-friend). Yet she wants to be in charge, which sets up a great source of conflicts.
To give you a sense of how appealing I find her as a character, whenever she ignores an obvious clue I want to tell her to pay attention. With any other book, I find myself annoyed with the author for making the msytery too transparent. But you will want to read this book for Stephanie, not for the mystery (although it is a perfectly fine one).
Before the book is done, you will have experienced explosions, homicidal attacks, lots of gun play, Stephanie will go through a number of vehicles in typical Stephanie fashion, bail jumpers will be brought to justice, deaths will be avenged, Uncle Fred will be found, and you'll go to more viewings as a funeral home than you can imagine. The story is very fast paced and rewarding. Yet all of this is done with consistent humor and balance. So although there is a dark side, it is always overwhelmed by Stephanie's light.
The plot is very well developed. You have the main plot of finding Uncle Fred. To that are added important subplots of getting to know Joe Morelli better (even attending a family wedding with him), getting nonbounty-hunting jobs from Ranger, working on her diet, solving her financial problems, having an unwanted roommate, being stalked by a mystery man, and being hunted by a killer with revenge on his mind. Each of the subplots could make a whole novel if more fleshed out. The result is that you get a whole fabric of a life and her relationships here, moving forward and backward in time.
This book provides an unusually good balance of plot, character development, and humor. On the humor side, let me mention for those who have not read these books before that Stephanie is a very bawdy person in many ways, and the language and situations can have an overt sexual cast. So if you are offended easily by hearing about how a woman thinks about men sexually, you may not like the book. That's the only drawback I need to warn you about.
In fact, this book is so successful that is transcends the normal action mystery genre. Virtually everyone will find this book to be an engaging, uplifiting read. I liked it much better than Hot Six! (which I also recommend that you read) because the mystery, the plotting, and the character developments are much better done and balanced in this one.
Overcome your disbelief that women can't make it in a man's world! Let Stephanie save your day by providing you with a wonderful read!

But seriously, folks...forget about what Grandma Mazur did at the all-male strip club (she put the dollar bill WHERE?). This book marks a change in this hilarious series that bodes well for the future.
Every book in this side-splitting series has been a treasure. But this outing goes for less laughs and more plot, and the result is stunning (hehehe, an in joke). Not that I didn't find myself howling with laughter, once again in public, not that Evanovich's incredible bon mots don't grab you when you're not looking, but this time, there is actually a mystery with several subplots, and some real suspense.
In this adventure, Stephanie's bounty-hunting activities are somewhat sidelined by her search for her missing Uncle Fred, a nasty miser whose possible widow, Aunt Mabel, is planning a Caribbean Cruise within 2 weeks of his disappearance. Nevertheless, the Code of the Burg is strict, and when one's relative is missing, one must do the right thing and bring him/her home. At her family's urging, Stephanie reluctantly accepts the task.
But this is Stephanie Plum we are talking about here. And lest we think that things will run smoothly, there is the small matter of the angry dwarf. Then we have the exploding Porsche (NEVER let Stephanie drive anything other than her indestructible 1950s-model Buick!!!), more exciting viewings at Stiva's Funeral Home, the stolen Beemer, the psychotic homicidal rapist Ramirez, fresh out of prison and Eager to Stalk (we met this dude in Book 1, and he is not a nice person), and at least one serious stun gun mishap (I'm not telling, but watch out the next time you eat potroast at the Plum residence). I won't even talk about the spoiled son of the Arab Sheik, or what he wants Stephanie to do for $5.
While Stephanie is handling all the above with her usual Burgish aplomb, there is a true mystery unfolding. What has happened to Uncle Fred, and why is there a string of chilling and possibly connected murders, all centering around a trash-collection company? Who wants Stephanie dead? Whose chopped-up body was in the trash bags? What is going to happen with Ramirez, who wants to "lead Stephanie to God"?
All of these questions are answered in the most satisfying way, and the mystery is just as good as the humor. As for romance? Well...let's just say that Stephanie had better avoid Grandma Bella Morelli's Evil Eye, because her deepening "friendship" with Ranger has taken some interesting turns. Even Lula is taken aback. I can say no more.
Rex the Hamster, move over. I'm joining you in that soup can while I read Book 6. It seems the only safe place to be!

Volume 5 of the life of Stephanie Plum bomb shell bounty hunter is ready for devouring.
Stephanie is looking for Uncle Fred aka the cheapest man on earth and the guy most people could careless about being lost. She reluctantly agrees to search for Uncle Fred and in doing so uncovers his true cheap nature as she battles the garbage company he was going to talk to regarding his $2.00. Yes, you read that right Uncle Fred is missing and it's because of $2.00. Okay, not just $2.00, but $2.00 and a bag of garbage.
However, Uncle Fred won't pay the bills and the skips have all but dried up. Except for Randy Briggs he's not worth much, but he becomes lots of trouble real fast. So Stephanie breaks down and asks Ranger for help finding work to get her by this rough patch. What she proves is that she might not be very good at Bounty Hunting, but she's worse at working for Ranger. She gets blown up, flashed, car stolen and it's all working for Ranger.
This book is hilarious. Heavy flirting between Ranger and Stephanie is hot enough to burn the pages, but to Stephs horror things keep going wrong.
This is another winner for Janet's Stephanie Plum series.
I keep coming back to these books over and over because they are so much fun.
Pick up a few and plan to sit it out you won't want to put them down. These are the books that will keep you up until your finish them.

Most readers define a "comfort read" as a book by an author who meets their expectations, time after time. Well, Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series does exactly that for me -- I know, when I pick up one of the books in these series, that the characters are going to be simultaneously endearing and outrageous, that Stephanie's going to be the cause of something blowing up, and that I'm going to laugh, and laugh, and laugh.
Don't expect gritty realism from any of these books -- even though there's something so real about these whacko characters, you feel as if you know them (or would like to). This is sheer slapstick entertainment, but brilliantly executed slapstick. Ms. Evanvich's ability to interweave a thousand plot points and still keep everything straight is nothing short of phenomenal. But her real forte is her top-notch characterization. . .and those who've been keeping up with the series from the beginning can, I'm sure, see just how far some of these characters have come since the beginning. Even though she's impetuous as ever, Stephanie has grown since ONE FOR THE MONEY, as has her lover/nemesis, Joe Morelli. Keeping a concept fresh and the characters evolving and vital is no mean feat through a half-dozen books, but Ms. Evanovich seems to be doing just fine on that score, as far as this reader is concerned.
Now to see how long I can hold out before I get the hardback of HOT SIX.

I've been giggling my way through the Stephanie Plum series of mysteries, and while I've enjoyed each one (and had to explain many times to my husband what I was laughing at), I started to find with the third and fourth books that maybe I was getting a little tired of the series. They started to seem the same, with the characters all stalled where they were in the previous book.

But I see that they are in fact growing and evolving, sometimes in surprising ways! Lula is really getting into her some-time role as bounty hunter's assistant (which gets her out of the bail bond office, where she files). Grandma Mazur is crazy as ever, but has added to her arsenal. Sparks fly between Stephanie and Ranger (and Stephanie and Morelli, which makes things even more interesting). And most importantly, Stephanie seems to be starting to get the hang of this bounty hunter thing. I wasn't sure I could stomach 11(+?) books of her bumbling around all the time.

I don't think I need to worry. This book was a rollicking good time: fun characters, decent plot, snappy dialogue, and much craziness. Sometimes you just need something fun to read. I'm glad I have at least six more of these books to supply that need!

To date, I think this was my favorite book in this series. All the characters were there in all their feistiness. Even Grandma Bella and her Evil Eye.

Once again Stephanie is out of money and will take any FTA, this one turns out to be a very stubborn "littler person" who in turn decides to move into Stephanie's apartment, which wouldn't be so bad if she wasn't already distracted by her overly cheap Uncle Fred who went MIA while trying to right a $2.00 wrong at the trash company.

Things start to heat up when she starts spending a little too much time with Ranger and now is having the Ranger/Morelli conflict. Some girls have all the luck. Now to find Fred, who's wife really doesn't mind that he's missing, keep out of the way of a psycho boxer, get a dwarf (after calling Stephanie a loser, the gets called names too), choose between Ranger and Morelli, keep a taser away from grandma, chauffer a child sheik, dodge a killer, and stop getting cars destroyed all seem to be a week in the life of Stephanie.

Great fast paced book with lots of storylines and great giggles. I highly recommend this one.

Evanovich has mastered the formula for fun with her Stephanie Plum series. High Five, the fifth novel in the series, has our heroine, Stephanie, on the search for her Uncle Fred who has mysteriously disappeared. Being a bounty hunter, her family asked her to take on a detective role to find out what happened to Uncle Fred. Her initial interrogations seem to be getting her nowhere until she finds an interesting set of photos at her Uncle's house which lead her to believe that there is foul play involved. The usual cast of characters in Stephanie's life are back to help and haunt her in this book and there is an interesting love interest twist when it becomes obvious that Stephanie's 'colleague' Ranger seems to want more than a professional, working relationship with her. This installment in the series is a great read.

In HIGH FIVE, the fifth in the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich, Stephanie hits a new high in dysfunctionality when it comes to men.
Plum is a klutzy bond enforcement agent, i.e. bounty hunter, working for bail bondsman and sleazy cousin, Vinnie, in Trenton, NJ. In this book, Stephanie's official assignment takes back seat to a family request to find Uncle Fred, who's disappeared. But what's with the photos Uncle Mabel found in Fred's desk of a plastic garbage bag containing a dismembered body? Photography wasn't Fred's hobby.
In HIGH FIVE, Plum is beset with Briggs, Bunchy, Ramirez, Morelli, and Ranger. And that's just for starters. Briggs is a midget that becomes Plum's unwelcome houseguest after the latter's zeal for fugitive apprehension results in an unfortunate incident. The mysterious Bunchy also wants to find Fred, and is following Stephanie around. Ramirez, a psycho rapist that Plum helped put away in book one, is now back on the streets and wants revenge.
But the real core of the novel is Stephanie's lack of a sex life - a condition that's now reaching the critical stage. Plum has prurient yearnings for Joe Morelli, a distant relative and Trenton undercover cop - that is, when she's not hating his guts for being totally exasperating in the way males often are. After all, twelve years ago he did take her virginity behind the eclair counter of the pastry shop in which she was working. Then there's Ranger, the Cuban-American, bounty hunter extraordinaire who's Stephanie's sometime mentor and now, to her distraction, the occasional stud muffin of her fevered dreams. Our heroine has a yen for Bad Boys, and both Morelli and Ranger can be that, especially when they dress in black.
As one would expect in a continuing series, the author must ratchet up the wackiness of Stephanie's life a notch with each succeeding volume. Through the first five books, she's managed to do this without stretching my credulity beyond the breaking point. Plum is just one of those girls with excruciatingly bad karma. I'm beginning to anticipate, though, a plot where Evanovich tries too hard. We'll see, because I intend to read all of the series - 5 more installments as of this review.
At the conclusion of HIGH FIVE, Stephanie succumbs to the need for a night of lovin', writes the names of Morelli and Ranger on separate pieces of paper, mixes them in a bowl, closes her eyes and picks one, summons the winner after showing his name to her pet hamster Rex, puts on a killer-sexy black dress, and waits for her man of the night to arrive. The reader won't know who got lucky until it's revealed in the prologue of HOT SIX. Rex and I know, but we're not telling.
If a Stephanie Plum book was to be made into a film, Sandra Bullock would be absolutely perfect in the title role.

In this 5th hilarious book of the series, Stephanie Plum is again living up to her reputation as "the bounty hunter from hell," working for her bail-bondsman cousin Vinnie. "Being a bail enforcement agent is sort of like being bare-bottom Barbie. It's about having a secret. And it's about wearing a lot of bravado on the outside when you're really operating without underpants."
As a favor to the family, Stephanie's looking for Uncle Fred, who went to the store 3 days ago and hasn't been seen since. He's 72, has plenty of women (other than his wife) and is feuding with the garbage company. A real cheapskate. But what's really troubling Stephanie are the disturbing photos her aunt gave her of what appears to be body parts in a trash bag. How did Uncle Fred acquire these photos? And why are there now 2 employees of the garbage company dead. And who's this guy who calls himself Bunchy, claiming to be Uncle Fred's bookie and now tailing Stephanie in search of Fred who owes him money?
Steph's also looking for Randy Briggs, arrested for carrying a concealed knife and now FTA (Failed To Appear in court). He's 3-feet tall ("vertically challenged") and has a wicked attitude as he taunts Stephanie, calling her a loser. Also, she's dodging Benito Ramirez, a heavy-weight professional boxer who was involved in Stephanie's first case. She helped send him to jail and now he's on parole, stalking and threatening her.
Meanwhile, things have cooled-down with love-interest Joe Morelli, the Trenton, NJ cop who Stephanie's sort-of loved for years. Joe's wondering if he should be jealous of Ranger, Stephanie's friend and mentor, who she's been moonlighting with for extra money. Flirtations are flying between Ranger and Steph and she's wondering which direction temptation will lead her.
All of our favorite characters are back in this wacky and dangerous adventure, including Lula, former prostitute turned file clerk, and Grandma Mazur, who learns what a stun-gun does. Watch out!

Stephanie Plum is a bounty hunter from Trenton, New Jersey. When her Uncle Fred doesn't come back from the Grand Union one Friday afternoon her family enlists her help in finding him. What starts out as a seemingly innocuous search for a missing elderly man soon turns into an investigation of a trash hauling company as first one, and then a second employee of the company is murdered. On top of that a homocidal rapist is stalking Stephanie and a bookie named Bunchy is following Stephanie wherever she goes because her Uncle Fred owed him money and he wants to find the old man too.
This is my first Janet Evanowich novel and I have to say I did enjoy it. It's written in a funny,breezy style very reminiscent of the Donald Westlake Dortmunder mysteries. Not a nail-biting type of mystery but it's funny to see how Stephanie deals with her slightly crazy Grandmother and her street-wise fellow employee, Lula. I'm from New Jersey myself and I found myself laughing out loud at some of the characters that Stephanie Plum has to deal with. Ms. Evanovich has the whole New Jersey attitude down pat. This is a fun, easy read and I'd recommend it. I'm going to go out and look for the rest of this series.

After absolutely loving the wonderful first book in this series, _One for the Money,_ I found the others somewhat lacking; they were still entertaining for the most part, but they lacked the same spark and didn't draw me in as fully as the first book. _High Five_, however, is fantastic!
Stephanie's inner diaglogue is as entertaining as ever, and the plot pulled me along right to the end. There are very few dull moments in the book, and the heat between Morelli and Stephanie is back, with the pleasant addition of some romantic interest from Ranger as well. Morelli's jealousy of this is really charming.
Stephanie's luck with vehicles holds in _High Five_, although it's taken a different tack; rather than having her cars sputter and smoke to a painful death, they are blown up and stolen. She has an FTA take up resident in her apartment, Ramirez the homicidal boxer is back, and her mother frets in the kitchen as usual, as Stephanie agrees to some side jobs working for Ranger that put her in even more interesting situations than usual.
A very quick and entertaining read. I highly recommend _High Five_.

This is yet another star in Janet Evanovich's collection. This sexy bounty hunter makes a great page turner. Stephanie Plum is trying to find her Uncle Fred. A male little person makes for hard catching, cars blow up and people disappear. Men stay in her apartment adding confusion. You will love it.

I love the Stephanie Plum series of novels. I really hate reading so I purchase them both in audio for me and paperback for houseguests and friends. I'm drawn in with the excitment and adventure of the story that Janet seems to capture in every novel. It has twists, turns, Lula, mystery, wonder, and of course two very "HOT" men! Who wouldn't want a mix of both men. :} I would recommend the "Plum" series, her "Full" series, as well as her earlier novels of mixed titles. They're all great fun and keep you as a reader at the edge of your seat waiting to see if a cars going to get blown up, who's died this week, who attends the pot roast dinner, who she sleeps with next, what will burn down next, and will she get her man (love or bounty). I hope you enjoy them as much as I have. I look forward to #14 in the "Plum" series, the next "Full" novel, and the new novel Janet recently wrote with a new author being released this October. Thank you!

This series is amazing filled packed with action, drama and laugh out loud moment's. I can't turn the pages fast enough. I about wet my pants with Grandma and the stun gun. This series is a must read for anybody who love action, mystery and comedy. Now on to book six I love this series.

Well the first four books made me laugh, but after this book there are repetitive things that keep happening in the books. Grandma always says something or does something off the wall, the mother is always appalled at what Grandma says and is telling Stephanie to get a normal job. Stephanie and Morellis relationship is going nowhere and Ranger now likes Stephanie and Stephanie things she might like Ranger. Stephanies goes through cars like toilet paper. Whatever car she has at the moment (except the Buick) gets blown up or stolen. Some of the same lines from previous books have been repeated. Stephanie always loses the person she hunts down and she still makes stupid mistakes. I think its stupid her gun is usually never loaded and she is scared to use it. Shes a bounty hunter and obviously needs a gun for protection. It would be nice to Stephanie grow as a character and to see her relationship with Morelli turn into something serious and to see some growth in her career too. I dont even know if I want to continue reading the series.

Some people might think that a series that goes into the twenties re number of books would eventually get staid but honestly the humor of this series keeps me coming back for more. I feel as if I could drive into Trenton, NJ and know how to get around there. Stephanie and Lula never cease to amaze me in regard to the fixes they get into while trying to apprehend bail jumpers. Crazy fun!

So far, I've read the first 5 Stephanie Plum mysteries, and I think that High Five is definitely the best one yet. I stayed up late so that I could read it all in one day and night. The pace seems quicker in this one, which may be why I found it difficult to put down, and there's a return of a villain from the first book. I found Stephanie's interaction with two new supporting characters (a little person and someone claiming to be a bookie) entertaining, and, as always, Grandma Mazur has some of the best lines. Evanovich has also included a component of sexual tension between Stephanie and Ranger, which is interesting and enjoyable to read about, and even at the end of the novel, it is unclear whether the sexual tension remains unresolved.

I am totally hooked on this series!!! I love Stephinie Plum and ALL the characters. Grandams Mauser is a hoot.
I have the first 15 in hardbound and or paperback. The rest on my kindle. I hope to have all on my kindle someday!
Without a doubt one of my favorites authors. Thanks for some wonderful reading.
I read at night but have learned not to read this series as I get to laughing so hard at some of the antics that go
on, I end up waking my husband up.
I hope there are many more and I wish I didn't have to wait a year for the next one to come out!!

The Stephanie Plum novels just seem to get better and better. Steph's at it again; also along for the ride are the mainstays--Lula, Grandma Mazur, and the rest of the looney bunch. Throw in a psycho from an earlier novel, heat between Steph and Morelli...and just when you think things can't get any better, there are sparks between Stephanie and her sexy bounty hunter mentor, Ranger.
There are certain things that you can count on in a Plum novel--lunacy, lust, plenty of comedic action, and what would a Plum novel be without a least one car fire?
Sit back an enjoy....it doesn't get much better than this!!!

I just started reading the Stephanie Plum series last week. Needless to say, I just finished book 5 and am going to buy 6 today.
In High Five, Janet Evanovich explores Stephanie's relationship with Ranger, with Joe, with Lula, and with her family. Same as she does in all her other books. Evanovich mixes humor with New Jersey culture (which can also be mistaken as humor) which livens up the (mostly) boring mystery genre.
When I read One for the Money, I wasn't sure if I really liked the book or not and decided to give the author another shot by reading Two for the Dough.
Each book has a specific plot formula where Stephanie has to to find a missing person, which proves to be more difficult at first assumed. The search for the Failure To Appear (in this case, her Uncle Fred) then leads Stephanie to clues that lead her into deeper trouble and crosses her path with the secret investigation of her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Morelli.
The formulaic plots cause confusion at times with who a character is and which book he or she is from, which might very well be because I read them so close together. Overall, though, the author's consistancy works. I look forward to seeing which (or how many) car Stephanie is going to destroy and how it happens. I like meeting the not-so-normal people that latch on to her through every story (in this one, it is a "little person"). I like Grandma Mazur's outrageous behavior. I like Lula's expressionistic outfits.
So, what makes this one the best so far? Evanovich seems to be getting better with each book, feeling more comfortable and free with the characters, as if she is getting to know them better. This comes across the pages to the reader and leaves you with a feeling of comfort, as if you were with old friends.
I can't wait to read Hot Six to watch Evanovich's writing develop even further.

Hailing from the Garden State myself, I've known many women like the resourceful Stephanie Plum (and admit to sporting the big hair and eyeliner look myself on occasion . . .). I've been hooked on this series since "One For The Money"--Janet Evanovich has a deft touch with dialogue, and many of the scenes are laugh-out-loud funny. However, "High Five" shows the first signs that the series might be running out of steam--many of the scenes are retreads from the earlier books, albeit with different names. And suddenly Ranger is in the picture as a romantic interest for Stephanie? Here's hoping "High Five" is just a speed bump, rather than the start of something bad.

In this fifth high-octane thriller, bounty hunter Stephanie Plum sets out to find her missing unle-and along the way smacks right into: a dead body, a nasty bookie named Bunchy, and her stun-gun eccentric Grandma Mazur. On top of everything else, there's this little midget of a guy who is angry and won't leave Stephanie's apartment no matter what. Then not to mention, Ramirez, the very dangerous man who is a killer and rapist is out of jail on parole! So Stephanie has all these problems to work with at once.
And there is Mr. Shempsky, the hot-shot banker, who seems so innocent. But wait until Stephanie finds out he knows more than he lets on , and it could be dangerous!!
Very entertaining and fun to read!!

Janet Evanovich and Stephanie Plum never fail to amuse. It's hard to believe that a book with multiple murders, a crazed rapist, and money laundering can be funny.However, when you add a reformed ho, a little person, Grandma Mazur. and Stephanie's legendary propensity for the worst case scenario, the result is a laugh-out-loud, explosion filled, crime-fighting ride through Trenton.

if your life is boring and you prefer reading over watching mindless television, then this book is perfect for you. To me, there is no real character development in this story, nothing that would grab you, or have you anxious for a finishing crescendo that never comes, then this is YOUR book. To me, and a number of other intelligent readers who share my disappointment, this Evanovich story basically sucked !

I started off wanting to give this book three stars, but I couldn't in all honesty do it. I might think it's a three-star book, but I really enjoyed it like a four-star book.
Evanovich is one of the most engaging writers out there, and even though it seems like she reaches a little bit too far in places to get the laughs, I still laughed.
Stephanie Plum's career as a bounty hunter is stalled, so she decides to do a little extra work of dubious legality for Ranger while looking for her missing Uncle Fred. Rude jokes, car explosions, and bad hair galore.

I don't usually like reading mysteries, but I absolutely loved reading this book! I will have to go back and read the first four in this series. Stephanie Plum is an unlikely bounty hunter. I loved everything about her: how she was scared (in funny ways), how she was brave (in funny ways), the clothes she wore, and the things she said.
The dialogue is extremely funny. This is a fast-paced, snappliy-written book that never disappoints. The secondary characters are wonderful as well. Among them are Grandma Mazur (she is hilarious!), ex-lover and cop Joe Morelli (he's a cutie), and Stephanie's mentor Ranger (the Sexiest Hunk of Man in fiction today! Yum!).
Read this. It's a sure thing.

New Jersey bounty hunter, Stephanie Plum, returns in this, the fifth outing of the bestselling series.
Fans of the series should come along for the ride as Stephanie searches for her missing uncle, and the hysterical encounters she has along the way.
Evanovich has a knack of keeping you laughing as you keep guessing the outcome. You can't help but like Stephanie, big hair and all...Various characters from previous novels return, including her gun toting grandma...
"High Five" is a quick, breezy summer read...A perfect beach read.
Nick Gonnella

I just love this series of books. They are brain candy and sometimes I need a little brain candy. Grandma Mazur is hysterical - she makes me laugh out loud. The mystery was good with some great twists and turns, and the Ranger and Morelli triangle is intriguing. I really enjoyed in it and I can't wait for the next one in the series.

The book was five stars. I enjoyed it so much I bought the Audiable. Do not buy Audiable by narrator Demi Mazar. A third grander could read and make it more interesting. This gal was just saying words. I couldn’t get thru the first 10 minutes and deleted the book. I didn’t want to give her one star. She ruined this book.

I have always been interested in the work of bounty hunters and after I did a speech on the subject at school my english teacher told me about the Stephanie Plum novels. So I went down and got myself a copy and fell in love with it from the start. I couldn't put the books down, they are so action packed and fun. I also noticed that Joe Morelli is perfect for Stephanie. He sounds soooo irrisistable and its about time she got something from it. I was sadly disppointed that in the first three books they got interrupted whenever they tried to get it on, but thankfully its not the case any more. Hell, Im no pervert or anything like that but it was good to see them finally get some action because Joe and Steph are perfect for each other. And the whole attraction with Ranger is a good twist but he's not her dream guy. If anything would happen between her and Ranger it would make a good TV show but not in the book. It's all Morelli. Which drove me mental at the end when Stephanie picked up a peice of paper and called the guy on the paper. I hated the cliff hanger ending of not knowing who it was and I have been dying to know who she did it with. It was driving me crazy!!! Unfortunately it doesn't pick off where Janet Evanovich left it in the fifth book, which isn't good. But I think we know who won. The suspense was killing me and if thats what Janet was trying to acheive (and I think she was) you did it well!!!! I highly recommend this book and all the Stephanie Plum books.

The 5th Stephanie Plum novel, and it's as good as the previous four. You won't find it easy to put down, once you start this exciting, hilarious page-turner from who is now my favorite author. Stephanie is out to find her missing uncle and along the way encounters a tough FTA in the form of a "little person", a sheik's son who likes to expose himself, while her love life gets a little complicated with both Morelli and another after her favors. What to do when you're done? Start #6, of course.

Stephanie's torrid affair with dear Joe Morelli is history for now - maybe - she needs more money than she's making being a bounty hunter, and her family is more trouble than she needs. So what else is new? She asks Ranger for help, and he gets her a job that's even MORE dangerous than bounty hunting, if that's possible. Ranger, who has remained Stephanie's mentor, may be angling for more of her affections, and makes a worthy rival for Joe Morelli. The ending, however, is one hell of a cliffhanger.

Janet Evanovich's entire Stephanie Plum series is a real get-away with such fun and interesting twists and turns that all seem to work out in the end. I love some of her choices: I rolled my eyes so far back into my head I could see myself thinking. You know exactly what she means, right? But it's just so clever and funny, too. The characters in this series are well developed and you find yourself knowing what they're going to say before they say it.

Stephanie Plum, the New Jersey bounty hunter who works for her cousin Vinnie, has hit a lull in her sometimes dangerous and sometimes exasperating career. Evidently everyone in Trenton has decided to walk the straight and narrow after the commission of whatever crime he or she is supposed to see the judge about. There are no FTAs (Failure To Appear) that will net Stephanie the cash in hand that she needs to keep her apartment rent up to date and hamster food for Rex, her pet hamster. To top it off, she's kind of flipped the on-again/off-again relationship she's been having with major crush and homicide detective Joe Morelli into permanent off. And there's not enough Rocky Road ice cream in the world to get the missed steamy nights with Morelli off Stephanie's mind. Since staying home isn't the answer to her love life and won't get the bills paid, Stephanie decides to branch out and talk to Ranger, her mentor who taught her the bounty hunting biz, about extra work. The first extra work involves clearing a crack dealer out of an apartment building in what has to be the seediest neighborhood in Trenton. In no time at all, bullets start flying. Scrambling for money, trying to keep from getting shot, Stephanie is also pulled into investigating the disappearance of her Uncle Fred who was last seen going to the local garbage company to complain about two dollars the company owed him. The bail bond recover that Stephanie agreed to involves a three-foot tall "little person" with the social disposition of the Incredible Hulk and who proves as wily and hard to catch as the Road Runner. Added into the mix is the return of Benito Ramirez, a sadistic ex-con looking for vengeance on Stephanie for putting him in prison. And then there's Bunchy, who says he's a bookie and keeps breaking into Stephanie's apartment to goad her into searching for her Uncle Fred because Uncle Fred owes Bunchy money.
NEW YORK TIMES bestseller Janet Evanovich currently has eight Stephanie Plum novels in print, beginning with ONE FOR THE MONEY. Other titles include TWO FOR THE DOUGH, THREE TO GET DEADLY, FOUR TO SCORE, HIGH FIVE, HOT SIX, SEVEN UP, and HARD EIGHT. Prior to her Plum novels, the author wrote twelve romance novels. One of those novels, FULL HOUSE, has been retooled, had another 150 pages added to make the reading thicker and richer, and has been released as a paperback. VISIONS OF SUGAR PLUMS, a short Stephanie Plum novel, will be released in November 2002.
Stephanie Plum lives in a wacky and wonderful world that is real enough to believe in. Beginning with the dysfunctional family that includes Grandma Mazur, who usually acts more like her shoe size than her age and has a wild sense of adventure and an imagination that is an absolute scream. Her father is long-suffering (he gets zapped with a stun gun in this novel), and her mother is always worried about what the neighbors and family friends will think of Stephanie's gun-toting and physical abuse of strangers for money (especially after she burned down a funeral home in TWO FOR THE DOUGH and gets her car blown up in this novel). Evanovich did a lot of research for the Stephanie Plum novels, primarily taking bounty hunters to lunch, and the methodology of recovering the bail jumpers comes across as dead-on. Added to the rich background that the author has built into the series over the course of the novels, Stephanie always has at least a half-dozen problems going on at once. Not in the least of which is her complicated love life with Joe Morelli (every girl in Trenton wants him, and every mother in Trenton has warned her daughter(s) away from the Morelli men). Beside the comical and whimsical twists of the book's plot, Evanovich also comments on life in general-how it is and how it should be. The touches with Randy Briggs, the three-foot tall FTA, and with her aunt Mabel are absolutely a riot. Stephanie's dealings with the garbage company that is supposed to pick up her uncle and aunt's garbage tickles the funny bone because it so succinctly reveals that bit of Americana. After all, what will the neighbors think if the garbage men won't stop and pick up the trash? Despite all the goings-on in the novel, the mystery of what has happened to Uncle Fred takes center stage even during the Mafia wedding Joe Morelli takes Stephanie to. After all, what was Uncle Fred doing with pictures of a woman hacked to pieces in one of the garbage company's bins only the day before he disappeared?
Janet Evanovich is an excellent writer really hitting her stride. Stephanie Plum is the perfect mystery series for someone wanting a story that is hyper, involving, and easy to read.

The rent's due, and bail enforcer ("bounty hunter") Stephanie Plum takes a throwaway job just for the money: extricating a "little person" (don't call him a midget) from his apartment. He proves to be rather difficult to deal with, and to top off a bad day, her skinflint Uncle Fred has gone missing. Found in Fred's desk are photos of what appears to be a dismembered body, which may or may not be linked to his disappearance. Add to that the fact that a serial rapist who she helped put away is out on parole. To boot, there's a suspicious man following her everywhere, hoping she'll find Fred, because he wants to find him as well. Oh yes, there's also the (un?)wanted attentions of two men: one a cop, the other a man who works independently on the edge of the law-and who employs Stephanie in his "business" when she needs the money. And of course, Grandma (who attends funerals whether she knows the family or not) and the rest of her eccentric family keep things lively. A clever, off-the-wall, humorous story which features ample twists and turns and oddball characters. The tale rips along at a quick pace, propelled by Evanovich's spare writing and frequent humor. The characters are easy to relate to in their quirkiness, as each one has endearing, sympathetic, or other qualities that make one like them (except the loony serial rapist, whose fate REDEFINES irony). Stephanie is tough, hard-nosed, and stubborn as heck, with bravado to spare, but also vulnerable at times, and has a good sense of right and wrong (which circumstances sometimes force her to discard temporarily). The supporting characters are developed enough, and provide most of the humor, though the black former prostitute Lula's a bit of a stereotype, as is a young sheik Stephanie escorts as a side job to raise money (though he's got some, ah,"unique" ideas about how women should behave). But the story is mostly good-natured, despite a few murders and some unpleasantness involving the paroled rapist. Constant quips and jokes keep things loose, as does Evanovich's relaxed writing style. Vigilant readers may figure out the culprit behind the body in the bag and his/her motives before the resolution, but there's plenty of extra subplots to keep one guessing. And for pity's sake, don't lend Stephanie a car you value!

Hi,

don`t want to write a two pages review but after the first it is just getting better and better and also make me laugh so everyone around me when I read look at me and ask me what is going on!

Thank so much to the author for sharing and please keep Stephanie Plum alive for long!!

Regards

Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter and crime fighter, is brave and tough - Okay, she's not brave or tough, but she is a bounty-hunting crime fighter. She is also accident-prone, sex-starved, bizarrely intelligent, and quite plucky. She sort of fell into her current profession after she was laid off from her previous career as a lingerie buyer. Her mother suggested she go see her cousin Vinnie, a bail bondsman, for a job. Stephanie readily admits that she makes a terrible bounty hunter, but the money is decent and is the biggest reason she sticks with it.
Trenton, New Jersey, the book's setting, is an interesting place. Everyone, including gray-haired grandmothers, carries guns and some of them even have pepper spray and stun guns. Most people have a family member who is currently connected to organized crime or "swims with the fishes" because of their connections. Most citizens, with the exception of Stephanie, are also adept at picking locks and handling the most violent moments with disinterest.
In High Five, Stephanie is hot on the trail of her missing Uncle Fred, a seventy-something year old man who disappeared somewhere between the cleaners and the garbage collecting company. And as fans of Plum know, the smallest details or most mundane situation has a profound connection to the end of the book. Of course, that connection is not obvious until you reach the conclusion, at which point you slap your forehead and say, "Duh!"
Five reasons to read the Plum series: hysterical characters, complex and original plots, laugh-out-loud scenes, scenarios that make one wonder who in tarnation dreams this stuff up, and a feeling of suspense that is carried throughout the books that is so compelling you'll feel the need to rush out and grab the next installment just to see if Stephanie does what you think (and hope) she will.

Jersey's favorite bounty hunter is back to solve yet another mystery. What has happened to her Uncle Fred? And why were pictures of a dead body among his possessions?
Once again Stephanie is out to get her man, this time her own uncle. With her stun-gun-toting grandma in tow, an angry little man and two very, very sexy men Stephanie has her work cut out for her. With high hair and an awsome manicure, Stephanie will be sure to nail this case. Highly recommended.

Evanovich takes you for a ride down Crackin' Up Lane. I have laughed at this series so hard Ive cried!
Grandma! She kills me!
Joyce - Ugh that witch!
Lula - the worst dressed, ghetto mouthed xhooker you will ever just adore!
Ranger - Mysterious and sexy, Do we want him? hmmm Do we dare?
The trusty Buick - the only thing that survives her antics.
Joe - ooohlala!

If you picked up this book and you haven't read the first 4 STOP! I promise you will enjoy every book more if you read them in order.
Just warn people around you about sudden bursts of laughter!
Enjoy

"High Five," drops young Trenton, NJ, bounty hunter, Stephanie Plum, into her usual refreshing frenzy of mayhem, disaster, sleuthing and old-neighborhood New Jersey.

This time the disappearance of cheap, crotchety old Uncle Fred nags at Stephanie's attention while her desperate need for money drives her to ask enigmatic, taciturn, mysterious and powerful mentor-colleague Ranger for work. Such as a job of "interior renovation," which involves sweeping drug dealers from their squat at dawn.

Between working for Ranger, taking Grandma Mazur to funeral viewings, being bested one too many times by her only fugitive (a "little person" computer geek), and struggling with her feelings for vice cop and sometime lover, Joe Morelli, Stephanie hunts for Fred. The only clue is a roll of pictures found in his desk - of human body parts in a garbage bag.

Evanovich keeps the antics and action jumping without overdoing her dry humor or losing sight of her crisp, mysterious plot.

Most of her characters will be familiar from earlier books ("One For the Money," Two For the Dough," "Three to Get Deadly," "Four to Score"), but this is no problem for new readers.

I absolutely love the Stephine Plum series and High Five is no exception to that. This review is not about the book itself but about the audible audiobook. The audiobook is terrible! It leaves out a ton of material that is in the book!! I decided to read the book afrer buying the audiobook and not liking her voice very much. To my great surprise and displeasure, I realized the audibook had left out a bunch of funny lines and descriptions, leaving only the bare minimum of what the reader needs to know! Do not buy the audiobook!!!

New Jersey-based bounty hunter Stephanie Plum must wonder what terrible deeds she performed in a previous life because her life is definitely spinning out of control. On Monday, Grandma Mazur insists Stephanie needs to find Uncle Fred, who vanished on Friday while going to the store. Stephanie quickly realizes his disappearance appears almost certainly linked to a corpse in the garbage bag.
If family trouble is not enough to throw one off their food, Stephanie must bring in Randy Briggs, a little person, who refuses to make his mandatory court appearance. Instead, he challenges Stephanie to try to bring him in, a not so easy task. Than there is the Mafia wedding, she cannot refuse to attend. Of course, Stephanie's wardrobe is basic Salvation Army reject, leaving her in need of a new outfit.
The fifth appearance of Stephanie Plum is a warm, extremely humorous "days in the life of a bounty hunter" novel. The story line has several jocular subplots that blend together in a terrific tale. Stephanie remains a plum of a character. Her family, friends, and assorted acquaintances add a Joisey taste to the book. A HIGH FIVE with a double twist goes to Janet Evanovich for providing an entertaining novel and series that leaves readers laughing from start to finish.

Harriet Klausner

High Five by Janet Evanovich is as entertaining as the other novels in this series. The humor the author uses to tell the stories Stephanie gets involved is delicious. Fans of this series will like this the most

I read this book in one evening. I just could NOT put it down! Like her previous books in the Stephanie Plum series, the book has everything, mystery, humor, sex and so much more. The sexual tension between Joe Morelli is still providing great entertainment in this book and the addition of Ranger's affection only makes the book even hotter. Of course Stephanie's family is still a great source of laughs in this book as well from her mother's sign of the cross to her dad's rolling eyes. Prepare to be tired the next day cuz you won't sleep until you've turned the last page on this one.

I actually finished this book several months ago, and am eagerly awaiting 'Hot Six' to hit the shelves. I must say that I have NEVER been so completely entertained by a series of books as I have been by the Stephanie Plum novels; I have been suffering from severe Plum withdrawal since I finished 'High Five'. My sister turned me on to these books last summer and I read one right after another until they were gone, and I have been desolate ever since! These books appeal to readers of all ages--even my Mom and Dad are reading them! I love it! Can't wait for book six. Stephanie Plum is the ultimate amateur sleuth, not to mention bounty hunter extraordinare! Janet Evanovich's characters are SO colorful and she describes things in such detail, you will believe that you KNOW these people--she is truly amazing. FANTASTIC reads!

Stephanie Plum and the whole gang are back and better than ever. What fun it is to spend time with these characters. No matter how slowly you try to read this book, it's over way too soon and then you have to wait another year for the next one. Evanovich gives you a good mystery, interesting, wacky characters and scenes that have you laughing out loud. Do yourself a favor, start with One for the Money and read them all.

One of my favorite stephanie plum novels. Suspense, sexual tension, lots of peanut butter, and fumbling her way through life. Any woman can relate to her, and Lula is always throughout in some sort of snip for comedy!

"High Five" is the best birthday present I ever got! (I made myself wait 4 days to get it on my birthday.) I read it in 4 hours, and laughed out loud the whole way! I agree with the other reviewer who said that Stephanie should have told Ranger or Morelli about Ramirez. It's amazing how Stephanie, the novice bounty hunter, ends up on the trail of these huge cases involving all sorts of law enforcement agencies. My husband wanted to read "High Five" right away but I told him he had to read the series in order to really understand it. He's actually woken me up out of a sound sleep to point out a particularly hysterical phrase (thanks Janet!). I've started giving people "One for the Money" as a birthday present; the more people I get hooked on the series, the more fun it will be! It's the perfect present; I can't think of anyone who wouldn't love Stephanie, Grandma Mazur, Morelli, Lula and especially Ranger! (Can you guess who I think the mystery visitor is?!) Janet, keep me in mind for the preview copy of #6!

I am a HUGE Janet Evanovich fan - she's one of three authors that I'll buy in hardback (Grafton and Parker being the other two) - and this was my favorite in the series... Until Hot Six appeared!
JE's writing has evolved into tightly written, fast-paced, focused stories. Her earlier works, which I highly recommend, meander slightly and don't have the whole character and story development issues 100% worked out. Each entry into the series, however, has built solidly on her natural talents, and High Five fits right into that pattern.
Uncle Fred, resident cheapskate and philanderer, has vanished. His spouse Aunt Mabel is worried - that he'll turn up and throw a fit about the new washer and dryer that she's bought. Enter Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter extraordinaire (!), enlisted by the family to find him. This sounds OK to Steph, until photos of a dismembered body lead to sinister doings at the trash company lead to... Well, you read the story.
Meanwhile, Steph has to worry about paying her rent, her totally hot vice cop sometime boyfriend Joe Morelli, her totally hot bounty hunter colleague Ranger (who takes "a more entrepreneurial view of law enforcment"), a midget FTA who's taken up residence in her apartment - along with Bob the bulimic dog, Mooner and the Dealer, and the psycho boxer Benito Ramirez in a cameo from One for the Money.
In the wrong hands, this type of writing could end up as complete over-the-top nonsense. It is JE's gift that she is able to make this seem real, as though this could happen to anyone, particularly anyone from Jersey. Me, I'm counting the days (12!) until Seven Up appears on my doorstep.

I have been a fan of Janet Evanovich since her days of pulp romance titles and I was very pleased to have her enter into the mystery-romance hardback theater. I enjoyed her first four books in the series but this last one HIGH FIVE simply rehashed old themes. Janet can do so much better than this. Stephanie is a great character and the possibilities are endless for her development and further adventures but this installment (book five) fell short. I also felt that the abundance of profanity was just a cover for the lack of a good solid story. The "shock" value of the language soon worn thin and became more boring than shocking. I certainly would not be able to reccommend this part of the series to teenage readers. Please return to the 'old' delightful feisty character and her struggles through life and rely less on tired themes and vulgar language. Yes, I will still have to read the next book in the series because I am not giving up yet. I hope it will be a good one!

High Five was another fast and funny read in the Stephanie Plum series. As the series continues the mixture of crime, humor and romance (that Ranger makes me all tingly!) gets better and better. High Five is an excellent addition and leaves the reader salivating for Plum's next adventure.

It is completely unbelievable that the quality of these characters can keep improving. I have read every book in this series and I LOVE THEM!! My big question is: When are they going to make this into a television mini-series? Or do you all think that would ruin it for our imaginations? Feel free to e-mail me to discuss this concept.
Janet I am impatiently waiting for # SIX.

Before all Evanovich fans blast me double barrels, please note: This refers to the audio CD, abridged version of High Five.

It was my first J.E. novel & I thought would be the last. Having read many customer reviews, I might have to try reading one instead of listening.

I found the story to be limp & quite elementary. Chief problem: the AUDIO CD reader whose lisp is most annoying. It sounds as though she's auditioning for a part in a high school play...one she won't get. Or auditioning for the role of "Thindy" Brady of Brady Bunch fame...a part she's destined to play. Is there something poignant about the selection of this particular reader? She does Evanovich no justice.

The story begins with a missing uncle report...main character "Stephanie's" missing uncle, that is. Oddly, no one reports that he's missing for 2 days & none seem very concerned about his disappearance. I found it extremely odd that the family would discuss his absence "over coffecake as is customary in the 'burg in New Jersey." Pardon me, I'm not from "the 'burg" or NJ but it's really a stretch to believe that everyone from the "'burg" casually discusses the case of a missing relative while dining on coffeecake.

Attempts at humor are pathetic, such as: "I got my shower; jumped out & dried my hair by way of styling it." What???? "Ranger" naturally drives a Ranger (creative genius there). Stephanie goes on a job & forgets her gun (was I supposed to fret or laugh? Who knows w/this reader's tonal quality).

The novel continues, yet still no one concerns themselves with the missing uncle. Stephanie sleeps around with carefree abandon but it is tough to take seriously while listening to that lisp! Characters appear & we really have no clue as to why they immerged onto the scene. (Maybe the clue was in book 1, 2, 3 or 4??)

Again, this is the AUDIO version. The reader's voice works as well as Michael Jackson reading the Da Vinci Code...a no can do!

After listening to the audio version of High Five, I can emphatically state: sometimes words are better left unspoken (just read them!).

I started with "One for the Money", which I picked up in the bargain bin at my local bookstore, and therefore was in no hurry to read. A couple of weeks later, when I finally did pick it up, I didn't put it down for 6 hours...and I immediately got online with the store.com to see if Janet Evanovich had written anything else. Thank God she had. I ordered the second and third books in the series. It is now ten days (and another order from the store.com) later, I just finished "High Five" and threw it at the wall with a primal scream. Who was at the door!? Then I checked the publication date so I would have an idea of how long I have to wait to find out. A whole year? I may not survive! Please, Janet, be merciful. Get number 6 on the bookshelves SOON!

When I saw the fifth installment was being released, I immediately ordered it. Between Grandma Mazur, and the various characters she collects, I always have a reason to laugh out loud. This book is as good as it gets. I introduced Stephanie to several of my coworkers with "High Five", and then they wanted to read all the preceding books. My one complaint about this book, as much as I loved it, Ms. Evanovich, it's not fair to leave us hanging, unless you have the next book ready for release. I'm sure it was Morelli, I've read all of these books and Stephanie has this high moral code. I don'think she'd indulge in a one night fling, just to test the waters, not even with Ranger. She knows she's Morelli's girl, after hasn't his grandmother seen the future.

How can I add anything to my fellow readers' reviews? This series is delightful, and gets more amusing with every new episode... where does Ms. Evanovich get these characters from? I just giggled and chortled - but you care about the characters, too, and the Morelli/Stephanie romance(personally, I think it is MORELLI at the end)is great dramatic suspense - but believable, too. Keep 'em coming, Janet... You are only gaining as you keep going with this series...

Stephanie Plum is sassy, ditzy and has poor choice in men. As might be expected, this makes for a cute and funny main character in this series. I cannot imagine a less likely bounty hunter than Stephanie Plum. But do read this series, I don't think you will be disappointed.

I think the author phoned this one in. Lots of opportunity for plot exploration and character development (including existing characters) not taken. Felt flat. Hoping next ones go back to "old" style. Still I love Stephanie Plum and the many mishaps and adventures that follow her

I'm going against the tide here but at least its an honest opinion:- This one's a dud, folks.
In book 5, the mystery gives way to the romance. In fact, it gives a whole lot of way! Female readers will enjoy this book but the discerning crime-fiction fan probably wont (no matter what their gender).
If you already have the first four books and must have this one in your collection, then buy it. Its your money. But if you dont mind, then skip it. Its a dud. Unless of course if you enjoy reading romance novels pretending to be mystery novels.
The two stars are for Grandma Mazur. Otherwise, I'd give it just one star.

Mystery novels were not my cup of tea when a friend supplied me with a bunch of Janet Evanovich books as I recuperated from a broken hip (at 30, such an injury was quite debilitating and left me overwrought with cabin fever). What I found in this series utterly - and pleasantly - surprised me: smart, funny stories with characters so real I felt I could run into any one of them on a Trenton street.
High Five was one of the best, I think. By this time, the characters are so well-developed and real that their interactions are as engrossing as the plot itself. Stephanie Plum, the heroine, is as flawed as she is funny, and while some of her escapades and escapes verge on being too slick, this does not detract from the fun of reading High Five.
I know, from what I've read, that some find these books as much romance novels as anything else. I'm not a fan of that genre myself, nor did I feel that these books fall into that character despite an off-and-on relationship that spans the series. That complicated and interesting aspect merely, for me, added to the fun and funny stories without taking over the tone of the books.
Now that these books are firmly entrenched on my bookshelf between George Eliot and Faulkner, I highly recommend all of the Stephanie Plum books to any reader looking for something new and different, some truly likable and engaging characters or a book that is just plain fun and hilarious while still remaining clever and suspenseful.

Evanovich takes you for a ride down Crackin' Up Lane. I have laughed at this series so hard Ive cried!
Grandma! She kills me!
Joyce - Ugh that witch!
Lula - the worst dressed, ghetto mouthed xhooker you will ever just adore!
Ranger - Mysterious and sexy, Do we want him? hmmm Do we dare?
The trusty Buick - the only thing that survives her antics.
Joe - ooohlala!

If you picked up this book and you haven't read the first 4 STOP! I promise you will enjoy every book more if you read them in order.
Just warn people around you about sudden bursts of laughter!
Enjoy

Most readers define a "comfort read" as a book by an author who meets their expectations, time after time. Well, Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series does exactly that for me -- I know, when I pick up one of the books in these series, that the characters are going to be simultaneously endearing and outrageous, that Stephanie's going to be the cause of something blowing up, and that I'm going to laugh, and laugh, and laugh.
Don't expect gritty realism from any of these books -- even though there's something so real about these whacko characters, you feel as if you know them (or would like to). This is sheer slapstick entertainment, but brilliantly executed slapstick. Ms. Evanvich's ability to interweave a thousand plot points and still keep everything straight is nothing short of phenomenal. But her real forte is her top-notch characterization. . .and those who've been keeping up with the series from the beginning can, I'm sure, see just how far some of these characters have come since the beginning. Even though she's impetuous as ever, Stephanie has grown since ONE FOR THE MONEY, as has her lover/nemesis, Joe Morelli. Keeping a concept fresh and the characters evolving and vital is no mean feat through a half-dozen books, but Ms. Evanovich seems to be doing just fine on that score, as far as this reader is concerned.
Now to see how long I can hold out before I get the hardback of HOT SIX.

Hi,

don`t want to write a two pages review but after the first it is just getting better and better and also make me laugh so everyone around me when I read look at me and ask me what is going on!

Thank so much to the author for sharing and please keep Stephanie Plum alive for long!!

Regards

Who doesn't love a Janet Evanovich mystery? If you want something that will make you laugh and has a well developed plot, pick up one of her novels. You won't be disappointed. Protect Your Nuts

When I received notice that the store.com had sent out my copy of High Five I knew enough to take a vacation day so I could devote my whole time and attention to the book. It was a wonderful way to spend the day! I think this one was one of her best - up there with One for the Money. Some of the scenes had me laughing out loud, Grandma Mazur and the stun gun was priceless! I can't say I was too happy with the ending - how frustrating! But I knew who I wanted her to pick. I can't wait for her next one and hope that Ranger, Lula and Grandma Mazur are featured more. Janet Evanovich is a treasure and I wish there were more authors like her so we could have a never ending supply of books like High Five.

I got started reading Janet Evanovich's book when I was still working. A nurse I worked with loaned me her daughters books & after the 1st one I was hooked. I'm reading #18 & can't wait for the next.
All I can say is: Janet, Keep up the great writing!!

This is the funniest book in the Stephanie Plum Series going on, It is about Stephanie Plum she works for a Bail Bond Agency with her cousin Vinnie she also has many people in the office former [who] turned file clerk Lula and Joyce Barnhardt whom she caught banging her ex-husband on the dining room table, She's called in a Bail Bond Agency a Bounty Hunter. In this book Stephanie Plum must decide between Joe Morelli the local cop who played choo-choo with Stephanie when she was 16 and took her virginity and Ranger who is a Bounty Hunter but is an expert. Other Characters include Mom & Dad and Grandma Mazur who uses a stun gun on Grandpa. Homicidal Rapist Benito Ramirez is back if you read One For The Money, Other Hilarious Characters include a ...shiek who bothers Stephanie by flashing his you know what and paying her $5 dollars to show her you know what's. It also includes a midget who she is supposed to bring in named Kevin Briggs then Vinnie makes Kevin move in with Stephanie and hilarity insues with Briggs demanding to be called little person, demanding coffee in the wee hours of the morning. This is probably the funniest book of Ms. Evanovich, I look forward to her next novel after Seven Up. For the Mean Time Buy This Book!

Stephanie Plum's career as a bounty hunter definitley isn't easy, but paying the bills gets even harder when she has no FTAs to hunt down. Today, she's looking for her missing and eccentric Uncle Fred, but runs across a very familiar (and VERY unwanted) acquiantance. And with the help of a three-foot-tall former FTA, she uncovers the whole fiasco, all while busting some butt to keep her own butt alive!

---

The beginning of this novel didn't quite trap my attention, so it took me longer to finish this book, but it did quickly pick up on action! This is my 2nd favorite in the series (the 1st is my favirite), so I recommend that you at least read this far in the series! I can't wait for what the rest have in store.

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

As I write this now, I feel confident to tell you, buy HOT SIX too. High Five has a little cliffhanger in the ending. Poor Stephanie is called to find a missing family member. Uncle Fred was - - well, Uncle Fred wasn't all that warm and cozy. Yet again, Stephanie is cast into the chaos of bounty-hunting, boyfriends, and trying to keep her car from being destroyed. Funny, active, keeps you going from start to finish. How does Janet Evanovich do it? Every one in the series gets better and better. SERIES STARTS: One for the Money, Two for the Dough, Three To Get Deadly, Four To Score, High Five, Hot Six. ... One had been running for naming book seven.

This series just gets better and better! Laugh out loud funny, and full of high power action. Truly a winner.
Stephanie is back to blowing up cars and nothing but attitude, you got to love her! She has broken up with her policeman boy friend Joe Morelli. She is broke, she has no work to do. She does get an unpaid investigative job to find her annoying cheapskate Uncle Fred. Stephanie ends up with a house guest of a dwarf. She does get some paying work moonlighting for none other than Ranger!!! Even gets a couple company cars that either get blown up or stolen.
There is attraction now not only between Stephanie and Joe but Stephanie and Ranger. The ending leaves you hanging as we don't know who it was she invited over and put on her hot dress for.
This book was the best in the series yet. I say that with each book as they keep getting better. The humor has you laughing off the chair and you can't put the book down. I recommend this series but I would read them in sequence from the beginning so you really get to know everybody.

With her Grandma Mazur popping up in many scenes, the main character Stephanie Plum, not only gets comic relief, but shows a side of Trenton (the burg) life that is bizarre, but believable. Evanovich weaves a good mystery with humor and shares some steamy emotions about Plum's love interest(s). The book ends with the reader wanting more!! I would recommend reading the four previous books starting with "One For The Money". Starting backwards is doable, too.

Who doesn't love a Janet Evanovich mystery? If you want something that will make you laugh and has a well developed plot, pick up one of her novels. You won't be disappointed. Protect Your Nuts

As the previous Stephanie Plum novels, High Five is a superb story, full of laugh out loud moments, suspense of many kinds and characters you just have to love (or fear). Janet Evanovich is just superb, I wish she released a new Stephanie Plum novel every week. Always be assured you will have great fun with these books, and not be able to stop reading until you are finished, or your sides are split. More, more, more, more, more.

I got started reading Janet Evanovich's book when I was still working. A nurse I worked with loaned me her daughters books & after the 1st one I was hooked. I'm reading #18 & can't wait for the next.
All I can say is: Janet, Keep up the great writing!!

The best yet...a real High Intensity read.Watch the sparks fly fast and furious as Steph works on subtly solving a little family mystery that keeps getting bigger and bigger, much like those sink holes we hear about. As things heat up with Ranger and Morelli, Steph is facing the spontaneous combustion of her choice. As Ranger so succinctly sums it up..."Stephany, you never disappoint!" Neither does Janet Evanovich!!!i

It's up to Stephanie Plum to find out. As she searches for her missing, unlamented uncle, she meets a vertically challenged computer geek, a mystery man named Bunchy, and a bratty, run-away royal. Along the way she blows up yet another car. She's hanging out at garbage business, and kissing one man too many. How's a girl to chose between two hot guys?
Another fun Stephanie Plum caper that just leaves you waiting for the next one!

I was one of the lucky ones to get my hands on an advanced copy and tore right into it. The plot and characters are more plausible than recent Stephanie Plum plots and is as good, if not better than, "One for the money". The only drawback is that I'll be disappointed when I see it on the bookstore shelves and realize I've already read it. If only Janet could crank 'm out faster.......

I know Evanovich will likely get tired of Plum novels before her fans do, but in the mean time she doesn't disappoint us. I've just recently become interested in crime novels, so I bounce back and forth between Evanovich and other crime novel authors. However, the others fall short without the delightful element of humor I get from JE's Plum series. The little person in this one worked so well, I had hoped to see him again. Oh, well.

This is my first Janet Evanovich novel and what a trip. Her Bounty Hunting Stephanie Plum is a captivating character, fiesty, seemingly fearless, and fully believable. Cars are not safe around her in 'High Five' but she seems to have as many lives as a cat. Her action packed existance makes me appreciate my calm quiet life. "High Five" turned me into an Evanovich fan and I look forward to opening the pages of her next novel.
Beverly J Scott author of Righteous Revenge

As advertised, a fun book with a few laughs. Evanovich creates some memorable characters, especially Briggs. The mystery portion is lacking, however. Well, I guess that part is incidental. I won't spoil it for anyone, but when all is said and done, it is pretty flimsy. I like Stephanie Plum and I will read the next in the series eventually.

I am dying to know which mystery man stepanie picks. One Night with Ranger could be hot. But I am not so sure that Stephanie is that brave. Although she did seem to have a little more courage when dealing with the bad guys this time.

I thought this book offered some good entertainment. I didn't feel like I was reading the same book over again like I have with a few of the others

High Five was a pleasure to read and the only good thing aboutfinishing it was that I could then pass it on to my daughter - who isabout Stephanie's age. She was tired of listening to me roar with laughter. It was so much fun living in Jersey with Stephanie and her family and entourage that I hated to leave. They do a lot of things in Jersey the same way as we do in Virginia. We also do not apologize for our relatives no matter what; we appreciate sexy men, we attend funerals - well, maybe not as often as Grandma Mazur does. But for a Southerner to feel so much at home and love every moment is a tribute to a writer that does nothing but improve with each book. I can not remember laughing so hard over any book or having such strong proprietary feelings over the characters. I hope Janet loses her ten pounds and lets us in on what is going on in Stephanie's life currently. Oh, did I tell you I laughed a lot?

Stephenie Plum is really rolling here. Chasing down her Uncle, dealing with the psycho Ramirez, caught between her desire for Morelli and Ranger, putting up with the smart mouth dwarf, the kid Shiek with his fixation on sex and her Grandmother who is just a pip. This was a really good book that I could not put down. I especially liked the ending since it leaves you guessing. Wonderful!

In this fifth high-octane thriller, bounty hunter Stephanie Plum sets out to find her missing unle-and along the way smacks right into: a dead body, a nasty bookie named Bunchy, and her stun-gun eccentric Grandma Mazur. On top of everything else, there's this little midget of a guy who is angry and won't leave Stephanie's apartment no matter what. Then not to mention, Ramirez, the very dangerous man who is a killer and rapist is out of jail on parole! So Stephanie has all these problems to work with at once.
And there is Mr. Shempsky, the hot-shot banker, who seems so innocent. But wait until Stephanie finds out he knows more than he lets on , and it could be dangerous!!
Very entertaining and fun to read!!

I've read all the Stephanie Plum books up to this one--at the time of this review Hot Six is out but I've not yet gotten it. This one, High Five, is top of the line. I especially enjoyed these last two books, Four to Score and High Five. Janet Evanovich has hit her stride with snappy dialogue, whacky characters and hilarious relationships. The plot is a little thin--you kind of wonder why everyone can't see it, given that Stephanie, Joe Morelli, and the Feds are all on the same case here, but then you don't really read these books for the plot. Evanovich gives us a bit of a puzzler at the end--an O. Henry-esque ending that had me laugh out loud. This series is a lot of fun, and I really enjoy it. I hope she gets off some of the running gags, though. The car thing is losing its appeal....how much longer can that go on?

I started reading this series with mixed emotions, but the more I read, the more I liked it. The 5th book is the best in the series up to this point (I haven't read past it yet). Though I entirely enjoyed the first four books, High Five is a notch above the others. It is so funny! I actually laughed out loud at some of the situations that Stephanie wound up in. As for mystery and action, it's in there as well. Both Stephanie and the readers get to learn more about Ranger. This book is totally worth reading and I'd give it more stars if I could!

The Stephanie Plum novels just seem to get better and better. Steph's at it again; also along for the ride are the mainstays--Lula, Grandma Mazur, and the rest of the looney bunch. Throw in a psycho from an earlier novel, heat between Steph and Morelli...and just when you think things can't get any better, there are sparks between Stephanie and her sexy bounty hunter mentor, Ranger.
There are certain things that you can count on in a Plum novel--lunacy, lust, plenty of comedic action, and what would a Plum novel be without a least one car fire?
Sit back an enjoy....it doesn't get much better than this!!!

Normally, I don't try new authors, but when a friend told me about Stephanie Plum. I admit it, I was intrigued. No sweet bookseller, no gentle mystery writer here. Just one straight shooter. In more ways then one. I laughed. I was in suspense. I was hooked. Between her love life and her cases its a wonder Stephanie has a "life" at all. In this instance, Stephanie's Uncle Fred is missing. And her love life is up in the air between the sexy Joe Morelli and the dangerous Ranger. With a midget in her living room and the bookie in the car behind her, she needs all the help she can get. And in come Lulu and Grandma Mazar. Not to mention the sinister boxer who's out for revenge. And if you can keep all of that straight, read High Five.

I've grown to love this series and have had many laugh out loud moments in my car while listening to the audio CDs. Stephanie, Lula, Joe, Ranger, Grandma Mazur, and gang are forever entertaining. Hmmmm - there's a twist in the love interest in this story. I'm rusing out to get Hot Six!

I actually finished this book several months ago, and am eagerly awaiting 'Hot Six' to hit the shelves. I must say that I have NEVER been so completely entertained by a series of books as I have been by the Stephanie Plum novels; I have been suffering from severe Plum withdrawal since I finished 'High Five'. My sister turned me on to these books last summer and I read one right after another until they were gone, and I have been desolate ever since! These books appeal to readers of all ages--even my Mom and Dad are reading them! I love it! Can't wait for book six. Stephanie Plum is the ultimate amateur sleuth, not to mention bounty hunter extraordinare! Janet Evanovich's characters are SO colorful and she describes things in such detail, you will believe that you KNOW these people--she is truly amazing. FANTASTIC reads!

Have read these in order and thought this one was a little slow in places. Thought it would just drag through many pages. Stephene is her usual self, trying to do her job. Of course, Mike, Lulu, Ranger and company make for good stuff. The question starts with where is Uncle Fred? He has disappeared and nobody knows what happened to him and no one really seems to care. Pictures are found with body parts in them, could Fred be part of this? There are the comic sections with Grandma and her funeral home visits and the elderly people in Stephenes apartment who are packing, guns that is. Cars get stolen, bombed and general mayhem. All in all a pretty good read.

I'm going against the tide here but at least its an honest opinion:- This one's a dud, folks.
In book 5, the mystery gives way to the romance. In fact, it gives a whole lot of way! Female readers will enjoy this book but the discerning crime-fiction fan probably wont (no matter what their gender).
If you already have the first four books and must have this one in your collection, then buy it. Its your money. But if you dont mind, then skip it. Its a dud. Unless of course if you enjoy reading romance novels pretending to be mystery novels.
The two stars are for Grandma Mazur. Otherwise, I'd give it just one star.

Fans of this series have certain expectations, and Evanovich is smart enough to deliver. Our heroine is smart-mouthed and sexy (not one, but TWO incredibly handsome beefcakes are after her in this one), the supporting characters are...ahem..."colorful" might be the right word (colorful to the point of parody--not always intentional), and the plot is fast-paced and fun. Stephanie tends to stumble over clues and stumble out of dangerous situations, and the joy of this series is that none of the stumbling feels too contrived.
Kudos to Evanovich for sticking to a winning formula--she knows, as do her readers, that the charm of the Stephanie Plum series is Stephanie herself, not the plot. The fact that the plot is quite good is just icing on the cake for mystery fans.

All of the Stephanie Plum tales are a scream. But High Five is the best of the series. I laughed so hard I cried. Anyone who loves Ms. Evanovich's clever, klutzy and oversexed heroine, will delight in that fact that she manages to be around not one, but two explosions. The cast of crazies are present and accounted for -- Grandma Mazur's still packing and still rolling her upper dentures. Morelli and Ranger are as hot as ever. Even Stephanie's taciturn dad has his bit of hilarity. Oh, yeah, the mystery -- finding Uncle Fred (who no one seems to want to find really, including Mabel, his wife)is beautifully crafted and holds many surprises. Explosions included! The ending is also a surprise. It makes me want No. 6 in this great series to come out tomorrow!

I read this book in one evening. I just could NOT put it down! Like her previous books in the Stephanie Plum series, the book has everything, mystery, humor, sex and so much more. The sexual tension between Joe Morelli is still providing great entertainment in this book and the addition of Ranger's affection only makes the book even hotter. Of course Stephanie's family is still a great source of laughs in this book as well from her mother's sign of the cross to her dad's rolling eyes. Prepare to be tired the next day cuz you won't sleep until you've turned the last page on this one.

I started off wanting to give this book three stars, but I couldn't in all honesty do it. I might think it's a three-star book, but I really enjoyed it like a four-star book.
Evanovich is one of the most engaging writers out there, and even though it seems like she reaches a little bit too far in places to get the laughs, I still laughed.
Stephanie Plum's career as a bounty hunter is stalled, so she decides to do a little extra work of dubious legality for Ranger while looking for her missing Uncle Fred. Rude jokes, car explosions, and bad hair galore.

I knew I was going to like this book and I wasn't disappointed! I even laughed so much(and hard)that my husband woke up and asked what was going on! How can you ever explain Grandma Mazur to a non reader! I never dreamed we would have to think and imagine who came through the door. Come on #6!

In high five Janet tells a great story, with the usual mix of colourful characters, I found the new angle on her love life a great addition to the book, Morelli needs some competition, Grandma Mazur is her usual gun toting wannabe, we need more books like this they are easy to read, keep you guessing and make you laugh till your sides are sore.

Stephanie Plum captures the whimsy, outrageousness and pure fun we all need in our lives. The characters (or caricatures!) are approached with humor -- and pretty believable at times. Mamalinde knows a bunch of really frightening folks, huh? Wish Stephanie wasn't so young and pretty and sexy though, makes Mamalinde feel so -- inferior.

Five is Funny & Fabulous. I loved this book. I laughed out loud several times. This book has everything, a little sex, a little tension, humor. Fun ending and I'm sure I know who was involved in the ending....I think.. Where's the movie? I'm thinking Sandra Bullock. Come on number six!

I have enjoyed every one of the Stephanie Plum books and look forward to many more. The only problem I had with this book is that I think that the car thing is getting a little old. Especially when she lost two in this one! It's time for her to stick to the buick and blow something else up like grandma Mazur!

I am so hooked on Stephanie Plum and her friends and family. I cannot wait for the next book Hot Six to arrive. How far will Stephanie go? It is great light reading and laugh out loud entertaining. Never depressing. My husband enjoys reading all her book also. Thank you Janet!

As with all Janet's books I read it in one day. Couldn't put it down. Another great adventure for Miss Plum from my favorite author. You can always count on high adventure and several laughs. I'm already anxiously awaiting number six. When you see how this one ends you will know why.

Stephanie, Grandma Mazur and Lulu kept me laughing out loud. Read the book overnight, could'nt put it down. Grabs your interest from the first page. Great mystery, good sub-plot and mag sexy men, Ranger and Morelli. Stephanie's long-suffering Dad is a riot. I eagerly await the next adventure.

Evanovich has done it again. Her characters are so picturesque and authentic, you feel like you've met them - especially if you're from New York or New Jersey. I actually laugh aloud when I read Janet E's stories. This is her fifth and it's as great as her first. Buy it and meet the bunch.!

I have read all of the titles in this series, but I don't know if I enjoyed any as much as this one. Her little "romance problem" kept me highly entertained...just who did come through that door? Even it the ending was the authors way to sell her next book, I'll buy it!

I have read all of the books of Janet Evanovich's plum series and this one was by far the best. It was the true meaning of a page turner and the characters were fascinating! This book is a must have for all readers who enjoy a very well written, funny and page turning book!

I love this book ! It is the best one in the series and it really keeps you guessing at the end. The only disappointment was that I wanted to keep reading and there was nothing left to read. I agree that it would be great to have more than one book a year. I laughed out loud several times and my husband kept wanting to know what I was laughing at. My favorite characters, besides Stephanie, are Ranger, Lula, and we can't forget Grandma Mazur. Janet Evanovich, you are the best!

Stephanie Plum and the whole gang are back and better than ever. What fun it is to spend time with these characters. No matter how slowly you try to read this book, it's over way too soon and then you have to wait another year for the next one. Evanovich gives you a good mystery, interesting, wacky characters and scenes that have you laughing out loud. Do yourself a favor, start with One for the Money and read them all.

I loved this book and am only disappointed that I have to wait for another year to find out what happens to this menage a trois! Stephanie is written very realistically, i.e., she gets scared, she doesn't know everything...just like in real life. Grandma Mazur is a hoot. Joe has my vote for most likely to succeed in matters of love---yet Ranger has that certain something. Loved this book...but I said that already, didn't I.

As the previous Stephanie Plum novels, High Five is a superb story, full of laugh out loud moments, suspense of many kinds and characters you just have to love (or fear). Janet Evanovich is just superb, I wish she released a new Stephanie Plum novel every week. Always be assured you will have great fun with these books, and not be able to stop reading until you are finished, or your sides are split. More, more, more, more, more.

How can I add anything to my fellow readers' reviews? This series is delightful, and gets more amusing with every new episode... where does Ms. Evanovich get these characters from? I just giggled and chortled - but you care about the characters, too, and the Morelli/Stephanie romance(personally, I think it is MORELLI at the end)is great dramatic suspense - but believable, too. Keep 'em coming, Janet... You are only gaining as you keep going with this series...

This book was the best one as of yet in Janet's series! I think that the book was marvelously written and her humor just keeps on making me laugh over and over. I look forward to the next title by Janet and hope it comes out sooner than late. The ending really got me though, she just left me hanging badly. Can't wait to get my hands on her next one!

With her Grandma Mazur popping up in many scenes, the main character Stephanie Plum, not only gets comic relief, but shows a side of Trenton (the burg) life that is bizarre, but believable. Evanovich weaves a good mystery with humor and shares some steamy emotions about Plum's love interest(s). The book ends with the reader wanting more!! I would recommend reading the four previous books starting with "One For The Money". Starting backwards is doable, too.

I loved this book, and will anxiously wait for the next one in the series. The humor is laugh out loud quality and the characters are quirky, either funny or terrifying. I love the small but wonderful part her father plays, his reactions to his mother-in-law are perfect. The ending made me mad, because I felt it was a blatant maniputation by the author to sell the next book. Overall, the the book is suspenseful AND great fun.

As advertised, a fun book with a few laughs. Evanovich creates some memorable characters, especially Briggs. The mystery portion is lacking, however. Well, I guess that part is incidental. I won't spoil it for anyone, but when all is said and done, it is pretty flimsy. I like Stephanie Plum and I will read the next in the series eventually.

I was one of the lucky ones to get my hands on an advanced copy and tore right into it. The plot and characters are more plausible than recent Stephanie Plum plots and is as good, if not better than, "One for the money". The only drawback is that I'll be disappointed when I see it on the bookstore shelves and realize I've already read it. If only Janet could crank 'm out faster.......

I have enjoyed every one of the Stephanie Plum books and look forward to many more. The only problem I had with this book is that I think that the car thing is getting a little old. Especially when she lost two in this one! It's time for her to stick to the buick and blow something else up like grandma Mazur!

It is completely unbelievable that the quality of these characters can keep improving. I have read every book in this series and I LOVE THEM!! My big question is: When are they going to make this into a television mini-series? Or do you all think that would ruin it for our imaginations? Feel free to e-mail me to discuss this concept.
Janet I am impatiently waiting for # SIX.

Stephanie Plum is sassy, ditzy and has poor choice in men. As might be expected, this makes for a cute and funny main character in this series. I cannot imagine a less likely bounty hunter than Stephanie Plum. But do read this series, I don't think you will be disappointed.

In high five Janet tells a great story, with the usual mix of colourful characters, I found the new angle on her love life a great addition to the book, Morelli needs some competition, Grandma Mazur is her usual gun toting wannabe, we need more books like this they are easy to read, keep you guessing and make you laugh till your sides are sore.

The only disappointment I felt in reading High Five was in knowing it will be another year until her next book is out. I'm a mystery buff but it's not the mystery part of the book that is the most compelling, it's the irrepressible characters. I laughed out loud so much! Where does she come up with this stuff? I'm counting down until book six is out.

I really enjoy this series of books. All the characters seem to be someone that could live down the street. The mystery always has a twist to it and the humor just keeps building until I am laughing out loud. Can't wait until the next book comes out. Everyone that I know who has read this last book wants to see who showed up for the date.

I knew I was going to like this book and I wasn't disappointed! I even laughed so much(and hard)that my husband woke up and asked what was going on! How can you ever explain Grandma Mazur to a non reader! I never dreamed we would have to think and imagine who came through the door. Come on #6!

But you can't just read one. You have to have the whole bag....Oops...you must read the whole series. Janet Evanovich is a wonder. Just like Potato chips, once you start one of these books, you can not put it down. I odered the first four together...Thank you the store...and read them in four days. I got High Five yesterday and read it straight thru last night. Wonderful!