A Stephanie Plum Between the Numbers Novel (A Between the Numbers Novel Book 4)

With Janet Evanovich releasing only one Plum book a year, these in-between-the-numbers books are great. I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish. I found myself laughing out loud a lot. Sure, I would have loved to have Morelli and Ranger in it more, but Diesel is a great character too. And I can't say enough about Lula. I don't see how anyone could not like this book, but everyone has their own opinion. I, personally, highly recommend it.

I was originally going to pass on Plum Spooky. The last two Stephanie Plum Between-the-Numbers Novels were extremely short, lightweight, and I thought, not worth the money. But when I saw that Plum Spooky was over 300 pages, I thought I'd give it a try. Is it great mystery? Nope! Is it believable? Absolute not! But is it amusing and will it have you laughing out loud in spots? Without a doubt! I was sitting in my doctor's waiting room reading about her trying apprehend a FTA (failure to appear) in a produce warehouse, laughing like a loon and having all the other patients wondering what I was reading. Maybe it helps to be from New Jersey, and specifically, South Jersey.

Trenton bounty hunter, Stefanie Plum, is up to her usual antics. Behind in rent money, she tries to go after the bigger FTAs. The biggest is Martin Munch, a child-sized genius who stole a magnetometer from his place of employment. He now appears to be teamed up with Wulf Grimoire, an Unmentionable who is being tracked down by another type of bounty hunter, Diesel. And to top it all off, a former client has dropped her pet monkey, Carl, off at Stephanie's to babysit while she's on vacation. Munch's boss turns up dead and Munch and Grimoire disappear into the Jersey Pine Barrens. We South Jersey natives grew up knowing that the Pine Barrens are filled with Pineys and haunted by the Jersey Devil. But in Plum Spooky, the Pines are also filled with a weird group of characters including Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, Sasquatch, Elmer the Fire Farter and 20 monkeys.

Unlike Evanovich's previous Between-the-Numbers Novels, Ranger, Morelli and Grandma Mazur all play a bigger role in Plum Spooky. And as usual, there are firebombed houses, cars are destroyed, clothes are ruined and junk food is consumed. Diesel also provides some competition for Morelli and Ranger in the love department. Evanovich's writing also shows her special appreciation for the Trenton Burg. "I was raised in the Burg, where death is more a social opportunity than a tragic event. Viewings and wakes hold the potential for a decent food spread and free-flowing alcohol. It's one of the few occasions when throwing back whiskey at ten in the morning is in good form."

So yes, maybe Plum Spooky is a little over the top. But overall, I still found it amusing in most sections and belly-laughing funny in others.

Having read all the books in the Plum series to date, this one is a little off for Evanovich. From the guy who can fart fire to the easter bunny living in a trailer in the woods to monkey mind control. I definately question how exactly she came up with such abstract ideas for characters and story line. Don't let this be your first read in the Plum series. Its definately not her best... quite possibly the worst.

I have read all of Janet's book.....BUT I can't get through this one. Today I closed it half way through and thought ENOUGH. The story line is weak,if there is one. The characters are goofy, but not funny. It was just a big bore, Sorry Janet..this just isn't you...ghost writer maybe? Save your money fans!

Excellent as usual. Pretty typical Plum series. Not sure I am fond of Diesel as a character. Not fond of science fiction. He needs something to make him more a real person as everyone else in the series is real. I realize this is not his first appearance in the series but wasn't fond of him the first time either.

At a time when the news and the economy are SO DEPRESSING - a light-hearted comedy was exactly what I needed! Several times I laughed so hard I cried. Stephanie Plum books are always full of smiles but this was exceptional!

Highly recommend this book if you need a laugh. Keep them coming, Janet!

Plum spooky is a delight and light reading- Deisel is back to pop in and out and takes Stephanie Plum the inept bounty hunter on a long chase of the bad guys- Ranger and Joe duck in and out as usual.
I found myself laughing out loud, as I do with most of Janet Evanovich's novels. Some are funnier than others. I enjoyed it- D. Kenning

My only problem is that Janet Evanovich can't write a book a month. This is another great story about her wonderful character, Stephanie Plum, and the highly creative cast of characters she brings to life.

I can say this is the worst book I have ever read. No laugh, no suspense, bad style. At 30 pages till the end I had to close it, I felt I wasted 3 days of my life reading this nonsense.
What kind of book is this? Fantasy? Love story? It is ridiculous, I strongly recommend DON'T BUY IT!

This book is just what I needed. Everything is so depressing right now with the world. I love the monkey and that Diesel is back in action. Good, full bodied "between the numbers" book. A must read for all of the Stephanie Plum fans out there. The price cant be beat!!

I thought that this was the best "between the numbers" books yet. It actually included the Plum family, Ranger, Lula, and Morelli. It's not the "usual" Stephanie series, but overall I thought it was quite good. I'll be re-reading it many times over.

I don't know what some other readers were expecting from this book but I thought that it was extremely funny. I laughed so hard that I cried. I have been reading Janet Evanovich's books for 20 years and some are really good and some are not too good but this one is very funny! Just because a book is in hardcover and costs almost $29.00 should not decide how much you like the book. Wait until after it comes out then buy it from a used dealer if the price is so important to you.

A Between-the-Numbers novel, 14.5, in the funny Stephanie Plum romantic suspense series and revolving around a girl bounty hunter in Trenton, New Jersey, and Diesel, a dimpled hunk with unusual powers. If you're interested, there is a chronological listing of the Stephanie Plum books on my website.

My Take
I adore Diesel. He's such a tease, a hunk, and very flirtatious. He even likes Stephanie's family. On the negative side, he's patronizing enough I'd consider hitting him and expects Stephanie to wait on him and make grilled cheese sandwiches. He does accept no pretty well, though, lol.

I do love Stephanie Plum, and this story drove me nuts…I wanted to know more about the Tank-Lula conflict!

Evanovich does have lots of fun with Plum Spooky, and we get to meet the Easter Bunny, fire-fartin' Elmer, and Sasquatch. Oh, I can't forget Carl! You'll adore Carl, lol.

And it's a Stephanie Plum, so there are lots of laughs, crazy action, and crazier friends, including Carl! Naturally, there is lots of junk food throughout so be sure to stock up on doughnuts, fried chicken, hamburgers, fries, milkshakes, and pizza!

Stephanie mentions a cousin Jessica who lives in Marblehead near Salem, and I'm wondering if she will play into Evanovich's Lizzy & Diesel series.

The Story
Wulf is back, and Diesel has to stop him. Right after he finds out what Wulf is up to. For now, Stephanie has to deal with him, Carl the game-playin' monkey, avoid Wulf and his shocker of a hand, escape being Munch's sex slave, and figure out how to round up her FTAs.

Then there's that babysitting job she takes on for Joe, lol.

The Characters
Stephanie Plum prefers being an inept bounty hunter to putting on stockings and working in an office — or a factory. And I can't blame her! Lula is her very plus-sized "partner" with an even bigger sense of her own abilities. And an allergy! Connie is the office manager for Vincent Plum Bail Bonds. Vinnie Plum "owns" the company and is Stephanie's snake of a cousin. Grandma Mazur lives with Stephanie's parents.

The scruffy Diesel is one of the Unmentionables and tasked with the job of policing rogue Unmentionables. Like the urbane Gerwulf "Wulf" Grimoire, his cousin whose signature kill is the handprint he leaves behind on his victims. Both boys are Swiss and Ranger knows both of them.

Joe Morelli is a Trenton cop and Stephanie's on-again, off-again sex-on-legs boyfriend. Anthony Morelli is the brother he's stuck babysitting. Angie Morelli is the wife who threw him out. Charlene is but one of the babes Anthony brings to Joe's.

Ranger is the true man of mystery and a primo bounty hunter who runs his own security operation. He likes keeping tabs on Stephanie, if only for the entertainment value, lol. Tank is his second-in-command and has been dating Lula. Then he adopts three kittens: Miss Kitty, Suzy, and the pregnant Applepuff. Hank is another of his men, and he'll be stuck in the monkey house.

Carl is a monkey who gets left with Stephanie while his owner, Susan Stitch, goes off on her honeymoon. He's more intelligent than a lot of people and adores his Super Mario game. Mr. Fratelli is Joe's irate neighbor. Miss Gloria is the psychic who advises Lula.

Martin Munch is a super and very erratic, eccentric genius, Gordon Bollo, and Denny Guzzi who shot himself in the foot are all FTAs. Eugene Scanlon is Munch's supervisor. His sisters are Roberta Scanlon, a web designer, and Gail Scanlon, who is into animal rescue. Solomon Cuddles and Doc Weiner both deal in the product for which Munch is looking.

Unmentionables are humans with unusual powers. Some of those living in the Pine Barrens include the Jersey Devil; a Sasquatch; Bernie, the retired Easter Bunny; and, a fire-fartin' Elmer.

The Cover and Title
The cover is a soft evergreen with a silver foil silhouette of trees. The author's name is in bright yellow and the title is the same green as the background and outlined in silver.

The title is what Wulf is, Plum Spooky!

I think I would have enjoyed this a whole lot more if I’d read it closer to where it falls in the series. As it was, knowing what happens for several books after, I jut couldn’t get excited about the story. It’s fun to see Diesel drop in on Stephanie. But now that he has his own series, I’d prefer to see him stay there. And I’d love to see more books in that series. There were moments where I did giggle, it’s just become the same old, same old. When you hear the same joke too many times it stops being funny. I’m at that point with the Plum series. It’s sometimes amusing but it’s no longer laugh out loud funny to me.

Evanovich pens a Halloween tale full of mystery, intrigue, and adventure with “Plum Spooky.” Diesel is back and hunting his cousin, Gerwulf Grimoire. Wulf wants to use one of Stephanie’s skips, Martin Munch. Seems Munich is a true genius and Wulf wants him to make a machine that can manipulate the weather.

When Wulf kills the project’s lead manager, Eugene Scanlon, Diesel and Steph travel to the Barrens, an untamed piece of land that’s overgrown and full of unusual characters like the Jersey Devil, and Elmer the fire farter.

Can Steph catch her mark with Diesel’s help and foil and evil plot to control the weather?

Evanovich’s writing is easy to read. The characters are colorful, but what didn’t work were the monkeys and Diesel’s over the top flirting. The monkey’s felt forced and didn’t really fit within the scheme of a Stephanie Plum novel. What did work was the ending. It sneaks up on the reader.
The story is a “cozy mystery” with comedic and romantic elements. “Plum Spooky” is entertaining and will keep the reader guessing until the end.

If you’ve never read a Stephanie Plum novel you’ve missed some pretty wild plots. Even if you have read one there are still plenty of bolts from the blue in the next one. Stephanie Plum is a bounty hunter and wherever she goes, who ever she is with, you can be sure that something is going to blow up, catch fire or just plain wind up in pandemonium. Plum Spooky is no exception. Some of the regular, or irregular, characters, show up in this book; Stephanie’s three men, Diesel, the one that shows up without warning, Ranger, the protector and her one love, Morelli. The story is centered in a place called The Pine Barrens where the Jersey Devil, among other weird and shocking living things reside; like a old man who thinks he’s the Easter Bunny, a family of Sasquatch, and the infamous Elmer, The Fire Farter. Yeah-that’s right, a fire farter. You can guess how that turns out! The opening paragraph of the book reads; “Sometimes you get up in the morning and you know it’s going to be one of those days. No toothpaste left in the tube, no toilet paper on the cardboard roll, hot water cuts out halfway through your shower and someone’s left a monkey on your doorstep.” Carl, the monkey, turns out to be an interesting addition with his one finger salute and an addiction to Mario Brother’s video game. Stephanie Plum isn’t for everyone – you have to have a perverse sense of humor and the ability to enjoy a story that at times flies into unknown, and mostly unbelievable, twists of plots. I don’t exactly give this book a thumbs up – it’s an acquired taste – but if you’re looking for something different, give it a try. The book is available at Novel World of Used Fiction. We ship free in the USA.

I have read most of the books in the Plum Series and must tell you that, for the most part, I have enjoyed each and every one of them. Many to most of them have had me laughing so hard that I would get tears in my eyes. But with this book...hmmm, we seem to have a bit of a gap in what I have come to expect from this wonderful author.

The plot of this story is really here nor there. It consists of Stephanie and friends stumbling after bad guys and only catching them when they get very, very lucky. Now I will tell you that there are some very funny sequences in this book...make no mistake about that, but then on the other hand much of the sophisticated and sardonic humor (one liners) simply seems to be missing in this one. To be honest I more or less out grew `fart jokes' over 60 years ago when I left Jr. High. On the other hand, if you are the kind that finds fart jokes amusing then this is the book for you...endless fart jokes...good grief.

This book also features monkeys; one monkey in particular but more monkeys are added at the plot thickens. Now I like monkeys and have been around a lot of them in my life...all over the parts of the world where they live, as a matter of fact. Monkeys I like, but I like them in small doses. Yes, they can be funny and at first I was amused and actually laughed several times but then I felt overwhelmed by the little critters.

Now I realize that part of the on going story of Stephanie Plum is her rather overly active libido. This can be fun and it can be interesting. But to throw a third guy into the mix, along with Morelli and Ranger...well, that got to the tipping point of being just a bit gross.

On the other hand, there were still plenty of good one liners which kept me amused. Evanovich does have a great since of humor - no doubt. The author can also tell a good story and is certainly a very, very competent writer. I just don't feel her skills were displayed in this one.

Most of the Plum books I reread. I will not be rereading this one. But then again, I will continue buying them and checking them out of the library because this is most certainly one of my favorite series. Hey, no one can bat a thousand year after year so I will give the author a break.

This was a library find.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

OK - OK! I confess; Stephanie Plum books are my guilty pleasure. I know they are fluff, but they are also entertaining and simply fun! "Plum Spooky" is one of Evanovich's "in between" books numbered at #14.5 in the Plum series. This is one of the best of these "in between" books as the character of Diesel is more fully developed, as is the plot. Additionally, many of Evanovich's beloved characters are also in this book including Joe and Ranger. As with all of Stephanie Plum novels, if you like to be entertained with lively characters and somewhat absurd situations, then "Plum Spooky" is for you. I am not preaching that this book is a great work of literature, but I am advocating that it is entertaining and enjoyable.

Originally posted on The Canon! {http://canireadeverything.blogspot.com/2014/08/review-plum-spooky-by-janet-evanovich.html}

I read this on my day off. To be entirely frank, this wasn't on my blog calendar and I didn't intend to read it anytime soon. I found it hiding on my library's shelves and decided to grab it, just in case the mood struck me to read a Plum novel. This book was the perfect remedy after a long week of managing and waiting tables.

Now, this book (and the entire Stephanie series) is fluffy.

Fluffy in a Hugh Grant romantic comedy kind of, you-know-what's-going-to-happen, way. The writing itself put me in a good mood: Lula's one liners and Stephanie's inner monologue is always a good read. What I really enjoyed about Plum Spooky was the addition of Diesel and Wulf from Wicked Appetite.

Yeah, the supernatural elements don't really fit in the series...well, at all. There's a little leeway allowed because the book is placed during Halloween, so I can roll with it. The supernatural elements were a fun side plot from Stephanie's normal antics. The plot follows the basic Evanovich outline: I had a feeling what was going to happen, when and where, but it was the journey itself (complete with monkeys) that made it fun.

The interactions between Stephanie and Diesel make me yearn for him to return more often to the series. The hilarity that Stephanie gets herself into on her own is at least doubled when this supernatural bounty hunter is by her side. These two complete each other in ways that Stephanie's other two men don't: they are both borderline walking disasters.

THE RATING:
THREE STARS

RECOMMENDED FOR:
Those who need a fun, fluffy break.

I’ve read every Stephanie Plum book there is so far but I have to admit that they ARE getting a bit silly. This “Between the Novels” book was supposed to come before 15 but because the audio wasn’t available, I read FINGER LICKIN’ FIFTEEN first and then came back to this one (since I know the in-betweens really don’t follow the main plot much anyway).

I’m actually glad I read FIFTEEN first. PLUM SPOOKY was… a bit too much. Monkeys, magic, vampires, head cases… Oy vey. (Honestly it was the monkeys that did me in. Monkeys that act like humans? Nah. No thanks.) I always love stories with these characters and Stephanie still cracks me up but sometimes the ploys for laughs are just too silly and this book actually turned me off a bit. Will I keep reading them? Yes. I still own the rest of the novels in paperback (they were one of my first book collections aside from Harry Potter that I actually kept and owned and took the time to keep purchasing) and Stephanie Plum will always be a friend of mine! I just hope they don’t get TOO much sillier. I can handle wacky and fun but let’s keep it a tad realistic, huh?

Another fun book in the Stephanie Plum world. Diesel is back, and in this story we get introduced to Carl the monkey. Readers of the Lizzy and Diesel series know that Carl the monkey also appears in those books.

Like the other books that feature Diesel, this book has a mild supernatural element to it. If you don't like this, then you should just stick with the Stephanie Plum numbers series. I think it adds another level of absurdity to the story, and I enjoy it. I read these books because they are fun and silly, and I don't have to think too hard while reading them. They are escapist literature.

This is not my favorite book in the series. I found the character Munch to be extremely annoying, and his reasons for wanting to kidnap Stephanie a little out of character for the series. Still, I enjoyed reading it, and hope the series continues for a long time.

In her 18th novel in the Stephanie Plum series and fourth in-between-the numbers novel, "Plum Spooky," Janet Evanovich takes her heroine, Stephanie Plum, into the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. Not only to face the mud, townies, and the Jersey Devil, but also to stop a psychotic murderer from killing his next victim and to bring in her failure to appear (FTA).

Plum is a bounty hunter who lives in Trenton, N.J., and works for her cousin Vinnie at the bail bonds office. Plum Spooky takes all the characters from the series; Joe Morelli, Ranger, Lula, Connie, Grandma Mazur and throws them together with Diesel to create an in-between-the numbers novel that shouldn't be missed.
This 309-page novel will have you laughing while Plum attempts to catch her FTA and keep her dignity in the process.

Morelli, her on again off again cop boyfriend makes a cameo in this novel with a problem of his own. His brother Anthony was kicked out of his house by his wife for having the "barn door open and the horse out to pasture, looking to get ridden" (39). Now Anthony has moved in with Joe, and as if dealing with a series of gang killings wasn't enough, he has to keep tabs on his brother and keep from killing Diesel for sleeping in his girlfriend's bed.

Evanovich doesn't disappoint in this action-filled novel. From sinking in pools of mud in the dark in the middle of the Pine Barrens with Lula to getting tomatoes launched at her by one of her FTA's, Plum's days are not easy. With her getting kidnapped, having a hot stud who isn't her boyfriend staying at her place, and attempting to collect her FTA's without Lula shooting anyone, it's a wonder anything get's done at all. And of course a Plum novel wouldn't be complete without something going terribly wrong with her car. Good thing Ranger is there with his endless supply of shiny, new black cars.

No wonder Evanovich is a New York Times best selling author. It's hard to put this book down. Evanovich combines humor, action, sexuality, urban legend, takes a dab of the supernatural and whips it all together in this heart-stopping novel. Take Plum's newest adventure with her and ride around through the Pine Barrens chasing bad guys - trust me you won't regret it.

Plum Spooky is the fourth novel in the Stephanie Plum Between the Numbers books by Janet Evanovich. Stephanie's main FTA in this instalment is the diminutive Martin Munch, a quantum physics whiz, who has, inconveniently, been targeted by the Unmentionable Gerwulf Grimoire (Wulf) to help with a scheme to control the world's weather. Enter Diesel, coincidentally cousin to the evil Wulf, and cosmic bounty hunter. Apart from a good deal of murder, kidnapping, and thievery, there are mythical entities (Easter Bunny, Jersey Devil, Sasquatch, Fire Farter), the use of a nail gun on the human body and the destruction of at least one of Stephanie's vehicles. Stephanie babysits a monkey (or seven), is kidnapped for use as a sex slave, gets lost in the Pine Barrens without bars on her cell phone, gets into a fruit fight, steals a van and some rockets, rides in a helicopter, blows up a fuel depot and a mine and gets stuck in a cranberry bog. Readers don't come to Plum for depth: "What do you think about death?" I asked Diesel. "I like the buffet. After that it's not my favourite thing". Lula is still engaged to Tank but consulting with Miss Gloria and things are looking shaky. Best exchange is probably: "How's it going?" Morelli wanted to know. "It's average. Stole a truck. Blew up a house. Brought home seven monkeys. And now there's a naked man in my shower." "Yeah, same ol', same ol'." Morelli said. Evanovich should lose Carl the very irritating monkey before proceeding. Some laugh-out-loud moments, but this one is average.

Plum Spooky didn't work for me on a couple of levels. The Between-the-Numbers books have always revolved around holidays. Given the title, Plum Spooky, I was expecting a Halloween themed Stephanie Plum/Diesel book. This book had no Halloween focus and was in no way spooky in theme.

The tie in between the spookiness of the title and the actual plot was that the book had a lot of action in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey - home of the Jersey Devil. Even as a life long resident of NJ, I have no interest in the Pine Barrens or its legends. The Jersey Devil isn't something terrifying to me. The book places it on the same level as the Loch Ness Monster and Sasquatch. The problem is that some people actually believe in Nessie and Sasquatch. People have tried to prove their existence. The Jersey Devil is nothing but tourist baiting, hoping to get the gullible in the the Pine Barrens and paying for the tours.

And, then there is the monkeys. Stephanie is babysitting a pet monkey. She comes to acquire many more monkeys over the course of the book. The monkey humor wasn't funny and couldn't shoulder the expectation of humor that comes with a Stephanie Plum book.

Diesel could be an interesting character, but his role seems to be mostly the boosting of Stephanie's ego, which is already being hoisted by Ranger and Morelli. We get it, men want her, but most of Diesel's comments in the book are barely veiled innuendo. I'm intrigued to see what he may do on his own and will be checking out Wicked Appetites though, as he could have some great potential without the Stephanie distraction.

Some characters felt off in this book. Tank becomes a chatterbox. The man would not shut up about his cats. I ignored it, thinking perhaps he's just obsessed with his new cats, but when it came time to talk to Stephanie or others about real matters, he still carried a conversation. This is very out of character for him.

Plum Spooky is my least favorite Stephanie Plum book so far. Nothing seemed to work in this book. If you're really craving a Plum fix, this book may tide you over, but you may just want to move on to the next installment.

Stephanie Plum, bail bonds enforcement agent, tells about her work, her family and the weird people in New Jersey. The plot of the story is not nearly as entertaining as the unusual characters involved. I always thought the grandmother was such a hoot but this one has nothing but chuckles causing characters. Entertaining! Review by Jane B.

The between the number books are supposed to be light and fun entries in the Plum universe and therefore I adjust my expectations accordingly. So with this in mind, I know that in a numbers book, Diesel just popping in and out wouldn't fly but this is like sci-fi/mystery/beach reading/shoe sale at Macy's kind of book, right?

Well, its supposed to be.

While this books is better than 14, and believe me that tain't sayin' much, it's still a disappointment. I was excited to read a new full length Plum book so early in the year while waiting for 15 to be released this summer. Sadly, this sucker is a novella padded out with fart jokes (two characters!) and Carl the monkey shrugging or giving people the finger. Also, there doesn't appear to be a compound sentence in the entire book so it reads like an x-rated elementary school essay (complete with all those repetitive grammatical bits that a compound sentence or even pronouns could fix, but I digress).

Yes folks, it was so bad I was noting grammar and syntax.

Normally the between the number books are holiday focused: Plum Loving is set around Valentine's Day, Plum Lucky focuses on St. Patrick's Day, etc. One would think that Plum Spooky would center around Steph's favorite holiday, Halloween, but they'd be mistaken. While it's fall in Trenton, there is nothing spooky, ghoulish, or even pumpkiny about the story which centers on Diesel popping in to catch a diet milquetoast Lord Voldemort type bad guy who is employing one of Stephanie's wayward skips. And the story goes downhill from there.

The characters are largely unrecognizable, caricatures of caricatures, and behave in wholly irrational and implausible ways to simply drive this skimpy plot in the general direction of forward. Some folks are citing Tank as a prime example of this but since he is a man of so few words we really know so little about him. In the reviewer projecting on the characters department, I'd like to note that I know guys like Tank - huge hunks of non-verbal muscle masses who see their size simply as a violence/bully/confrontation deterrence system - but are actually great big fluffy bunny rabbits at heart. Truly, members of my Tank troupe crochet, collect Hummel figurines, bake wedding cakes, rescue & foster critters, and write Hallmark weepy greeting card type poetry. As a result, seeing Tank in his cute new home with this little furbabies wasn't that big of a surprise to me. And his passive aggressive treatment of Lula was keeping in the spirit of the whole "I hate confrontation" vibe of the guys I know. But that could just be me and the people I know.

For those caught up in the Cupcake/Babe debate there is very little of interest here. Like the rest of the between the number books, Ranger and Morelli are completely and totally in the background though their reasons for being absent from Stephanie's life are very weak (in the past, Joe's been deep undercover, Ranger's been working out of his Miami office, etc). Instead we're left with Diesel, who started out his between the numbers career as a hot but somewhat socially inept otherworldly bounty hunter who cares for Stephanie but is now a bullying buffoon who can't take no for an answer and seems unconcerned with the danger or consequences he's bringing to her doorstep.

The only bright side is that we get to see more of Tank and Lula's relationship post engagement but these glimpses are only a few pages out of a 300+page book and hardly justify the price of admission.

Overall, I'd borrow the book and save your money for something else. For those who feel the need to own the book to round out their Plum collections wait a few weeks and pick up a deeply discounted used volume. Trust me, there will be plenty out there.

Plum Spooky is (currently) the latest book from the Stephanie Plum series. Diesel's back, Joe and Ranger are almost nonexistent, and the plot is not exactly up to par with the numbered books. With that being said, Plum Spooky is my favorite Between-the-Numbers novel. I like how it is a full-length book, compared to previous BTN stories, which were around 150 pages in length. It gives the plot a more relaxed feel, compared to other BTNs, whose plots are much too rushed.

There tends to be some controversy over the content of this book. Most thinks it's ridiculous and embarrassing. Personally, I think the monkeys are quite entertaining, as well as the Pine Barrens locals. While "Elmer the fire-farter," a retired Easter Bunny, and the Sasquatch may take it a little far, it does not get in the way of the plot.

That being said, this book is far from perfect. Many of the actions of the characters are far too convenient. For example, after easily convincing Martin Munch (one of the antagonists) to untie her restraints, Stephanie wanders around the Pine Barrens, and the first house she sees has a truck with the keys already in the ignition. She then drives around, and within minutes, finds her conveniently placed car.

I am still an avid fan of this series, and hope Evanovich does not stop after her contract ends after book Sixteen. While Plum Spooky is not the highlight of American literature, it still deserves a read.

B-

This book was absolutely priceless! I love Stephanie Plum and Carl! The action was fast and furious, the characters colorful, and Carl was a laugh riot. Plum Spooky is quite the tale (tail?). You-literally-will laugh out loud. The dialogue is snappy and highly tongue-in-cheek, the story is "out there" and the characters are endearing. Some of the one-liners are classic. This is a warm, funny, engaging book, with memorable characters that only Janet Evanovich could come up with. I just became a huge fan and I'm giving this book the 5 stars it deserves. I'm Plum sold on it!

I give this 4 stars because it has Diesel in it. In past Plum books, all the later ones which I've enjoyed in audio, have caused me to sometimes laugh so hard I've had tears in my eyes. This one was mostly just chuckles. As others have pointed out, Stephanie has not grown in maturity and the books are becoming somewhat stale. None of the other characters have changed either, though Joe and Ranger don't really need to. It's just a wonder to me what this girl can have that is so special that these 2 guys put up with so much from her.

On the other hand, I would like to see Diesel maybe get his own book, though I can't imagine what it would be. That's probably why I'm not an author.

I would not have bought this in hardback. If I did not have an Audible membership, I would have checked it out of the library.

Another hit from Janet Evanovich!Stephanie is in prime form explosions,wrecked cars and a new twist MONKEYS.We of course get a good dose of Deisel but for me not enough Grandma.This was a laugh outloud romp through the Berg and a new location the Barrens with a visit from the Easter Bunny,Sasquatch and my favorite Elmer who farts fire.How she comes up with these stories is beyond me but I hope she never stops!Lulu is of course front and center and we move along with her and Tank's storyline *No Spoiler*you'll have to read to see what happens!I loved this book as I do all Janet's books.And just my opinion but Hey USA Network if your looking for characters you'll never find more in one place than the Berg!
From some of the other reviews here I guess Janet and I have a similar sense of humor.Because I thought this was hilarious!

First off, let me say that I was very disappointed with Plum Lucky, the last between-the-numbers book in this series. Fortunately, Evanovich is back on her game with this one. This book had the magical/paranormal element that the between-the-numbers books are known for and of course, Diesel is back. Not only do we have Diesel, but we are introduced to his cousin, Wulf. Wulf is a very interesting character and I would like to see more of him in future books. This one definitely had it's laugh out loud moments, which I loved. Morelli and Ranger both made their appearances, but they didn't play very large roles in this one. That's okay because Diesel made up for it. The parts of the story concerning Lula and Tank were great. I can't wait to see what happens there. Overall, a very fun read in the series.

Janet Evanovich's Plum Spooky (A Between-the-Numbers Novel) is the latest of the between-the-numbers novels. Diesel makes his way back to Trenton and into Stephanie Plum's apartment hot on the heels of Wulf Grimoire, his cousin and all around scary creep who vanishes in a flash of light and can electrocute you with a simple touch of the skin. Stephanie is hoping to save the bail bonds business by capturing the elusive Martin Munch, a genius fallen into the wrong hands.

From monkeys with metal helmets to a hippy animal activist named Gail Scanlon, Evanovich weaves a ridiculous tale that will capture readers and listeners' attentions right from the start. Diesel and Stephanie are forced into the Pine Barrens where there is no cell reception and where unmentionable creatures dwell, like the Jersey Devil, the Easter Bunny, Sasquatch, and Elmer the Fire Farter. While the plot is a bit out there, it will have you laughing and the book moves along quickly.

I was surprised to learn that the Pine Barrens is an actual location in New Jersey and that people do believe that it is the home of the Jersey Devil.

Plum Spooky brought back Diesel who is one of the main characters of the Wicked Appetite and Wicked Business series. This book was not as good as Plum Loving I thought. I feel it took on too much of Diesel and the Wulf aspect and sidelined Stephanie's role in the book as the main character and was missing a lot of the usual elements we are accustomed to in the Plum novels. I'm still a huge Plum fan and always will be but this book left a lot to be desired for me. I checked it out from library so if your indifferent about spending the money on it, just check it out from library and save the cost.

The Stephanie Plum series has always been a funny series with strange characters and the in between numbers novels are no different. You have characters like Santa Claus and Cupid, so it's no surprise that in this novel the Jersey Devil and the Easter Bunny come alive. The title may suggest that the book would have to do with Halloween (as all the In Betweens deal with a holiday), but this one doesn't. There also isn't really anything "spooky" about this book. And like the last Plum novel this one gets even crazier (monkeys with helmets? a fire farter?). I have enjoyed all the novels, but 14 was not my favorite, and a lot it had to do with the storyline being way too far fetched (potato launcher guards?). This one is no different. We do get to travel outside of Trenton to the Pine Barrens which was a nice change of scenery (as I know nothing about the Jersey Pine Barrens), but the characters, the magnetometer and the "mystery" are really out there.

If you didn't like 14 you might not like this one, and if you're looking for Connie, Vinnie, Grandma Mazur, and the rest of the Plum family, you're not going to find them. They don't make much of an appearance. You will get a glimpse at Joe's brother Anthony, which was a nice treat, because we don't really get a glimpse at Joe or Ranger's families, but like all IBN novels, Joe and Ranger don't make much of an appearance either. They show up more in this novel, but the main focal points are Diesel and his power hungry cousin, Steph, Carl the Monkey and Lula and Tank (are they over?).

OMG... That is pretty much the experience I have felt summed up in a phase that explains "Plum Spooky". Anyone who has loved Stephanie Plum can understand my awe. I have missed the sadistic humor of Stephanie. Coming from the Burlington/ Bristol area, I immediately felt & understood Stephanie. I grew up w/characters similar to Stephanie being a half Italian female in the Philadelphia area. I lost my composure (to say it nicely) many times reading these novels & yes I own them all.
However, in the last two it felt like Janet (author) did not feel the same for Stephanie. Almost like Janet was writing Stephanie's stories because it was expected not because the character was speaking through her.
But now Stephanie is back in all her crazy glory... I want to quote a portion of the book that speaks to the ciaos that all the readers can understand and love...
pg. 203. " How's it going?" Morelli wanted to know.
"It's average. Stole a truck. Blew up a house. Brought seven monkeys home with me. And now I have a naked man in my shower."
Yeah, same ol', same ol'", Morelli said...
If you have read her novels this has pretty summed up her world of before it became boring AND NOW SHE IS BACK...............................

I stayed up all night--and laughed hysterically--reading this. Mix Stephanie with monkeys, and Plum Spooky is the result! It's hilarious (as Plums usually are) and fun to read. I woke up much less tense the next morning!

That said: it isn't as good as the first few Stephanie Plum books are. Honestly, the last several books have been less than fabulous. They're still funny and still worth reading, but a parts of the stories feel recycled. There are, after all, only so many ways you can blow up a car. I won't give up reading them yet, though--they still make me laugh, and that's worth the price.

Any time I need a good stress-relieving gut-busting laugh, I turn to Stephanie Plum.

This was a huge waste of time. This was the first book I have read by Janet Evanovich, and now the very last! A train wreck, I couldn't put it down, because I have to finish every book I start, but what pure absolute crap! Fire-farting freaks, annoying monkey antics, a "wolf" man that disapears into flames...geez...[...]

Plum Spooky is the latest between the numbers/holiday novel in the Stephanie Plum series. The next book set to be released on June 23rd is Finger Lickin' Fifteen. The holiday novels are a nice addition while waiting for the next main book in the series.

Plum Spooky like all the other holiday novels has the same returning character of Diesel, however this time you can expect to see and hear more from the other main characters from the regular series ie. Morelli and Ranger. Aside from that, there are the characters that people who have been reading the series will remember, Lula, Stephanie's parents, Grandma Mazure and Connie. The main plot of this book which is actually two plots, one is Diesel needing Stephanie's assistance in apprehending another unmentionable and the other is Stephanie trying to apprehend a high dollar FTA (Failed To Appear). There are also a couple of other sub plots, the small time FTAs that Stephanie is trying to apprehend and also the daily things in life that she has to deal with. I will not go further to avoid spoilers. Here are my thoughts.

As is all the previous Plum novels, there are the same elements of humor. I am not sure if Ms. Evanovich didn't write as much humor this time or that it has just become the same ole same ole, but I did not find myself laughing as much as I usually do when reading her novels. As for her prose, it is just as good as it has ever been. This is one thing that I have always enjoyed about Ms. Evanovich's work and that is the fact that she can write a fast paced story with hardly any lag to it and she fills enough detail to get the visuals out and let the reader fill in the rest to make it their own. As for character development, this time there actually is some nice development with the Plum character that was quite a nice change of pace. I was actually getting tired of every book having the same formula to them...Stephanie tries to find that bad guy, almost catches him/her, needs to go home for something and becomes abducted, Ranger, Morelli, or Diesel comes to the rescue. Those same elements are also prevalent in this book as well, but this time readers can expect something different.

Some Criticisms

1. This is just a personal bias, but I have never been a fan of the 1st person point of view. This is very minor and just a personal thing.

2. There is one part in the book that felt out of place where Stephanie who is driving one of Ranger's vehicles, calls Ranger to warn him if he doesn't hear from her in a few days to start looking for her and Ranger asks her where she is. Fans of the series know that Ranger always has her cars monitored to keep tabs on her, you would figure that he would also have all his vehicles monitored as well, especially when he has loaned her one of his.

3. This was supposed to be a holiday novel and the title would lead the reader to think of Halloween with "Plum Spooky" however, the story takes place during September and we never get to Halloween.

Some positives

1. Ms. Evanovich's prose, I just can not say enough about it. She really knows how to keep a novel from getting bogged down and to keep the reader moving. Every time I read a Plum novel, I plow right through it without stopping.

2. The development of Stephanie's character was a nice change. I would like to go into it more, but if you have read it then you know, if not, read it.

3. Incorporating myths into real life characters was a nice added element. When it comes to unmentionables, Ms. Evanovich comes up with some nicely creative characters.

4. Diesel's character is actually explained a little more. It was nice to know that someone actually knows a bit about Diesel and gives off a few tid bits of information on him.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. I was expecting typical Plum and Lula antics, which there is plenty of, but there was also a change of pace. If you have never read a Plum novel, I recommend starting from the beginning. It would be a long road to catch up to this one, but a road well worth it. As for seasoned readers, this is a good addition to the plum series and don't think you will regret reading this.

dimndbangr

I enjoy listening to books on CD while driving. I'm not a die hard fan or critic of the Plumb series, just enjoy listening to them while on long drives. I was first introduced with "Explosive Eighteen" and have gone up and down the series as I've found them available. This is more of a fantasy for Stephanie as other reviews said, not like the series. I bought the CD used and it was worth the money for me. I found myself laughing out loud; what could be bad about that?

Hmmm, I am still wondering what I really think of these between the numbers books. Evanovich really enjoys writing them and that shows through in the story. Its oddball in the extreme. First there is Diesel - that's all he is ever known as - some kind of supernatural bounty hunter who replaces Ranger and Morelli as the guy interest in this series. Well be may or may not be supernatural - he may just be Swiss.

Then there is the type of mystery - it usually has a supernatural element to it - Santa Claus, Elves, etc. Not so much in this one except Diesel's cousin, nemesis and fellow Swiss, Wulf - is the bad guy causing all the problems. He might or might not be supernatural too. This gives Evanovich a lot of fun stuff to play with between STephanie and Diesel - and the rest of the cast of characters. There is some pretty fun dialogue that goes on between Diesel and Steph, and there is a bit of sexual tension there too.

The story, to sum up, is that STephanie is short of cash, can't run down her FTA's but one of them might be involved with Diesel's FTA - Wulf. So they team up - well Diesel does - Stephie doesn't want to - but he just moves in to her apartment, as you do in Plum's world.

She also has a problem with a Monkey called Carl who has been left with her while her friend is on holiday. Carl also seems to be more than a monkey but a bit less than a child, and he knows how to flip the bird.

Together they have to track down Wulf and Munch (who is a weedy nerd who is assisting him) before they put together a weapon of global destruction (well of sorts) and try to take over the world. As you do. It is based in the Barrens, and so allows an even greater number of strange and unusual characters to be introduced, - the Fire Farter, the Easter Bunny and so on.

There is the usual cast of characters here - Lula, Grandma, even Big Blue makes a come back. Cars explode, guns are shot and Stephanie gets her man in the end.

However, while I enjoyed the story, I just can't get my head around the supernatural stuff. I much prefer the numbers ones, which don't involve 'ju ju'.

I have to agree that PLUM SPOOKY is silly, in fact, it's very silly. But you know what, it is also very entertaining. And come on, folks after reading through the Number series can we really say that the off-the-wall characters and absurd situations that Stephanie et al find themselves in time after time are anything but enjoyably silly?
Lets applaud Janet Evanovich for that rare talent of being able to make us laugh or at least grin at a time when laughter and humor are in short supply! Watch the evening news and you'll see that we live in a world fraught with pain and misery. Then take a look at your reading list because if reality isn't enough to sour us then why is it that we revel in fictional worlds of pain and misery, whether the novels are Detective, Thriller, Secret Agent, Super SEAL, RANGER, SPEC OPs semi-inspired, Love Gone bad, Love Gone Really, Really Bad, or Life is Crap themes?
The long and short of it to me is that maybe after a lousy day at work or a less than inspiring ride on a crowded bus or train on the way to work, when worrying about our jobs, the economy, our kids, what's making the car rattle, if that tooth ache may need a crown, or wondering if the fish in the kid's tank is floating upside down and perhaps sunning himself or if maybe a Pet Store run may save the day...again, then Janet Evanovich's humor is much appreciated.
Perhaps too, the problem is with us. With this 15th book perhaps we've become so familiar with the character and her pals that maybe we've become plotline complacent- the too much of a good thing principle.
As an avid reader I prefer to place her books in between a handful of others so that by the time I return back to them I'm Plum happy to visit again, even when she's just monkeying around.

There have been several reviewer comments about Stephanie growing (or not growing). My concern is not so much growing - as learning. She seems to continually fail to learn from her mistakes (particularly as a bounty hunter). She and Lula repeatedly make the same farcical blunders every time they attempt to apprehend an FTA. One would think she would learn rather than continuing to re-make them time and time again. Once is funny; multiple times is dumb.

Yes, there were numerous LOL sections. We've got the Ranger "Babe" so ingrained in our psyches all she has to do is print that word and we know the scenario exactly (his "Babe" when seeing a car full of monkeys had me in stitches). Her grandmother, as always, provides gales of laughter (I laughed so hard I woke up the cat). It was my Evanovich fix - to hold me over until the next number hits the stores.

*refers to audio version

The Plum series is one of my absolute favorite series. I think I got in on it around when #8 came out and let me say that it did not take me long to catch up and then have to sit drumming my figures and waiting impatiently for the next installment. The "between-the-numbers" books are a wonderfully fun added bonus while waiting for the next number in the series. And of course, we get to ride along with Diesel in the "between-the-numbers" books which is a yummy trip.

Plum Spooky is a bit on the edgier side, I think, though still complete with all the laughter, hi jinx and hilarity of previous books in the series. I found myself laughing out loud several times throughout the story and quickly engrossed within Stephanie's adventure. Narrator Lorelei does a fantastic job bringing Stephanie, as well as all of the characters to life. She is a true voice talent and is a perfect match to the wonderful talent of Janet Evanovich.

This is the third book in the Plum series that I have listened to, rather than read, simply because I couldn't wait to find out what happens in the story. Between a Mario, junk food eating monkey and an evil plot to take over the world by controlling the weather, Plum Spooky never has a dull moment. This is an excellent addition to Janet Evanovich's Plum series and I eagerly await the delight that is sure to come in number fifteen!

I bought this book on special at a local bookstore for $4.00. For the money, it was OK, mildly entertaining and laugh-out-loud funny in a few places. I hadn't read any of the Plum series before so I don't have anything to compare it to. Even though I thought the book was OK, I can see why people would be unhappy if they paid $28 for it. The characters are cartoonish and the story runs out of steam about 2/3 of the way through. It's one of those books you read, enjoy a bit and then completely forget about.

I'm on the fence with this one. On one hand, I am a loyal reader of the Stephanie Plum series, which I've found to be entertaining and funny. On the other hand, I don't like the total wackiness this book seem to have descended to.

Stephanie Plum books are great because of the character development. We learn new things about people in every book, and they have special issues to handle in each one. Grandma Mazur, Stephanie's mom, dad, sister, brother-in-law, and nieces, and Ranger all are pretty much skipped over in this book. We do get to learn more about Lula and Joe Morelli, but not really anyone else.

The book seemed to want to push its boundaries a little too much. Stephanie spent 90% of the book gallivanting around with Diesel, a hot guy with magical abilities. She spent some time with Lula, mostly eating and dealing with Lula's cold. She had a lot of interaction with monkeys, plus Big Foot, the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, the Fire Farter, and the Jersey Devil all were there.

All we saw of Stephanie's family was during one short family dinner. Ranger only appeared to provide fresh cars for Stephanie and to get her out of jams...like always. No real steaminess involved. I'm a huge Ranger fan, and the more scenes he is in, the better. Stephanie has three hot guys (Joe, Diesel, and Ranger) lusting after her and taking care of her, and she takes them all for granted.

Yes, the book was entertaining, but it lacked the heart and character development that has helped to make the series such a success.

Plum Spooky brought back Diesel who is one of the main characters of the Wicked Appetite and Wicked Business series. This book was not as good as Plum Loving I thought. I feel it took on too much of Diesel and the Wulf aspect and sidelined Stephanie's role in the book as the main character and was missing a lot of the usual elements we are accustomed to in the Plum novels. I'm still a huge Plum fan and always will be but this book left a lot to be desired for me. I checked it out from library so if your indifferent about spending the money on it, just check it out from library and save the cost.

The Stephanie Plum series has always been a funny series with strange characters and the in between numbers novels are no different. You have characters like Santa Claus and Cupid, so it's no surprise that in this novel the Jersey Devil and the Easter Bunny come alive. The title may suggest that the book would have to do with Halloween (as all the In Betweens deal with a holiday), but this one doesn't. There also isn't really anything "spooky" about this book. And like the last Plum novel this one gets even crazier (monkeys with helmets? a fire farter?). I have enjoyed all the novels, but 14 was not my favorite, and a lot it had to do with the storyline being way too far fetched (potato launcher guards?). This one is no different. We do get to travel outside of Trenton to the Pine Barrens which was a nice change of scenery (as I know nothing about the Jersey Pine Barrens), but the characters, the magnetometer and the "mystery" are really out there.

If you didn't like 14 you might not like this one, and if you're looking for Connie, Vinnie, Grandma Mazur, and the rest of the Plum family, you're not going to find them. They don't make much of an appearance. You will get a glimpse at Joe's brother Anthony, which was a nice treat, because we don't really get a glimpse at Joe or Ranger's families, but like all IBN novels, Joe and Ranger don't make much of an appearance either. They show up more in this novel, but the main focal points are Diesel and his power hungry cousin, Steph, Carl the Monkey and Lula and Tank (are they over?).

OMG... That is pretty much the experience I have felt summed up in a phase that explains "Plum Spooky". Anyone who has loved Stephanie Plum can understand my awe. I have missed the sadistic humor of Stephanie. Coming from the Burlington/ Bristol area, I immediately felt & understood Stephanie. I grew up w/characters similar to Stephanie being a half Italian female in the Philadelphia area. I lost my composure (to say it nicely) many times reading these novels & yes I own them all.
However, in the last two it felt like Janet (author) did not feel the same for Stephanie. Almost like Janet was writing Stephanie's stories because it was expected not because the character was speaking through her.
But now Stephanie is back in all her crazy glory... I want to quote a portion of the book that speaks to the ciaos that all the readers can understand and love...
pg. 203. " How's it going?" Morelli wanted to know.
"It's average. Stole a truck. Blew up a house. Brought seven monkeys home with me. And now I have a naked man in my shower."
Yeah, same ol', same ol'", Morelli said...
If you have read her novels this has pretty summed up her world of before it became boring AND NOW SHE IS BACK...............................

I stayed up all night--and laughed hysterically--reading this. Mix Stephanie with monkeys, and Plum Spooky is the result! It's hilarious (as Plums usually are) and fun to read. I woke up much less tense the next morning!

That said: it isn't as good as the first few Stephanie Plum books are. Honestly, the last several books have been less than fabulous. They're still funny and still worth reading, but a parts of the stories feel recycled. There are, after all, only so many ways you can blow up a car. I won't give up reading them yet, though--they still make me laugh, and that's worth the price.

Any time I need a good stress-relieving gut-busting laugh, I turn to Stephanie Plum.

Plum Spooky is the latest between the numbers/holiday novel in the Stephanie Plum series. The next book set to be released on June 23rd is Finger Lickin' Fifteen. The holiday novels are a nice addition while waiting for the next main book in the series.

Plum Spooky like all the other holiday novels has the same returning character of Diesel, however this time you can expect to see and hear more from the other main characters from the regular series ie. Morelli and Ranger. Aside from that, there are the characters that people who have been reading the series will remember, Lula, Stephanie's parents, Grandma Mazure and Connie. The main plot of this book which is actually two plots, one is Diesel needing Stephanie's assistance in apprehending another unmentionable and the other is Stephanie trying to apprehend a high dollar FTA (Failed To Appear). There are also a couple of other sub plots, the small time FTAs that Stephanie is trying to apprehend and also the daily things in life that she has to deal with. I will not go further to avoid spoilers. Here are my thoughts.

As is all the previous Plum novels, there are the same elements of humor. I am not sure if Ms. Evanovich didn't write as much humor this time or that it has just become the same ole same ole, but I did not find myself laughing as much as I usually do when reading her novels. As for her prose, it is just as good as it has ever been. This is one thing that I have always enjoyed about Ms. Evanovich's work and that is the fact that she can write a fast paced story with hardly any lag to it and she fills enough detail to get the visuals out and let the reader fill in the rest to make it their own. As for character development, this time there actually is some nice development with the Plum character that was quite a nice change of pace. I was actually getting tired of every book having the same formula to them...Stephanie tries to find that bad guy, almost catches him/her, needs to go home for something and becomes abducted, Ranger, Morelli, or Diesel comes to the rescue. Those same elements are also prevalent in this book as well, but this time readers can expect something different.

Some Criticisms

1. This is just a personal bias, but I have never been a fan of the 1st person point of view. This is very minor and just a personal thing.

2. There is one part in the book that felt out of place where Stephanie who is driving one of Ranger's vehicles, calls Ranger to warn him if he doesn't hear from her in a few days to start looking for her and Ranger asks her where she is. Fans of the series know that Ranger always has her cars monitored to keep tabs on her, you would figure that he would also have all his vehicles monitored as well, especially when he has loaned her one of his.

3. This was supposed to be a holiday novel and the title would lead the reader to think of Halloween with "Plum Spooky" however, the story takes place during September and we never get to Halloween.

Some positives

1. Ms. Evanovich's prose, I just can not say enough about it. She really knows how to keep a novel from getting bogged down and to keep the reader moving. Every time I read a Plum novel, I plow right through it without stopping.

2. The development of Stephanie's character was a nice change. I would like to go into it more, but if you have read it then you know, if not, read it.

3. Incorporating myths into real life characters was a nice added element. When it comes to unmentionables, Ms. Evanovich comes up with some nicely creative characters.

4. Diesel's character is actually explained a little more. It was nice to know that someone actually knows a bit about Diesel and gives off a few tid bits of information on him.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. I was expecting typical Plum and Lula antics, which there is plenty of, but there was also a change of pace. If you have never read a Plum novel, I recommend starting from the beginning. It would be a long road to catch up to this one, but a road well worth it. As for seasoned readers, this is a good addition to the plum series and don't think you will regret reading this.

dimndbangr

I enjoy listening to books on CD while driving. I'm not a die hard fan or critic of the Plumb series, just enjoy listening to them while on long drives. I was first introduced with "Explosive Eighteen" and have gone up and down the series as I've found them available. This is more of a fantasy for Stephanie as other reviews said, not like the series. I bought the CD used and it was worth the money for me. I found myself laughing out loud; what could be bad about that?

Hmmm, I am still wondering what I really think of these between the numbers books. Evanovich really enjoys writing them and that shows through in the story. Its oddball in the extreme. First there is Diesel - that's all he is ever known as - some kind of supernatural bounty hunter who replaces Ranger and Morelli as the guy interest in this series. Well be may or may not be supernatural - he may just be Swiss.

Then there is the type of mystery - it usually has a supernatural element to it - Santa Claus, Elves, etc. Not so much in this one except Diesel's cousin, nemesis and fellow Swiss, Wulf - is the bad guy causing all the problems. He might or might not be supernatural too. This gives Evanovich a lot of fun stuff to play with between STephanie and Diesel - and the rest of the cast of characters. There is some pretty fun dialogue that goes on between Diesel and Steph, and there is a bit of sexual tension there too.

The story, to sum up, is that STephanie is short of cash, can't run down her FTA's but one of them might be involved with Diesel's FTA - Wulf. So they team up - well Diesel does - Stephie doesn't want to - but he just moves in to her apartment, as you do in Plum's world.

She also has a problem with a Monkey called Carl who has been left with her while her friend is on holiday. Carl also seems to be more than a monkey but a bit less than a child, and he knows how to flip the bird.

Together they have to track down Wulf and Munch (who is a weedy nerd who is assisting him) before they put together a weapon of global destruction (well of sorts) and try to take over the world. As you do. It is based in the Barrens, and so allows an even greater number of strange and unusual characters to be introduced, - the Fire Farter, the Easter Bunny and so on.

There is the usual cast of characters here - Lula, Grandma, even Big Blue makes a come back. Cars explode, guns are shot and Stephanie gets her man in the end.

However, while I enjoyed the story, I just can't get my head around the supernatural stuff. I much prefer the numbers ones, which don't involve 'ju ju'.

I have to agree that PLUM SPOOKY is silly, in fact, it's very silly. But you know what, it is also very entertaining. And come on, folks after reading through the Number series can we really say that the off-the-wall characters and absurd situations that Stephanie et al find themselves in time after time are anything but enjoyably silly?
Lets applaud Janet Evanovich for that rare talent of being able to make us laugh or at least grin at a time when laughter and humor are in short supply! Watch the evening news and you'll see that we live in a world fraught with pain and misery. Then take a look at your reading list because if reality isn't enough to sour us then why is it that we revel in fictional worlds of pain and misery, whether the novels are Detective, Thriller, Secret Agent, Super SEAL, RANGER, SPEC OPs semi-inspired, Love Gone bad, Love Gone Really, Really Bad, or Life is Crap themes?
The long and short of it to me is that maybe after a lousy day at work or a less than inspiring ride on a crowded bus or train on the way to work, when worrying about our jobs, the economy, our kids, what's making the car rattle, if that tooth ache may need a crown, or wondering if the fish in the kid's tank is floating upside down and perhaps sunning himself or if maybe a Pet Store run may save the day...again, then Janet Evanovich's humor is much appreciated.
Perhaps too, the problem is with us. With this 15th book perhaps we've become so familiar with the character and her pals that maybe we've become plotline complacent- the too much of a good thing principle.
As an avid reader I prefer to place her books in between a handful of others so that by the time I return back to them I'm Plum happy to visit again, even when she's just monkeying around.

There have been several reviewer comments about Stephanie growing (or not growing). My concern is not so much growing - as learning. She seems to continually fail to learn from her mistakes (particularly as a bounty hunter). She and Lula repeatedly make the same farcical blunders every time they attempt to apprehend an FTA. One would think she would learn rather than continuing to re-make them time and time again. Once is funny; multiple times is dumb.

Yes, there were numerous LOL sections. We've got the Ranger "Babe" so ingrained in our psyches all she has to do is print that word and we know the scenario exactly (his "Babe" when seeing a car full of monkeys had me in stitches). Her grandmother, as always, provides gales of laughter (I laughed so hard I woke up the cat). It was my Evanovich fix - to hold me over until the next number hits the stores.

*refers to audio version

The Plum series is one of my absolute favorite series. I think I got in on it around when #8 came out and let me say that it did not take me long to catch up and then have to sit drumming my figures and waiting impatiently for the next installment. The "between-the-numbers" books are a wonderfully fun added bonus while waiting for the next number in the series. And of course, we get to ride along with Diesel in the "between-the-numbers" books which is a yummy trip.

Plum Spooky is a bit on the edgier side, I think, though still complete with all the laughter, hi jinx and hilarity of previous books in the series. I found myself laughing out loud several times throughout the story and quickly engrossed within Stephanie's adventure. Narrator Lorelei does a fantastic job bringing Stephanie, as well as all of the characters to life. She is a true voice talent and is a perfect match to the wonderful talent of Janet Evanovich.

This is the third book in the Plum series that I have listened to, rather than read, simply because I couldn't wait to find out what happens in the story. Between a Mario, junk food eating monkey and an evil plot to take over the world by controlling the weather, Plum Spooky never has a dull moment. This is an excellent addition to Janet Evanovich's Plum series and I eagerly await the delight that is sure to come in number fifteen!

I bought this book on special at a local bookstore for $4.00. For the money, it was OK, mildly entertaining and laugh-out-loud funny in a few places. I hadn't read any of the Plum series before so I don't have anything to compare it to. Even though I thought the book was OK, I can see why people would be unhappy if they paid $28 for it. The characters are cartoonish and the story runs out of steam about 2/3 of the way through. It's one of those books you read, enjoy a bit and then completely forget about.

I'm on the fence with this one. On one hand, I am a loyal reader of the Stephanie Plum series, which I've found to be entertaining and funny. On the other hand, I don't like the total wackiness this book seem to have descended to.

Stephanie Plum books are great because of the character development. We learn new things about people in every book, and they have special issues to handle in each one. Grandma Mazur, Stephanie's mom, dad, sister, brother-in-law, and nieces, and Ranger all are pretty much skipped over in this book. We do get to learn more about Lula and Joe Morelli, but not really anyone else.

The book seemed to want to push its boundaries a little too much. Stephanie spent 90% of the book gallivanting around with Diesel, a hot guy with magical abilities. She spent some time with Lula, mostly eating and dealing with Lula's cold. She had a lot of interaction with monkeys, plus Big Foot, the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, the Fire Farter, and the Jersey Devil all were there.

All we saw of Stephanie's family was during one short family dinner. Ranger only appeared to provide fresh cars for Stephanie and to get her out of jams...like always. No real steaminess involved. I'm a huge Ranger fan, and the more scenes he is in, the better. Stephanie has three hot guys (Joe, Diesel, and Ranger) lusting after her and taking care of her, and she takes them all for granted.

Yes, the book was entertaining, but it lacked the heart and character development that has helped to make the series such a success.

Plum Spooky, the newest book in the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich, was disappointing to me. Am I the only reader who is tired of the main character being so desirable to all the male characters? Heck, I thought the old guy and the monkey were going to hit on her too! Maybe that would have given the book more of a plot...anywoo, I'll just tell you to get this one from the library or borrow it from a friend who was duped into buying it. You would be PLUM dumb to spend YOUR money on this one!

Stephanie Plum is back in her first full-length Between-the-Numbers novel. Her FTA is Martin Munch. Diesel assists her with Munch as he is looking for Wulf Grimoire. Lula also attempts to help, however she's has personal problems of her own: planning her wedding to Tank, one of Ranger's men.

Honestly, I'm not sure what to think about this book. I guess I've expected more from this series. By now, I think Stephanie would know how to effectively capture a FTA. I feel as though I'm reading the same plot book after book. I understand Stephanie Plum is a comical cozy series, if you will, however the situations Stephanie finds herself in is just over the top.

I liked Carl the monkey, however giving people the finger got old for me around page 22. At times, I forgot about the other characters. Stephanie's parents and grandmother have a few appearances in the novel. Morelli is allowing his brother to crash at his place because his wife kicked him out. Ranger comes to rescue Stephanie from tricky situations. Other than that, they're hardly mentioned at all. This books really centers around Stephanie and Diesel.

I only recommend this book if you want to stay current with the series, however I wouldn't rush out to buy it. Hopefully book 15 will be better.

Sigh. What to say? I definitely laughed out loud during the reading of this book...however, I was definitely looking forward to finishing it, and it was not one of those novels that I absolutely could not wait to pick up and begin reading again. Those standard characters we've grown to know and love are there...plus a few new ones. Lula is her usual large, spandex-laden self. Carl the monkey reappears--yet again--after Susan Stitch drops him off with Stephanie while she heads for her honeymoon. Ranger and Morelli are both simply bit players in this silly tale...which is mostly featuring Diesel, the gorgeous supernatural bounty hunter on the hunt for his equally gorgeous but evil cousin....who seeks to control the world by harnessing none other than the weather. But there are also helmet-wearing monkeys, people who resemble Sasquatch, and men who fart fire....; it all may be a bit much for some of the more normal, run-of-the-mill readers to take. Steph and her friends remain fun, but they are certainly becoming a bit repetitious. What is needed here is a quick injection of novelty and creativity...in order to save this series. HELP!!!

DYB

Diesel, the supernatural bounty-hunter, is back and this time he and Stephanie Plum are looking for Wulf Grimoire, an unmentionable with plans for world domination, and Martin Munch, a twenty-four year old physicist with non-existent social skills.

The Stephanie Plum "between-the-numbers" novels must really be popular, since "Plum Spooky", the latest in this sub-series, is more than twice the length of its three predecessors ("Plum Lucky", "Plum Lovin'" and "Visions of Sugar Plums"), clocking in at approximately the same length as one of the full-length "numbers" books. This is, without a doubt, my favourite Stephanie Plum book to date, largely because it is the silliest. With "Plum Spooky", Evanovich has completely given up on trying to place her story in the real world, and as a result, we are treated to the adventures of Carl the cartoon-esque monkey (he watches television, eats pizza and makes offensive hand gestures - isn't that what real monkeys do?), the Jersey Devil (New Jersey's answer to the Loch Ness Monster) and Elmer the Fire-Farter (yes, you read that right). If you can't cope with the idea of a character who farts fire whenever he eats spicy food (and at other inconvenient times), then don't waste your time or money on this book, you'll hate it, but if you find that sort of thing funny, then, for you, this might be the best Plum ever.

I usually like the between the numbers books for some fun, light reading. I especially enjoyed Plum Lucky (A Between-the-Numbers Novel) and had hoped that "Plum Spooky" would be just as entertaining. The book is longer than previous between the numbers books and that looked promising. However, there was less substance to the story than any of the previous stories. Lula was as fun as always, but there wasn't enough Ranger or Grandma in this one and many of the jokes were just silly. There were still some laugh-out-loud lines, but not near enough.

...go running Stephanie and Lula and a fellow named Diesel and a monkey named Carl. I liked this book. I can't say that it was actually "spooky" but it tried. After all, Janet is not King or Koontz, and what we expect from her is crime and romance deep in the bowels of Trenton. This tale was a nice diversion. One of the things that keeps me returning is the geographical correctness of the locale (I grew up in Trenton, and Janet has the city right). The other is Stephanie, of course. Joe and Ranger, yes; Lula, oh yeah; and certainly Grandma. The characters in this series overpower the story lines and transcend the antics and predicaments they get themselves into, and in a series, that is as it should be. This little tale took us into an obscure part of southern New Jersey known as the Pine Barrens, a real place, and the story ran in such a way as to evoke the true essence of the area. It had the usual happy ending, and was told in such a manner that one didn't need to have read all the other Stephanie Plum stories to have an idea of what was going on. Overall, a good bit of entertainment to pass a few hours on the beach or on the plane.

So I have been reading this series for years now. I wasn't sure when I started, but I got hooked. This book is definitely not the best - most of the in-between novellas aren't, but it's part of the series. Did I laugh? Yep! I was in tears at one point because I was at work and trying not to laugh out loud. yes - some of the book was way out there and a little repetitive, but I have learned to expect that. And with the time gap between the books, sometimes i need the memory jog. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope you do too!

The last of the in-between books in the Stephanie Plum series. Maybe thats why Evanovich threw everything she could into it. It was pretty rediculous in many aspects, and funny in others. Didn't bring out the best for the main characters. The monkey theme got old real fast. The story line was lame and too silly to even think it believable. Maybe its best this is her last In-between books. I will miss Diesel though. I was disappointed in this book.

Evanovich must really be pulling in the bucks with all these between-the-numbers books, which seem to come out every other month. They are analagous to me telling my boss I expect the same pay for reducing my productivity from "excellent" to "adequate." He wouldn't go for it, and I don't think fans of the Plum series are going to either. Evanovich needs to be putting more effort into the numbered Plum series anyway, which have dropped in quality over the past several years.

If I had never read a Stephanie Plum book, I would have enjoyed this one, because my expectations would have been low. The criminal and minor characters are ridiculous and seem to have been pulled from old Looney Tunes cartoons. The major characters coast on past dialogue, which would be funny enough if it were the first time I was reading it. The actual criminal conspiracy at the heart of the plot is confusing and would seem to call for the assistance of federal law enforcement, not a slapstick bounty hunter and her mysterious, supposeably supernatural friend, who is incredibly attractive and whom she sleeps with naked but doesn't have sex with (?) because that, of course, would be cheating on her on-again, off-again police officer boyfriend. This is not so much spooky as convoluted and messy.

Evanovich is a great storyteller, and to a certain extent, her zaniness has contributed to the success of the Plum series. But this is going too far for too little payoff. Especially when we know she can do so much better.

Wow, I wasn't expecting to enjoy this installment of the Plum series as much as I did, what a happy surprise. Although, I will state that I enjoyed Fearless Fourteen a lot more than many fans have, indicating that I maybe burnt out and got annoyed with the Plum series earlier on than others (the breaking point for me was Book 11 or 12), and then slowly limped back to the series at around the time that other fans are getting disgusted. Fearless Fourteen was more like the Plum books that I like best, and Plum Spooky sort of echoes that. I thought I was done with the Plum books for good--but I can never seem to stay away, and I am glad I checked this book out.

The good: Lula and Tank, yay! I LOVED Tank's revelations in this book, I thought they were actually good for his character development and made me enjoy him a great deal. Pretty good for a character who only gets about one line of dialogue per book. And Lula was fun, as always, if a little forced. This time around she's into having her "numbers" done, and consults with a psychic/astrologist. Fun.

Also, Stephanie, if I recall correctly, isn't as incompetent as she has been and actually gets out of a bad scrape on her own, instead of needing to be rescued. I admired her smarts and her determination in this book.

The bad: The book zips along, but I wasn't compelled to read it in one sitting, like I used to be. I read this off and on over a week. It just didn't have much juice, much energy. I don't know what the difference is between the zaniness of previous books and this, since they have the same writing style and the same plot elements and basically the same antics, but it does feel less high-octane, more sleepy. Maybe the fact that this book does use the same writing style, the same basic elements, the same basic antics is what makes it so sleepy: there's not much here that is fresh. Come on. No more destroyed cars, PLEASE. No more zany family dinners where something zany happens in a zany way, PLEASE.

I finishes the book yesterday and already I can't really remember a lot of the book. I think the fact that much of it is recycled from the rest of the series might be the cause.

Also, Diesel kind of turned me off in this story. I think what was supposed to read as flirtatious ended up reading as jerk behavior. Too bad.

The hugely improved: Steph no longer makes me want to stab myself repeatedly with a toasting fork whenever she cheats on Morelli/does something mind-bogglingly stupid/blows up a car/lets the bad guy escape again/etc. Wonderful progress! Wonderful!

My wishes for the next book: actual character development, fresh material. It's sad when TANK is the character who grows the most in a story, and he's not even a secondary character. Sheesh. Lula also seems to change and, if not grow, then at least not stagnate, with her wedding plans and her new interests and hobbies. Maybe Stephanie, Ranger, and Morelli can be allowed to do the same? Still, having the secondary characters doing new things does keep the story feeling alive, so having Grandma Mazur get salsa lessons or Stephanie's mother start taking art classes or train to be a nurse or Stephanie's father doing something interesting might go a long way toward making the books fun and dynamic again. Then again, sometimes the new things Grandma Mazur or Lula, etc., do in each book seem limp and forced.

Recommendation: if you're heavily invested in the romantic dynamic of Stephanie and Ranger, this book will probably disappoint or annoy you. You can skip it without worries. If you're heavily invested in the romantic dynamic of Stephanie and Morelli, there's a little bit here, but not much. If you just want a fun, light read, this book should do the trick. And if you want to be rid of this series but just can't seem to break the habit, then you have my sympathies, and hey, you might be pleasantly surprised.

This pretty much follows Evanovich's usual formula, but it kept me entertained while I was confined to the couch with a sprained back. The only thing wrong was that there wasn't enough Grandma! The plot was a little thin, but that is par for the course. The farther into this series you go, the weaker the plot lines get. I miss the style of the earlier books in the series, where there was more character development and way more plot.

I enjoyed this between book more than the previous ones, but I still don't see the purpose of doing them, other than to spotlight Diesel without much interference from Ranger and Morelli.

I also thought, in typical JE fashion, she went overboard with things and just doesn't know when enough is too much. How many times did the monkey give someone the finger? How many times did Lula sneeze and fart? After awhile, it just started getting tedious, much the same way Grandma peeking into coffins, Papa Plum's food falling out of his mouth and Stephanie's exploding cars do in the regular series.

Ho Hum. This book did not come together very well. Some good Plum dialouge and tricky situations, but scary people were not that clever and funny people were kind of low key. Generally, I laugh all the way through Evanovich's book. This one was not that funny. It also did not make much sense from a content point of view. Most of her novels are very low tech crime. This was not, and she did not explain how Stephanie could follow the techy stuff from a New Jersey gals point of view.

Evanovich has so many other funny books, don't get this one unless it's a good sale.

I loved this book. I wish I had someone like Ranger or Diesel in my life. It would be so much more interesting. In this book there is also a monkey. His name is Carl and he is a riot. You have to read this to believe how funny it is . I was laughing out loud while I was on my break at work.

I always buy the Stephanie Plum books the day they come out. This book was no exception and I was able to finish it in about 3.5 hours and I am not a real fast reader. In the past, I have always found this series to be so funny that I laugh out loud. (This is the only series that this happens with.) Although Plum Spooky was amusing at times, I never came close to actually laughing. The story seemed to drag along and then in the last 20 pages (out of 309) the mystery is suddenly solved. It was like Janet Evanovich had reached the magic page count and was in a hurry to finish the book.

I will buy "Finger Lickin' Fifteen" when it comes out because I enjoy the interplay of Stephanie-Morelli-Ranger much more than the books that feature Stephanie-Diesel.

Throughout the Janet Evanovich books, the more that came out, the more bad reviews there were. I read the reviews for this book and waited for the paperback because of some of the bad ones. I worried for no reason. With the exception of Plum Lucky, I have loved all of the books.

This one was filled with fun laughs about monkeys and Diesel, of course. Its not like the other books where when Diesel comes into play, Ranger and Morelli leave. In this book you get to see all three of Stephanie's Hunks. The plot is interesting and will keep you guessing. The new characters are very interesting and Wulf gave me the heebie geebies.

Bottom Line: Ignore the bad reviews, this book was great!

This was the first full-length Between-the-Numbers book, and I think it was by far the best. Unlike the usual Plum novels, here you have the addition of Diesel and his strange abilities, which makes for a different sort of adventure for Stephanie. However, along the way are all your favorites -- Morelli, Ranger (though it could have used more Ranger), Lula, Grandma, stubborn bail jumpers, and wrecked vehicles. Oh, and Elmer the fire farter. I'll say no more about him. And let's not forget about Carl the monkey, who was a much more pleasant addition than I expected. The scientific plot here is a little more confusing than the usual Plum mystery, but I really enjoyed this listen.

Another silly, but fun and easy read on the adventures of Miss Plum. Don't take any of the books in the series seriously, and you'll fine yourself smiling at the ridiculous situations she finds herself in. It's pure silly escapism at its best.

One day, life is normal and you're a single, attractive female bounty hunter babysitting a friend's monkey and chasing down bail bond jumpers in a used Jeep armed with a can of mace and a set of handcuffs. You come home looking forward to a night of pizza, beer and TV with your boyfriend. The boyfriend has left a message on your cell phone that he is babysitting his kid brother who has been kicked out by his wife, so he won't be over. Then you spot a pair of strange men's boots in your living room and 6'3" of blonde, blue-eyed muscle sprawled on your bed.

Stephanie Plum is a hunk magnet. She already has Joe Morelli and Ranger, two of Trenton's most eligible bachelor law enforcement types, wrapped around her little finger. Morelli and Stephanie have been an item since they were in high school. His family and hers consider it a matter of time before they make it legal. They have nearly made it to the altar twice, but life gets in their way.

Ranger, the mysterious Cuban surveillance company executive, could be called "life" as in life force, but he's not really the problem. In fact, Morelli has Ranger pretty much pigeon-holed in Stephanie's life as a colleague. He's dangerous and great backup in emergencies and was a potential threat as a romantic rival at one time, but Morelli and Ranger have sorted things out where Stephanie is concerned. Mostly. Then there's Diesel. He has everybody spooked. Who is he? What is he? And how does he walk through walls? Diesel tends to show up around holidays. With Stephanie's help he defused some Christmas elves who got out of hand, a not-so-lucky leprechaun, and a romance writer with larceny in her lonely heart.

He is the designated plug puller on a class of super-human individuals known among themselves as the Unmentionables. There are rules of engagement among Unmentionables, but when one of them gets carried away, tosses the rule book aside and jumps the fence, Diesel is summoned to fix things. Since Diesel and Stephanie have worked together on a couple of incidents, he takes Stephanie's hospitality for granted. This time, it's Diesel's close relative, Berwulf Grimoire, aka Wulf, who has come up with a plan to control the world's climate.

One of Stephanie's bail jumpers is a nerdy physics whiz named Munch, wanted for stealing a magnetometer from a Trenton lab. When she and her sidekick Lula try to collar the skinny little guy, he nips out the pet door of his house and the chase is on. It turns out that the magnetometer Munch stole is exactly what Wulf needs to complete his weather control device, hidden in a secret facility in the Jersey Barrens, a wildland just outside Trenton.

Anyone who has read a Stephanie Plum novel knows that as soon as her latest set of wheels is introduced, something ballistic is in sight and her insurance rates are going up again. Using the Jeep to navigate the Jersey barrens in a monsoon storm proves to be an adventure for Stephanie, Carl, the pet monkey in her charge, Lula and a number of woodland creatures, leading to a classic Stephanie Plum demolition derby event.

Morelli quite literally phones it in during the three-day madness when Stephanie is in more danger than ever before at the hands of the murderous Wulf as she pursues Munch through the Jersey Barrens. Out of cell phone range and the car with Ranger's tracer left behind, Stephanie is left to her own devices in the forest primeval. If, after reading this book you are tempted to go out and get a pet monkey as cute as Carl for a pet, think twice. Just because Carl can play Super Mario Brothers on a hand-held computer doesn't mean they all can.

PLUM SPOOKY is the fourth installment in the Between-the-Numbers series with more certain to follow.

--- Reviewed by Roz Shea

Yes the book is ridiculous,but in this day and age with all the problems that overwhelm us maybe a ridiculous book is what is needed. They say laughter's the best medicine so I am prescribing "plum spooky" to read. I laughed so hard at Lulu blowing up the fuel depot that I cried! Back in the "old days" slapstick what the norm and got everyone thru the Great depression. Well folks you can't get any more slapstick than Stephanie,Diesel Lulu and Carl the monkey,not to mention the Easter bunny Big foot and Elmer the fire farter!I thank Janet Evanovich for making this ridiculous book and I hope it makes someone laugh like I did!

I love the outrageous Stephanie Plum books, but I was truly disappointed with this one. It didn't make much sense. Even the title didn't make much sense. I was expecting something Hallowe'en themed, and instead it's a silly book about changing the weather and monkeys. There are plenty of antics and Stephanie finds herself in lots of scapes. And she loses another vehicle. but the book just didn't make much sense at all. We have Diesel back and that was something, but there's not much of Morelli or Ranger in this one. I sure hope the next number book is better than this "between the numbers" book was.

Audio/Abridged: First, let me say that I really, really love the Plum series. I hate, HATE, the in-between stories, and I don't know why I keep punishing my self with them. I got this one at the annual Library sale for $3 bucks and I should have bought a pack of cigarettes and killed myself slowly instead. The regular Plum series is so far-fetched anyway, but I let it got b/c it's good story telling. Stephanie is such a doormat in this series. I found myself yelling at my car cd player. No more.

The book had a good story line but it did have its problems. Everyone loves the storyline to have grandma doing crazy things, Ranger helping Stephanie and alwasy comin so close - but not. Morelli the cop and boyfriend. We did lean about him more in this book. The storyline with his brother and sister in law made this book more enjoyable.
What was wrong with this book. 1)Grandma always goes to funeral she should of gone to the one in the book and help Stephanie learn things. 2) The monkey was cute but allitle bit goes along way. When he was lost and they were without him it was wonderfull. 3) Tank is suppose to be a tuff guy why give him 3 cats and a storybook house with him caring pictures of his cats in his wallet and not Lula..4) Lula is sick threw-out this book and we learn she is alegetric to cats and Tank leave here for the cats!! 5) Diesel pops in and give us a break he is a saint in bed with Stephanie and where is Morelli & Ranger ok with this --NOT is the way it should of been and they should of cause problems for them.

Janet needs to remember people love the interplay with Stephanie, Ranger, Morelli, Lula, Grandma, her parents and of course all the bail jumpers. Lets get back to this and move forward.

Throughout the Janet Evanovich books, the more that came out, the more bad reviews there were. I read the reviews for this book and waited for the paperback because of some of the bad ones. I worried for no reason. With the exception of Plum Lucky, I have loved all of the books.

This one was filled with fun laughs about monkeys and Diesel, of course. Its not like the other books where when Diesel comes into play, Ranger and Morelli leave. In this book you get to see all three of Stephanie's Hunks. The plot is interesting and will keep you guessing. The new characters are very interesting and Wulf gave me the heebie geebies.

Bottom Line: Ignore the bad reviews, this book was great!

This was the first full-length Between-the-Numbers book, and I think it was by far the best. Unlike the usual Plum novels, here you have the addition of Diesel and his strange abilities, which makes for a different sort of adventure for Stephanie. However, along the way are all your favorites -- Morelli, Ranger (though it could have used more Ranger), Lula, Grandma, stubborn bail jumpers, and wrecked vehicles. Oh, and Elmer the fire farter. I'll say no more about him. And let's not forget about Carl the monkey, who was a much more pleasant addition than I expected. The scientific plot here is a little more confusing than the usual Plum mystery, but I really enjoyed this listen.

Another silly, but fun and easy read on the adventures of Miss Plum. Don't take any of the books in the series seriously, and you'll fine yourself smiling at the ridiculous situations she finds herself in. It's pure silly escapism at its best.

One day, life is normal and you're a single, attractive female bounty hunter babysitting a friend's monkey and chasing down bail bond jumpers in a used Jeep armed with a can of mace and a set of handcuffs. You come home looking forward to a night of pizza, beer and TV with your boyfriend. The boyfriend has left a message on your cell phone that he is babysitting his kid brother who has been kicked out by his wife, so he won't be over. Then you spot a pair of strange men's boots in your living room and 6'3" of blonde, blue-eyed muscle sprawled on your bed.

Stephanie Plum is a hunk magnet. She already has Joe Morelli and Ranger, two of Trenton's most eligible bachelor law enforcement types, wrapped around her little finger. Morelli and Stephanie have been an item since they were in high school. His family and hers consider it a matter of time before they make it legal. They have nearly made it to the altar twice, but life gets in their way.

Ranger, the mysterious Cuban surveillance company executive, could be called "life" as in life force, but he's not really the problem. In fact, Morelli has Ranger pretty much pigeon-holed in Stephanie's life as a colleague. He's dangerous and great backup in emergencies and was a potential threat as a romantic rival at one time, but Morelli and Ranger have sorted things out where Stephanie is concerned. Mostly. Then there's Diesel. He has everybody spooked. Who is he? What is he? And how does he walk through walls? Diesel tends to show up around holidays. With Stephanie's help he defused some Christmas elves who got out of hand, a not-so-lucky leprechaun, and a romance writer with larceny in her lonely heart.

He is the designated plug puller on a class of super-human individuals known among themselves as the Unmentionables. There are rules of engagement among Unmentionables, but when one of them gets carried away, tosses the rule book aside and jumps the fence, Diesel is summoned to fix things. Since Diesel and Stephanie have worked together on a couple of incidents, he takes Stephanie's hospitality for granted. This time, it's Diesel's close relative, Berwulf Grimoire, aka Wulf, who has come up with a plan to control the world's climate.

One of Stephanie's bail jumpers is a nerdy physics whiz named Munch, wanted for stealing a magnetometer from a Trenton lab. When she and her sidekick Lula try to collar the skinny little guy, he nips out the pet door of his house and the chase is on. It turns out that the magnetometer Munch stole is exactly what Wulf needs to complete his weather control device, hidden in a secret facility in the Jersey Barrens, a wildland just outside Trenton.

Anyone who has read a Stephanie Plum novel knows that as soon as her latest set of wheels is introduced, something ballistic is in sight and her insurance rates are going up again. Using the Jeep to navigate the Jersey barrens in a monsoon storm proves to be an adventure for Stephanie, Carl, the pet monkey in her charge, Lula and a number of woodland creatures, leading to a classic Stephanie Plum demolition derby event.

Morelli quite literally phones it in during the three-day madness when Stephanie is in more danger than ever before at the hands of the murderous Wulf as she pursues Munch through the Jersey Barrens. Out of cell phone range and the car with Ranger's tracer left behind, Stephanie is left to her own devices in the forest primeval. If, after reading this book you are tempted to go out and get a pet monkey as cute as Carl for a pet, think twice. Just because Carl can play Super Mario Brothers on a hand-held computer doesn't mean they all can.

PLUM SPOOKY is the fourth installment in the Between-the-Numbers series with more certain to follow.

--- Reviewed by Roz Shea

Yes the book is ridiculous,but in this day and age with all the problems that overwhelm us maybe a ridiculous book is what is needed. They say laughter's the best medicine so I am prescribing "plum spooky" to read. I laughed so hard at Lulu blowing up the fuel depot that I cried! Back in the "old days" slapstick what the norm and got everyone thru the Great depression. Well folks you can't get any more slapstick than Stephanie,Diesel Lulu and Carl the monkey,not to mention the Easter bunny Big foot and Elmer the fire farter!I thank Janet Evanovich for making this ridiculous book and I hope it makes someone laugh like I did!

This book had some funny parts to it, but it was mostly very slapstick and unbelievable.
I got real tired of the monkey flipping folks off very fast.
Remebering back to some of the first Plum books, these recient ones are just not up to par.
Too many good looking men, too many slapstick adventures, too much unbeleivablity. And she does not wat to have sex with said guys, give me a break.
I love lula, Stephanie and Grandma but this book was just a bore.
I gave this only 2 stars and was sad that i paid so much for it. Hopefully i can resell it and buy a good murder mystery with the funds,

I love the outrageous Stephanie Plum books, but I was truly disappointed with this one. It didn't make much sense. Even the title didn't make much sense. I was expecting something Hallowe'en themed, and instead it's a silly book about changing the weather and monkeys. There are plenty of antics and Stephanie finds herself in lots of scapes. And she loses another vehicle. but the book just didn't make much sense at all. We have Diesel back and that was something, but there's not much of Morelli or Ranger in this one. I sure hope the next number book is better than this "between the numbers" book was.

Audio/Abridged: First, let me say that I really, really love the Plum series. I hate, HATE, the in-between stories, and I don't know why I keep punishing my self with them. I got this one at the annual Library sale for $3 bucks and I should have bought a pack of cigarettes and killed myself slowly instead. The regular Plum series is so far-fetched anyway, but I let it got b/c it's good story telling. Stephanie is such a doormat in this series. I found myself yelling at my car cd player. No more.

The book had a good story line but it did have its problems. Everyone loves the storyline to have grandma doing crazy things, Ranger helping Stephanie and alwasy comin so close - but not. Morelli the cop and boyfriend. We did lean about him more in this book. The storyline with his brother and sister in law made this book more enjoyable.
What was wrong with this book. 1)Grandma always goes to funeral she should of gone to the one in the book and help Stephanie learn things. 2) The monkey was cute but allitle bit goes along way. When he was lost and they were without him it was wonderfull. 3) Tank is suppose to be a tuff guy why give him 3 cats and a storybook house with him caring pictures of his cats in his wallet and not Lula..4) Lula is sick threw-out this book and we learn she is alegetric to cats and Tank leave here for the cats!! 5) Diesel pops in and give us a break he is a saint in bed with Stephanie and where is Morelli & Ranger ok with this --NOT is the way it should of been and they should of cause problems for them.

Janet needs to remember people love the interplay with Stephanie, Ranger, Morelli, Lula, Grandma, her parents and of course all the bail jumpers. Lets get back to this and move forward.

How anybody could not like this latest 'between the numbers' entry is beyond me. Stephanie is at her best (ruining cars, blowing up buildings, exciting the interests of fab men like Joe Morelli, Ranger, and, well, yes, Diesel). As a working bounty hunter, she actually gets the body tickets on several FTAS, while working a case involving far-out techno-psychos and a bunch of monkeys. Who could ask for anything more? Janet Evanovich is the one writer I would most like to be left with on a desert island -- and here is all of her best stuff: great characters (Lula the ex-'ho is at her best, although Grandma Masur is only in this one briefly, and Vinnie Plum doesn't actually make an appearance); wonderfully sexy men (Joe and Ranger, although Diesel I can take or leave); and all the Jersey ambience you could ask for. A Cadillac Escalade figures largely here, as well as the Pine Barrens -- the legacy of Tony S.????. Anyway, the usual cast of characters is enlarged with the weirdo inhabitants of the Pine Barrens: Sasqwatch (SP?), Elmo the Fire-Farter, and the Jersey Devil, e.g. I laughed and laughed, as always with Janet. More, more, more, I always wish for.......

I was so excited that plum spooky was coming out, then to find out it was about 300 pages, bonus. Most of the inbetween books are 150 pages or so. So i thought this has to be better. Well, so far I am wrong, I am only half way thru this book and I am bored... I love reading about Stephanie and the gang, but this one is actually putting me to sleep at night. Usually I can read 200-300 pages a night. It is my relaxing time after I put both my kids to bed (both under 3). But the last two nights I fell asleep reading this book. To one point I want to give up, but then I think I'm half way done. I am just glad I did not buy this from the store, I got it from my library.

I hope Janet sees these reviews, because I want the old Plum books back. I reread 1-10 at least 3 times. I love those books, but lately it just seems like she is just writing to make a buck.

A group of friends & I decided to read this book for October for Halloween (none of us really like horror). I have only read a few of the Stephanie Plum books (and most of those a long time ago), but I was able to jump in with no problems. The book was definitely light on plot, but it was what was I was looking for at the time. I did laugh out loud at times, and the characters are definitely interesting, though sometimes a little predictable. Overall, it was a great, fast read.

What I expect from a Stephanie Plum book is a light, funny, fast-moving tale with quirky characters and at least three laugh out loud moments. I got that in this book. So many romantic writers strive to be funny and so few amuse me anymore, but so far Evanovich and Stephanie have always delivered a good time.

If you're looking for Classic English Lit stuff, with elapsed time and solid progressive character development, go read a Robert B Parker (whom I also like very much). If you're looking for a mood lightener and a darn good time, any of the Plum books, including this one, deliver.

I do not usually write reviews but I want to write this one because of the few bad reviews. I have read and liked all of the Stephanie Plum books, and some are better than others.
If you have read this series, you already know what to expect and this novel continues the crazy life of Stephanie Plum. I did find this one really funny. I am an animal lover and they just added to the charm of this story.
Stephanie once again sets out to catch the bad guys and as usual, she gets in way over her head. This time, Diesel comes back into her life and once again, everything goes really crazy.
I loved the monkey Carl, the fire farter, and Lula this time around. How could you not laugh at them? I do admit, some of the others were a little over the top.
Morelli, Ranger, Wulf, & Diesel all added extra steam to the story while the rest of the cast just made you smile.
I recommend this book to any Stephanie Plum follower. This "In-Between-the-novel" took me away from todays current burdens and made me laugh out loud.
Good job Janet Evanovich, thanks for taking me away.

I've waited a long time to make this review to get my thoughts together. I do think this book was better than 14. But then, I thought the Sears ad in Sunday's paper was better than 14. This book has some humorous moments in it, and I think it sounded more like Janet's "voice" than the last couple of books. I don't expect the Stephanie Plum books to be great literature, but I feel like I progressed beyond fart and monkey humor many years ago. But while I found some humorous parts, what really got to me the most, and ruined the book, was the use of domestic abuse as humor. There is nothing funny about cheating spouses, the courts and morgues are full of cheaters gone bad. The fact that Janet would manipulate Morelli into manipulating Stephanie into talking his SIL into taking back this abusive spouse because "it's what Morelli women do", is neither funny nor acceptable in my world. So while I'll give this book two stars because it was a step above 14, it's not anything that will ever have a place on my bookshelf.

Frankly, I didn't like it! I found it the weakest and unfunniest of all the "Betweens" so far. "Plum Lucky" is hilarious, and Doug is quite believeable. But the Carl character in Spooky is just too far over the top, in my opinion and spoils the limited credibility of the rest of the story, which is itself a bit on the unbelieveable side. 2 Stars maximum, 1 minimum, so 1-1/2.

I have been a fan of JE for quite some time. I have read (and re-read) all of her books, not just the Stephanie Plum series, many times. However, I had been disappointed with number 14 and the last between the numbers book, Plum Lucky. However, I think that JE redeemed herself with this book somewhat. I like Diesel and agree with other reviewers that he should have his own series. I think that the moments with Carl were fairly funny. I think that too many readers try to take this too seriously. Come on people, it's a book about "unmentionables." It's not meant to be taken seriously. I think that the supernatural parts of the between the numbers books might work better than the regular books because it really forces you to suspend all logic and reality.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I especially love the image of big ole' Tank carrying around pictures of his cats in his wallet!! How perfect!! I think that Janet is redeeming herself. I hope she continues this upward trend on book 15.

PLUM SPOOKY is another great story by Janet Evanovich.

Once again, Stephanie Plum is on the hunt for a very weird person. This time it's a guy named Munch. Hot and very mysterious Diesel pops up to help, bringing a nice edge to the story, as well as some excellent sexual tension.

I laughed my whole way through the book...and I think I now have a crush on Diesel.

Audio version of this book was entertaining. Not Ms. Evanovich's best by far. The monkey wore on me (and kind of gave me the creeps). CDs of the Plum Series were much more enjoyable when C.J. Critt was doing them (especially voices of Morelli and Ranger). I miss her!

I recently came into the world of Stephanie Plum and was suprised to learn that in addition to the 15 regular books, there are also "In-Between-the-Numbers" novels. No wonder it's starting to get old. There were funny moments in this novel, mostly from the weird dezizens of the Pine Barrens, but much of the intended humor did not amuse me much.

One other thing that annoyed me: Does she really need another man in her life? Aren't two enough? What is it about Stephanie Plum that gets three men in her bed? Make a decision and marry someone already, woman!

We got this book on audio, and listened to it on a major trip. We laughed so hard we had to pull over and find a rest area. Even our two sons (ages 12 and 9) stopped goofing off and were listening. Whenever we stopped, they couldn't wait to get going and start the story again. * I have read other reviews, and I cannot believe that anyone would give this book less than five stars. Yes, the story can be ridiculous at times; but that's what makes it fun. What a great read! * Janet Evanovich has a wonderful sense of humor, and we get most of her books and take them on long drives simply because we cannot stand to stop the stories.

This book had so much over-the-top silly comedy that I couldn't even finish it. If you like that type of humor, you might enjoy it, but if you are hoping for the character of the earlier by-the-numbers Plum books, this book may not work for you.

I expect a light "beach read" when I buy a Stephanie Plum book (I've bought & read them all), and I'm willing to pay hard cover prices for the by-the-numbers books even though they're quick reads, but releasing these between-the-numbers books as hard covers is asking way too much of us readers... Maybe if the books were paperback and had a whole different look to them, so it was clear they were supposed to have a different style and quality as the by-the-numbers books, it wouldn't be so painful...

Let me first say that Janet Evanovich at her worst is quite often more entertaining than many other authors at their best. Several of her last books seemed to lack the "joi de vivre" that some of her earlier novels had, but with "Plum Spooky" she is back in rare form. I laughed my way through the book, enjoying every minute of Stephanie's newest adventures. This is the perfect book for a bad day, a rainy day, a day when you need a little laughter in your life.

This has got to be the funniest Stephanie Plum adventure I've read so far (and I've read most of them). I laughed SO MANY TIMES in SO MANY PLACES in the book. This was pure mind entertainment for me. A real fun (and funny) book, if you like non-fiction. Diesel, Carl the Monkey, the Fire Farter and all the other regular characters were such a hoot. I wanted Carl, especially, to come back in her future books. For escapism, this is Janet Evanovich at her best in my opinion.

Lighten up people. I found this book fun and hated to see it end. As always it was laugh out loud funny. Guess I'm not as sophisticated as the other reviewers here.

Keep them coming Janet ... I look forward to every afternoon I spend chuckling at Stephanie's adventures. And if my wife is correct about my "guy status" in this world you can tell Stephanie that there is a 4th hot guy who has it bad for Stephanie Plum.

I really enjoyed this book. I'm more of a smiler than someone who laughs out loud, but I had a number of moments with this book where I laughed out loud. I thought the plot was just fine--it wasn't intricate, but I wasn't looking for that. I was looking for a book to entertain me, and this one did a great job.

There are some strange problems with the Kindle edition, though. Throughout the book, I found a number of instances where words were interrupted by spaces. For example, the words were along the lines of "per form ance". I found these words fairly distracting.

"Plum Spooky" is a magical delight for Stephanie Plum fans. I have not been a fan of her past novellas and Fearless 14, but I found myself laughing out loud for many parts. I was skeptical of a Halloween theme in mid January, but instead of focusing on Halloween, it focused around mysterious and "spooky" happenings during her Bond trailing. Diesel (for once) is charming and the monkey adds a little humor. Although, since this was a bigger novella than her other ones I would have liked more Morelli and Ranger. (go Ranger)

So why do I give it 4-Stars? This series has no growth and no character development. It continues to be a fun and interesting read but nothing ever changes, not even the plot developments. Different skips, same plot outline. And 14+ books into the series and Stephanie is still nowhere closer to choosing a man. I know Janet is only contracted through 16 books and is considering more, but I say let a good thing go and stop at 16.

I have to say, I enjoyed this book. Everyone of her books has me laughing out loud (which is a little embarrassing on public transportation). I go into these books knowing they aren't Pulitzer Prize winning pieces; just pure entertainment. Besides, these between-the-numbers books help tide me over until the next full novel comes out. I found Carl the monkey cute. I wish there was more with Joe and Ranger but I know this is Diesel's time to shine. No matter what, Lula is a hoot. I can hardly wait until June with the 15th book comes out.

I started to read the sample, but just like one other reviewer I found the odd spacing to be a detriment to the ability to smoothly read, and somewhat jarring too.

When I tried to have it read to me (one of my favorite features of the Kindle) I found that here too it did not do a good job. It includes extraneous punctuation marks as part of the reading, something that does not happen with my other books. Additionally the split words in the type also split in the audio version.

I think that with so many other choices I would wait until the address some of these problems

I've not been a big fan of the between the numbers series. This is the best of the worst and it was way too expensive. God bless libraries!

I did like E.Bunny and some of the other strange characters that showed up along the way.

Worth the reading time, still has the Evanovich humor, but due to the cost probably not a book to be purchased.

We got this book on audio, and listened to it on a major trip. We laughed so hard we had to pull over and find a rest area. Even our two sons (ages 12 and 9) stopped goofing off and were listening. Whenever we stopped, they couldn't wait to get going and start the story again. * I have read other reviews, and I cannot believe that anyone would give this book less than five stars. Yes, the story can be ridiculous at times; but that's what makes it fun. What a great read! * Janet Evanovich has a wonderful sense of humor, and we get most of her books and take them on long drives simply because we cannot stand to stop the stories.

This book had so much over-the-top silly comedy that I couldn't even finish it. If you like that type of humor, you might enjoy it, but if you are hoping for the character of the earlier by-the-numbers Plum books, this book may not work for you.

I expect a light "beach read" when I buy a Stephanie Plum book (I've bought & read them all), and I'm willing to pay hard cover prices for the by-the-numbers books even though they're quick reads, but releasing these between-the-numbers books as hard covers is asking way too much of us readers... Maybe if the books were paperback and had a whole different look to them, so it was clear they were supposed to have a different style and quality as the by-the-numbers books, it wouldn't be so painful...

Let me first say that Janet Evanovich at her worst is quite often more entertaining than many other authors at their best. Several of her last books seemed to lack the "joi de vivre" that some of her earlier novels had, but with "Plum Spooky" she is back in rare form. I laughed my way through the book, enjoying every minute of Stephanie's newest adventures. This is the perfect book for a bad day, a rainy day, a day when you need a little laughter in your life.

This has got to be the funniest Stephanie Plum adventure I've read so far (and I've read most of them). I laughed SO MANY TIMES in SO MANY PLACES in the book. This was pure mind entertainment for me. A real fun (and funny) book, if you like non-fiction. Diesel, Carl the Monkey, the Fire Farter and all the other regular characters were such a hoot. I wanted Carl, especially, to come back in her future books. For escapism, this is Janet Evanovich at her best in my opinion.

Lighten up people. I found this book fun and hated to see it end. As always it was laugh out loud funny. Guess I'm not as sophisticated as the other reviewers here.

Keep them coming Janet ... I look forward to every afternoon I spend chuckling at Stephanie's adventures. And if my wife is correct about my "guy status" in this world you can tell Stephanie that there is a 4th hot guy who has it bad for Stephanie Plum.

I really enjoyed this book. I'm more of a smiler than someone who laughs out loud, but I had a number of moments with this book where I laughed out loud. I thought the plot was just fine--it wasn't intricate, but I wasn't looking for that. I was looking for a book to entertain me, and this one did a great job.

There are some strange problems with the Kindle edition, though. Throughout the book, I found a number of instances where words were interrupted by spaces. For example, the words were along the lines of "per form ance". I found these words fairly distracting.

"Plum Spooky" is a magical delight for Stephanie Plum fans. I have not been a fan of her past novellas and Fearless 14, but I found myself laughing out loud for many parts. I was skeptical of a Halloween theme in mid January, but instead of focusing on Halloween, it focused around mysterious and "spooky" happenings during her Bond trailing. Diesel (for once) is charming and the monkey adds a little humor. Although, since this was a bigger novella than her other ones I would have liked more Morelli and Ranger. (go Ranger)

So why do I give it 4-Stars? This series has no growth and no character development. It continues to be a fun and interesting read but nothing ever changes, not even the plot developments. Different skips, same plot outline. And 14+ books into the series and Stephanie is still nowhere closer to choosing a man. I know Janet is only contracted through 16 books and is considering more, but I say let a good thing go and stop at 16.

I have to say, I enjoyed this book. Everyone of her books has me laughing out loud (which is a little embarrassing on public transportation). I go into these books knowing they aren't Pulitzer Prize winning pieces; just pure entertainment. Besides, these between-the-numbers books help tide me over until the next full novel comes out. I found Carl the monkey cute. I wish there was more with Joe and Ranger but I know this is Diesel's time to shine. No matter what, Lula is a hoot. I can hardly wait until June with the 15th book comes out.

I started to read the sample, but just like one other reviewer I found the odd spacing to be a detriment to the ability to smoothly read, and somewhat jarring too.

When I tried to have it read to me (one of my favorite features of the Kindle) I found that here too it did not do a good job. It includes extraneous punctuation marks as part of the reading, something that does not happen with my other books. Additionally the split words in the type also split in the audio version.

I think that with so many other choices I would wait until the address some of these problems

I've not been a big fan of the between the numbers series. This is the best of the worst and it was way too expensive. God bless libraries!

I did like E.Bunny and some of the other strange characters that showed up along the way.

Worth the reading time, still has the Evanovich humor, but due to the cost probably not a book to be purchased.

I love that the Stephanie Plum series is set in New Jersey. I learned alot about the Pine Barrens in Plum Spooky, an area of my native state that I'm not too familar with. However, there were 2 references to Stepanie (& Diesel) pumping gas in that book, a fact that any Jersey Girl would never want to do (besides, it's illegal to pump your own gas in New Jersey). Other than that, I love the outrageous characters and plots of Janet Evanovich's books.

I, too, have enjoyed the Plum series over the years. I only expect to be entertained and to chuckle once in a while. Plum Spooky really didn't do it for me, however. I'm hoping Janet's next offering hits home. I've found a new legal thriller author in J. Lance Erikson. I highly recommend The Fraud

Although a "Between-the-Numbers" novel, all the main characters we know and love are present. The Evanovich novel are always a fun read...Carl the Monkey giving the finger all the time does get old but this is minor. The Stephanie Plum series always gets my mind off the tedium of everyday life with her wacky friends and people she has to hunt down who failed to appear in court. Stephanie's character always has some really funny lines I laugh so hard I cry. Another excellent addition to the Evanovich mysteries. Think some of the readers may be taking things a bit too seriously...it's a fun and entertaining read.

Jacqui Taylor
Author of "The Traveler's Guide to Photographic New England: MASSACHUSETTS"
[...]

With the ecoonomy going into the tank, and IRAs acting like the incredible shrinking man, it helps to escape for a while into the world of Plum. I did not like the novel quite as well as last year's Plum Lucky, but it is hard to match the horse and the streaker that one found in that novel. Still, it is some light entertainment (the author should never be accused of writing great literature).

The monkey is back, starting early in the novel, and Diesel is back. Morelli and Ranger make their usual cameo appearances as Stephi and Lula account for most of the action. Stephi, as usual, is working for her cousin Vinnie's bail bond company, and is out looking for people who skipped their court dates. In particular, she is looking for one individual who seems very hard to find, and who is associated with someone who is highly dangerous.

The case takes Stephi and Lula into the New Jersey Pine Barrens, so you get a look at that part of New Jersey. As usual with Stephi, you can expect things like blown up buildings. And then, of course, there is the monkey. The language is somewhat earthy, as one might expect.

I didn't think it was possible to be bored reading about Stephanie but it is. i love Ranger and when he was there, he bored me. I hope the next one is better. Otherwise, I might wait until it ends so I can find out who she ends up with. It is getting apparent that nothing interesting is going to happen between now and then.

Okay, I've been a fan since day one of Evanovich. I've bought books for friends, I've gone to signings, I've sang praises from the rooftop, HOWEVER....the last few books, while amusing, are not as good as the first few. Those were the best of the best. This one? I can't even get through it. I hate the monkey bits, seriously, a mashed potato eating monkey fed by a big strapping hunk? Every description is in the first fourteen books and by now, old. I'm sad that my favorite series has lost it's serious, suspenseful tone and been replaced by ridiculous comedy.

I also, will not be buying another Stephanie Plum novel. Until, at least, I hear the standard has been raised once again.

I love the Janet Evanovich numbers series and this is one "between the numbers." It was a great story with a character I had not encountered before, Diesel, and still includes the ever present Ranger. I thought it was a good, fast, intriguing read as usual but less sex scenes by Stephanie. Great read, definiately recommend it!

Check out my other book reviews: [...]

I realize that a lot of Evanovich readers refer the "number" novels, but I've had to work to finish the last few. They seem like the plots are written to make sure that all the characters we expect to see have been given a set amount of space, no more or less. Thanks God Grandma was kept on the sideline this time!

What I liked about Plum Spooky was the way Evanovich seemed to let her hair down and write a book that was as funny as the first few in the series. Several of the gags in the book made me laugh out loud and that hasn't happened during one of Stephanie's outings lately.

I admit it. I am a Ranger fan. I look forward to each book hoping to learn more about him. Some books have more Ranger in them than others, but I'm an addict and I'll take what I can get. When it comes to literary heroes, I've never been as smitten as I am with Ranger. He trumps even Jane Austen's Mr. Darcy.

But no matter how much I love Ranger, I am first and foremost a Stephanie fan. She came onto the scene, armed with mascara and attitude, and I couldn't help but root for her. I wanted Stephanie to succeed, to get everything she ever dared dream, and I wanted to be there to see it when she did. Ranger may be my romantic fantasy, but Stephanie Plum is my hero.

Plum Spooky did not sit well with me. I didn't hate it, but I didn't like it, either. In a week's time, I doubt I'll remember anything about it. (I can't remember much about it now.) It wasn't romantic or funny or witty. I didn't walk away feeling empowered or uplifted, like I used to do after a Plum book. In fact, I didn't walk away feeling anything at all...except maybe a little sad.

Some people are angry about the money, $30 for a book they felt wasn't worth it. Others are angry about the content, Diesel and fart jokes and monkeys. Those are both valid and reasonable complaints regarding this book. But what I was most disappointed with was Stephanie. This is her story. These books revolve around her. They don't work without her.

So where was she?

I know there are a lot of people who either think Stephanie should get married already and pop out a few kids, or on the flip side, train to be an assassin. I don't care for either of those scenarios. Neither mesh with the spirited bounty hunter we've grown to love, and you know what? I like Stephanie. I don't want her to change. I want her to grow and I want her to develop, but I don't want her to change. At her core, she's a kind-hearted, loving, resilient person whose mistakes and flaws make her human. What is there to fix?

The last several books have tampered with that, though. Her character hasn't grown or developed. It has withered under the weight of guilt and obligation. This character who used to admit freely (to us, anyway) that she had feelings for two men, has suppressed that honesty in favor of a politically correct (and fanbase pacifying) beauty queen speech. It isn't that she sincerely feels one way or another, but more accurately, that she thinks she should. And that has allowed her character (and the series) to stagnate.

Part of the the problem is her relationship with Joe Morelli. The difference between Morelli and Ranger is that Morelli is the person he will always be, both good and bad. Ranger, on the other hand, may not be relationship material right now, but he's still evolving, a character trait he shares with Stephanie. It doesn't take much to imagine what a life with Morelli would entail - messy house, messy kids, family dinner, Bob the Dog, and an SUV - but is that who Stephanie is, or is that who Morelli wants/needs her to be for their relationship to work? Before she settles down with either guy, I want to see Stephanie learn to accept and love herself. But for that to happen, Evanovich will have to take Stephanie out of her comfort zone and let her form her own shape before she tries to force her into some prefabricated mold of what a Burg wife "should" be.

When I close the last book in the series, I don't want to be plagued with nightmares of Stephanie ending up a stereotypical Burg wife like her mother, or worse, like Angie Morelli, Joe's sister in law. I want the satisfaction of knowing that whatever she got, it was exactly what she wanted, and she worked hard to get it. There may have been setbacks, but there were NO substitutions.

But when I read a book like this, the fourth book in a row that has made no progress whatsoever in the development of the three main characters, I can't help but wonder, what the hell happened?

Plum Spooky is another madcap romp filled with eccentric characters and over the top situations. Comparable to the other between the number books, this short novel has its share of laughs, but if you're looking for character development, stick with the numbered Plums. They reign supreme. If you want something more in the vein of numbered Plums, try Gemma Halliday or Shelly Fredman's No Such Thing Series. Well worth it.

I love Carl. He reappears from the last book right at the beginning of this one and is delightfully with us all the way through. I see the between the Numbers books as even lighter fare than the Numbered romps. Deisel is always bigger than life and any book including Ranger is sexy to me. These between books seem to be even more over the top than the regular ones, and crazier. Suspend reality and enjoy the ride.

Wulf,horrible character,monkey gets boring fast. I always love these books,but Deisel was only ok. I read another book a few years ago,were the bad guys were also using chemicals to seed the clouds in Orange county,kind of thought Janet took the idea from that book.Grandma wasn't funny either,This whole book just missed. I hope Wulf never reappears-send him up with the rockets to the clouds.

"Between the Numbers" is a big surprise. It would be a great book for anyone who has not read the series and would like to ease into it. At the same time, I think it is one of her funniest yet in the Stephanie Plum installments. I have read the 14 books in the Plum series & I highly recommend "Between the Numbers". Meanwhile, I can't wait for #15.

This was a huge waste of time. This was the first book I have read by Janet Evanovich, and now the very last! A train wreck, I couldn't put it down, because I have to finish every book I start, but what pure absolute crap! Fire-farting freaks, annoying monkey antics, a "wolf" man that disapears into flames...geez...[...]

This, and all other, "between the numbers" books are nothing but money-grubbing propositions for Ms. Evanovich. The story lines in all of them read more like a smarmy romance novel crossed with a science fiction tale. Stick to the books with a number in the title for the real thing. Don't waste your money on these thin, over-priced, not-very-interesting books.

I have to be honest...I have not really enjoyed Ms. Evanovich's between the numbers books. However, I classify this one as an exception! I LOVED it! I found myself literally laughing until I had tears in my eyes as I read. Thank you Janet for confirming for my children that their mother has indeed lost her mind! LOL A MUST READ!

Laughed so hard at this book, that reading it before going to sleep wasn't practical. When the monkeys locked the keys in the car and Ranger wanted to know if she was trying to put the outside monkeys in or get the inside monkeys out, I fell out of bed laughing. I LOVED that she so nonchalantly threw in the Easter Bunny character and had another hysterical laughing fit when they came upon the fire farter's scorched land. I thought this was one of the better between-the-numbers books and highly recommend it!!

These "Between the Numbers" books are "PLUM" GREAT! I highly recommend them to anyone who enjoys easy reading combining mystery and suspense with hilarity! Have never been disappointed with Evanovich!

I loved this book and it was really cute. Not her best work, but still had me rolling. A lot of people don't like these between the novel series, they are kinda out there. But otherwise, will hold you over until the next fix!

If you are a Janet Evanovich fan you will enjoy this book. It is laugh out funny. Diesel,monkeys and outrageous Stephanie situations will keep you laughing out loud. Just love the Stephanie Plum series.

perhaps the worst book i've read in years. at one point the main character is pumping gas outside atlantic city. um, you know you don't pump your own gas in new jersey, don't you? juvenile mistakes like that everywhere. they go into the pine barrens. they come out of the pine barrens. they go back in. they come back out. again and again. not much else happening. sloppily constructed. poorly developed characters. very disappointing.

i love the stephanie plum series so much, but am often disapointed when i read the between the numbers books. the whole unmetionable thing is not my cup of tea, and i always miss morelli and ranger who are hardly mentioned. this one was much better, full length, same fave characters, and a little less of the unmentionable stuff. it was the stephanie plum i look forward to reading. you are going to enjoy this.

Finished this book after wicked appetite. Though it was funny but Carl the Monkey really hit his prime in Wicked Appetite. I really enjoy these books- they are lighthearted funny, rarely too serious. Just a nice esape from the daily grind- if you don't laugh while reading these books- you need shock therapy.

I love how Janet Evanovich keeps you laughing all the way thru the book. I will be reading and just start laughing and everyone looks and thinks you are nuts. I don't ever want her to stop writing about the Plums they are hilarious!!

Great book by Evanovich - again or should I say as usual.
Janet Evanovich has such a great imagination and as way with words. She
describes situations and her characters so vividly that if you close your
eyes you can almost visualize the plot as your reading. Her characters are
always interesting and quirky. Stephanie sounds like a ditz but she really
isn't she just has a way of ending up in strange situations and then she
has to find her way out as gracefully as possible (HAHA).

If you have followed the number series you know who Stephanie Plum is, if not, buy the first book in the series so you can enjoy working your way through. You are in for a feast.

Plum is hilarious but reflective as she works her way through unusual but what turn out to be normal (for her) situations in pursuit of her bond enforcer career.

Enjoy!

Not bad, but a little disappointing. Everything was weird in this book, even for the wacky Stephanie Plum. Of course, if you're a fan like me, you have to read them all. But if your on the fence... I'd skip it.

If you are going to read about Stephanie Plum you gotta lighten up. In the "between the numbers" books, you need to suspend reality and believe in a little magic. I wound up reading this in one day, a very pleasant romp. I had quite a few laugh out loud moments and that is what I look for in JE. I know this is a cash cow for JE and sometimes they feel a little "phoned in," that is why I get them from the library and don't invest in a hardback. This book was fun to read.

I have been a Stephanie Plum fan from the very beginning. I have often counted down the days until the next book is released. This latest book was a complete and absolute disappointment. The characters were stupid! The plot was stupid! Paying nearly $30 for this book was stupid! In my opinion Ms Evanovich has lost her touch. The once sharply written antics of Stephanie and the gang has turned into immature "bodily function tinged" nonsense. Count the number of times the word "fart" appears in this book and I'll bet it is far more than the word Ranger or Morelli. From now on I think I'll wait and pick up future installments in this series at the used book store!

Janet seems to have lost her touch with the past two books. I am not a big fan of the in between books but Plum Spooky was better than Fearless Fourteen. I was attracted to the Stephanie Plum books for the humor which seems to have disappeared. Can three goregous men really want Stephanie? I doubt it. Disappointing.

I can't agree with other reviewers. This was a good Stephanie Plum. I was disappointed in 14, but I enjoyed this one and got some very good laughs. Joe, Ranger and Grandma made it in this "between the numbers" book, and that's a GOOD thing!! It does have silly, nonsense in it. People, this is FICTION, funny fiction!!! Stephanie's life revolves around nutty things happening to her. Diesel is a great caracter and I enjoyed Carl. I hope Ms. Evanovich keeps writing the between books. I am now looking forward to 15!!!!

Janet's characters are easy to relate to and are so everyday funny. Only things can happen to Stephanie but you can easily see how thy could happen to anyone. If only we could all have three men to save us from the evil doers. Could they all be as understanding as Joe, magical as Diesel and heroic as Ranger. Gotta love those men. Another Great Story Janet. Thank YOU.

Ok, so I know that I am in the minority here but I didn't think this book was horrible, silly yes, horrible no. I am looking for entertainment and laughter in these tough and troublesome times and that is what Ms. Evanovich has provided me. When I'm in the land of Plum I feel like I am with old friends some who haven't moved forward some who have not and may never, it just feels familiar and lighthearted. I know when I pick up any of the Plum books that it is not going to be some heavy serious story so I can't fault it for that and as for the price, try the LIBRARY you can't beat the price there.

To me, I thought this book was full of 14 year old boy humor. I outgrew that in middle school. I miss the cutting humor of the older books. The story was ok, but I could have lived without the monkey and the bathroom humor. I think Diesel is the bomb. I still think the books are overpriced for all the white space there is. I've had that complaint with the last few books. Margins you could drive a truck through. An ok library read, but not worth buying.

OK... maybe I'm weird because I think monkeys are funny.... but when you add them to the plot of this book, I thought it was hysterical. The favorite characters are back in this book, and Stephanie was funny as always. Yes, it's not very "thought-provoking" or "deep", but I think if you want a book to sit down and escape with, have a few laughs and forget about real life for awhile, this book is for you!

Honestly I don't know how anyone could not LOVE the world of Stephanie Plum. Even if you've never read the other novels you could love this one.

It's full of food, a big bad wolf, farting, and all of our favorite plum-universe characters. Friends, Janet Evanovich has surely done it again. I really liked the longer (about 300pgs) format, and LOVED that Ranger & Morelli appear more than the usual 1 sentance the other books have. Lula is hilarious as always, Stephanie and Diesel have their work cut out for them... and it's plum fabulous.

I won't say more because really- I wouldn't want to take the joy away from you of reading it yourself. Go get a tastycake and enjoy. Oh- and be ready to laugh- I know I did!

I usually read a few minutes(or longer)before going to sleep using a booklight so that I don't keep my husband awake. I've discovered that I can't read Janet Evanovich novels like this in bed because even if I don't make any noise, I shake too much with laughter because her books so often hit my funny bone. She's great!

I love the Evanovich books...well, most of them. In Spooky, the author departed from her more sophisticated humor and supplied, instead, lots of tricks that would entertain a 12-year-old boy. Come back, Janet! I miss you!

I completely disagree with the negative reviews. I thought Carl was hysterical; he gives people the finger and plays Super Mario, for God's sake. Of course it's outlandish and over the top; it's entertainment, not Dostoyevsky or Kafka. The Easter Bunny and the Fire Farter cracked me up as well. It appears that the author's intent is to offer some light Stephanie to fill in between the (slightly) more serious By The Numbers series; if so, she succeeds famously. Having said all that, it surprised me that no one seemed to get the symbolism of the monkeys; an aspect of the novel to which you nay sayers might wish to devote some thought.

This book was hilarious and just as good, if not better, than her numbered novels. I really couldn't tell the difference between this "between the numbers" book and her regular numbered books. It had the antics of Lula, hunky Ranger, funny Diesel, hilarious Grandma and all of Stefanie's antics, plus a few surprises. I would recommend this book wholeheartedly.

Plum Spooky (A Between-the-Numbers Novel)
Cute book. Not as crazy as some of the other between the numbers series. I found it enjoyable to just breeze through. Easy spring/summer time reading.

First, for most other writers this book would get more stars. But this is Evanovich and her loyal fans know what she's capable of. The book was funny, the light read I expected and wanted, but I was disappointed with the ending. It's like Janet hit her contracted word count and just stopped. I can't point to anything in particular that was unresolved, but I was left with a flat feeling.

I think Janet's publishers are working her too hard. Let up on her, guys!

I have read all of her books and this is my least favorite. The monkey did not annoy me half as much as the constant crap with the "SUPERNATURAL" powers. I never enjoy the half books as much as the numbered series to me they are only half as good. My favorite book to date is Hard Eight.

I thought the book was great. I enjoy reading any book written by Janet Evanovich. She a great story teller.What I like the most is that I can click on the store.com and pre-select my books and see the list of new books coming out. Thank the store for making my book selection so easy.

what a complete waste of time. I've read all of her books and this is not even worth putting on my bookshelf. Wouldn't want any of my friends bothering. More Grandma Mazur and her family's antics are always welcomed in her books. Maybe she needs a long vacation and a new direction. Julie

This is a dismal book and I wonder why it was published. The author is using old one liners and silly concepts and truly awful characters.
Most disappointing. Ms Evanovich should give up if this is all she is now able to produce. Shame on her for thinking so little of her readers.

Okay, I admit I am an Stephanie Plum junkie. This is a great between the numbers book. How can anything that makes you laugh out loud be bad? The only time I became disappointed was when I finished the book. Can't wait until the next one.

This one had me laughing from the first page. The between the numbers books usually have some magical element to them and Diesel is back in Stephanie's life with some paranormal mischief in the form of a vampire(?). Bob the dog doesn't really make an appearance here, but you do get Carl the Monkey. Idon't think you will be disappointed in this one.

I love the Janet Evanovich numbers series and this is one "between the numbers." It was a great story with a character I had not encountered before, Diesel, and still includes the ever present Ranger. I thought it was a good, fast, intriguing read as usual but less sex scenes by Stephanie. Great read, definiately recommend it!

Check out my other book reviews: [...]

With a sticker price of almost $29 and even with a discount price of almost $16, Plum Spooky is another waste of money. At 309 pages, it is the first full length, between the numbers, book featuring Diesel and the world of Plum.

The Plum series used to be fun books. Wonderful to read. Deserved to be read many times. They were purchased. They were keepers. I loved them. This series of books had many dog-eared pages from being lovingly read many times.

To me, Plum used to represent a book filled with wonderful characters, heart pounding fear, laugh out loud till I cried moments, fantastic one-liners from Stephanie, Lula, Ranger, Grandma Mazure, Vinnie, Connie, and Morelli. Words like edgy, sexy, funny, witty, sharp, thrilling, and emotional filled my mind as I read.

This book is another episode of the three stooges, running amok in the world of Plum.

Well, on with my difficult-to-write review. Synopsis: It is a sad, sad day when an author who gave us the Plum series has to issue a book filled with monkeys and characters that revel in gross bodily functions.

This book takes place in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. It should be very scary. It's not. The characters that live in the Pine Barrens should be scary. They are not. E. Bunny (retired Easter Bunny), Sasquatch (retired something) and, good grief, there is Elmer The Fire Farter! They are not scary. They are ridiculous. The villain is Gerwulf Grimoire. He is supposed to be scary. He's not.

There is a lot of Lula and Tank in this book. But who are They???? Tank lives in a cute little old lady bungalow, has three cats, carries their pictures in his wallet and Tank sweats a lot. Lula sneezes and farts throughout the book.

Of course, Carl the Monkey is back. He's not alone. There are a lot more monkeys. Wearing helmets with antenna's. Morelli? Yup, he's in there. He's babysitting his loser, cheating, brother Anthony. Ellen/Helen Plum's in there. Drinking whiskey disguised as ice tea. Connie and Vinnie are in there.

Ranger. He's in there. I'm assuming that when he told Janet he wanted to pass on being in this book, she didn't listen. He should have begged.

It goes without saying that Stephanie Plum is in there. She is apparently in an on-again with Morelli, sleeps in bed every night with Diesel (no sex, of course) and yet still relies completely on Ranger to always find her and keep her safe.

Diesel. Diesel is cute, sexy and funny. He needs his own world. Janet should have argued more with her publisher on this. Quite honestly, Plum does not need a third alpha male.

I have a suggestion for you, Janet Evanovich. Take your old Plum books off the shelf. Starting with One for The Money - read them. Then go back into your office and write.

When the next Plum book is released and I take it off the bookstore shelf, I want the pages between the front and back cover to be filled with the great Plum writing that I loved. The stuff that earned you that best selling status. I want a great book.

Plum Spooky is silly, slapstick nonsense. It might appeal to a lot of readers. If you like silly slapstick, the three stooges and stuff like pull my finger jokes, you will love this.

But is it the Plum that I have know and loved for years? No it is not. Doesn't even come close. It's juvenile and drivel.

Simply put, this was the last Plum book I will read until I get to read reviews that tell me that the nonsense and slapstick is over and the World of Plum as I knew and loved it is back.

I am extremely disappointed in one of the store's sellers. I never received my book and when I sent a note to the seller to ask where my order was, I never received a response. I will never do business with this seller again.

I don't know what book the rest of you read, but I found this to be her best 'in-betweener'. That's what this is; an in between the numbers novel; not the regular Stephanie Plum novel. I actually developed a liking for Diesel in this book as well as Carl the monkey who wore on my nerves in the numbered book. This is just fun fantasy folks, not 'The Grapes of Wrath'. I wish all you people who keep stating you're disappointed in all the latest Plum books would just quit reading them then and find something else. If you think it will be a waste of money to buy them, get on the waiting list at your library when the next ones come out. Get a life people. This was a fun ride and I laughed out loud!

PLUM SPOOKY !!! According to the Oxford English Dictionary, "One monkey arouses a great deal of amusement. Two or more then double the...amusement. If one were to release a barrelful...of monkeys, we must suppose that their antics would become hilariously comical." And that's exactly what Janet Evanovich delivers ... the hilarious laugh-out-loud moments that we've come to expect in the Stephanie Plum series. Janet's ability to endow pets (Rex, Bob and now Carl) with those seemingly human characteristics that we all know our own pets have is just one of Janet's remarkable talents that endear this series to her fans.

The Jersey Pine Barrens provide an exceptionally spooky setting. The Piney's and Diesel's "unmentionable" cousin combine to give us one of the scariest Plums we've seen in awhile. But have no fear, at long last, we see how much Stephanie has grown professionally since her initial escapade as a Bounty Hunter and, finally, she saves herself while at the same time exhibiting the warmth and concern for both her loved ones and her FTA's that we grew accustomed to in the earlier books. Steph is genuinely fearful for the missing woman and the barrel of monkeys. She goes right to Lula after a middle of the night call for help and goes above and beyond a girlfriend's call of duty when her hot and sexy Italian boyfriend, Morelli, is stuck in one of those family-moves-in situations we all dread. Stephanie and Morelli continue to grow closer as the love they express to each other matures and Ranger's dry, sarcastic wit and concern bring back warm memories of the first book in the series, "One for the Money," and Professor Higgins.

If you haven't yet experienced the magic of the Stephanie Plum series, join the fun and start here. A perfect read for a cold and snowy weekend or a get-a-way vacation to a Caribbean beach.

I thought the book was great. I enjoy reading any book written by Janet Evanovich. She a great story teller.What I like the most is that I can click on the store.com and pre-select my books and see the list of new books coming out. Thank the store for making my book selection so easy.

what a complete waste of time. I've read all of her books and this is not even worth putting on my bookshelf. Wouldn't want any of my friends bothering. More Grandma Mazur and her family's antics are always welcomed in her books. Maybe she needs a long vacation and a new direction. Julie

This is a dismal book and I wonder why it was published. The author is using old one liners and silly concepts and truly awful characters.
Most disappointing. Ms Evanovich should give up if this is all she is now able to produce. Shame on her for thinking so little of her readers.

Okay, I admit I am an Stephanie Plum junkie. This is a great between the numbers book. How can anything that makes you laugh out loud be bad? The only time I became disappointed was when I finished the book. Can't wait until the next one.

This one had me laughing from the first page. The between the numbers books usually have some magical element to them and Diesel is back in Stephanie's life with some paranormal mischief in the form of a vampire(?). Bob the dog doesn't really make an appearance here, but you do get Carl the Monkey. Idon't think you will be disappointed in this one.

With a sticker price of almost $29 and even with a discount price of almost $16, Plum Spooky is another waste of money. At 309 pages, it is the first full length, between the numbers, book featuring Diesel and the world of Plum.

The Plum series used to be fun books. Wonderful to read. Deserved to be read many times. They were purchased. They were keepers. I loved them. This series of books had many dog-eared pages from being lovingly read many times.

To me, Plum used to represent a book filled with wonderful characters, heart pounding fear, laugh out loud till I cried moments, fantastic one-liners from Stephanie, Lula, Ranger, Grandma Mazure, Vinnie, Connie, and Morelli. Words like edgy, sexy, funny, witty, sharp, thrilling, and emotional filled my mind as I read.

This book is another episode of the three stooges, running amok in the world of Plum.

Well, on with my difficult-to-write review. Synopsis: It is a sad, sad day when an author who gave us the Plum series has to issue a book filled with monkeys and characters that revel in gross bodily functions.

This book takes place in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. It should be very scary. It's not. The characters that live in the Pine Barrens should be scary. They are not. E. Bunny (retired Easter Bunny), Sasquatch (retired something) and, good grief, there is Elmer The Fire Farter! They are not scary. They are ridiculous. The villain is Gerwulf Grimoire. He is supposed to be scary. He's not.

There is a lot of Lula and Tank in this book. But who are They???? Tank lives in a cute little old lady bungalow, has three cats, carries their pictures in his wallet and Tank sweats a lot. Lula sneezes and farts throughout the book.

Of course, Carl the Monkey is back. He's not alone. There are a lot more monkeys. Wearing helmets with antenna's. Morelli? Yup, he's in there. He's babysitting his loser, cheating, brother Anthony. Ellen/Helen Plum's in there. Drinking whiskey disguised as ice tea. Connie and Vinnie are in there.

Ranger. He's in there. I'm assuming that when he told Janet he wanted to pass on being in this book, she didn't listen. He should have begged.

It goes without saying that Stephanie Plum is in there. She is apparently in an on-again with Morelli, sleeps in bed every night with Diesel (no sex, of course) and yet still relies completely on Ranger to always find her and keep her safe.

Diesel. Diesel is cute, sexy and funny. He needs his own world. Janet should have argued more with her publisher on this. Quite honestly, Plum does not need a third alpha male.

I have a suggestion for you, Janet Evanovich. Take your old Plum books off the shelf. Starting with One for The Money - read them. Then go back into your office and write.

When the next Plum book is released and I take it off the bookstore shelf, I want the pages between the front and back cover to be filled with the great Plum writing that I loved. The stuff that earned you that best selling status. I want a great book.

Plum Spooky is silly, slapstick nonsense. It might appeal to a lot of readers. If you like silly slapstick, the three stooges and stuff like pull my finger jokes, you will love this.

But is it the Plum that I have know and loved for years? No it is not. Doesn't even come close. It's juvenile and drivel.

Simply put, this was the last Plum book I will read until I get to read reviews that tell me that the nonsense and slapstick is over and the World of Plum as I knew and loved it is back.

I am extremely disappointed in one of the store's sellers. I never received my book and when I sent a note to the seller to ask where my order was, I never received a response. I will never do business with this seller again.

I don't know what book the rest of you read, but I found this to be her best 'in-betweener'. That's what this is; an in between the numbers novel; not the regular Stephanie Plum novel. I actually developed a liking for Diesel in this book as well as Carl the monkey who wore on my nerves in the numbered book. This is just fun fantasy folks, not 'The Grapes of Wrath'. I wish all you people who keep stating you're disappointed in all the latest Plum books would just quit reading them then and find something else. If you think it will be a waste of money to buy them, get on the waiting list at your library when the next ones come out. Get a life people. This was a fun ride and I laughed out loud!