Three to Get Deadly (original 1997; edition 1998)

I was a little disappointed in this book. It just didn't seem to have the same spark of the first two in the series. I did continue to enjoy the interaction between Morelli and Stephanie but I found Lula to be extremely annoying and I still don't like Ranger. I will continue on with this series and I look forward to seeing what happens next. ( )

In bounty hunter Stephanie Plum's latest escapade, she's sent to bring in "Uncle Mo," the local candy store owner who has to appear in court for carrying a concealed weapon without a permit. Everybody in Trenton does it, Mo was just the one who got caught. But Uncle Mo doesn't want to come in. And whenever Stephanie finds him, she seems to get shot at or find a body soon afterward. What the heck has Uncle Mo gotten himself into?

I think that you just have to love Stephanie Plum. She's funny, she's in over her head, and she's tormented by gorgeous smartass, Joe Morelli. And she says things like this:

"Ranger declined the butterscotch pudding, not wanting to disrupt the consistency of his blood sugar level. I had two puddings and coffee, choosing to keep my pancreas at peak performance. Use it or lose it is my philosophy."

"Ranger stripped off his sweatshirt. 'Adequate is being able to run five miles. How are you going to catch the bad guys if you can't outrun them?'
'Connie gives the bad guys who can run to you. I get the fat, out-of-shape bad guys.'"

My soul sister!

Morelli is sexy as ever, but he seems to be a little detached from Stephanie and she's not sure she likes it. I'm not sure I like it either. I like me some Morelli.

But there is a little more Ranger. Ranger seems a bit...intense for me. But he is there to help Stephanie when she asks for it, and that counts for a lot. And then he threw out a random Carl Sandburg quote. Is there more to Ranger than meets the eye? I'm willing to find out!

Lula and Grandma Mazur absolutely crack me up. Grandma is lying a little low in this installment, but Lula is hot on Stephanie's heels. The overweight ex-hooker might talk tough, but she can run from gunshots with the best of them. She is absolutely hilarious and I perked up in the scenes she was in, waiting to see what she would come out with next.

The mystery was a little over the top. There were so many bodies piled up in the weirdest places that it got a little absurd. Still, I had no idea what was really going on and it made sense when it was all wrapped up.

I will definitely continue on with the series and recommend it for a good laugh (and some hawt men!) ( )

I gave this book 5 stars because:
(1) I couldn't figure out who did it before the end (or at least WHY... SHOCKING, by the way!)
(2) The whole book was really... stressful... in a good way... I kept freaking out... (To me, this means the author has really sucked you in...)
(3) The last page...

:)

I'm really loving Stephanie (and Morelli, of course), but I also LOVE the other more minor characters... Grandma Mazur, Lula, Ranger... hahaha... We get some insight into Ranger's character in this book, which was lovely! :)

Anyway--it was fabulous. Read it. ( )

I give this 3 ½ stars. Stephanie Plum is still trying to figure out the whole bounty hunter thing and in the meantime she’s still getting into crazy antics. This time, however, she has a sidekick by the name of Lula. Of course Morelli and Ranger make their appearance too. Stephanie even comes close to getting some. ;)

I think this series just gets better and better. I like that the books are funny, but there is a serious side to them as well. Evanovich knows how to strike the right balance.
( )

I loved it. Read the ebook version. Stephanie Plum is a great main character and the supporting cast are all wonderful too. I can not wait to read more of this series. ( )