Look Alive Twenty-Five

I’ve learned not to expect to much from this series over the years, though they have always entertained. This one is much better than usual, still screwball, still eye-roll inducing but more tightly written. Several LOL moments, which is the feature that keeps me reading.

I've enjoyed this series for years, and it never fails to make me laugh. I thought the author did a good job of following her formula (main character Stephanie Plum has madcap disaster follow her as she tries to earn a living as a bail enforcement agent for her uncle, with recurring zany sidekick Lula, boyfriend Morelli and complicated-relationship Ranger) while mixing it up so that I didn't feel like I was reading the same novel over and over again. I gave it three stars because I liked it, and didn't figure out the mystery until about 3/4 of the way through. This isn't a book or series with a complicated theme or plot, but I find it very enjoyable to read and laugh at the crazy things that happen. If you like this series, you will enjoy this latest installment.

You know what you are getting with these amusing, palate-cleansing mysteries, since very little changes except for Lula’s clothes and hair.

You know what you are getting with these amusing, palate-cleansing mysteries, since very little changes except for Lula’s clothes and hair.

Another great romp with Stephanie and Lulu - managing a deli where people are disappearing.

For much of Look Alive Twenty-Five, Stephanie and Lula run a deli that has been taken over by Vinnie as collateral for a lost bond. We meet interesting characters like the two line cooks named Richard and Stretch, who enjoy illegal drugs provided daily by one of the restaurants suppliers. There is much humor in Lula as sandwich artist and waitress when her tight clothing becomes a liability. The mystery involves previous managers of the deli who have gone missing from the back of the restaurant while taking out the trash. The only thing left of them is one of their shoes. Both Ranger and Morelli weigh in when they realize that Stephanie, who is now manager, is in danger of becoming one of the shoe-less victims. This is another wonderful story by Evanovich who seems to be able to come up with endless predicaments for Stephanie and her friends. There were many laugh-out-loud moments in this book, and the mystery is complicated enough that it keeps the reader's interest right up to the very end. I'm looking forward to finding out what happens with the cliffhanger involving Grandma Mazur in the next installment. Overall, another great read.

25 books later and Stephanie still has 0 headway with Ranger and Joe. It’s almost painful at this point.