Lean Mean Thirteen (Stephanie Plum #13) by Janet Evanovich

Summary:

MISTAKE #1

Dickie Orr. Stephanie was married to him for about fifteen minutes before she caught him cheating on her with her arch-nemesis Joyce Barnhardt. Another fifteen minutes after that Stephanie filed for divorce, hoping to never see either one of them again.

MISTAKE #2

Doing favors for super bounty hunter Carlos Manoso (a.k.a. Ranger). Ranger needs her to meet with Dickie and find out if he’s doing something shady. Turns out, he is. Turns out, he’s also back to doing Joyce Barnhardt. And it turns out Ranger’s favors always come with a price...

MISTAKE #3

Going completely nutso while doing the favor for Ranger, and trying to apply bodily injury to Dickie in front of the entire office. Now Dickie has disappeared and Stephanie is the natural suspect in his disappearance. Is Dickie dead? Can he be found? And can she stay one step ahead in this new, dangerous game? Joe Morelli, the hottest cop in Trenton, NJ is also keeping Stephanie on her toes—and he may know more than lets on about her…It’s a cat-and-mouse game for Stephanie Plum, where the ultimate prize might be her life.
Summary taken from Goodreads.com
Length:  330 pages (paperback)
Source: My own copy
Publication Date: June  19th 2007


Oh my goodness what a ride this one was!

After a spat in her ex-husband's law office her soon goes missing and everyone in the Burg thinks that Stephanie our accident prone half Hungarian have Italian heroine had something to do with it. As she works to unwind the disappearence of her husband while trying to keep Lula and Grandma Mazur in line and trying to balance Joe an Ranger at the same time.

This one was one of my favourites in the series. Then again I tend to say that with each and every book because they're that funny. Seriously! I love this character and sometimes I really wish I could be her though I have to say that I would not want to have her luck with cars...especially in this one. She really gets herself into some trouble.


I think what I loved most in this book is that Stephanie did not let the ***** Joyce her arch nemises and woman who she found Dickie playing hide the salami with on her new kitchen table not long after they had been married get to her. She held her own and even managed to have a taxadermied beaver explode all over Joyce and her would be lover. Have I said how much I hate Joyce? Because I really do hate her character.

The characters seem to get crazier and crazier as the series goes on and Stephanie always manages to get into mountains of trouble but I love her for it. I loved seeing the usual cast of characters especially Joe because we all know I'm on team Morelli. Ranger is great and all but nothing tops Morelli. He's italian after all :D

Instead Stephanie seems to take everything all in stride even though she trips a few times. I really liked the mystery in this one (even though these aren't really mystery novels). I thought she showed a lot of gumption and in the words of Grandma Mazur she's a real pip of a bounty hunter.  Please, please, PLEASE if you haven't read this series you have to start. You really do. Every book in the series will have you laughing outload and they are perfect feel good reads. If you like lighthearted books then these might just be the books for you. Especially if you want a little murder and intrigue. I highly recommend them!

★ ★ ★ ★ ★