Grandma Mazur: hilariously inappropriate since 1994 :)

I can't remember when I first read a book from this series, but it was probably close to when it began in 1994. Even back then I wanted to grow up to be an old lady just like Grandma Mazur :)

The love triangle trope drives me absolutely bonkers (if, after 30 books, you still can't decide, neither guy is the right guy) but the rest of the characters are so endearing they more than make up for it.

Lula is my second favorite of the bunch (after Grandma Mazur, obviously) and I also loved this dialogue from her:
"Maybe you had a panic attack."
"No way. People of my persuasion don't get panic attacks," Lula said.
"What's your persuasion?"
"I'm big and bold. I used to be Presbyterian, but I decided to change over when I was in high school."
"So big and bold is like a religion?"
"You bet your ass," Lula said. "It's a belief, you see what I'm saying?"

❤️💪🖕❤️

This series never lets me down. It’s always lighthearted and entertaining. Fans of these books will love the 30th just as much as the 1st.

Everyone’s favorite bumbling bounty hunter is back and still struggling financially and still torn between her relationship with Morelli and her attraction to Ranger. Yes, her back and forth seems to be “same old” in every book – but it was fun to watch. Of course, her quirky sidekicks, Lulu and Grandma, were back, too.

At the heart of the plot is her search for Nutsy – clearly outside her bail enforcement responsibilities – and a high value FTA. This time there was a bit more of a mystery to be solved, including the murder of a homeless man, which gave the tale more of a purpose than some earlier books in this series.

Overall, an enjoyable read, that combines a touch of romance, a touch of humor and a touch of mystery.

FTC disclosure: I received an advance review of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This has not affected the content of my review.

“I’ve never slept with another man’s dog.”

Okay, we’re back to Evanovich at her best and it’s a true pleasure! Plenty of slap stick comedy, action and Bob. Stephanie, Lulu and our regular friends, minus Morelli who’s away on assignment, with a array of new zany characters make sure there is never a dull moment in Trenton this time around. And that cliffhanger? I’m already counting down the days to see how that one plays out!

3.5 stars

In this 30th book in the comical 'Stephanie Plum' cozy mystery series, the bail enforcement agent is hired to find a diamond thief. The book works as a standalone, but familiarity with the characters is a big bonus.

****

Stephanie Plum works as a bounty hunter for her cousin Vinnie's bail bond business in Trenton, New Jersey. Stephanie and her sidekick Lula - a voluptuous former ho - are comically inept at picking up bail jumpers, but usually get the job done in the end.

As the cozy mystery opens, Stephanie needs extra cash, so she takes a freelance job from jewelry store owner Martin Rabner. According to Rabner, he was robbed twice in the same day. First a bail skip named Duncan Dugan robbed the jewelry store's display cases. Then the store's security guard, Andy Manley (aka Nutsy) absconded with the diamonds in the safe. Rabner offers Stephanie $1,000 to track down Nutsy, and Stephanie agrees.

Stephanie and Lula set out to round up bail jumper Duncan and security guard Nutsy, but things are more complicated than usual. Stephanie's boyfriend, Joe Morelli - a handsome Italian cop she's known since childhood - is out of town, and Stephanie is babysitting Joe's BIG orange dog Bob. Bob eats furniture and car seats if he's left alone, so Stephanie takes the dog everywhere with her.....even when she's chasing down criminals.

There are suspicions that security guard Nutsy's diamond heist was connected to the mob, so - as usual when Stephanie needs extra help - she calls Ranger. Ranger is a gorgeous Cuban-American hottie who runs a security service called Rangeman. Stephanie thinks of Morelli as her REAL boyfriend, but she's also very attracted to Ranger, and she's always waffling between the two men.

While Stephanie is looking for Duncan she comes across his friend Sissy, who has a soft spot for the inept bail jumper; and Stephanie's pursuit of Nutsy leads to his mother Celia, a nice woman who has a house full of foster cats.

As the story unfolds, there are hospital escapades; veterinarian visits; trips out of town; cozy times with Ranger; attempts to catch bail skips; canine Bob's hijinks; and more. And as always, Stephanie gets her car wrecked; gets her house bombed; and gets a gun pointed at her.

As all this is going on, Lula becomes convinced she's being stalked by Grendel - a demon and man-eater who sneaks into her bedroom and steals her clothes. Stephanie's hilarious family makes an appearance as well. Grandma Mazur and Stephanie's mother - who drives a car like a Nascar champion - help Stephanie chase Nutsy on a motorcycle. It's also fun when grave robber Simon Diggory tries to help Stephanie find the body of a murdered man.....in an 'unconventional grave' of course.

To add to the revelry, there's plenty of tasty food in the book, such as chicken salad on croissants; egg potato salad; chocolate cake; donuts; smoked salmon; deviled eggs; bagels; pastrami sandwiches; organic beef-flavored kibble; and more.

This a good addition to the series, a must read for Stephanie Plum fans.

Thanks to Netgalley, Janet Evanovich, and Atria Books for a copy of the manuscript.

Dirty Thirty is the 30th book in the Stephanie Plum series. I have read this series from the beginning and have enjoyed everyone of the books. Stephanie Plum is the main character and works as a bounty hunter for her cousin, Vincent (Vinnie), who owns Vincent Plum Bail Bonds. She lives in the town of Trenton, NJ. Lula is her good friend who works with her. Connie is Vinnie's manager. Her boyfriend, Joseph Morelli is a police detective in Trenton. Carlos Manoso (Ranger) owns a high-end security company. He is also in Stephanie's life and is Morelli's worst nightmare. Stephanie's parents live in the burg, a residential area in South Trenton along with her Grandma Mazur who lives with her parents. The other characters add to the story in a humorous way.

Martin Rabner, who owns a jewelry store calls and asks Stephanie to come to his store. He has a job that he wants her to do for him. He wants her to find his ex-security guard, Andy Manley (Nutsy) who stole his diamonds out of his safe. He was robbed twice. Duncan Dugan was the first robber who was later arrested. She takes the assignment.

Morelli has to go to Florida on police business and leaves his dog, Bob, for Stephanie to take care of while he is away. This is where the story takes off on an hilarious adventure which I will leave to the reader to enjoy. The ending is a surprise and I look forward to finding out what Stephanie does in her next adventure in the series.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon Schuster for this ARC.

Cute, quick read

I have read all 30 books of the series. I loved the first, dis-liked some of the middle (there was a period where they got way too over-the-top) and am back to liking them again.

This book has bounty hunter Stephanie Plum and her co-worker, former hooker Lula, tracking down a former jewelry store guard. The store was robbed, additional merchandise was taken later that night, and the owner thinks the guard was behind it.

There are several sub-plots where Stephanie apprehends other skips.

All in all a very enjoyable, very quick read. There is nothing in this that I will think about or even remember in a week, and sometime that is what I am looking for.

I always love reading this series. I always get swept along in the mystery and adventure. It did not disappoint one bit.

OMG what a cliffhanger to end this one on!!!!!!!!!! This book has all of the things we love from Stephanie Plum books & so much more!!!!!!!

mystery, verbal-humor, situational-humor, thriller, contemporary, romantic, family-dynamics, friendship, local-law-enforcement, laugh-out-loud, laugh-riot, pet-dog, relationships, relatives, stalking, murder-investigation, multiple-murder, action, suspense, snarky, New-Jersey, jewelry-heist****

Stephanie Plum continues to make me laugh and snicker throughout the silliness and predictable escapist fare. Good fun!
Stephanie is basically a skip tracer working for a bail bondsman and hunting down those who fail to appear in court. Her long termer is a police detective who is out of town right now, and her family (as well as his) is dysFUNctional.
Every character really is, and this is one of the busiest books I've read in a while. Fantastic fun!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Atria Books via NetGalley. THANK YOU!

Stephanie is finding her humanity touched in apprehending a skip. Knowing the persons he has to apprehend, she finds that something funny is going on and she needs to find out exactly what it is. With Morelli out of town, she finds herself reaching out to Ranger for some help along the way. Can he help her solve the case or is she going to lose herself and her dignity all n one fell swoop?

This is the best entry yet in this series! Am I biased? Maybe, but what’s a Jersey girl to do? I also like the personal evolution in Stephanie’s life…it’s like we need some more movement in each book and this time it’s a big one! Can’t get enough of this series and wait for each entry with bated breath.

Dirty Thirty by Janet Evanovich is everything I expect from the Plum Series book. I devoured this book as I always do. The Stephanie Plum series is my comfort series. I always come back even if it is the only book I read in a year. I have been reading this series since I was a teenager. Stephanie, Lula, and Grandma Mazur are some of my favorite characters ever. As much as I love Morelli I am a team Ranger every and all day long. Stephanie Plum is a bounty hunter based out of Trenton, NJ. No matter who she is after there are always problems that result in something either bombed or on fire. She is the most unlucky bounty hunter things always go wrong but she is always determined to get her guy/girl. You know you will get the laughs in with Janet's books and this one did not disappoint. Anything involving Lula and Grandma Mazur will have you laughing out loud. I cannot wait for book 31.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

Bold and blase", Stephanie Plum at her finest.
Have I read all of this author's books? No. But that's the great thing about Janet Evanovich: No matter which book you jump into, the story welcomes you home like an old friend.
In Dirty Thirty, bounty hunter Stephanie Plum, armed with her sidekick Lula and a couple of stun guns, catches bad guys, solves mysteries, and worms her way into the hearts of two hot men. I know which one I would choose.

I absolutely love the Stephanie Plum series. However, I do want them to finally wrap up. The dialogue in Dirty Thirty seems a little forced, but it’s still yet another wild adventure with Stephanie and her crew.

Team Ranger!

Gah, I missed Stephanie and Lula. You can’t go wrong with a Janet Evanovich book. And that ending 😱. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

As always another entertaining Stephanie Plum. I absolutely adore what Evanovich has created with this character and her ragtag band of misfits. I’m always laughing out loud at the antics they get into. Stephanie is hunting down her latest FTA, but this time she gets pulled into the larger picture when Rabner enlists her to help. I enjoyed all the layers to the story, including Lula and her Grendel. Overall still a comfort read and I will read every Stephanie Plum, that Evanovich chooses to write. Nothing cheers me up like Stephanie and I wish my life was half as exciting as hers but with less dead bodies.

Stephanie Plum is at it again!! This time she is "skip tracing" and has a side-hustle, working on finding a missing security guard, for a jewelry store owner who has been robbed. Insert, of course, ALL of the "usual suspects" and you have yourself a belly-laughing, quick read of a good time!!! I read a lot of books and I can honestly say that I cannot recall any others that actually make me laugh out loud! Lula, Connie, Grandma Mazur, and Ranger....oh my!!! SUCH a great, mindless, easy read!!! My only regret is that these books only come about once a year and I read them so...darn....fast!!!

The 3oth installment of the Stephanie Plum series was a delight. Like every one before it, I devoured this one. But it seemed a little more grown up than the last few and I'm totally here for it. And ending on that cliffhanger was the work of the devil. Not really, obviously, but any fan following Stephanie from the start will be pacing waiting to find out where the next book is going.
All of the main characters were present and did not disappoint. Even Bob had a larger role this time and obviously there was a viewing with Grandma Mazur. These stories and these characters all feel like a reliable book family that will make you feel good and laugh whenever you need it. So I hope this series will continue for a long time.

As always this was a quick and funny read! This series has become my favorite cozy reads. The cliffhanger at the end tho… I need book #31 ASAP!!

Thank you NetGalley, Atria Books, Simon & Schuster and Janet Evanovich for the eARC of Dirty Thirty!

Stephanie and Lula are at it again. Full scale shenanigans! If you’re looking for a book that will make you literally laugh out loud, look no further! Stephanie has found herself caught up in a jewelry heist gone wrong. Can she figure it out before somebody takes her out? Her partner in crime, Lula, is all in and finds herself moving in with Stephanie, along with Nutsy, who becomes fast friends with Lula. Also, is it Ranger or Morelli? Who has finally captured Stephanie’s heart?

What can I say except, Janet Evanovich has done it again! I love the Stephanie Plum series and while most of the time the stories are silly and predictable, that's what I LOVE about them. The crazy situations that Stephanie finds herself in never disappoint. The colorful characters of Lula and Grandma Mazur keep me giggling throughout - you never know what they are going to say or do. In this one, Bob (Morelli's dog) plays a significant role throughout. This series is just plain fun and a quick read. I can't wait to see what's next for Stephanie Plum and the rest of the gang.