In a scene from the movie When Harry Met Sally, Marie (Carrie Fisher) ponders some potential dating candidates for her friend Sally (Meg Ryan). Of one man she says, "I don't happen to find him attractive, but you might." Reviewing Twelve Sharp by Janet Evanovich, I feel much like Marie; I don't happen to like this book, but others might, if they don't expect a lot from it.
New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum sets out on her latest rounds to haul in bonds-jumping "skips." She soon finds herself followed by a strange woman looking for Carlos "Ranger" Manoso, a bounty hunter of the dark and mysterious persuasion. Stephanie does happen to find him attractive, much to the chagrin of her pseudo-boyfriend, cop Joe Morelli. Their romantic triangle sets the stage for a story of light action, quirky (if clichéd) characters, and a little bit of intrigue.
For the Fans
Evanovich has a substantial following, and fans of earlier books in the series will probably enjoy this one. The series characters are in place (with a potential addition), the plot is straightforward, the dialogue is well paced, and the romantic tension between Stephanie and each of her love interests is strong.
New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum sets out on her latest rounds to haul in bonds-jumping "skips." She soon finds herself followed by a strange woman looking for Carlos "Ranger" Manoso, a bounty hunter of the dark and mysterious persuasion. Stephanie does happen to find him attractive, much to the chagrin of her pseudo-boyfriend, cop Joe Morelli. Their romantic triangle sets the stage for a story of light action, quirky (if clichéd) characters, and a little bit of intrigue.
For the Fans
Evanovich has a substantial following, and fans of earlier books in the series will probably enjoy this one. The series characters are in place (with a potential addition), the plot is straightforward, the dialogue is well paced, and the romantic tension between Stephanie and each of her love interests is strong.
For Evanovich fans who may be looking for books with a similarly accessible style but more developed plots and characters: Check out series by Sue Grafton or, for a comparable minimum of gore, Diane Mott Davidson. If you're looking for especially quirky characters and grittier plot development, Elmore Leonard and Carl Hiaasen are good bets.
Mission Accomplished?
This book does what it presumably sets out to do, but is it enough? It wasn't for me. I've read a number of interviews the author, who often comments that she doesn't want to bog down her readers with a lot of narrative or "big words." She wants to keep it simple, and this includes her writing, her characters, and her plot. Why mess with what sells? From a business perspective, she's brilliant, and both she and her family's marketing operation seem to have the drill down to a science.
Mission Accomplished?
This book does what it presumably sets out to do, but is it enough? It wasn't for me. I've read a number of interviews the author, who often comments that she doesn't want to bog down her readers with a lot of narrative or "big words." She wants to keep it simple, and this includes her writing, her characters, and her plot. Why mess with what sells? From a business perspective, she's brilliant, and both she and her family's marketing operation seem to have the drill down to a science.
From my perspective as a mystery reader, Twelve Sharp is a disappointing book. And this is a shame; the everyday world of bounty hunters is a promising setting, even more so given Stephanie's admission that she's not very good at the job. Unfortunately, the plot is predictable, the characters are superficial, and, while mystery books don't need to be intense to be enjoyable, this book has no sense of danger or suspense even when vulnerable characters are kidnapped. I wasn't compelled to care about their fate. Even a book intended solely as a fun, beach-read story should give readers a reason to invest their imaginations in some of its characters. Crazy Grandma Mazur, for example, should be lovable but just doesn't transcend stock character status. (And wacky grandmas can certainly be well crafted; witness Granny Next in Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series.)
So if you're looking for a solid mystery with characters of any depth, this isn't it.
So if you're looking for a solid mystery with characters of any depth, this isn't it.
But You Might
If, however, you want to give Twelve Sharp a try, keep reading past the opening section. These first five or six pages give a dutiful recap of the basics of the series thus far: Stephanie's job, coworkers, archrivals, lovers, car problems, pet hamster, broken toaster, and so forth. It catches you up quickly if you haven't read any of the earlier books, though the writing here is more obligatory than engaging.
Twelve Sharp works a little better as a (very light) romance than as a mystery, even without a specific resolution of either relationship--the series is ongoing, after all--and perhaps this is due to Evanovich's previous experience writing romance novels. The book might also be an appropriate choice if you don't want to get too involved with the characters and simply want a frothy distraction for a few hours. But check it out from the library or wait for the paperback.
If, however, you want to give Twelve Sharp a try, keep reading past the opening section. These first five or six pages give a dutiful recap of the basics of the series thus far: Stephanie's job, coworkers, archrivals, lovers, car problems, pet hamster, broken toaster, and so forth. It catches you up quickly if you haven't read any of the earlier books, though the writing here is more obligatory than engaging.
Twelve Sharp works a little better as a (very light) romance than as a mystery, even without a specific resolution of either relationship--the series is ongoing, after all--and perhaps this is due to Evanovich's previous experience writing romance novels. The book might also be an appropriate choice if you don't want to get too involved with the characters and simply want a frothy distraction for a few hours. But check it out from the library or wait for the paperback.
