Plum Spooky

This humorous, some might say silly, novel will engage listeners in large measure because of Lorelei King's narration. Her throaty, self-assured voice, judiciously paced reading style, and matter-of-fact tones create a natural-sounding delivery that adds realism to this story of Stephanie Plum's search for a killer named Grimoire and his new business partner, a boy genius and physicist named Martin Munch. King finds unique character voices for the usual cast of Plum's associates, Lula, Diesel, and Connie, as well as Grandma Mazur. While the story is lighthearted and fast paced, some Plum fans may wish for more character development and one-liners, and fewer juvenile jokes and monkeys. S.C.A. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine

Starred review from March 2, 2009
Klutzy bounty hunter Stephanie Plum teams up with mysterious Diesel and the monkey left on her doorstep to track down a nerdy genius and his sinister business partner in the depths of the New Jersey Pine Barrens. Lorelei King does her usual superlative job for the Evanovich oeuvre, adding juice and dimension to each wacky character. She deftly handles everyone, from bail bond receptionist Connie’s classic New Jersey accent and outrageous sidekick Lula’s brash outbursts to Ranger’s smooth purr (it’s amazing how he, as voiced by King, can make the word “babe” mean so many different things). The structures of Plum novels tend to be similar; it’s the laughs that keep readers coming back. King enhances the humor of this series, so much so that Evanovich fans should consider putting down that book and plugging in the CD player instead. A St. Martin’s Press hardcover (reviewed online).