Plum Lovin'

December 18, 2006
In this tart and hilarious "between-the-numbers" Stephanie Plum novel from bestseller Evanovich (Twelve Sharp
), the Jersey bond enforcement agent, who already has two guys in her life (cop Joe Morelli and bounty hunter Ranger), reconnects with Diesel, a third heartthrob. Diesel offers Stephanie a deal: if he lets her find Annie Hart, a relationship coach who's become a big-ticket bond on Stephanie's Most Wanted List after fleeing a charge for a robbery she didn't commit, then Stephanie can do Annie a big favor by playing Cupid for a number of Annie's lovelorn clients, including a shy butcher, a desperate vet, an overworked single mom, a 30-something virgin and the marriage-phobic fellow who just happens to be Stephanie's pregnant sister's boyfriend. Diesel and Stephanie's short but sweet adventure ends on a teasing note that will leave fans hungry for the next juicy Plum-a-thon.

February 26, 2007
Evanovich turns out novels faster than her bounty hunter, Stephanie Plum, downs doughnuts, and that's pretty quick. Though Plum is at the center of this novella, the elusive quarry is love, not for herself but for the lonely hearts she must fix up by Valentine's Day. Her sidekick for this adventure is Diesel, who appeared briefly in previous "Between-the-Numbers" novellas. Lorelei King, who has brought out the best in this series, plays Diesel with aplomb. He sounds more like the tranny Sally on testosterone than like Morelli and Ranger, the curiously absent macho men in Stephanie's life. Other reappearing characters, like Lula and Plum's family, make cameo appearances, leaving room for some newbies, including a lovelorn vet, who sounds a bit too dumb to have ever gotten though school. King does better with an overcaffeinated butcher, who comes to life only on the topic of sirloin. King has fun with his stuttering attempts to make conversation in front of Jet, whom he adores from across the street. Evanovich fans will find this audio funny and festive, down to the plum-colored CDs. Simultaneous release with the St. Martin's hardcover (Reviews, Dec. 18).

As Stephanie Plum fans wait for her thirteenth mystery, Lorelei King delivers a quick dose of Plum humor with a short Valentine's adventure. Stephanie's wannabe lover, Diesel, ropes her into a Cupid's role, promising that if Stephanie fills in for the relationship expert, bond-jumping Annie Hart, during Valentine's week, Stephanie will be able to turn Hart in. The rough-voiced, smooth-talking Diesel manipulates Stephanie into playing matchmaker and providing romantic support for virgins, divorcées, and dorks who prove to be more troublesome than crooks. King keeps up with the fast pace of this story as well as cameos by all the eccentrics in the Plum cast and creates astounding tension by capturing the cross-fire sarcasm of Diesel and Stephanie. S.W. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine