Going Rogue: Rise and Shine Twenty-nineby Janet Evanovich
Rating: ★★★★
isbn: 9781035401932
Series: Stephanie Plum #29
Publication Date: November 1, 2022
Pages: 324
Genre: Fiction, Mystery
Publisher: Headline Review
Monday mornings aren't supposed to be fun, but they should be predictable. However, on this particular Monday, Stephanie Plum knows that something is amiss when she turns up for work at Vinnie's Bail Bonds to find that longtime office manager Connie Rosolli, who is as reliable as the tides in Atlantic City, hasn't shown up.
Stephanie's worst fears are confirmed when she gets a call from Connie's abductor. He says he will only release her in exchange for a mysterious coin that a recently murdered man left as collateral for his bail. Unfortunately, this coin, which should be in the office - just like Connie -is nowhere to be found.
The quest to discover the coin, learn its value, and save Connie will require the help of Stephanie's Grandma Mazur, her best pal Lula, her boyfriend Morelli, and hunky security expert Ranger. As they get closer to unravelling the reasons behind Connie's kidnapping, Connie's captor grows more threatening, and soon Stephanie has no choice but to throw caution to the wind, follow her instincts, and go rogue. She is more shocked by the results than anyone.
I think just about everyone who might possibly read this has read Evanovich’s Plum series, and everyone knows they are the literary equivalent of slapstick comedy, and they can often be hit or miss. I’ve stuck with the series this long because at least once a year I need slapstick in my life, and because I also appreciate Evanovich’s interesting decision to embrace the status quo when it comes to Plum’s romantic life. This is a rare case of what I wouldn’t be able to abide in real life, I can enjoy in the fictional one, especially as it’s all above board.
Anyway, this one was a hit for me. The plot was good, the tension was sharp, and the humor was laugh-out-loud in several spots. At one point, MT looked over at me and asked it I was going to be ok, because I was gasping with laughter. For many Lulu is what makes them laugh (and she had at least one moment in this one), but for me it’s the oldies the bring tears of laughter to my eyes. Evanovich has a way with the oldies, and I can only imagine what her family dinners must be like.
I hope these last two books are a sign of things to come, because it feels like Plum and company (and their author) have found their stride, and I’m already looking forward to #30.
So, instead of hoping for a post about it, I’ll just ask. How’s life and how are you doing? If it’s shit and you don’t want to talk about it, I don’t want to put any pressure on you, so reply as you can/will. Thanks.
Heh, I never know how much of the non-book related stuff is worth sharing here. I am doing well! I had surgery on the 17th of January to remove all the metal from my leg and ankle and clear out all the scar tissue in the joint; that’s healing well, although still sore and prone to swelling up. Hopefully I’m at the end of it though and can get back to walking and bush walking like a normal person.
My husband has taken up the baton though; an incompetent specialist a few years back had him on far too high a dosage of steroids for an extended period, and it’s left him with osteoporosis of the spine, and 3 broken vertebrae. That made for a very quiet holiday period this year (again). But a new flurry of specialists and a treatment regime have him on the mend, and he’s moving around better and is beginning to heal up.
Other than that exciting stuff, it’s just been work, and trying to restore order to the chaos our house became when both of us were down and out. 😀
Thanks!
I’m sorry to hear all of that but also am glad you seem to be handling it ok.
I am finding out about the dangers of steroids with everything Mrs B is dealing with right now (crohns flare up again and vasculitis) and so I can really empathize with what happened to the Mister.
Please don’t feel that you ever have to write a post about this stuff. I’ll just ask every couple of months 😀