So I decided to reread the Stephanie Plum books since I think I gotten into a funk where I just skim and skip to the funny parts I remembered. So this time I reread it and I paid attention.

For the first five books, you can see Evanovich finding her niche. It was not all emphasis on comedy and slapstick. In fact the first book was pretty realistic with Benito Ramirez positioned as a terrifying sadistic boxer on the hunt for Stephanie, real physical danger, and comedy in short doses that come from Stephanie’s attempts to become healthy.

The next few books keeps up the realism but the comedy is in bigger doses with Lulu’s outrageous sayings, a fight with a midgit and the inevitable car explosions. The comebacks are wittier, the tension between Stephanie and Morelli is sexier and there are lots of turn arounds and eccentricity in the burg.

I found the push and pull between Stephanie and Morelli to be really sparking here. It helps that the love triangle hasn’t been dragged on for 28 books now. It’s only book 5 and honestly, Ranger isn’t much of competition. In fact I always thought he wasn’t that interested in Stephanie, but he was just flirting to get her flustered and it was amusing.

Additionally, you can see the history here, the way they make each other laugh and stand by each other when it comes to family. Also it’s clear how much Morelli has matured compared to his horndog teenage years. It’s just Stephanie’s feelings for him are complicated because as much as she denies wanting marriage, she does want commitment. There’s a bit of the childish jumping to conclusions and evading actual communication but there was progress in their relationship. Which is why I found Stephanie’s sudden lust for Ranger and the cliffhanger in book 5 to be annoying.

Additionally, I found that these books can get kind of gross. I know it’s trying to show how trash Trenton can be, like it’s own lawless land with everyone packing guns, the drug trade etc. But the copious amount of blood, and guts, and shit and cut off penis and implied sex with animals was a bit much. It’s not for dramatic purposes either, it’s part of the comedy which I find is not my cup of tea.

It’s also pretty clear that Stephanie is in over her head in the bounty hunter business. Despite it being a cool title, she’s easily grossed out, scared and can be overemotional by the targets on her back and is always ready to quit before she finally figures it out. Yes, it’s a bit stupid but that’s where the suspension of disbelief. Plus somethings have to stay the same like Grandma Mazur’s endless search for a good wake and a good boyfriend.

So, that’s the first five. Now book #6-10, let’s see if the progress continues or this is where the stasis begins.