Technically not a reread as this is the first time I’ve read these Plum books, but also not a review since I was reading for entertainment, not to look for things that are good or bad. So these are just my thoughts on the latest Plum offerings.

As one can see by the titles alone that it’s a different sort of Stephanie adventure, it’s more serious this time.

Fortune and Glory continues and concludes the hunt for Grandma Mazur’s dead husband’s treasure. Not only are other gangsters and professional mafia torturers on the trail, but so is professional treasure hunter, Gabriella Rose. As one can tell from the sneak peek at the end of the book and the announcement of the Gabriela Rose series, it’s to give readers a glimpse of this new character in the ‘verse and hopefully wet appetites for the new series.

Personally, it was too little of a glimpse. Gabriela actually reminded me a lot more of the female Ranger. Calm, collected, somewhat stoic, can deliver karate kicks and martial arts with flair among explosions. Really, the only thing that separated them is that Gabriela is depicted as exotic, with an accent and has the occupation of treasure hunter. I guess it’s good diversity points but it would have been cool if female Ranger had returned, bring back some continuity and give Stephanie something more to be concerned about as she approches her midlife crisis.

And in this book, Stephanie really sets her goals. After Morelli temporarily breaks up with her to have plausible denialibility during Steph/Grandma’s more legally dubious actions, Stephanie takes stock of her life. with surprisingly meaningful conversation with the overaged dork with nervous bowels, she is determined to become the better person she wants to be. Initially she thinks cool leather jacket will give her that but it takes a little more than that. Like actually planning things out, accepting Gabriela’s help without overt displays of jealousy and breaking things off with Ranger for good.
And she does it! She tells Ranger point blank that they can’t have sex anymore. Ranger being Ranger takes it in stride and their banter is less charged as a result, but I’m proud of her. She even survives a famaily dinner with the Morellis.

Oh and the adventure is solved and the family gets the treasure, I won’t say how because you got to experience the ride yourself but it is very Indiana Jones-esque as mentioned several times within the story.

Game On, while shares a new sort of cover and new title compared to the other numbered ones in the series, it has no relation to the previous arc. It’s more similar to the formulaic adventures expected of Plum but perhaps the cover/title change is indicative of further growth? Who knows?
As in the book, Stephanie and Diesel team up to take down a master hacker who wants to crash the space station.

Diesel and Steph are butting heads more in this story as Stephanie percieves him as a bit of a competition and Diesel isn’t helping matters as he refuses to tell her any information.

There is an adorkable love story between the Baked Potatoe hackers that the maniac hacker is determined to kill. I found the romance and cameredie that forms between them all sweet and Stephanie gets to know them more and becomes more determined to save them after bonding.

There’s more of the usual blown up cars, bounty hunting mishaps and steamy Morelli and some more modern references that wraps up the adventure neatly that will sure to please the regular Plum fan but I was hoping more continuation from the previous book and more Steph growth. Perhaps the next book, it’s under tight wrpa so who knows what’s in store.