Status
Available
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
Bantam (2015), Edition: Reprint, 352 pages
Description
Fiction. Mystery. Romance. Humor (Fiction.) HTML:#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Don’t miss Janet Evanovich’s short story “Pros and Cons” in the back of the book. Catch a professional assassin: top priority. Find a failure-to-appear and collect big bucks: top score. How she’ll pull it all off: top secret. Trenton, New Jersey’s favorite used-car dealer, Jimmy Poletti, was caught selling a lot more than used cars out of his dealerships. Now he’s out on bail and has missed his date in court, and bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is looking to bring him in. Leads are quickly turning into dead ends, and all too frequently into dead bodies. Even Joe Morelli, the city’s hottest cop, is struggling to find a clue to the suspected killer’s whereabouts. These are desperate times, and they call for desperate measures. So Stephanie is going to have to do something she really doesn’t want to do: protect former hospital security guard and general pain in her behind Randy Briggs. Briggs was picking up quick cash as Poletti’s bookkeeper and knows all his boss’s dirty secrets. Now Briggs is next on Poletti’s list of people to put six feet under. To top things off, Ranger—resident security expert and Stephanie’s greatest temptation—has been the target of an assassination plot. He’s dodged the bullet this time, but if Ranger wants to survive the next attempt on his life, he’ll have to enlist Stephanie’s help and reveal a bit more of his mysterious past. Death threats, highly trained assassins, highly untrained assassins, and Stark Street being overrun by a pack of feral Chihuahuas are all in a day’s work for Stephanie Plum. The real challenge is dealing with her Grandma Mazur’s wild bucket list. A boob job and getting revenge on Joe Morelli’s Grandma Bella can barely hold a candle to what’s number one on the list—but that’s top secret. Praise for Top Secret Twenty-One “The combination of biting dialogue, outrageous characters and intense story lines are consistent throughout. And [Janet Evanovich] novels are the true definition of a guilty pleasure.”—Associated Press “Evanovich doesn’t disappoint. . . . [She] weaves setting, family, romance and crime to pull the plot of Top Secret Twenty-One forward.”—Bookreporter.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member ethel55
Much better than the last few, but not as good as those original, single digit titles. An enjoyable read, no big surprises, no dieting by Lula and a couple of funerals for Grandma Mazur.
LibraryThing member konastories
Joy's review: Much better than the last couple of Plum books. This time Stephanie is using/protecting Randy the annoying midget... meanwhile Ranger's being targeted by a Russian bad guy. Still, Janet's in a rut...
LibraryThing member TerriS
These books are always fun! After twenty-one of them, they sometimes become repetitive...but you always know what to expect! And when I'm in the mood for something light and fun, I always go back to Stephanie Plum and the crew of misfits :)
LibraryThing member magnolia2
Janet Evanovich has kept this story going for too long. Although you can read this to try and enjoy the characters that fans have come to love...the characters seem to get less and less amusing. The books are starting to not have much of a plot, and the romance with Ranger and Morelli and Stephanie
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continues to go nowhere. Show Less
LibraryThing member musichick52
Once upon a time I was madly in love with the books, the characters, the author's Jerseyness. I'm from Philly, we got yous. In the teens books, I fell out of love. Did that stop me from reading, from looking forward to the next one? No, of course not. Hope springs eternal, as they say. I have been
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patiently in waiting for the next winner, and maybe the revival has begun. For those of us who need a lot of Ranger, there is much Ranger here. For those who are waiting to see what vehicle or which domicile gets blown up, that's here. And for those of you who had a feisty grandma, she's baaaaack. In fact, both grandmas are trying to out hoodoo each other in between functions at the funeral parlor. Stink eye all round. Grandma Mazur gets to check off a couple of items on her "bucket list." Joe is still too "top cop" to throw Stephanie to the ground, grab her ponytail and drag her off to a judge. Ms. Evanovich keeps it contemporary with a plot line including the Russian "poison" du jour. I am encouraged. Maybe the spark is igniting again. You having me asking "what's next"? Show Less
LibraryThing member carolynsuarez
no as fun and fast-.paced as the earlier books. Nothing "new" left to Happen.
LibraryThing member hobbitprincess
I always enjoy Stephanie's latest adventures, and this one was no exception. While I enjoyed it, it seemed to drag in places, and I didn't find myself laughing out loud as much as I have with some of the other books. I am also to the point that I want her to go ahead and pick a man! I think the
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story can go on with her committed to one or the other. Show Less
LibraryThing member redheadish
Ms Plum takes on the little person Randy Griggs (Who's a PITA) because someone is trying to kill him and in the process they blow up Randy's car and apt. as well as the Porche 911 that Ranger loaned Stephanie and her apt get a rocket / firebombed. Ranger has an old enemy after him who attacks
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Steph. and trys to assasinate a Russion Official and its up to Ranger and Stephanie to stop the bad guy Vlatko! Stephanie of course ends up caught by Vlatko, who plans to slice and dice Stephanie and then kill Ranger. Ranger took the extra time to sewn in a mic to Steph. shirt that morning so he could hear everything and cut Vlatko off before he could get away. Ranger made Vlatko take a flying leap off the 4th floor car garage and Vlatko died. Grandma Mazur is working on her bucket list in this book she help capture a bad guy for Stephanie and in the end she visited Stephanie while ranger was in the shower, and was checking out the monkey hotel room with Lula when Grandma Mazur walked into the second bathroom and caught Ranger in the shower and got a full frontal view! Grandma Mazur had seeing Ranger naked or almost naked on her Bucket list! This book is full of action and laughs!!!! Show Less
LibraryThing member DrLed
Synopsis: Stephanie is once again saddled with Randy Briggs, the annoying little person who makes everyone want to kill him. In this case, he served as a bookkeeper to a car salesman/human trafficker. Not only is someone trying to kill Briggs, they have bumped off this former boss. Grandma Mazur's
Review: This book is laugh-out-loud funny. The plot is a bit more involved than normal and just as entertaining a usual. Great fun! There is also a short story included in this book, 'Pros and Cons' that involves the Kate O'Hare and Nicolas Fox. It's quite good, as well.
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bucket list includes seeing Ranger naked; Lula dates a bail jumper; Morelli does his best to keep Stephanie safe while finding a killer; and Ranger chases an international assassin. Then there are the red-eyed feral Chihuahuas...Review: This book is laugh-out-loud funny. The plot is a bit more involved than normal and just as entertaining a usual. Great fun! There is also a short story included in this book, 'Pros and Cons' that involves the Kate O'Hare and Nicolas Fox. It's quite good, as well.
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LibraryThing member mnm123
Stephanie Plum is at it again. I love the characters and get a kick out of the crazy antics they get into. I love the back and forth between Morelli and Ranger, I want her to choose and then I don't want her to. The suspense and humor combine to make the book great.
LibraryThing member susiesharp
I do not read/listen to the Stephanie Plum books as the great American novel, I read them because they are fun, enjoyable and like reconnecting with old friends.
I enjoyed this one because it had lots of Grandma, Lulu and Ranger ,who we actually got a bit more background on than we have before and
As usual Stephanie has a car or two blow up, grandma’s up to high jinks, Lulu is Lulu, but what I thought was interesting in this installment was Ranger was the main target for bad guys and you almost saw a little crack in his facade.
I loved grandma and Bella’s spats those made me laugh so hard and now grandma has a bucket list and lord all mighty you can about guess what’s on it, I loved at the end when she actually got to cross one off, leaving her speechless, it was hilarious!
I also think I saw touches towards Stephanie actually picking between Joe and Ranger, I think she knows who she will end up with maybe she’s just not ready yet.
As always Lorelei King’s narration brings these characters to life for me I always listen to these on audio because Lorelei is the voice of Stephanie Plum!
I enjoyed this installment it was the perfect vacation listen, and I look forward to the next book.
3 ½ stars
I enjoyed this one because it had lots of Grandma, Lulu and Ranger ,who we actually got a bit more background on than we have before and
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we saw a little snippier side to him which I liked because it made him more real.As usual Stephanie has a car or two blow up, grandma’s up to high jinks, Lulu is Lulu, but what I thought was interesting in this installment was Ranger was the main target for bad guys and you almost saw a little crack in his facade.
I loved grandma and Bella’s spats those made me laugh so hard and now grandma has a bucket list and lord all mighty you can about guess what’s on it, I loved at the end when she actually got to cross one off, leaving her speechless, it was hilarious!
I also think I saw touches towards Stephanie actually picking between Joe and Ranger, I think she knows who she will end up with maybe she’s just not ready yet.
As always Lorelei King’s narration brings these characters to life for me I always listen to these on audio because Lorelei is the voice of Stephanie Plum!
I enjoyed this installment it was the perfect vacation listen, and I look forward to the next book.
3 ½ stars
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LibraryThing member dearheart
We’re seeing a slightly more mature character in Stephanie Plum, and it’s been a long time coming. She brings in a number of skips, the humorous situations are present but for the most part, it’s not her doing the dumb stunts.
The main focus is on two areas that have more far-reaching
Other than coming up with new characters and stunts, there really isn’t anything new to this 21st book beyond Ranger’s life being in danger. Lots of explosions, dead bodies, Grandma Mazur and Lula are providing most of the ridiculous stunts and Briggs is determined to stay with Stephanie. There’s still sexual tension between Ranger and Stephanie while she’s still with Joe.
The series pretty much stalled many years ago, although the author does provide some amusement for a few hours as long as you aren’t expecting any big changes or decisions.
The main focus is on two areas that have more far-reaching
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consequences. The first involves a skip of a popular car dealership owner and his apparent killing spree that has Randy Briggs, annoying character from a prior book, who plants himself on Stephanie’s doorstep when he’s become a target. The second involves an assassin from Ranger’s past who is focused his attention on Ranger, and by extension, Stephanie. And we’re provided a number of smaller skips that add some humor to the tension from the bigger issues.Other than coming up with new characters and stunts, there really isn’t anything new to this 21st book beyond Ranger’s life being in danger. Lots of explosions, dead bodies, Grandma Mazur and Lula are providing most of the ridiculous stunts and Briggs is determined to stay with Stephanie. There’s still sexual tension between Ranger and Stephanie while she’s still with Joe.
The series pretty much stalled many years ago, although the author does provide some amusement for a few hours as long as you aren’t expecting any big changes or decisions.
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LibraryThing member AVoraciousReader
*Book source ~ Library
Stephanie Plum, Bounty Hunter. She may not have an office with a plaque on her door, but she gets the job done for her bond bailsman cousin, Vinnie. Usually. When she was a little girl she had no dreams about catching people who have skipped their court date and need to be
This series continues on as if in a time warp. No one ever seems to get older and Stephanie never really improves at catching her skips. She still screws up a lot, has people who help her out of jams and has some decent amount of good luck. The Morelli/Ranger question is still dragging on to the point I’m ready for a sexy firefighter or someone to come along and shake things up. Of course, then we’d probably have a love square instead of a triangle. You can count on things exploding and/or catching fire around Stephanie, some kind of wild animal popping up, Grandma Mazur and Lula being their usual selves and Morelli & Ranger being hot.
Despite the same ol’ routine or maybe because of it, I still enjoyed this book. Why? Because it’s nice to settle down and have a light fluffy entertaining read once in awhile, one that is in a favorite series with favorite characters and favorite shenanigans. Is the plot sound? Not really, but it moved the story along at a good clip. Plus, there is more of Ranger in this book and that is always going to go over big with me, Team Ranger fan that I am. I don’t understand what she sees in Morelli. He seems to only want a place to store his dick when he’s horny. He wants Steph to quit bounty hunting because it’s giving him ulcers. Ranger protects her as best he can and lets her do her thing. Steph says Ranger isn’t a marrying kind of guy, yet she seems allergic to marriage or she and Morelli would be married already. She whines about Ranger’s healthy eating and yet he’s said nothing to her about her junk food or eating habits. She needs to get over herself and give Ranger some dating time. If her reaction to the danger to Ranger’s life in this book is any indication then maybe she’s wising up. But probably not. All-in-all this was a mildly entertaining read with lots of yummy Ranger added in. I enjoyed it.
One of my favorite quotes:
“As I ran water to wash my hands, my earbud fell out of my ear and went down the drain.
‘Crap!’
I hauled my cellphone out of my bag and texted Ranger. Bad news. Your earbud just went down the drain in the ladies’ room.
It was only a matter of time, he texted back.â€
Stephanie Plum, Bounty Hunter. She may not have an office with a plaque on her door, but she gets the job done for her bond bailsman cousin, Vinnie. Usually. When she was a little girl she had no dreams about catching people who have skipped their court date and need to be
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rebonded, but here she is. Her mother thinks it’s not a becoming career, but her Grandma Mazur thinks it’s awesome. When used car salesman Jimmy Poletti skips out on a large bond, Stephanie has to track him down and bring him in. But she and her sidekick Lula aren’t having any luck and it seems all the places she’s looking leads her to a dead poker buddy of Poletti’s. Is he the killer or is he running from a killer? And did he try to kill his book cooker, Randy Briggs? Or is someone trying to kill Randy simply because he’s annoying? One thing’s for certain in the Plum Universe…Stephanie is about to get caught in the middle of it all.This series continues on as if in a time warp. No one ever seems to get older and Stephanie never really improves at catching her skips. She still screws up a lot, has people who help her out of jams and has some decent amount of good luck. The Morelli/Ranger question is still dragging on to the point I’m ready for a sexy firefighter or someone to come along and shake things up. Of course, then we’d probably have a love square instead of a triangle. You can count on things exploding and/or catching fire around Stephanie, some kind of wild animal popping up, Grandma Mazur and Lula being their usual selves and Morelli & Ranger being hot.
Despite the same ol’ routine or maybe because of it, I still enjoyed this book. Why? Because it’s nice to settle down and have a light fluffy entertaining read once in awhile, one that is in a favorite series with favorite characters and favorite shenanigans. Is the plot sound? Not really, but it moved the story along at a good clip. Plus, there is more of Ranger in this book and that is always going to go over big with me, Team Ranger fan that I am. I don’t understand what she sees in Morelli. He seems to only want a place to store his dick when he’s horny. He wants Steph to quit bounty hunting because it’s giving him ulcers. Ranger protects her as best he can and lets her do her thing. Steph says Ranger isn’t a marrying kind of guy, yet she seems allergic to marriage or she and Morelli would be married already. She whines about Ranger’s healthy eating and yet he’s said nothing to her about her junk food or eating habits. She needs to get over herself and give Ranger some dating time. If her reaction to the danger to Ranger’s life in this book is any indication then maybe she’s wising up. But probably not. All-in-all this was a mildly entertaining read with lots of yummy Ranger added in. I enjoyed it.
One of my favorite quotes:
“As I ran water to wash my hands, my earbud fell out of my ear and went down the drain.
‘Crap!’
I hauled my cellphone out of my bag and texted Ranger. Bad news. Your earbud just went down the drain in the ladies’ room.
It was only a matter of time, he texted back.â€
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LibraryThing member Mirandalg14
The usual humor and craziness, but with an extra dash of suspense.
LibraryThing member scoutmomskf
The later Plum books are not as good as the early ones, but it was still an enjoyable read. Stephanie isn't making as many stupid moves as she used to, but she still has her share of bad luck. She's still always broke and in need of a big skip recovery for the fee paid. Her search for Jimmy Poletti
Lula is still there as Stephanie's sidekick, with her tight clothes, addiction to junk food, and in your face attitude. Grandma Mazur is there and up to her usual tricks, with the addition of a bucket list that she's working on. That list has her in an all out war with Morelli's Grandma Bella that has a couple of funny moments. Her number one item, and how she fulfills that one is probably the funniest moment in the book. Stephanie's relationship with Morelli is still on. He seems to have given up trying to change her, but his issues with her work with Ranger are still there. There's a really good scene with the three of them in his kitchen that sums it all up.
The best part of the book involves Stephanie and Ranger. She begins the book by helping him with a recovery. She's still fighting her attraction to him, carrying on with her loyalty to her relationship with Morelli. But when Ranger ends up as the target of an assassin, Stephanie is really worried about him. I loved seeing her really have a good part in taking the bad guy down. She also gets Ranger to open up with a little more information about his past. We don't get much, but it's a little more insight into what makes him who he is. The takedown of the assassin is well done and not too over the top.
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isn't going too well. She's been close a couple times, but he gets away. Soon she has one of his associates begging for protection as he becomes the victim of several attacks. Briggs is equal parts annoying and amusing. He's very short and has a rather pugnacious attitude as a compensation. He's very demanding in his expectations, but also very eager to help. There are a couple times that he is actually quite useful. There are a couple interesting twists in the whole Poletti and Briggs story. The reasoning behind the attacks on Briggs was not what I expected.Lula is still there as Stephanie's sidekick, with her tight clothes, addiction to junk food, and in your face attitude. Grandma Mazur is there and up to her usual tricks, with the addition of a bucket list that she's working on. That list has her in an all out war with Morelli's Grandma Bella that has a couple of funny moments. Her number one item, and how she fulfills that one is probably the funniest moment in the book. Stephanie's relationship with Morelli is still on. He seems to have given up trying to change her, but his issues with her work with Ranger are still there. There's a really good scene with the three of them in his kitchen that sums it all up.
The best part of the book involves Stephanie and Ranger. She begins the book by helping him with a recovery. She's still fighting her attraction to him, carrying on with her loyalty to her relationship with Morelli. But when Ranger ends up as the target of an assassin, Stephanie is really worried about him. I loved seeing her really have a good part in taking the bad guy down. She also gets Ranger to open up with a little more information about his past. We don't get much, but it's a little more insight into what makes him who he is. The takedown of the assassin is well done and not too over the top.
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LibraryThing member trishaj
I had several laugh out loud moments reading this book. My family thinks I'm crazier than normal when I read Stephanie Plum.
LibraryThing member busyreadin
Maybe it's just me, but I've been really disappointed with the last two books in this series.
Evanovitch is just issuing the same story with different names and faces. There isn't enough "steam" in them to even make Ranger interesting any more.
Evanovitch is just issuing the same story with different names and faces. There isn't enough "steam" in them to even make Ranger interesting any more.
LibraryThing member JudithDCollins
TOP SECRET TWENTY-ONE, another Winner by Janet Evanovich! Have read all twenty-one books in the series, and each and every one is full of action, wit, and hours of laughs.
Always fun to catch up with Stephanie, Joe, Ranger, Lulu, Grandma Mazur and the gang! Lorelei King nailed it as narrator, once
Not sure about other fans—I am not so much concerned about the story, I buy the audiobook, to be entertained, and TOP SECRET TWENTY ONE does not disappoint, with the hilarious one-liners!
The Plum series is my favorite, and will always root for Joe Morelli, as the hottest cop with his faithful dog Bob. Yeah, Yeah, I know everyone wants Stephanie and Ranger action; however, he controls her with his constant tracking and Joe/Stephanie are a better match for long term. (not sure she will ever choose)
As Stephanie is in search of Jimmy Poletti things get complicated when a killer is involved—Stephanie has to use Briggs, Ranger enlists Stephanie’s help, while we get to experience the fun funeral home viewings, and Grandma Mazur’s bucket list, plus much more for a lazy day at the beach!
Always fun to catch up with Stephanie, Joe, Ranger, Lulu, Grandma Mazur and the gang! Lorelei King nailed it as narrator, once
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again! I am ready for another movie!Not sure about other fans—I am not so much concerned about the story, I buy the audiobook, to be entertained, and TOP SECRET TWENTY ONE does not disappoint, with the hilarious one-liners!
The Plum series is my favorite, and will always root for Joe Morelli, as the hottest cop with his faithful dog Bob. Yeah, Yeah, I know everyone wants Stephanie and Ranger action; however, he controls her with his constant tracking and Joe/Stephanie are a better match for long term. (not sure she will ever choose)
As Stephanie is in search of Jimmy Poletti things get complicated when a killer is involved—Stephanie has to use Briggs, Ranger enlists Stephanie’s help, while we get to experience the fun funeral home viewings, and Grandma Mazur’s bucket list, plus much more for a lazy day at the beach!
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LibraryThing member jkgrage
Yes, it's the same formula... yes, it's basically the same story... yes, it's the same characters... but that's all what makes it like coming home again.
LibraryThing member bookczuk
It's got Lula, it's got Grandma, it's got Stephanie getting into trouble and in the Joe vs Ranger loop again, though not to an annoying degree. It's got a bit of international espionage and demon minion Chihuahuas. What's not to like? The audio reader for these books is so fabulous. I want to buy
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her a doughnut. Easier than having her children. And it was a free download from my library as an audiobook. Yay! Show Less
LibraryThing member nancymyers
Good and funny but getting repetitious.
LibraryThing member phyllis2779
Another installment in the Stephanie Plum series. It's amusing but not the best or the worst in the series. These are no longer fresh stories or characters so the humor has to come from the characters being more and more outrageous. The mystery in this one was good but there were so many suspects
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that I couldn't keep them all straight. Show Less
LibraryThing member delphimo
The story moves quickly, but follows the same pattern as all the other books in the Stephanie Plum series. Why do I continue to read, because my mother buys the books and then gives to me to read? What do I think? Stephanie needs to decide between Joe and Ranger, and if the choice was mine, the
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winner would be Ranger. Grandma Mazur and Lulu did not play major roles in this story, and the humor went south of New Jersey in this book. If you are looking for a mindless read, this is the book; with sex and violence thrown in for good measure. Show Less
LibraryThing member mlake
A typical Stephanie Plum novel. A fun fast read with the characters we love.
LibraryThing member reneebooks
This one is probably the best Stephanie Plum I have read in several years.
Original language
English
Original publication date
2014-06-17
Physical description
352 p.; 4.17 inches
ISBN
0345542932 / 9780345542939