Three to Get Deadly

Janet Evanovich

Stephanie Plum has a new "failure to appear" to pick up for her cousin, Vinnie, the bond bailsman. She absolutely refuses - how could she pick up the local neighborhood saint? Mo Bedemeier owns the candy store that has served generations of burg children. A gung ho rookie cop arrested Mo for having a concealed weapon in his car. Never mind the gun was not loaded. Unfortunately, "Uncle Mo" did not appear for court.

When Stephanie goes to pick up Uncle Mo (under protest), he is missing. His store has been closed for the first time in years. His apartment is empty, yet looks as if he could return at any time (she had to avoid the nosy neighbors to check out his apartment). Supposedly he has been seen in the neighborhood where the hookers and drug dealers hang out. Stephanie doesn't find Uncle Mo, but does find other dead bodies. Some of the local crack dealers have been killed and she keeps stumbling across them.

Of course murdered drug dealers bring Joe Morelli back into Stephanie's life. Plus Lulu, the ex-hooker, now file clerk, wants to learn to become a bounty hunter. So she tags along with Stephanie. Ranger is trying to get Stephanie to get in shape. Since she keeps running into more trouble than she expected, he feels she should be fit and alert.

If these books weren't quite so crass or rough in the language I could recommend these books unreservedly. I'm allowed to listen to books on tape at work, but was embarrassed to listen to this one there. The book is funny - there is a chase scene with Stephanie and Lulu that is a classic. Stephanie is so deprecating to herself, yet full of moxy. Yet the language is too "realistic" for my tastes. Funny book, involving mystery, and worth reading. But don't listen to it in conservative public places.

Notice: Non-graphic violence, Strong indecent language, Suggestive dialogue or situations

The Series:

One for the Money
Two for the Dough
Three to Get Deadly
Four to Score
High Five
Hot Six
Seven Up
Hard Eight
Visions of Sugar Plums
To the Nines
Ten Big Ones
Eleven on Top
Twelve Sharp
Plum Lovin'
Lean Mean Thirteen
Plum Lucky
Fearless Fourteen
Plum Spooky
Finger Lickin' Fifteen
Sizzling Sixteen
Smokin' Seventeen
Explosive Eighteeen