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| Fearless Fourteen (Stephanie Plum, No. 14) | 
 enlarge | Author: Janet Evanovich
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Category: Book
List Price: $27.95
Buy New: $5.29
You Save: $22.66 (81%)
New (93) Used (111) Collectible (6) from $5.29
Avg. Customer Rating:  408 reviews
Sales Rank: 214
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1st
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 320
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 9.4 x 6.3 x 1.2
ISBN: 0312349513
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780312349516
ASIN: 0312349513
Publication Date: June 17, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 boring and incohesive June 17, 2008
39 out of 60 found this review helpful
The review below is my own, but cut and pasted from the DISCUSSION board that is on this site for Fearless Fourteen, as Amazon.com would not allow reviews before the release date. It is in response to a number of strident posts by other members of the discussion.
Let me state that I have read the Advanced Reader Copy, not the published book yet. That said, I expect there to be nothing but minor corrections in spelling and grammar, not a wholesale clean up of the plot holes or the lazy, "why am I still writing about these people?" additude that permeates Miss Evanovich's latest entry.
It does make me sad, honestly and truly. Because Miss Evanovich has in the first 12 installments made me laugh so hard it hurt. She had me re-reading lines over and over in awe of the amount of detail she put into such carefully crafted sentences. I am currently re-reading Twelve Sharp, and only pages into it I am awed at the tight dialogue, the witty, sharp descriptive ability. BUT that was THEN. This book does not have that at ALL.
This book is a hodge podge of ideas. Thoughts about plots, hastily written on the back of napkins and somehow transcribed in their entirety into the finished book. She isn't true to even her main character, heroine Stephanie Plum, who in past novels always found herself knee deep in hilarious situations. Now, in Fearless Fourteen she seems mostly to be whining that her life sucks. She spends most of the novel complaining and doing little to change her situation. She is being DONE TO, not DOING anything spectacular.
And the side characters, new and old are poor shadows of who they were or who they could be. All in all a total disappointment.
THIS, BELOW, IS FROM THE DISCUSSION BOARD
That is not what this discussion is supposed to be about. It's really not for the members of private groups to banter about and try to get a rise out of people in a forum where you aren't being moderated.
This-Amazon---- is about discussing the merits of the BOOK. And as a writer, whether or not Miss Evanovich managed her task well.
And while there may be huge opportunities for us to dissect what was said, the issues for the buying public will be these--- Is it worth the cost of 5 or more gallons of gas to purchase this novel? The short answer is no.
Anyone who doesn't ALREADY read Plum is not going to become a fan of Stephanie, nor are they going to read 14 and become a life-long Morelli fan. They won't root for Ranger, either, as he is mostly absent.
And while you all know I am not a Morelli fan, I am horrified and saddened by Miss Evanovich's utter destruction of his character. What was once light-hearted, `I'm a changed man' talk has now been replaced with CANON descriptions that he slept with so many women, in dark garages where they all look the same that he can't recall sleeping with someone??
They will think Grandma is over the top, they will not understand why it's awful that Lula treats Tank with such disrespect. And they most certainly will not think they need to go read another 13 books by this author based on this new experience.
So when I write here that my recommendation is that this book be passed up, believe me it has nothing to do with the fact Ranger isn't in the book more. Honestly, the way Steph treated Ranger does more to make me feel that Ranger doesn't DESERVE Steph.
Plum for Dummies June 18, 2008
37 out of 50 found this review helpful
Before I say anything, I must let you know that I am a HUGE Janet Evanovich fan. I read the entire Stephanie Plum series and the Metro Girl books and even the rereleased romances which aren't as deep but are still fun. I bought Fearless Fourteen this morning and wanted to like it but didn't. Although her books are always light and funny and the mystery is filled with antics, every word of this book left me unsatisfied. There were no steamy scenes between Stephanie and Ranger. Ranger was hardly in the book at all, not even when Stephanie was in trouble, which doesn't ring true to his character. Morelli was the same as usual, but there was too much of him and I was bored and started skimming before I even hit the halfway point. There are no twists and turns in this book and the whole plot of Morelli maybe fathering his cousin's child is absurd and ridiculous and nasty. I thought this book was a waste of money and time and I'll think twice before buying any more of these books. I'm sad because I used to like them but this book felt dumbed down and the complex characters I've loved since I found the series in 1999 were gone. I won't be continuing this series unless Janet stops slacking off and returns the series to its original quick pace, sharp dialogue, smart humor instead of third grade jokes about feces and a mystery that my 2 yr old daughter can figure out on page nine.
Rerun June 17, 2008
35 out of 53 found this review helpful
I've come to depend on Evanovich for summer laughs. I didn't get them. It wasn't that I hated this one, it was that I was bored by it. I kept putting it down to do other things...like bathe my dogs. Not much mystery, very little adventure, and scenes taken from previous books. I wish I could have those couple of hours back.
Such a shame June 17, 2008
34 out of 47 found this review helpful
The Stephanie Plum series is one of my absolute favorites. Each year, I wait impatiently for the next installment. Janet Evanovich has created a cast of characters which resonate with each of her readers - some hilarious, some serious, all endearing. Except the creepy bad guys, of course!
But probably my favorite part of this series is the sparks that fly in every direction as Stephanie tries to survive her job and the two men in her life.
In Fearless Fourteen, those sparks have been largely snuffed out. What is left is an amusing tale of Stephanie attempting to unravel a case involving a skip who has disappeared, a 14 year old computer gamer, a ex-con with a grudge against Morelli, a has-been pop star with a need to be back on TV, and a monkey.
There are some vaguely amusing moments, some creepy moments, and some sweet moments between Stephanie and Morelli. If you read the Plum series for the her relationship with Morelli, then you might enjoy Fearless Fourteen.
However, if you love the other characters - Steph, Lula, Ranger, Tank, etc, - or for the scary adventure, then Fearless Fourteen is probably not for you. Gone is the sassy, spunky, straight-talking Stephanie, replaced instead by Morelli's gaga-eyed girlfriend who sings his praises and calmly obeys each of his orders. Gone is strong, survivor Lula, replaced by a simpering bridezilla. And Ranger is just....gone.
To say I was disappointed with Fearless Fourteen would be an understatement. All the things that have made previous books stand out - the sexual tension, the strong characters - have been negated. I had been holding out hope that however Ms. Evanovich decided to resolve the love triangle, she would be able to do so while keeping all three characters strong and vibrant. Instead, Ranger has been relegated to a caricature present in less than 15 pages, and Morelli has even more of a disturbing past revealed. Before this book, I would have been happy with an end to the series that chose either man - I loved them both for different reasons. However, with the changes to Morelli's character and Ranger's character disappearing entirely, I find myself ambivalent about any ending at all. This is a series that I am sad to say I won't be keeping up with anymore.
 Five stars because it made me laugh out loud!!! June 18, 2008
33 out of 49 found this review helpful
I am one of those Janet Evanovich fans who runs to the bookstore (or computer) to make sure I have her latest novel in my lap almost as soon as it is off the press. The Stephanie Plum series is without question her finest effort. It features the greatest lineup of kooky, lovable characters and wildly funny scenarios I have ever read. I don't know of any other books that make me laugh so hard.
I agree with many of the reviewers who feel that "Fearless Fourteen" is not the best or brightest star in this series. It lacks the depth of plot and fast paced telling that many of the earlier novels had. But it ranks among Ms. Evanovich's best writing as far as I am concerned. She has an amazing gift for being able to paint a wonderful portrait of her characters wtih very few words. Just one small example, when encountering Lula for the first time in this novel, she is described as "a former 'ho turned bonds office file clerk and wheelman. She's a plus-size black woman who likes to squash herself into too small clothes featuring animal print and spandex. Lula's cup runneth over from head to toe." Now if that doesn't place a clear image of this bizarre character in your mind I don't know what will! This book, like all of the author's novels in the series, is replete with such fairly brief but wonderfully descriptive characterizations.
This book is another wonderful romp through Stephanie's world of bail bondsmanship in Newark, New Jersey. While it may be short on mystery and suspense it is hysterically funny in its vivid portrayals of the bumbling yet somehow successful efforts of its protagonist. Some of the characters, like the unforgettable Grandma Mazur, may be that much more funny if you know them a bit (from prior novels of course!), but many of the new characters, like Zook and Moondog, and their video gaming nuttiness, had me rolling. I noted that some of the reviewers of this book were unhappy with some of the changes in some characters (e.g., Stephanie would never tolerate that!), but for my part I wholeheartedly enjoy these people, and if they have grown up a bit, well I guess we have to accept that in fiction as in real life! It didn't bother me at all that some of them have softened around the edges.
Whatever you do don't skip this book because of some negative reviews. It is a hoot and a half in a fine tradition of darn funny comedy!
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