Review: Takedown Twenty (Audio)

Summary: New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum knows better than to mess with family. But when powerful mobster Salvatore “Uncle Sunny” Sunucchi goes on the lam in Trenton, it’s up to Stephanie to find him. Uncle Sunny is charged with murder for running over a guy (twice), and nobody wants to turn him in—not his poker buddies, not his bimbo girlfriend, not his two right-hand men, Shorty and Moe. Even Trenton’s hottest cop, Joe Morelli, has skin in the game, because—just Stephanie’s luck—the godfather is his actual godfather. And while Morelli understands that the law is the law, his old-world grandmother, Bella, is doing everything she can to throw Stephanie off the trail.

It’s not just Uncle Sunny giving Stephanie the run-around. Security specialist Ranger needs her help to solve the bizarre death of a top client’s mother, a woman who happened to play bingo with Stephanie’s Grandma Mazur. Before Stephanie knows it, she’s working side by side with Ranger and Grandma at the senior center, trying to catch a killer on the loose—and the bingo balls are not rolling in their favor.

With bullet holes in her car, henchmen on her tail, and a giraffe named Kevin running wild in the streets of Trenton, Stephanie will have to up her game for the ultimate takedown. -- Random House Audio

I can't say that I've read every novel in the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich; however, I'm read (or listened to) most of them. The latest installment in this extremely popular, and long-running series, is called TAKEDOWN TWENTY; and it's exactly what you'd expect from the twentieth book in this series. It's filled with the zany characters that fans have come to know and love, and Stephanie finds herself caught up in a lot of craziness.

In TAKEDOWN TWENTY, Stephanie is tasked with finding Uncle Sunny, a notorious Trenton mobster, who is charged with murder. Surprisingly (not really!), it's not an easy assignment since everyone wants to protect Uncle Sunny... even Stephanie's policeman boyfriend Joe Morelli isn't anxious to get involved since Uncle Sunny is his actual godfather! Furthermore, Stephanie gets caught up in the investigation of serial killer -- one who targets elderly women. Once again, Stephanie finds herself in some precarious situations and her life might even be at risk. And if that's not enough, a giraffe is on the loose in downtown Trenton!

I don't have much to say about TAKEDOWN TWENTY. There's nothing really new or original in this book (except the giraffe!), but I still enjoyed it. I listened to this audio while I worked out last week and it was a fun way to kill time (pardon the pun.) After all these years, I still enjoy the chemistry between Stephanie and Joe.. and Ranger; and Lulu never fails to crack me up. I guess you could say that the Stephanie Plum books are a form of comfort food for me!

At it's heart, TAKEDOWN TWENTY is a mystery; and there are definitely a few mysteries in this novel. I don't think any reader will be all that shocked when the secrets are revealed (except maybe the one about why there a giraffe running around town); however, I didn't spend a lot of time trying to figure them out. This book was just light and fun, and I definitely didn't take it too seriously!

I have to admit that I stopped reading the Stephanie Plum books for a few years because I did think that they were too similar. And then I discovered the audio version after a neighbor's recommendation. The audio book is read by Lorelei King and I think she's terrific! I love her accents and portrayal of the characters (especially Lulu). Her performance brings these stories to an entirely new level for me. Just listen:



TAKEDOWN TWENTY is another fun mystery in the long line of Stephanie Plum books. Regular fans of the series will enjoy it, and new readers might get a kick out of these crazy characters!

Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy of this audio book.

Mystery Mondays is a regular feature where I review all types of mystery books -- traditional mysteries, suspense/thrillers, and even cozies! Please feel free to share your thoughts on any recent mystery books that you've read. Mystery Mondays is a regular feature where I review all types of mystery books -- traditional mysteries, suspense/thrillers, and even cozies! Please feel free to share your thoughts on any recent mystery books that you've read.