Inside Look @ Stephanie Plum

by

Mike & Amy Nappa

FAST LOOK:

Stephanie Plum, a sassy bounty hunter from New Jersey, chases criminals, dodges bullets, flirts with hunky men, worries about her family, dotes on her hamster—and keeps readers laughing along the way.

INSIDE SCOOP:

There’s no shortage of mystery novels available to readers, but the ones that follow the adventures of New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum continue to fly off the shelves. Multi-award-winning author Janet Evanovich has hit upon a formula that keeps readers coming back for more. Her first Plum novel, One for the Money (St. Martin’s Press), released in 1994, and became a quick hit. Books six, seven, and eight in the series (Hot Six, Seven Up, and Hard Eight, respectively) each debuted at number one on the New York Times bestseller list. In spite of their incredible success in the mainstream market, her books have stayed below the radar with Christian readers. Either Christians have avoided Stephanie Plum, or they’re secret fans of these sometimes-racy novels.

In Evanovich’s latest book, Hard Eight, Stephanie agrees to help an elderly neighbor find her missing daughter and granddaughter, and quickly finds her own life in danger. A corpse appears on her couch, her car is bombed, and a thug in a bunny suit (yes, a bunny suit) trails her around town. On top of this Stephanie struggles with conflicting feelings for officer Joe Morelli and fellow bounty hunter Ranger, worries about the safety of her parents, sister, and grandmother, and befriends a goofy lawyer.

Fans of the series simply love Stephanie Plum. She’s a thirty-something female who’s not incredibly brave (she doesn’t know any martial arts and usually keeps her gun stashed in a cookie jar so she won’t have to hurt anyone), who loves her family (but doesn’t want to have to move back into her old bedroom), and longs for love (but worries about choosing the right man). Women relate to Stephanie’s bad hair days, pimple problems, and love of junk food, while readers both male and female get caught up in the intrigue of each mystery—and the hilarious situations Stephanie gets into. Cross I Love Lucy with Mission Impossible and you’ve got Stephanie Plum.

In spite of her popularity, there are those who find fault with the Stephanie Plum books. The dialogue is littered with profanity, and much of the violence is horrific. It’s bad enough that Stephanie finds bodies in just about every book, but descriptions of how the people were brutally murdered are enough to make anyone feel nauseous. And while the books are not as sexually explicit as many other mainstream novels, there’s no question that Stephanie is sexually involved with men.

Many readers, especially women, relate to Stephanie’s humor, strengths, and weaknesses. Stephanie may depict the heart and lifestyle of the average woman, yet the book obviously does not reflect Christian morals.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT Stephanie Plum:

“The things Evanovich does so well—family angst, sweet eroticism, stealth shopping, that stunning mix of terror and hilarity—are done better than ever here.”

—Booklist

♦♦♦

“Evanovich’s great gift is an ability to create situations zany enough to provoke bursts of laughter but so grounded in the realities of working-class life that they are totally believable.”

—Philadelphia Inquirer

♦♦♦

“Crisp and sassy writing fuels the funny world of Stephanie Plum, which is peppered with characters who would fit in nicely in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction.”

—San Francisco Examiner

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“[One for the Money] was written at a high-school reader’s level, but with adult content. In my opinion a bad combination.”

— Amazon.com reviewer from Englewood, Colorado

LOOKING INSIDE…:      

Use these questions to spark family discussion about Stephanie Plum:

---What kind of social commentary do you find in the Stephanie Plum books? What comments is the author making about families? About relationships? About greed?

---Where do you relate to Stephanie Plum? How do you find your life to be like hers? Unlike hers? In what ways are you glad your life is different?

---Could someone like Stephanie still be funny and adventurous if she became a Christian? How might her life change? If you knew someone like Stephanie, what could you say to help her see her need for God?

[SIDEBAR]

If members of your family like Stephanie Plum, then you may want to check out:

---Vancouver Mystery by Andrew Snaden and Rosey Dow (Promise Press).

Surgeon Dan Foster has been framed for the murder of a patient, whose husband suspiciously died only a few weeks earlier. Now both the authorities and the real killer are closing in on Dr. Foster. It’s up to the doctor, his Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer brother, and a woman who’s a local news anchor to do a bit of sleuthing and find the killer.

---Father Gilbert Mysteries from Focus on the Family Radio Theatre.

Louis Gilbert, detective turned priest, still finds himself drawn into strange mysteries. In one episode a man confesses to the priest that he’s murdered someone—yet no murder has been committed. Another mystery finds Father Gilbert searching for a valuable chalice.  Created by Paul McCusker (the Peabody Award-winning producer of Focus on the Family Radio Theatre), this series of audio dramas features quality voice talent and production, with mysteries so intense that a few are not recommended for children.

[END]

[BIO LINE] Mike & Amy Nappa are renowned cultural commentators, best-selling and award-winning authors, and creators of the Internet magazine for families, www.FamilyFans.com