Dirty Thirty - Janet Evanovich

Can you believe it? Janet Evanovich's latest book Dirty Thirty is the 30th book in her long running Stephanie Plum series!

The Plum books are my choice for some escapist, light hearted, comfort listening that doesn't take itself serious at all. Familiarity is another draw for me - I know who, and what, I'm going to find. 

Our lead character Stephanie works as a bounty hunter for her cousin Vinny in Trenton, New Jersey. This time around, Stephanie is tracking down two possible jewelry thieves. 

Stephanie is easy to like, with a good sense of humor. The supporting cast includes sidekick Lula, a big hearted former hooker. The banter between Stephanie and Lula is always fun. Lula has taken a bigger role in later books and has a case of her own to settle. Stephanie's Grandma Mazur (my fave) is often involved in whatever is going on.

The real question though, is who Stephanie will settle down with! For thirty books she has vacillated between Trenton police detective or private security firm owner Ranger. There may be an answer this time - or maybe not. (I will definitely be picking up #31 to see what happens next!) 

I chose to listen to Dirty Thirty. I'm so happy that Lorelei King is again the reader. She's been the voice of this series for many years. The continuity is wonderful as it feels like jumping right back into life in the 'Burg'. King has a very versatile and expressive voice. She has created different voices for the characters and it's quite easy to know who is speaking. The voice for Stephanie is pretty calm, no matter what's going on. Lula however is always big and loud. Grandma Mazur's has a perpetually happy voice, always seeing the bright side. Each of the love interests have distinct voices as well. Babe. There's many more and they all fit the mental images I've created for all the players. King speaks clearly, she is easy to understand and her pace of delivery is just right. She brings the action, emotions and calamities of the plot to life with her voice, changing up the tenor and tone to match what's going on. A great performance. Hear for yourself - listen to an audio excerpt of Dirty Thirty.

(PS. The cases are usually pretty light hearted, but I do have to say I didn't find the 'dog house situation' funny at all.)