Summary
Dead bodies are piling up in the parking lot of Vincent Plum Bail Bonds, and someone has Stephanie Plum in their crosshairs. In the seventeenth installment of Janet Evanovich’s beloved mystery series, our favorite Trenton bounty hunter juggles fugitive chasing, a complicated love triangle, and the unsettling realization that she might be the next target. With her trademark blend of danger and dysfunction, Stephanie proves once again that catching bad guys is the easy part – it’s everything else that’ll kill you.
Audiobook Info
- Author: Janet Evanovich
- Narrator: Lorelei King
- Duration: 10 hours and 38 minutes
- Publisher: Penguin Audio
- Release Date: June 21, 2011
- Series: Stephanie Plum
- Book: 17
Review
Lorelei King has become so synonymous with Stephanie Plum that it’s impossible to imagine anyone else giving voice to this disaster-prone bounty hunter. After seventeen books, King’s performance feels less like narration and more like channeling – she inhabits Stephanie’s exasperated sighs, Grandma Mazur’s gleeful inappropriateness, and Lula’s larger-than-life personality with effortless precision. Her Jersey-inflected delivery adds authentic flavor to every scene, whether Stephanie is dodging bullets or dodging her mother’s pointed questions about marriage.
The mystery at the heart of Smokin’ Seventeen carries genuine menace despite the comedic wrapper. Bodies keep appearing at the bail bonds office with disturbing regularity, and the threat against Stephanie feels more personal than usual. Evanovich balances the darker elements with her signature absurdist humor – the kind where you’re laughing out loud one moment and genuinely worried for the characters the next. It’s a tonal tightrope that few authors walk as confidently.
What makes this installment particularly enjoyable is the romantic chaos. Both Morelli and Ranger are vying for Stephanie’s attention, and the tension crackles through King’s delivery. Fans who have been shipping either team will find plenty to fuel their preferences here. The love triangle never overshadows the mystery but adds emotional stakes that elevate the story beyond simple whodunit territory.
The supporting cast remains one of the series’ greatest strengths. Lula’s fashion disasters, Grandma Mazur’s funeral-crashing hobby, and the various skips Stephanie has to track down create a colorful ecosystem of chaos. King differentiates each character with such clarity that you could close your eyes and instantly know who’s speaking. Her comic timing transforms already funny dialogue into genuinely hilarious moments.
This audiobook is perfect for fans who’ve followed Stephanie from the beginning and newcomers looking for a fun entry point into cozy mystery territory. If you enjoy your crime fiction served with a side of snark, romantic complications, and a heroine who’s more relatable than heroic, Smokin’ Seventeen delivers exactly what you’re craving.
Download & Listen
Ready to ride shotgun with Stephanie Plum through the wild streets of Trenton? Download Smokin’ Seventeen today at KTAudiobooks.com and discover why millions of listeners have fallen for this irresistible series. With Lorelei King’s pitch-perfect narration, you’ll be hooked before the first body drops.
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