Seven Up

Seven Up by Janet Evanovich

Published by St. Martin's Press

Grade: A

All New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum has to do is bring in
semi-retired bail jumper Eddie DeChooch. For an old man he's still got a knack for slipping out of sight--and raising hell. How else can Stephanie explain the bullet-riddled corpse in Eddie's garden? Who else would have a clue as to why two of Stephanie's friends suddenly vanished? For answers Stephanie has the devil to pay: her mentor, Ranger. The deal? He'll give Stephanie all the help she needs--if she gives him everything he wants . . .
As if things weren't complicated enough, Stephanie's just discovered her Grandma Mazur's own unmentionable alliance with Eddie. Add a series of unnerving break-ins, not to mention the bombshell revelation leveled by Stephanie's estranged sister, and
Stephanie's ready for some good news. Unfortunately, a marriage proposal from
Joe Morelli, the love of her life, isn't quite cutting it. And now--murder, a randy paramour, a wily mobster, death threats, extortion, and a triplie kidnapping aside--Stephanie's really got the urge to run for her life . .

Boy, do I ever love this series. So far, out of the 7 that I have read, there has only been one that I wasn't all in love with. Thats a pretty good track record.

In Seven Up, Stephanie is searching for a senior citizen with depression, who likes to shoot at people. He is the sometimes boyfriend of Grandma Mazur, but seeing as he can't get it up, she doesn't want to much to do with him. Ah, I love that Grandma Mazur.

There has been a lot of marriage talk between Joe & Stephanie, but it's always during sex, so Stephanie isn't taking the talk too seriously. Stephanie's mother is pushing for a wedding, and even has Stephanie trying on wedding gowns. However, Joe hates that Stephanie is a bounty Hunter, and he tells her to pick him, or her job. She says that she wont marry someone who gives her ultimatums. He storms out, and their relationship is off again.

Ranger is still around. Yummy man that he is. He wants to bang Stephanie and he doesn't care if she isn't 100% free. Stephanie asks for his help to bring in the current big skip, and he tells her that he will help her, but she has to spend the night with him as payment. Ohhh, lucky girl. The end of the book is a cliff hanger. He shows up at her place in the middle of the night. Here is what teased me on the last page

He stepped into the open doorway to my bedroom and knocked softly on the
jamb. "Are you awake?"
"I am now. You scared the hell out of me"
It was Ranger.
"I want to see you," he said. "Do you have a night-light?"
"In the bathroom"
He got the light from the bathroom and plugged it into a baseboard in my
bedroom. It didn't give off much light, but it was enough to see him
clearly.
"So," I said, mentally cracking my knuckles.
"What's going on? Is DeChooch okay?"
Ranger removed his gun belt and dropped it on the floor. "Dechooch is fine,
but we have unfinished business."

Gosh! I can't wait to read the next book. They better have had sex. I have been waiting since book one for the two of them to knock boots.

So many things had me laughing out loud (as usual when I read this series)

Bob the dog is still around, and Stephanie has him do his business on Joyce's lawn.

Stephanies sister decide that since her husband left her for their 18 year old babysitter, that it would be a good time to become a lesbian. She also invites her first female date to the house, and of course, that sends Stephanies mother into a frenzy.

Lula and Stephanie get into a mud wrestling match, and after one wrestlers g-sting gets pulled off, Stephanies sister says,

"There was something wrong with that Animal person," Valerie said. "When you
ripped her pants off, she was bald down there."

Surprisingly, Stephanie does not kill any vehicles in this book, but she does find one dead body. Her apartment is still getting broken into on a regular basis, and it's starting to get old.

The cliff hanger ending isn't all that annoying this time. I guess it's because the book was so enjoyable, that I can't let the ending bother me. The fact that Ranger is in her bedroom at all is good enough for me. For now.