Look Alive Twenty-Five - Janet Evanovich (Penguin - Nov 2018)

Series: Stephanie Plum (Book 25)

There's nothing like a good deli, and the Red River Deli in Trenton is one of the best. World-famous for its pastrami, cole slaw, and for its disappearing managers. Over the last month, three have vanished from the face of the earth, and the only clue in each case is one shoe that's been left behind. The police are baffled. Lula is convinced that it's a case of alien abduction. Whatever it is, they'd better figure out what's going on before they lose their new manager, Ms. Stephanie Plum.

Another fun bumbling bounty hunters book, but this one has a twist. One of the many bondees from Vinnie's bail bond business has skipped, forfeiting the business he used as collateral for his bond. So Vinnie and his boss, Harry the Hammer, are stuck with a deli that they need to keep running. The problem is, the managers keep disappearing. So Vinnie put Stephanie in as manager, telling her not to mess it up while keeping up with tracking her FTAs. Neither Morelli nor Ranger is thrilled with the idea of Stephanie being in the line of fire.

Of course, Stephanie has no experience in managing a deli. She has three employees - a waitress who seems pretty normal, a fry guy who has questionable immigration status, and a line cook with a constant buzz. The ever-present Lula made herself assistant manager. There are times when the deli gets busy, and Stephanie and Lula have to pitch in, creating even more chaos. Lula is a riot with her mad sandwich making skills, where she gets creative, and the customer gets what she made whether they ordered it or not. Ranger shows unexpected talents when even he gets sucked into helping while keeping an eye on Stephanie.

When Stephanie hires an ex-skip to take her place as manager, the man disappears in the same manner as the previous managers, leaving Stephanie feeling guilty, and Lula convinced that aliens are abducting the managers. Ranger and Morelli share the task of protecting Stephanie, with Rangeman guards shadowing Stephanie's every move. When one of the guards goes missing, the intensity of the search ramps up. Following the clues gets Stephanie and Lula into a few sticky situations until Ranger himself joins the hunt. There are a few interesting and inevitable twists in the search, and the final takedown goes relatively smoothly, but there are a couple of unexpected revelations. The book ended with a shocking cliffhanger and Stephanie in a panic.

Though they took a minor position, Stephanie still has a few skips to track down. Most were relatively easy though with some unusual steps to make them happen. I especially enjoyed the one with the cat. For the most challenging one, she was lucky enough to have Ranger with her - it is a joy to watch that man work. Strangely enough, no cars were destroyed, and Stephanie didn't get covered in any disgusting substances.

Stephanie's romantic relationships continue to be complicated. I loved the scene with Morelli and Ranger setting up Stephanie's protection. They may be rivals, but there's no doubt both care for her. She and Morelli are still together, which makes his share of the protective detail easy. They are easy and comfortable together. Stephanie's relationship with Ranger is something else. There are sparks there, as illustrated by Stephanie's frequent musings on knees melting and breathing issues. Ranger is a master of innuendo and is on top of his game in this book. He can say a lot with a simple "Babe." He is also protective of her, and I liked seeing him care for her. Meanwhile, Stephanie fights the good fight against temptation.

There were some things missing from this book that are regulars in the previous books. There is very little family drama, with only one Plum family dinner to attend. There were no funerals for Grandma Mazur to attend and disrupt. As mentioned before, no cars were destroyed. So while this wasn't as over-the-top crazy as some of the books, it was still a fun read. I'm looking forward to the next one and seeing how the cliffhanger turns out.

 

The Ebb Tide - Beverly Lewis (Bethany House - Apr 2017)

When a well-to-do family asks Sallie Riehl to be their daughter's nanny for the summer at their Cape May, New Jersey, vacation home, she jumps at the chance to broaden her horizons beyond the Lancaster County Amish community where she grew up. Sallie has long dreamed of seeing more of the world, but her parents are reluctant for her to put off baptism yet another summer, and the timing is unfortunate for Perry Zook, who has renewed interest in courting her.

Though she loves nannying, Sallie has free time on the weekends to enjoy the shore. It is there that she meets Kevin Kreider, a marine biology student who talks freely about all he's learning and asks about her interests, unlike most of the guys she grew up with. Time with Kevin is invigorating, and Sallie realizes she's never felt quite this alive around Perry. Then again, Kevin is Mennonite, not Amish.

Sallie tries to brush aside her growing feelings for Kevin, but she fears what her parents would think about her new friendship. Just as concerning, however, is Sallie's realization that her time in Cape May is increasing her desire to see the world, challenging her plans for the future. Has she been too hasty with her promises, or will Sallie only find what her heart is longing for back home in Paradise Township?

Good story, a little different than most of Beverly Lewis's stories. Most of this book takes place away from Sallie's Lancaster County Amish community and visits Cape May, New Jersey instead. I did find the beginning of the book a little slow, but once she arrived in Cape May, it picked up quite nicely.

Sallie is an unusual Amish woman. From a very young age, she was interested in the wider world around her, not just her community. She was an avid reader, especially of books about faraway places, and she dreamed of having a chance to travel. Much to her parents' displeasure, she saved enough money to take her dream trip to Australia. She was just weeks from leaving when she gave up that trip to help someone else. But as the saying goes, "When God closes a door, sometimes he opens a window." One of the customers at the restaurant where she worked asked Sallie if she would be willing to be their daughter's nanny at the Jersey shore that summer. Naturally, she jumped at the chance.

There were several things that could have worked against her. First, her parents, especially her mother, were not very happy that she would have to put off her baptism into the church for another year. Also, her older sister was getting married, and Sallie's help was needed with the preparations. Others were worried that spending that much time around "Englischers" would tempt Sallie away from her faith. Then there's the disappointment of the young Amish man who wants to court her. Any one of those things could have put an end to her dream, but Sallie was a determined young woman and found a way to make it happen. I especially loved the part her father played in making her trip happen.

There was a lot going on during this summer at the beach. Sallie was there to watch over nine-year-old Autumn while Autumn's mother was recuperating from a difficult pregnancy and dealing with a fussy newborn. Autumn is a pistol of a kid, warm-hearted and friendly, and full of energy. I loved seeing how much fun she had showing Sallie around Cape May. She's not a perfect child, however, and had her moments of grumpiness. She also exhibited some jealousy of her baby brother, with frequent complaints about his crying and how much of their mother's time he takes. I loved Sallie's efforts to bring the two children closer together. I ached for Autumn and her unhappiness and worried that she would remain that way. It took a terrifying experience for Autumn to gain a different perspective on her relationship with her baby brother.

The time away from Lancaster brought some changes to Sallie's outlook. She began to look at her life and her faith and question some of the things she felt. There was guilt over her relief at avoiding joining church for another year. She felt the weight of her parents' expectations and wondered at her own reluctance. Her correspondence with Perry started well but became more of a chore the longer she was away. Even the longed-for visit by her sister Frannie had some tense moments as Frannie noted the changes in Sallie.

Early in the visit, Autumn and Sallie went on a boat tour, where they met marine biology intern Kevin Kreider. Kevin is friendly and knowledgeable and connected quickly with both Autumn and Sallie. Kevin is a Mennonite who also has Amish family that lives near Sallie's home. He and Sallie began spending a lot of time together. I loved their growing friendship and how they were able to talk together about so many different things. Sallie loved hearing about Kevin's travels and soaked up everything he would tell her. Kevin was very interested in learning about Sallie's life with the Amish, as his own family didn't talk about their old lives. Sallie knew that she and Kevin could only be friends, but she couldn't deny that there was more to it. It was pretty clear that Kevin had fallen hard for Sallie. I loved the sweet way he treated her, and his pleasure in making her happy. Their visit to Kevin's church was especially moving, and I loved the effect it had on Sallie. But when Sallie realized her feelings for Kevin had changed, she pulled back. I ached for both of them as she returned home at the end of the summer.

Her time in New Jersey had changed Sallie deeply though, and she spent a lot of time contemplating her future. She also missed Kevin desperately, even as she tried to renew her relationship with Perry. I ached for her as she wrestled with the decisions she had to make. I loved the unexpected visit from Kevin and the renewal of their friendship. It warmed my heart to see how he interacted with her family and their reactions to him. I especially liked that Sallie took her time and thought long and hard about what she wanted for her life. The support and encouragement of her family were unexpected and wonderful to see. I loved how everything worked out. The epilogue was fantastic.