Explosive Eighteen

A Stephanie Plum Novel

By: Janet Evanovich

Narrated by: Lorelei King

Length: 6 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

Before Stephanie can even step foot off Flight 127, Hawaii to Newark, she’s knee deep in trouble. Her dream vacation turned into a nightmare, and she’s flying back to New Jersey solo. Worse still, her seatmate never returned to the plane after the L.A. layover. Now he’s dead, in a garbage can, waiting for curbside pickup. His killer could be anyone. And a ragtag collection of thugs and psychos, not to mention the FBI, are all looking for a photograph the dead man was supposed to be carrying.

Only one other person has seen the missing photo: Stephanie Plum. Now she’s the target, and she doesn’t intend to end up in a garbage can. With the help of an FBI sketch artist, Stephanie re-creates the person in the photo. Unfortunately, the first sketch turns out to look like Tom Cruise, and the second sketch like Ashton Kutcher. Until Stephanie can improve her descriptive skills, she’ll need to watch her back.

Over at the bail bonds agency, things are going from bad to worse. The bonds bus serving as Vinnie’s temporary HQ goes up in smoke. Stephanie’s wheelman, Lula, falls in love with their largest skip yet. Lifetime arch nemesis Joyce Barnhardt moves into Stephanie’s apartment. And everyone wants to know what happened in Hawaii.

Morelli, Trenton’s hottest cop, isn’t talking about Hawaii. Ranger, the man of mystery, isn’t talking about Hawaii. And all Stephanie is willing to say about her Hawaiian vacation is... it’s complicated.

Jersey girl: listen to more in the Stephanie Plum series.

©2011 Janet Evanovich (P)2011 Random House Audio

Stephanie Plum is always entertaining

Lorelei King is absolutely perfect. Her characterization and acting make me forget there's only one person doing the voices. I've enjoyed all the books in this series -- they make me laugh out loud.

Another Great Book by Janet Evanovich!!

What does Lorelei King bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She brings the characters to more life!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes

Any additional comments?

I really enjoy listening to books read by Lorelei King. She brings all the characters to life and you can tell which character she is speaking by the different tones she can do.

Love Janet!!1 Read the book and then listen to it

If you could sum up Explosive Eighteen in three words, what would they be?

I love the voices in my head from the characters. They come alive and I feel like I know them.

Which scene was your favorite?

The rats falling from the ceiling

Same antics, different title

What did you like best about Explosive Eighteen? What did you like least?

I do love the Ranger character, but really don't see why he (or Morelli for that matter) have such a thing for Stephanie. When Ricky Ricardo loved Lucy, at least he was ridiculous, too.

Would you be willing to try another book from Janet Evanovich? Why or why not?

Probably no more. Plot, character antics, and the love triangle have become repetitive. The author uses the bail jumpers to freshen the stories, but, overall, Evanovich might as well mail it in.

What three words best describe Lorelei King’s performance?

Some characters' sound similar -- primarily the inflections. King performs adequately.

Could you see Explosive Eighteen being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

It could happen, but, hopefully, not as a series as it would suffer from the repetition that the books do. Zoe Deschanel, Marisa Tomei as Stephanie. Alex O'Loughlin as Morelli. Francisco Brignoni as Ranger.

Any additional comments?

At first, the Stephanie Plum character was amusing, but somewhat credible. Now she comes across as just plain stupid. That two hard-working, serious and dangerous men want her suggests that they never tire of her neediness. Not funny anymore -- just pathetic.

Stephanie Plum!!

What made the experience of listening to Explosive Eighteen the most enjoyable?

I love all of the Stephanie Plum novels. Listening to them is so much better than reading because you can visual what each character looks like. Love it!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Grandma Mazure is by far my favorite person...you just never know what is going to come out of her mouth.

Evanovich is always fun!

What did you like best about this story?

I never care where her stories go, I just go along for the ride and enjoy every minute. It's like talking to a favorite old friend. She makes me laugh and want to eat mac and cheese and fried chicken.

What does Lorelei King bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

King brings everyone to life and I find it hard to think of anyone else doing the reading. Every character is so clear I can see them. I'm spoiled and don't want to read these books. I would call her up and ask her to read to me if she were a friend.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Laugh? Yes. Cry? Never.

Any additional comments?

Evanovich's books are friends I look forward to seeing and can't wait for the next one, until then I'll be eating my mac and cheese.

Stephanie Plum what a pip!

Always love listening to Stephanies adventures. Cannot wait for the next one! I would recommend the book to anyone who likes a funny mystery

Lives up to the title!

Where does Explosive Eighteen rank among all the audiobooks you???ve listened to so far?

Stephanie and the others live up to the title in this fast paced, explosive story. Just when the situation is intense, Janet delivers a hilarious one liner from Lula or Gramma to cause you to laugh out loud! Wonderful! Can't wait for their next adventures!

love the book

it is so good now on to the next one. thanks Janet I can't wait for more

Continue to love this series

What made the experience of listening to Explosive Eighteen the most enjoyable?

I love all the main characters and the way the book is performed. I have listened to everyone in this series.

What other book might you compare Explosive Eighteen to and why?

I enjoy the alphabet series by Grafton also. The characters are well developed and you feel as if you know them.

What about Lorelei King’s performance did you like?

She is consistant and each character's personality come across in her readings.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

these books always make me laugh out loud and shake my head. This can be embarrassing at the gym.

Any additional comments?

Will continue to listen to this series as long as she writes them.