Three to Get Deadly (Stephanie Plum, #3)

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Three to Get Deadly (Stephanie Plum #3)

by Janet Evanovich (Goodreads Author)

4.12 of 5 stars 4.12 · rating details · 70,420 ratings · 1,976 reviews

A “saintly” old candy store owner is on the lam - and bounty hunter extraordinaire Stephanie Plum is on the case. As the body count rises, Stephanie finds herself dealing with dead drug dealers and slippery fugitives on the chase of her life. And with the help of eccentric friends and family, Steph must see to it that this case doesn't end up being her last....

Kindle Edition, 344 pages

Published July 1999 by Scribner (first published January 1st 1997)

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Jan 29, 2012 Tilly Slaton rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviews-completed

This book demonstrates an explosive and brilliantly comical story.

Stephanie Plum. Bounty hunter.

I checked my pocketbook to make sure I had the essentials…beeper, tissues, hair spray, flashlight, cuffs, lipstick, gun with bullets, recharged cell phone, recharged stun gun, hairbrush, gum, pepper spray nail file. Was I a kick-ass bounty hunter, or what?

That about sums her up. She’s hilarious. She’s brave and bold. She’s a woman on the edge. I don’t know who should be more frightened, Joe Morelli or...more

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Jul 30, 2008 Katie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Plum Fans

Recommended to Katie by: Mom

Book three was my favorite thus far. I rated this book four stars, because I just couldn't put it down. I really enjoy Janet Evanovich's writing style because something is ALWAYS happening in her novels.
Ugh, sorry to be a "negative-Nancy", but am I the only the that doesn't laugh-out-loud at these books? Lula gets on my nerves (even though she's a sweetheart,) and Stephanie has the "oops! hehe" sense of humor that just always seems to be getting her in trouble. Don't get me wrong, I love readin...more

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Nov 30, 2008 Patrick Gibson rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: estrogen

It’s a world I am unfamiliar with—the world of Chic Lit (or, if you are over 18, I refer to as Clit Lit). Even though Janet Evanovich’s books take up at least three shelves at the local Barnes & Noble, I have never noticed. Probably because they are in the Mystery section which I pass through on my way to the Science Fiction wall. I don’t look to either side for fear of turning into a pillar of salt. But—(there is always a but) I am in a strange land under strange circumstances these days an...more

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Mar 20, 2008 Pam rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love the Stephanie Plum, Bounty Hunter books. From Grandma who loves to go to the local lay outs and is a disaster at funeral homes and with guns to Stephanie who has 2 hunks in love with her and so many things happen that it makes you laugh out loud.

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Nov 05, 2012 Dawn rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: modern

More Stephanie Plum. I did not like this one as much as the others. It has a few good parts like when her hair gets dyed orange and a when a body flew off the roof of a car on the interstate. You do get to know Ranger more in this book, but other than that I had a hard time reading it. The case she was working was not very interesting and I got tired of reading about her feeding her hamster and taking a shower. It would be better if she started learning how to be a bounty hunter instead of bumbl...more

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Mar 15, 2008 Gina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Another awesome book! Grandma Mazur cracks me up, as well as a few other characters. I like how Ranger stays the mysterious character; it's fun trying to guess about him. And Stephanie ~ I guess you could say the Italian in her shines through. And I really like her. She may not be brave, but she's tenacious, and the thoughts in her head make me crack up just the same. And Joe...what I wouldn't do to actually meet him (if he were real, of course). Joyce - she got what she deserved. I just wish so...more

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Dec 23, 2012 Caro rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: evanovich-janet, own

More exciting hot-trotting kick-A tales from the Burg. I really enjoyed this book too. How can so many things go wrong, but right at the same time. I was snickering, laughing, holding my breath, and staring at my book with dumb stupification. Unbelievably true events and priceless characters, Lula getting her groove on, bad hair dos, nail biting suspense in a corky way, and unlimited surprises. The books in this series always surprise me and keep me turning pages. It's like the comic relief side...more

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Feb 02, 2008 Tracey rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was enjoying this book until I got to the final chapters. While I appreciate that the Stephanie Plum books are meant to be humourous light reading, Evanovich downplays what the Candy Man (Uncle Mo) has actually been doing and even seems to want you to feel sorry for him. I'm probably in a small minority here especially among Stephanie Plum fans but this has really put me off reading any more in this series.

Lula's character development was good and Lula also provided most of the humour in the b...more

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Jan 18, 2009 sarafem rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009, girl-detectives

Stephanie Plum makes me want to be a bounty hunter. I can't be any worse than her.

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Jun 11, 2012 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2012, series, chick-lit

These make me laugh SO much! LOVE how she always says "Probably...." NEXT!

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Feb 14, 2013 Bonnie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a mystery/thriller/comedy. The Evanovich books are light, silly and fun. They are not for someone who wants a real thriller or deep mystery.

This book is another Stephanie Plum book and, like the rest, is very entertaining and well written. Stephanie is the world's worst bounty hunter who lives in NJ. She solves her dilemmas not by reasoning but by totally bumbling into solving them.

Some of the characters in these books stretch credibility but if you accept these books for the comical r...more

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Jan 26, 2013 The Readers Cafe rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed-by-onzelle

Back for round three, and just as good.

This time the friendly and beloved neighborhood candy store owner, affectionately known as “Uncle Mo”, has failed to appear at his court date. He was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon, which apparently is so common in the area that it is a law most everybody ignores. And the people in the neighborhood are not about to help Stephanie bring in Uncle Mo in any way, shape, or form. -This rings true to real life. Some people are so loved by the local mass...more Back for round three, and just as good.

This time the friendly and beloved neighborhood candy store owner, affectionately known as “Uncle Mo”, has failed to appear at his court date. He was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon, which apparently is so common in the area that it is a law most everybody ignores. And the people in the neighborhood are not about to help Stephanie bring in Uncle Mo in any way, shape, or form. -This rings true to real life. Some people are so loved by the local masses, that they are forgiven everything. And the locals are frustrating, yet funny in their attempts to preserve Uncle Mo’s freedom.

Stephanie keeps coming across dead bodies, one right after another. It becomes a running joke amongst the cops in town that if there’s a discarded body lying around somewhere, Stephanie will find it. -It’s creepy. It’s like she’s got some sort of dead body radar. If it hadn’t have become a running joke, it would have been annoyingly overdone. As it was, by the end I was rolling my eyes when she discovered yet another one.

It just so happens that the previous owners of those dead bodies all seem to have crime in common. It begins to look like Uncle Mo might be part of a vigilante group who are out to rid the area of drug dealers by taking matters into their own hands. This idea just seems to endear Uncle Mo to the citizens even more. -When this twist came into view, I started to cheer for Mo myself, but that feeling quickly passed. There’s something more sinister afoot. Thank goodness, because this kept my attention grounded in the mystery between my eyerolls concerning the number of dead bodies there were.

Grandma Mazur, while still as feisty as ever, plays a much smaller role this time around. Enter Lula, an overweight ex hooker turned file clerk in Stephanie’s cousin Vinnie’s bail bonds office. She talks all the talk of wanting to be a bounty hunter, but doesn’t quite walk the walk. -But instead of the reader feeling frustrated with the character of Lula, this reader found her hilarious and likeable. I didn’t see the incorporation of this character coming, yet she fits in beautifully.

Morelli has backed off hanging with Stephanie nearly altogether. Stephanie is bothered by this revelation. She doesn’t want a relationship with Morelli… or does she? She finds herself getting jealous when she suspects that Morelli has a girlfriend, and it bothers her that she’s jealous. Stephanie doesn’t know what she wants, but she knows she doesn’t want Morelli involved with somebody else. -Ah, yes, the personal love-life crises.

Ranger is still in the picture as a mentor. Stephanie turns to him for help when she decides that she needs to get her bounty hunter act together and get in shape. -This is funny. We get to see a whole new side of Ranger, and he’s a health-nut. But there’s something so… hot about him, I can forgive his lack of an ability to eat a doughnut.

You can feel Evanovich begin to really settle into the series. She’s getting to know certain characters on a deeper level, she’s unraveling Stephanie’s personal life a bit, and Stephanie’s quirks are beginning to show themselves more.

This was another fun romp with Stephanie Plum. Twists and turns and hilarity and dead drug dealers. She doesn’t walk through everything completely unscathed in this one, but Stephanie is tougher than she looks and doesn’t back down until the mystery is solved. She’s full of Jersey attitude. An enjoyable read!

Four out of five pairs of handcuffs.

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Dec 16, 2012 Peter rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Stephanie Plum, the brassy babe in the powder blue Buick is back and she's having a bad hair day — for the whole month of January.

She's been given the unpopular task of finding Mo Bedemier, Trenton's most beloved citizen, arrested for carrying concealed, gone no-show for his court appearance.

And to make matters worse, she's got Lula, a former hooker turned file clerk — now a wannabe bounty hunter — at her side, sticking like glue. Lula's big and blonde and black and itching to get the chance

...more

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May 22, 2012 Nicole Green rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Three to Get Deadly is just another Janet Evanovich book that I could not put down. I should realize how good her books are before I start reading them. Maybe finish books I'm already reading before I start the next one because I will not be able to get through them with the next book, Four to Score sitting on my bedside table.

I feel that the main plot question that is always on Janet's mind is, "how can I get Stephanie into even more trouble than she's already in?" I think it is a very good que...more Three to Get Deadly is just another Janet Evanovich book that I could not put down. I should realize how good her books are before I start reading them. Maybe finish books I'm already reading before I start the next one because I will not be able to get through them with the next book, Four to Score sitting on my bedside table.

I feel that the main plot question that is always on Janet's mind is, "how can I get Stephanie into even more trouble than she's already in?" I think it is a very good question. No matter what, Stephanie Plum is in some sort of trouble and Morelli is almost always there to help her through it. Too bad they haven't done the deed yet!!! Seriously, in the past two books there have been so many interruptions that I just want to chuck the book across the room and can only hope the next book they actually do something. The worst part of the book for me was the last sentence: "And then his lips brushed the nape of my neck, sending a jolt of fire straight to my doodah." AND THEN IT JUST ENDS! If that's not a cliffhanger I don't know what is.

Alright, more about this book. One, I really liked it, the plot was great, the characters were amazing and I'm coming to love them more and more. I wonder if the theme of the name matching the number of FTA's Stephanie receives is going to keep up. In this book, THREE to Get Deadly, Stephanie has three FTA's: Mo, the candy-store owner, Stuart, the teenager who sells hot dogs at the mall, and Leroy Watkins, aka Snake (for parts unseen by the public). Secondly, there were A LOT of surprises, which is probably why I couldn't put the book down. Around every corner something new happens, which reveals some sort of plot twist or connects other events to the point where the reader is just like... "What?" There were a few times I had to reread because I was so engrossed that I thought I missed something important. Which I did.

I would definitely recommend this book/series to those who like suspense, surprise, humor, and a little bit of sexual tension. This book and this series are wonderful and I'm surprised as to why it took me so long to start reading. I just can't get enough. (less)

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Jan 22, 2012 Lorraine rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Stephanie Plum is at it again in "Three to Get Deadly," as the neophyte bounty hunter. This time she is after Mo (Moses Bedemier), the man who owns the candy store and whom everyone loves. When Mo is arrested for carrying a concealed weapon and doesn’t show up for his court date, Stephanie is on the case. The problem is that no one wants to help her because they all love Mo and can’t believe he’d ever be involved in any wrongdoing.

Dead bodies of drug dealers begin to appear, especially those bur...more

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Sep 12, 2011 Diana (Offbeat Vagabond) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, crime, crime-thriller, great-heroines, humor, mages, mystery

Review posted here: http://offbeatvagabond.blogspot.com/2011/09/book-review-three-to-get-deadly.html

Stephanie Plum has only been a bounty hunter for 5 months, but she has already earned herself a reputation as trouble magnet. But the pressure is really on for her now since she has to arrest the town’s saint, Moses (Uncle Mo). He has been Trenton’s Candy Man, owns his own shop that sells candy and ice cream to the kids and it is even known as a safe place for them to hang out. But what is suppos...more Review posted here: http://offbeatvagabond.blogspot.com/2011/09/book-review-three-to-get-deadly.html

Stephanie Plum has only been a bounty hunter for 5 months, but she has already earned herself a reputation as trouble magnet. But the pressure is really on for her now since she has to arrest the town’s saint, Moses (Uncle Mo). He has been Trenton’s Candy Man, owns his own shop that sells candy and ice cream to the kids and it is even known as a safe place for them to hang out. But what is supposed to be a simple bust on minor charge (carrying concealed) soon becomes explosive for Plum when Uncle Mo is beginning to look less and less like the town saint. But that doesn’t stop Uncle Mo’s supporters from showing Plum how much they don’t want Mo gone and this puts Plum in even more danger than she thought.

Oh, how much I love this series. Again, I so regret how long it took for me to start it. I am not sure I would classify this as Chick Lit or not, but it is something I think both men and women will find entertaining. Plum is still Plum, always in the wrong place at the right time (you read that right). I love how her strange hunches send her to the correct places, even though what occurs isn’t the best of situations, it helps. I love how crazy things get. Everything seems so normal and BAM, Plum is surrounded by dead bodies, drug dealers, bullets, and a rocket launcher. Yes, a rocket launcher!

I got the abridged version again, but in this one there wasn’t much of Grandma Mazur which is greatly disappointing, but we do get more Lula. I really loved her. Adding more of her made up for not having a lot of Mazur (still wanted her though). She becomes Plum’s unwanted sidekick, but she was loads of fun. I couldn’t stop cracking up at the amount of things she would say to and about the criminals they needed to bust. One of my favorite scenes was when they had to catch some kid working at the mall. The fight between him and Plum/Lula was hilarious. Seeing two chicks having mustard squirted on them and trying to take down a guy in a chicken suit is just priceless.

We also meet some of Lula’s interesting friends who might be crazier than she is, but made this even funnier to listen to. And of course, there is Joe Morelli, but he is acting surprisingly weird around Plum. He has been after her since the beginning, but now he is acting like they are just buddies. This leads to some sexy and once again very frustrating scenes. Why Evanovich do you continue to tease us? As much as I enjoy Morelli, I am most curious about the character Ranger though. Something quite sexy about him, he definitely screams alpha and I want more. We are definitely going to see more of him.

Don’t have much more to say without spoiling things. This book was great. This series is yet to disappoint. I can’t possibly put it down. If you haven’t started it, you must. No way can you get bored with this series. Going on ridiculous chases with some of the most unusual characters ever, plus the loads of laughs, this is a definite hit.(less)

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Jul 18, 2011 AudioBookFans rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My review was originally published at our website, http://www.audiobookfans.com

My review: I feel like I zipped right through this audio book and I guess I kind of did. I couldn’t help myself; I was so enticed with the story line, I had to stay up past my normal “old lady” bed time and listen. I managed to drag myself to work the next day and kick myself for staying up too late. Then, that night I’d do it all over again just to see what kind of mess Stephanie would get herself into.

Three to Get D...more

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Jun 02, 2011 Tabi34 rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the best Stephanie Plum book so far. While the characters are zany, they are well-developed. The plot sometimes reaches, but not that far that it isn't plausible.
Not even Stephanie should be able to screw up her latest FTA, an old man who runs a candy store. What could be less threatening or dangerous, well, maybe a grizzly bear. Uncle Mo is loved by everyone in the Burg and because Stephanie is out to bring him in, everyone hates her. Mo's crime, carrying a concealed weapon, but he has...more

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May 12, 2011 David rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: completed

It is hard to imagine the Stephanie Plum series getting any better. This time, as the dead bodies pile up, Stephanie is faced with masked men, former hooker Lula's voracious appetite, a beloved candy store owner, a group of vigilantes, the wonderful "Ranger," Her lawyer ex-husband Dickie, her daffy grandmother, and a host of wacky, crazy characters that make this novel more fun than the proverbial barrel of monkeys.

We learn that everyone, young and old, carries a gun in Trenton, New Jersey.. som...more

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Jan 19, 2011 Laurel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm not one to laugh out loud. I chortle. I chuckle. I read the amusing bits out loud to my husband. But I rarely laugh out loud. I did with this book, more than once. I'm talking tears rolling down my face and me coughing up phlegm from 1974. This is a VERY funny book. It seems that each book in her series gets better and better. Dare I hope it continues?

This is the continuing saga of wacky Stephanie Plum, girl Bounty Hunter. This time she's traded in her 53 Buick, a pale blue land barge for a...more

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Sep 30, 2010 Tintin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone who wants a good laugh

Shelves: ebook

By the 3rd installment, I was beginning to feel that Stephanie Plum's act getting old. But as usual, the stellar cast of characters saved this novel from the 3-star pile. The star of the stars, of course, is Joe Morelli. Just as I was getting bored of Stephanie's dead-ended surveillances and botched apprehensions, Morelli and his sexy butt would waltz in and sweep me off my feet. Damn I haven't been in love with a fictional character in a long time. He really spices things up, and the main reaso...more

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Mar 22, 2010 Nenia Campbell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: x-1990s, reviewed, x-series-bk-3

i was initially wary about starting this series but that just shows how wrong i was, because this is now one of my favorite lines of books! the characterization is pretty good. the main character, stephanie plum, is easy to identify with; she's working a job she hates, has crazy relationship issues, and a family that makes her want to scream (although, speaking as the devil's advocate, i actually adore her family, especially grandma mazur (because who doesn't love a kickass, uber-eccentric grand...more

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Mar 29, 2013 Nadine rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

I really enjoy reading the Stephanie Plum novels. I paid no mind to them until I had a friend recommend that I read the series. I'm so glad she did! These books are so comical and full of silly, thrilling, mysterious adventure! The writing is so well done and witty that I feel like I'm part of the Burg. One of the things I most enjoy about the books, is Stephanie herself. I like how Evanovich made her character relatable in many ways to the average woman. Stephanie is not perfect, she makes mist...more

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Jun 24, 2012 Tiffany rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Hands down Evanovich is my FAVORITE author!! You can always expect to bust out laughing when reading any book in this series. The antics of both Grandma Mazur and Lula make me laugh so much my eyes water...and I don't know who's hotter Morelli or Ranger :-) I'm not going to review each individual book since the series is so long but I will say that every book is well written and Evanovich has THE best writing style around. I'm always blown away by the strong and realistic dialogue which makes th...more

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Dec 17, 2011 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

Again, another solid addition to the Stephanie Plum series. These books make me laugh and smile all the way through them.

In book number three we get to know Lula better as she teams up with Stephanie. Their antics together are hilarious. I am not so much of a fan of Lula later in the series when I personally think the books focus on her too much--when they could be focusing on um, Joe Morelli or Ranger, hello?

Speaking of Ranger, we also get to know him a little bit better--by 'better' I mean we...more

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Jan 15, 2013 Evil Twin One (Ange) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 3read-in-2013, jan-yc-blue, nbrc-tower-team-b, 01adult, 0cop-military-agency-societygroup, 0hunters-or-assassins, 0mystery, 0romance, 1book-in-a-series, 4borrowed, 4need-to-buy, janet-evanovich, nbrc-13x13-challenge

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This one is just as funny as the first two. And it just goes to show you never really know a person.

It starts off with Stephanie trying to turn down her new FTA because it's old Moe. The nice ice cream guy who would never do anything wrong. All the neighors come down hard on her for going after him too. Then the sightings of him start. And just so happens that whenever he's seen somewhere a dead drug dealer/user shows up. Then the threatening phones calls and visits start. 'Leave Moe alone' and...more This one is just as funny as the first two. And it just goes to show you never really know a person.

It starts off with Stephanie trying to turn down her new FTA because it's old Moe. The nice ice cream guy who would never do anything wrong. All the neighors come down hard on her for going after him too. Then the sightings of him start. And just so happens that whenever he's seen somewhere a dead drug dealer/user shows up. Then the threatening phones calls and visits start. 'Leave Moe alone' and 'Stop trying to find Moe'. After Stephanie gets attacked in the back of the candy shop is when the neighbors back down. That's also when 4 dead bodies were discovered in his basement. Now they realize maybe Moe isn't as innocent as they all thought.

I was listening to the audio book on my IPod while shopping at Walmart and started laughing out loud when Stephanie and Lula showed up at Morelli's house with the dead guy in the trunk, his legs hanging out with a scarf around them. It was 12:30am and the store practically empty so my laughing seemed a lot louder than it probably was but the people that were there were looking at me like I was crazy. I couldn't help it. Then I was laughing even more when Stephanie showed up as a social visit and he said "Don't tell me you have another dead body". I love Morelli. He may have been a jerk when he was younger but he's a nice guy now. He really watches out for her.

My favorite part of the whole book had to be when the guys attacked Stephanie at her apartment and were going to kill Rex. When she knocked the one guy out and got the other one and all her neighbors, who are all elderly people I believe, came out with their weapons to help. The one thumping down the hall as fast as she can with her walking. The others holding their guns and other assorted weapons to keep the attackers subdued. It was hilarious. Especially when the woman asked the other 'Hey, you get a new gun?' Like it was no big deal for them to be standing in the hallway with guns and weapons drawn. Hysterical.

It almost didn't surpise me when Stephanie's truck was blown up. She had just gotten it running right, thanks to Morelli's mechanic and it was blown to hell. She just has no luck with cars.

Can't wait to get the next one from my library to read it. This is a nice, easy & funny series to read.(less)

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Jul 17, 2012 Beth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Finished it within 24 hours. Quite a few good wisecracks in this one. Enjoyed the team antics of Lula (a former prostitute, now an apprentice bounty hunter) and Stephanie. There is a lot more of Lula in this one. She's hilarious in an annoying way.

“I don’t want to think about him being gay,” Lula said. “Seems like anymore, all the buff bodies are gay, and all the bad-smelling, rangy men are straight. I find out Ranger’s gay and I’m going straight to the freezer section at Shop & Bag. Only m...more

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Jan 16, 2012 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-fiction, humor, mystery, thriller

One Miss Stephenie Plum is off to catch a bail jumper, this time in the form of Moses Bedemier. The problem being that "Mo" is an old and beloved candy store owner, and half of Trenton wants to canonize him. But he was caught carrying an illegal concealed weapon, and now Stephanie risks becoming the most unpopular girl in Trenton because she is out to find him and recover the bail.

I'm really really torn right now.

So here's the thing, you guys. I read mysteries/thrillers because I really do lik...more One Miss Stephenie Plum is off to catch a bail jumper, this time in the form of Moses Bedemier. The problem being that "Mo" is an old and beloved candy store owner, and half of Trenton wants to canonize him. But he was caught carrying an illegal concealed weapon, and now Stephanie risks becoming the most unpopular girl in Trenton because she is out to find him and recover the bail.

I'm really really torn right now.

So here's the thing, you guys. I read mysteries/thrillers because I really do like them. I like books that I can't put down because I am dying to know what is going to happen next. And I rarely give these sorts of novels more than three stars because they aren't in any way great. It usually stops at like for me because how can I justify giving a stock story more than that? I can't.

Well, I must tell you that Miss Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter extraordinaire is not very stock...at least not when it comes to this genre. She's Jersey in an adorable, more down to earth sort of way than Snookie or J-Wow. And despite myself, I can't help but love the Jersey in her. She's laugh out loud funny, she's an absolute airhead, and I really like her a lot. Besides the fact that who decides her main character should be a bounty hunter, anyway? I think that's my favorite part of the whole schtick here.

And the side players aren't bad either, especially her family but really most especially Grandma Mazur, a feisty old woman out to find herself a new husband. The thing is, these characters are pretty much the opposite of anything written by, say, James Patterson, who takes himself awfully seriously for writing formulaic books with predictable characters. So maybe here the story is a bit predictable but so what? The characters are completely kookie, and obviously Evanovich isn't taking any of this seriously at all. That, my friends, is perfectly endearing.

And then there is this...perhaps my favorite line of the entire novel. "I decided at an early age to stop being embarrassed over family. This is yet another advantage to living in Jersey. In Jersey everyone has the right to embarrass themselves with no reflection on anyone else. In fact, embarrassing yourself periodically is almost required." If you've ever set foot in Jersey...or had the unfortunate experience of watching Jersey Shore (which I have not because I saw it first hand so why would I watch it?), this rings true. Not to mention the fact that its absolutely hilarious. So I'm not going to lie to you. I thoroughly enjoyed this.

But then comes the torn part. You see, it's a little bit (a lot) on the vulgar side...maybe? I can skip the swears, which I do. But this Mo guy was involved in some really foul stuff, none of which was entirely necessary to the story. And the characters, especially Lula, who was really kind of funny, well, she has a very shady history, and it makes her quite salty. So I cringe because I want to recommend it and I don't want to recommend it. I guess it's a buyer be ware sort of situation. And the jury is out as to whether I will or will not read another Stephanie Plum novel. (less)

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Feb 06, 2012 Paula Phillips rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Stephanie Plum seems to be one of the most notorious and infamous Bounty hunters around with a knack for getting herself into trouble and sticky situations. She doesn't mean too , it's just that trouble tends to follow her very closely and as we read about her adventures we start to wonder whether her mum is right and that Stephanie should give up her job as a Bounty Hunter and get a job working in the Button factory. When Stephanie recieves her next Bounty Hunter job she cringes , as the FTA is...more Stephanie Plum seems to be one of the most notorious and infamous Bounty hunters around with a knack for getting herself into trouble and sticky situations. She doesn't mean too , it's just that trouble tends to follow her very closely and as we read about her adventures we start to wonder whether her mum is right and that Stephanie should give up her job as a Bounty Hunter and get a job working in the Button factory. When Stephanie recieves her next Bounty Hunter job she cringes , as the FTA is Uncle Mo , the local candy store owner in Trenton - the suburb where she grew up and her parents live . This is going to be harder than it looks though as Mo's candy store is shut , which is odd as in the thirty years Stephanie has been around - Mo's is always open. When a crime wave of dead Drug Dealers start appearing , is this connected to Mo's FTA and the fact that he has disappeared and if this wasn't enough , Stephanie is recieving threatning messages on her answerphone to leave Mo alone. Why is it that no-one will let Stephanie get on with her life and do her job in peace ? As the Dead bodies start piling and we see Stephanie and her sidekick Lula getting into mischief, will the pair of them find themselves on the top of the suspect list ? Meanwhile , the second FTA that we read about is a teen boy Stuart who seems to be evading them and when they finally catch up to them its war of the condiments. Also on the theme of love , we read as Lula has a crush on Ranger and Morelli has bought a house and seems very less-like his usual self around Steph , has he gone and got himself a girlfriend and expect a visit from Stephanie's ex-husband Dickie as he features in Three to get Deadly. Three to get Deadly was a great read like the previous two but the only downside that this one held, was that it contained alot of deaths , different plots and I found it a bit too busy for my liking.
I am so loving this series and I look forward to reading Book #4 and following more adventures of Stephanie Plum.(less)

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Feb 03, 2009 Deanna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Deanna by: Jennifer Bennett Trefz

Stephanie Plum becomes persona non grata when she tracks down a neighborhood saint who has failed to show up for his court appearance. No one wants to help Stephanie, who works for her bail-bondsman cousin, Vinnie. While questioning admirers of the man nicknamed Uncle Mo, Stephanie is attacked and knocked out as she cases his candy store. She comes to next to the dead body of her attacker, who turns out to be a well-known drug dealer. Suddenly, she can't avoid stumbling across the bodies of dead...more

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About Janet Evanovich

Janet Evanovich is the #1 bestselling author of the Stephanie Plum novels, twelve romance novels, the Alexandra Barnaby novels and graphic novels, Wicked Appetite (the first book in the Lizzy and Diesel series,) and How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author.

Also published books under the name Steffie Hall.

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Quotes from Three to Get Deadly

“I make lots of mistakes. I try hard not to make the same mistake more than three or four times.” — 291 people liked it

“Maybe next time we just open the door and start out with some bitch slapping.” — 78 people liked it

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Three to Get Deadly (Stephanie Plum #3)

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