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I love Paretsky, but you have to admit she has been at it a very long time.
I LOVE Evanovich! I'm not easily amused but her books make me laugh out loud. I love how Lula's character has developed -- and I'm sure some of you will scoff at that, but if you know Lula, and you think about where she came from and where she is now, there's been lots of development. Sure it's low brow humor, but the pictures she puts in my head make any problem I may have simply disappear and sometimes I actually laugh til I cry. You just can't beat that!
Evanovich was funny ... for the first 10 books or so.
I don't think it's time to write Evanovich off, just yet. She may shock us all and come up with another laugh out loud book. In her defense, she gives her regular readers exactly what they expect.
Stephen wrote: "I don't think it's time to write Evanovich off, just yet. She may shock us all and come up with another laugh out loud book. In her defense, she gives her regular readers exactly what they expect. "The Evanovich books are losing their laugh-out-loud appeal for me. Although I recently read another laugh-out-loud book by Lisa Lutz. Hilarious.
I like the Spellmans, too, P. D.Forgot to mention earlier that I gave up on Paretsky a couple of (un-necessarily dark) books back.
I think Rita Mae Brown's "Mrs. Murphy " series (with the talking animals) has gone seriously downhill. In the earlier books, when Harry Harristeen was still the postmistress, characters like Boom Boom and Miranda and Little Mim and Big Mim added a lot of interest to the stories. In the recent books Harry is married and growing grapes and other characters are married and boring and a lot of great characters have virtually disappeared. Unless Brown can inject some energy into these books I don't think they'll be worth reading any more.
Lisa Lutz is very, very funny. Honestly, she's more creative in her weirdness than Evanovich. Still, you have to hand it to Evanovich for years and years of laugh out loud books.
John wrote: "I like the Spellmans, too, P. D.Forgot to mention earlier that I gave up on Paretsky a couple of (un-necessarily dark) books back."
I've only read one, but will go back to the others at some stage! I loved the footnotes - hilarious. Plus a cool idea.
Barbara, I agree the Rita Mae Brown books have lost their appeal. I thought the problem was that she's inserting too much of her own (presumedly) political philosphy in her books lately. But you're right, the interaction with the characters at the post office added a facet that's missing.
You're right also Sandra, about the political opinions. Although I would probably agree with what seem to be Brown's liberal leanings I do not want to be subjected to propaganda in pleasure reading.Sandra wrote: "Barbara, I agree the Rita Mae Brown books have lost their appeal. I thought the problem was that she's inserting too much of her own (presumedly) political philosphy in her books lately. But you'..."
I stopped reading the "Cat Who" series by Lilian Jackson Braun. In defense of Ms. Braun, however, her later books were written by a ghost writer after she passed away. They are no where near as good.
Vanessa wrote: "I stopped reading the "Cat Who" series by Lilian Jackson Braun. In defense of Ms. Braun, however, her later books were written by a ghost writer after she passed away. They are no where near as good. "Passed away?!? I didn't know she had died. When did that happen? I'm really sorry to hear that if it's true. I really enjoyed her series until the last couple. I thought the very last one must have been done by a ghostwriter, it was pretty bad, but I wasn't sure about any others. Do you know when in the series the ghostwriter took over?
Actually, I'm not really sure, but I think the last one was the Cat Who Brought Down the House. I know for sure that Turkey and Bananas are by the Ghost Writer. I don't remember the name of the last one I read, but "[Spoiler:]" it was the one where is barn burned down and Polly left him. Depressing and the characters are just not acting like in previous books. It was shortly afterward that I found out about the ghost writing; then it all made sense.
I had thought the very last one, The Cat Who Dropped a Bombshell, had to be done by a ghostwriter, it was nowhere near the quality of Braun's earlier works. I wasn't sure about ones before that, but I can sure believe it. I know she's old, so I can certainly understand her stopping writing, I haven't heard about her passing away, though. To be honest, I kind of wish she had stopped the series before The Cat Who Brought Down the House because that one sure seemed to be the start of the series going downhill.
Hi Joseph, After your last post, I did some research because I honestly couldn't remember where I read that she had died or when. I was sure that the information was reliable. Anyway, I went on the internet and found all kinds of speculation on the subject. Even the date of her birth is in question. One site said she was born in 1911 and Wikipedia says 1913 and says she is still alive and living with her family. Some people feel she is dead because of her age, and the quality of her books. Other people say she is still alive and not writing and that recent books have indeed been written by a ghost writer. Sometime in 2005, it was reported in an article that her family and/or publisher asked everyone to give her a little space, whatever that means. Some say her age has been a hindrance to her writing and that's why the later books weren't as good. I am genuinely sorry if I have the information wrong. If she is alive, it looks like she is in her mid to late 90's.
Vanessa wrote: "Actually, I'm not really sure, but I think the last one was the Cat Who Brought Down the House. I know for sure that Turkey and Bananas are by the Ghost Writer. I don't remember the name of the las..." Well, when I claimed I was sure, it's because I WAS sure, but now I realize it may be more speculation than fact. If I had to express an opinion, though, I still don't believe she wrote those last books, or at least not by herself. The characters and plot were not at all what they had been in the past. And I believe it was the "Bombshell" book that really clinched it for me. The characters just weren't right and the whole thing just didn't make any sense.
Vanessa, I can certainly agree with you that the last four books in the series were not written by Braun, if they weren't written by ghostwriters they weren't written by Braun being herself either, unfortunately. I think she just got too old to do the job well and/or her heart just wasn't into it anymore and she unfortunately got talked into continuing it by the publisher. I hope she is doing better now and enjoys the rest of her years doing what she wants. I'd like the publisher to just let The Cat Who... series die with what honor it has left rather than more embarassment caused by subpar work. In my mind, the series stopped before "Bombshell" because that last made absolutely no sense and nothing good whatsoever came of it. I wish I had never read that last one, to be honest.
Debbie,I agree with you about the Stephanie Plum series. I'm still reading because they do have some funny parts, but I've stopped buying them - I get them from the library or borrow from a friend. Seems to be the same plot every time. I wish she would just pick a guy and move on. I'm not a big fan of Janet E's other series but I do like her romances. Not a lot of plot to them, but have the humor of hers that I like.
I could never get into Janet E. The characters just didn't do anything for me. But obviously people like them; they seem to be quite popular.
I thought the last Plum book was a mess-she really needs to draw the love triangle to a close, it's just getting silly. And the plotline was awfully thin. It felt like she was just going through the motions.
I've loved the Stephanie Plum series. There are very few authors who can make me laugh out loud and she has done that. But I think the serious lost it for me around 10 or 12. I agree with Michelle that the love triangle has gone on far too long. I used to wait in anticipation for the next one and now I don't even buy them.On the other end, I'm grateful Harry Bosch is still going strong and I wish Myron Bolitar was still in action.
Anita wrote: "I've loved the Stephanie Plum series. There are very few authors who can make me laugh out loud and she has done that. But I think the serious lost it for me around 10 or 12. I agree with Michelle ..."I very much agree. Whatever happened to Myron Bolitar. He was a great character and read in audio by Jonathan Marosz, they are just wonderful. Patricia Cornwell jumped the shark after the book about Jack the Ripper. Someone who consistently turned out enjoyable books with the same characters right up to the end was Rex Stout.
The two that I really 'went off' in the past decade were James Patterson's Alex Cross series (which I really enjoyed in my teens/early 20s) and Patricia Cornwell's Scarpetta series. In terms of consistent greatness - Connelly's Bosch series, James Lee Burke's Robicheaux series, and Mark Billingham's Tom Thorne series immediately come to mind.
Mystery Lovers!
Books mentioned in this topic
The Cat Who Dropped a Bombshell (other topics)The Cat Who Brought Down the House (other topics)
The Last Dickens (other topics)
The Poe Shadow (other topics)
The Dante Club (other topics)
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Janet Evanovich is beginning to annoy me beyond endurance also. Her characters never change, never grow. In fact, sometimes it seems that they regress. The formula just never changes, and why should it, I guess, when she is so wildly popular? But I prefer my mysteries to have a little more substance.
Unlike some commenters here, I do like Sara Paretsky for just that reason - her mysteries have substance. I've just ordered her latest Warshawski and I'm looking forward to reading it.