# Finger Lickin 15!!! NOW on Kindle



## alcina (Jul 2, 2009)

I got my copy of Janet's new book, _Finger Lickin Fifteen_, yesterday!! I was good and did all my work before I started to read it, but then decided to stay up late and finish it.

I adore the Plum numbered series and own at least one copy of all of the other 14. They are the books I reread over and over again because they are funny, clever, engaging and just plain fun to read. Some are better than others, but pretty much I reread all of the fourteen now and again. I have also bought the Kindle version of a couple of them so I can take them with me.

Unfortunately, I stayed up late reading not because the book was so wonderful I couldn't put it down, but because it was so not good that I just had to finish it to see if there were any redeeming qualities in it. Happily, there were, but...

_15_ is bad. It's not clever, it's not witty, it's not fun. I don't even LIKE the characters - Stephanie, Lula, Joe, Ranger, Connie, Grandma Mazur. None of them are interesting, engaging, funny...nothing. All of her characters talk and act, well, completely out of character in this one. The words "vulgar" [defined: lacking refinement or cultivation or taste] and "boorish" [defined: ill-mannered and coarse] kept spinning through my mind while reading - totally the opposite of what I usually think about her dialogue, character development & story. While some of her characters are unrefined, ill-mannered and coarse, that's what makes them so great usually...they are at least funny and interesting and like-able - not so this time round! The interactions aren't believable and they're all b-o-r-i-n-g and totally feel like they aren't even themselves.

Hell, Ranger and Joe aren't even remotely sexy in this one - now that's just plain wrong.

She's also dumped the potentially fabulous gay couple who bought Stiva's Funeral Home and the new owner isn't even worth mentioning at all. The new characters that are in _15_ suck. Flat, boring...don't care about them at all.

And frankly, I didn't care about the main characters either. If this was the first one of the series I picked up and read, I wouldn't bother reading any of the others.

Almost the whole book feels like someone else wrote it instead of Janet. Or it's some sort of very rough draft where the basic idea is there but she couldn't be bothered actually writing or thinking.

Some of the book looks like it was simply lifted out of previous books in the series - almost verbatim - and just stuck in there as padding.

The setting has real potential but it's treated as if "well, it has to be set somewhere so I'll plonk it here and kinda give a lick and a promise to it, ho hum, have I written enough words for my publisher yet?" There are two running storylines and both could have really pulled me in and made me fall into Evanovich's New Jersey. Instead I was bored and wondering why she even bothered. Clearly to meet a deadline and a contractual obligation coz it sure wasn't written for her fans.

There are a couple of really good bits tucked in closer to the end of the book (I think I had one minor giggle in all of the first ten chapters) and when I hit those my hope was renewed and I thought "ah, here's what I needed" ... but after a couple of paragraphs the book tanked again. These good bits did raise my rating from half a star to a full star 

I'm disappointed, I look forward to her new books a lot as they usually give me a lot of pleasure and my hubby loves them, too. There was SO much potential in this book but it's a dud. Oh well, bring on 16 next year


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## koolmnbv (Mar 25, 2009)

Thanks for the great detailed review! I will definitely still read this book but I do hope the series picks up steam again.


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## melissaj323 (Dec 29, 2008)

Question though: there are two kindle links, one for 15.37, the other for $22.36.  Why

Not sure if I want to pay that much for the book.....


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Here are the two links. I would say, if you're going to buy one, buy the cheaper one.  Obviously an error in their catalog. For me, I would wait for it to come down to below $10, which they seem to, eventually.

 $15.37  $22.36

Betsy


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## melissaj323 (Dec 29, 2008)

thanks Betsy!    I did look online at Barnes and Noble (gasp!) to check out the price for the book, if I was to buy it in DTB. We still come out cheaper with the kindle format....though not by much.


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## MAGreen (Jan 5, 2009)

I wonder if, like some of the other series, the prices on the other books will come down a bit now, or maybe go on sale. Wouldn't that be nice? I can hope...


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

I expect they will.  Eventually.

Are these short stories?  It doesn't say in the description, and I don't read much Evanovich...

Betsy


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## Anju  (Nov 8, 2008)

These are not short stores, but fairly quick reads - they are guffaw out loud books!


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

So this is the 15th in the series?  When I was reading them they had titles like One for the Money, I thought maybe Finger Lickin 15 was a collection or something...

Betsy


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## KindleKay (aka #1652) (Jan 20, 2009)

Betsy, this is book #15 in the series. There are a few "between the numbers" novellas that you can read seperately as they don't involve exactly the same characters or story. Of course, those novellas don't have numbers in the title, they all have "Plum [somthing]" in the title. Laugh out loud books, though. I love them! But I'm waiting for 15 to come down in price before indulging.

(PS: just finished Promises in Death.... I have to wait until NOVEMBER to get my Eve and Roarke fix again  I've been reading about them for months now! I'll go through withdrawl!)


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Since it wasn't supposed to come out until 7/7, they'll probably have it fixed and ready to go by then.  I still won't pay $15.  I'll wait a year if I have to, even though I love these books.  I'll just start over again with #1.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

I'll have to try again, I lost interest somewhere around book no. five.

Betsy


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## alcina (Jul 2, 2009)

I'd definitely wait until this one was under $10 myself.

My review -> http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,10835.0/topicseen.html


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## Kathy (Nov 5, 2008)

I love this series, but I'll wait until the price goes down. Don't mind $9.99, but $15 is a little high. I have so many books right now that I haven't read, so waiting won't be a problem.


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## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)

I figured I'd wait too. I wouldn't be surprised that my library reservation for this book comes in before the price drop and I'm number 401 of 609. (200 copies in the system) I just read her other book, MetroGirl to distract myself from one-clicking


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

I really want to read this series. At the rate I'm going, it will be in the $6-7 range by the time I get to it. 

I generally read in bed at night. These books are so funny I was laughing out loud. Poor Joe kept getting upset because I was waking him up, so I had to set them aside. I'd listen to them on audio.. but many of them are abridged and I really dislike abridged books.

One of these days.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

From what I can tell, the ebook that costs $22.36 is available right now, but the $15.37 one is available for pre-order, with the July 7 release date that we've been discussing. I'm going to buy it on the 7th so that my daughter and I can read it. I've bought every book in the numbered series in hardback as soon as it's been released, and I've paid more than $15.37 for them, so I don't see a problem with it.


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## MeganW (Dec 28, 2008)

Cindy416 said:


> From what I can tell, the ebook that costs $22.36 is available right now, but the $15.37 one is available for pre-order, with the July 7 release date that we've been discussing. I'm going to buy it on the 7th so that my daughter and I can read it. I've bought every book in the numbered series in hardback as soon as it's been released, and I've paid more than $15.37 for them, so I don't see a problem with it.


Whoa! I wasn't about to pay that much for #15, but if you're willing to, Mom, then go for it (and thanks!)! You're all caught up on the books, anyway. I still need to read #14.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

MeganW said:


> Whoa! I wasn't about to pay that much for #15, but if you're willing to, Mom, then go for it (and thanks!)! You're all caught up on the books, anyway. I still need to read #14.


If it were a hardback, I'd pay that much, and only one of us could read it at a time, so it doesn't seem like a big deal to me. It's only garnered 2.5 stars on Amazon, but I never miss a chance to catch up on Grandma, Steph, Lula, and, of course, Morelli (and Bob). It's not as if I'm reading it with the expectation that it will rival great literature.

I'll buy it now, and then you can download it whenever you want. (Hurry up and read 14!)

Edit: It's still available for pre-order, with a release date of tomorrow. Guess I'll be waiting.


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## 4Katie (Jun 27, 2009)

I'm a huge fan of the Stephanie Plum numbered books. But they're very short, and even I wouldn't pay more than $9.99 for one.

This Kindle is really testing my patience with my favorite authors!


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## alcina (Jul 2, 2009)

Cindy416 said:


> I never miss a chance to catch up on Grandma, Steph, Lula, and, of course, Morelli (and Bob). It's not as if I'm reading it with the expectation that it will rival great literature.


Just be prepared - these are not the characters you're expecting  Oh, and there is no Bob in this one either.


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## Gemini44 (May 3, 2009)

Just checked the two links.  The book is now $9.99 on the $15 link.  The $22 link says the book is not yet available.  Don't know if this is an error or not.


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## Gemini44 (May 3, 2009)

Just pre-ordered it........for delivery tomorrow 7/7.  Get it while it's hot!  Don't know whether this is a special pre-order price or what.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Thanks for that review. I haven't read any of these books and after reading this, not sure I'll bother. I never really thought they were my cup of tea, anyway.

L


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## 4Katie (Jun 27, 2009)

I'm still looking forward to reading it. But the link to purchase is down. Maybe they're lowering the price?


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## 4Katie (Jun 27, 2009)

I'm trying... but the link is down. I hope it's because they're lowering the price!


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

Keep trying. I bought it about 30 minutes ago at the $9.99 price.


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## 4Katie (Jun 27, 2009)

Cindy416 said:


> Keep trying. I bought it about 30 minutes ago at the $9.99 price.


Got it! Interestingly, I couldn't get it with the links on Amazon - I got it using Betsy's links here on the board.


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## Vicki (Nov 9, 2008)

I had to use Betsy's link too. Thanks Betsy for putting it there. Sure came in handy this morning.


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## stargazer0725 (Feb 10, 2009)

I called last night and complained about the $15 + price.  It's on the NY Times Bestseller list and should be $9.99.  Talked to a supervisor as well.  I complained A LOT - and rather STERNLY about bait and switch (bought the device with the provision that NY Times Bestsellers would be $9.99 and now they're not).  Don't know if that had anything to do about it or not, but maybe people should keep it in mind for future releases.


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## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

Amazon was very strange with the release of FL15.  I didn't have computer access while traveling for 10 days and was doing all my searching and purchasing from my K1.  FL15 didn't show up under Evanovich except as a pre-order for $15+, but then on July 3rd it was in the Top Sellers list (still at $15+) and available for one-click.  I clicked Buy, it downloaded and I read it on the 3rd and now I read here that the pre-order price dropped to $9.99 and wasn't listed as available until July 7 - wierd!  I don't mind having paid the $15+ price as it was still less than I would have paid for the hardback, but it is slightly irritating.  This book was just okay - definitely not my favorite in the series; and I won't be rabid to get #16 at the hardback price next year.


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## KReader (Jul 7, 2009)

well unfortunately or fortunately I guess, I borrowed a hardback copy from a friend and read the book.  I personally feel the original review here was overly kind.  I thought the book stunk.  Maybe not as much as last year's fourteen, but still not a good book at all.  I wonder how long this particular author can keep turning this stuff out and remain on the bestseller lists.  I see the reviews at Amazon are less than flattering too.  I wonder if people will just eventually move away from buying the newest every June.

I see Fifteen at $9.99 now, but I just can't bring myself to buy it even though I own every other book in the series.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

I haven't read any of her books, but I do have a sample of the 3 in 1 Stephanie Plum. Just saw this.

Conversation with Janet Evanovich (video with Sam Tanenhaus, editor of the NY Times Book Review):

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2009/07/17/multimedia/1247463461442/a-conversation-with-janet-evanovich.html?ref=books

Marti


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