Fortune and Glory

Continuing the great adventure, Stephanie Plum is off to help her grandma find a hidden mob treasure. Along the way, she encounters exciting fast action, high drama, and startling near-death experiences.

Following the success of Twisted Twenty-Six, author Janet Evanovich brings back her popular adventure seeking bounty hunter in Fortune and Glory, the 27th installment in the Stephanie Plum series.

The story follows Stephanie as she works to untangle the mystery surrounding keys left in an old La-Z-Boy recliner by Grandma Mazur’s new, now dead, mobster husband Jimmy Rosolli. As the sleuthing begins, Stephanie and her grandma encounter a multitude of dangerous situations, including a creepy underground secret passageway and kidnap-happy gangsters trying to prevent them from finding all the clues that lead to the treasure.

Per usual, Stephanie interacts with a bevy of quirky criminals in her day job as a bounty hunter and manages to destroy a few cars along the way. In addition, she ends us with an unlikely new sidekick, George, a neurotic FTA (failure to appear) who feels compelled to protect her, though it becomes clear that he can’t even protect himself.

As readers of the series have come to expect, Stephanie continues to bounce indiscriminately between lovers, Morelli and Ranger. Soon she begins to feel threatened as a new woman, Gabriela Rose, who has a penchant for expensive things, appears to be getting a little too cozy with Morelli.

It is a fierce race against time to find the treasure. What do those keys unlock? What will happen to Stephanie and Grandma Mazur if they get kidnapped again? Will the hidden treasure be found before someone dies?

As a first-time reader of the Stephanie Plum series, I must admit that this was an incredibly easy book to get into and follow. Evanovich has an engaging writing style that draws readers in, making the eccentric characters she creates true to life with real complexity, flaws, and lovable qualities.

Though it may be unconventional to say, this book has the feel of a cozy mystery. There are strong family ties, mostly everyone seems to know one another, and they find honor in their bonds.

From the beginning, Fortune and Glory is a thoroughly entertaining quick read, filled with drama, humor, and just enough page-turning mystery to keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very end.

It is important to note that the introduction of Gabriela Rose in Fortune and Glory seems to indicate the launch of a new series. There is a preview chapter of a book coming in 2021 that features her. Of course, this is pure speculation of a new series, but perhaps we will get the chance to get to know her a little better as the mystique that covers her could be lifted.

If you have never read from this series before, give it a try. It is ok to read books out of order. You will not be disappointed.