Janet Evanovich Makes New Deal At RH

COMMENTS (10)

• It will be interesting to see if this pays off for the publisher. Evanovich’s latest Stephanie Plum novel has been near the top of most lists and in the top 10 on NY Times for several weeks, but it’s mediocre at best. The reviews on Amazon are downright vicious (which is not unusual for Amazon buyers and reviewers).

  Comment by Jimmy — Monday July 26, 2010 @ 12:27pm PDT  Reply to this post

• I thought it was interesting that two of the four books were Plum while the others were for the Unmentionable books. The Unmentionables are a character who is spun off from the Plum books and I guess RH is going to take a gamble on an unproven storyline. Funny but when Gottlieb got her last big deal they were singing it from the rooftops.

  Comment by Delaney — Monday July 26, 2010 @ 2:57pm PDT  Reply to this post

• That’s a risky move by RHPG. Amazon reviewers were dead on the reviews for the lastest Plum novel. As boring as it was, are fans going shovel out $34 bucks for a new hardback next year? Or wait for the paperback for $10? Also, SMP didn’t loose much, and probably came out better in the deal, with the new movie coming out next year new fans are going to want to read the series and SMP owns 12 of the 16 books. They could afford to tell Evanovich “no”.

  Comment by Saien — Monday July 26, 2010 @ 3:35pm PDT  Reply to this post

• I have never read a “Stephanie Plum” book, so I logged on just now to “Sizzling Sixteen” on Amazon and read the first few pages. Good God, it’s TERRIBLE! I’ve seen better writing from high school sophomores – no, wait, make that freshmen. Seriously, this is really bad writing. Forget about any publisher offering Ms. Evanovich $50 million – I’d be surprised if they offered her 50 cents for this drivel.

  (By the way, could someone please explain to me how a woman who writes this badly ever got a publishing contract in the first place?)

  Comment by Carolyn — Monday July 26, 2010 @ 6:47pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Look – if Plum has plummeted, you get your sassy elsewhere – try Lois Grieman’s ‘Christina MacMullen’, Rhonda Pollero’s ‘Finley Tanner’, Jane Rubino’s ‘Cat Fortunati Austen’, Elaine Viets ‘Josie Marcus’ or LL Thrasher’s ‘Lizbet Lange’
  Five years ago StM would have ponied up the $50 mil but not today – if they have the backlist on the meat titles – say ‘Five’ through ‘Ten’, then they were smart to cut their losses. The authors mentioned above are my picks of the pack but there are plenty in that pack who can do Jersey and/or sassy as well as J.E.

  Comment by Ellie — Tuesday July 27, 2010 @ 6:47am PDT  Reply to this post

  • Carolyn, I would encourage you to go back to Amazon and read the first few pages of the early books in the series. Start with One for the Money. I think you’ll see a big difference in the quality of the early books in the series. The ones that made JE’s reputation.

    Comment by DyanSwan — Tuesday July 27, 2010 @ 8:05am PDT  Reply to this post

• I found that Evanovich did some series degrading of Lula in the last book and I found it ‘down right’ offensive. I did request from my library the new one but I don’t know if I’ll read it.

  In the new off shoot with the character Diesal, who I liked, I’ll reserve judgement and again I requested from my library.
  No way am I going to pay $$$ for anybook that I can get to read free from my library. it’s not important that I read any asap.

  Also I am not happy with the cast for the movie. I would have liked to see Drew Barrymore as Stephanie. Also Stephanie is not stick thin so Heigl needs to put on a few.

  Comment by Janice Gould — Friday July 30, 2010 @ 9:29am PDT  Reply to this post

• I have found ALL of Janet’s books such a pleasure. I listen or read 3-5 books a week of all type. Janet’s books are easy and hilarious. I love the audio on her Plum series. She is a fantastic actor. If you want to read Wuthering Heights, which I am currently reading again, then do so, but if you want a good ride and laugh out loud pleasure, then read Janet Evanovich. My thoughts of who should play the characters in the movie are far different than what was chosen, altho I like those actors. So we shall see. By the way my 28 year son has read your books and roared with laughter.

  Comment by Nicola — Wednesday September 1, 2010 @ 9:03pm PDT  Reply to this post

• I found a serious lack of inter-action between the
  people of the 16th book that I enjoyed in the other books in
  this series .Until now the books have been a high spot in my reading,and found myself laughing aloud at some of the situations
  that Stephanie found herself envolved in . Please bring back the same chemistry that made her an indevidual !

  Comment by loretta white — Saturday October 16, 2010 @ 7:26pm PDT  Reply to this post

• I don’t know what all the fuss is about. My mom, who is 80 years old, told me to read Janet’s books; I took her advice and was so glad I did. They are great entertainment, and that’s the point isn’t it? They absorb me and take me away in a time of huge difficulty and despondency. She makes me laugh out loud over and over again; the triangle just makes it all the more interesting. The curious juxtaposition of hysterically funny, despair, the agonizing and teetering on the edge bits, the love, the caring, the toleration the characters have for each other’s ecentricities,(sp?) And the fact that she has thoroughly rounded out her characters, who recur, and brought family and tradition into play is brilliant – how many other of her genre have done that? Most of the most celebrated and successful authors have very one dimensional characters.

  Sure, some of her books are better than others; that is true of all authors. But do we really care? Who wants to read a high school English lesson for entertainment?

  Comment by Newbill — Friday January 27, 2012 @ 12:32am PST  Reply to this post