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Title: Steph's back!
Review: For a while the Plum series languished in the same old same old rut. In Twelve Sharp, Stephanie's got her groove back. The tension between Ranger and Stephanie, Morelli and Stephanie, and Morelli and Ranger quivers without declining into cliche, and Steph herself is learning to live with the ambiguity of it all. What is troublesome is that she seems to be unable to make a decision and stick with it, unless it has to do with food. This girl needs to move on and make a life for herself! But Twelve's plot is nice and tight, somewhat darker than usual, and doesn't resort to easy or incredible solutions. The colorful stock characters are reliable as always, and the slapstick passages, especially those involving Lula, Grandma, and the funeral home are over the top. It's enough to make you want to visit Trenton (well, almost).Some classify the Plum series as chick lit, but I think it's entertaining enough and real enough for readers of mystery in general.
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