Visions of Sugar Plums Reviews

• Visions of money wasted

  
  By A2T1UU92J5C1DR on 2003-03-07
  An incredibly sexy man has simply materialized in Stephanie Plum's kitchen. Plum, you must understand, is an inept New Jersey bounty hunter quite used to having people appear uninvited in her kitchen, but never before has one simply materialized. But in good Plum fashion she doesn't see fit to call the cops, even though her boyfriend is one, and the mysterious man identifies himself as Diesel and insists on helping her snag her latest bail jumper, a toy maker named Sandy Claws. Well, snagging Sandy just ain't that easy, not when he's got an assaultive bunch of little people calling themselves elves working for him, and not when Mr. Claws himself is really Somebody Special just like Diesel -- who, it turns out, has a special assignment here in Jersey, tracking down yet another Special person. Throw into this mix the obligatory car bombing, some Christmas trees that don't make it home, a wild shopping trip, a lot of cookie making and throwing, a good old fashioned pregnancy panic, and some of Grandma Mazur's famous conversation -- this time concerning a studmuffin she's just gotta bring home for Christmas -- and you have Janet Evanovich's latest gift to fans of the Plum world.

  Seldom does a book cry out to me for only one star, but VISIONS OF SUGAR PLUMS was in full voice. I cannot imagine what Evanovich was thinking about when she created this horrific little 149 page Christmas rip-off. Money? Her face in bookstores? She certainly wasn't thinking about plot, characters, or dialogue, although her setting came out reasonably all right. Maybe her computer failed halfway through and she was forced to make do with her first draft. Whatever the reason, this pint sized joke starts out improbable (men materializing in her kitchen??) and ends up impossible (people with supernatural powers??) I read it in an hour and a half, dropped it much the same way you drop the dead mouse your cat has brought home to you, and got on with my life.

  If you simply must read every new installment about Stephanie Plum, don't let let me scare you away from VISIONS OF SUGAR PLUMS -- unless you also like to read about Joe and Ranger. Because in the middle of all this mysterious mayhem Joe makes only a couple obligatory appearances and Ranger doesn't appear at all. And without them ... sugar plums are only dreams, not visions.
  
  

• Janet Evanovich Meets Frank Capra

  
  By ACM8EWZO9KYLL on 2002-11-11
  There is a new sub-genre in popular literature: the Christmas novella brought to you by, at first glance, unlikely writers. Last year it was John Grisham. In 2002 Dave Balducci and Janet Evanovich join in. The books are fun, probably over-priced, and sell well for a month or two.

  Imagine Bedford Falls morphing into the Burg. Jimmy Stewart's character is now Stephanie Plum. Zuzu is now Mary Alice, the kid-horse niece. And the rumpled angel is now a blond, pony-tailed hunk who pops unannouced into Stephanie's bedroom. (Of course, that isn't exceedingly rare!)

  The book doesn't make a whole lotta sense (fantasy desn't play fabulously well in Jersey, I guess). But it is good fun. There is a character named Sandy Claws. Grandma Mazur has a new stud muffin who is quite a handful. And Stephanie, frantic about messing up and missing another Christmas, ends up in bed with Joe Morelli. Which makes it a great Christmas. This is a good read on a chilly early winter evening.

  And to all a good night!
  
  

• Too pricey

  
  By on 2002-11-17
  This book was not of the same caliber as One for the Money. Janet can write better than this. The stoy line is thin, of course the characters are zany as always and thats the one good thing about this novella. However the characters can't always carry the book you need a good strong story line as well. Stephanie is after an FTA named Sandy Claws. One morning she wakes up and finds a man in her apartment. It started off well, the idea was interesting and it could have worked. But in the end, the plot was rushed and I didn't feel like all my answers about the character Diesel were answered. Diesel would have been interesting but in the middle of the book he turned out to be a copy of Ranger. I don't recommend you buy this in hardcover. You will feel cheated. I paid for this in Canadian dollars and it was close to 30$. If readers are going to spend this much money the publusher, writer and editor better make damn sure its the best novella ever written. I think the publisher should stop rushing Janet to produce books because the quality of the writing and the story telling is declining as the series progresses. I rather wait for 2 years for an awesome book than 1 year for a book.
  
  

• boring, a waste of money

  
  By A16R06D4TVDG4W on 2002-11-10
  This book is a rip off. I have loved the series, but this book is boring, I laughed once, the plot stunk, it is a waste of money. Do not buy this book. Janet Evanowich needs to be more dedicated to her readers and give them a product that is worth the money. Last book was borderline, this book was terrible, so I am done. Good bye Stephanie, I wish you and your family, especially your Dad, a happy holiday season.
  
  

• Honestly, I Really Wanted to Love It

  
  By A2PUYMR4W89GUY on 2002-12-01
  As a person who has read every book in the Stephanie Plum series, who has recommended them to a number of people, who has eagerly awaited the arrival of each new installment, I really wanted to love this book. Or, at least like it. Well, I can't say I don't like it, but that warm and fuzzy feeling I used to get when reading one of Stephanie Plum's adventures? It just wasn't there. I'm ashamed, and saddened to say that. No one could be more disappointed than a true fan. I have followed Stephanie since the first time she tried to apprehend a bad guy, and I will admit that the 7th and 8th installments haven't been as great as the first 6. But Visions of Sugar Plums just doesn't deserve to be called a Stephanie Plum novel. At a scant 149 pages, it's not worthy of it's price, nor is it really worthy of your time. There's none of that simmering sexual tension between her and Ranger, or her and Morelli for that matter. Instead, the main man is Diesel - a mysterious guy who just "appears" in Stephanie's apartment one day, and who can unlock doors like magic. It sounds a bit too supernatural to me, which is a little bit silly, considering that Stephanie Plum books have never even touched on the supernatural. Overall, the story feels rushed, and it feels like we've been there before. Her grandma is still crazy (along with the rest of her family), she's still got her cute hamster, she's still having Morelli issues, but...well...this novel doesn't make us care. I sure hope that this was just a bad fluke, and that Janet Evanovich will give more TLC to her next Stephanie Plum novel.
  
  
• One for the Holiday Money
  By on 2002-11-24
  I love Stephanie Plum. And lucky for Janet E, I will still love Stephanie, despite this short, expensive fairy tale. I can suspend disbelief with the best of the, but Stephanie is supposed to live in a wild, wacky but somewhat real world. This book deals with a fantasy hero which is fine in fantasy books, but last time I checked, Plum books were classified as mysteries.

  It was an expensive, totally unsatisfying read that smacked not of author intrusion, but publisher intrusion as a gambit to drain some holiday bucks from loyal Plum readers. A non-worldly hero who pops in and out of Stephanie's life, a missing Santa, a workshop manned by elves. Take the typical crazy Plum elements that we always love and take them two steps too far, making a parody of a parody of a parody. And now we know the defintion of "derivative."

  Folks, we were used....

  I'm still going to be first in line for the numbered books because I have faith that JanetE will deliver the goods. SMP, we'll forgive you this time, but we won't forget. Don't try our patience and make such a calculated attack on our wallets again without giving us anything substantial.
  
  

• A True Gift!!!
  By ABJHGMKBIDPT1 on 2003-05-13
  One of the funniest books in the Stephanie Plum series. A great Holiday edition with all the characters and laughter we expect. Stephanie is looking for Sandy Claws who jumped bail. It's four days before Christmas and she does not have a tree and her Christmas shopping has yet to begin. Then a sexy man named Diesel literally appears in her kitchen. He's some kind of superhuman, superficial, supernatural, kind of sort of. Her family is hysterically funny, her grandmother is still picking up "stud muffins " from the funeral home. Her sister thinks she may be pregnent ....again, from non other the " clown " himself.
  
  Snagging Sandy is not at all easy, not when he's got an assaultive bunch of little people calling themselves elves working for him. Mr. Claws himself is really somebody special just like Diesel -- who, it turns out, has a special assignment here in Jersey, tracking down yet another Special person.
  You have here the obligatory car bombing, some Christmas trees that don't make it home, some wild Christmas shopping , a lot of cookie making and throwing, and some of Grandma Mazur's famous humor and you have Janet Evanovich's latest gift to the fans of Stephanie Plum.
  Don't miss this one, Christmas time or not!!!
  
  
• Stephanie meets the x-men, and then they go away. The end.
  By on 2002-11-07
  My gripe with this book is not entirely with the story - I'm a huge Stephanie Plum fan - or with the writing, really. It that, if an author and her publisher are going to put out what amounts to a long-ish short story and price it like a full hardcover novel, it had better be the best darn work the writer has ever done. Alas, it's not. This novella is fun and quick (I finished it in just over an hour), and is quite funny throughout. I'm actually starting to like Valerie, and the story does provide some much-needed character development for Stephanie's mom. I also liked the glimpse of what Stephanie's life looks like when she's not really embroiled in a case. But the plot (such as it is) is too contrived even for a Plum novel, and is wrapped up off-screen (so to speak), with no involvment by Stephanie and no explanation afterwards. Stephanie is on the trail of a strange FTA when Diesel, an even stranger man, shows up at her place. Turns out the FTA, Sandy Claws, has some kind of super powers, and another, evil, guy with super powers is after him. Diesel has been sent to protect Sandy Claws. There's no explanation of what, exactly, is so bad about the evil guy, why he's after Claws, who Diesel represents, what Claws' powers are, and why anybody should care. Would it have killed the people responsible for this story to add 10 more pages in there, just to provide some framework for the plot? I've been collecting the Plum books in hardback, but I don't think I'll be including future holiday novellas in that collection. I just can't justify spending [$$] on an hour's worth of fluff.
  
  
• Blargh!
  By A1PL1HKE2X63QE on 2005-09-28
  Being a mega huge fan of Janet Evanovich - the famous and infamous writer of the Stephanie Plum crime-fighting, boy-beating, gun-slinging, hunk-magnet of a bounty hunter series, I really didn't want to buy a book from her (Evanovich) that wouldn't thrill the shorts (or...ahem...panties) off of me. Everytime I get one of her books, I fully expected to be chuckling all the way to the toilet.
  
  But I recently read this Janet Evanovich book called "Visions of Sugar Plums" which is kinda a disappointment....in every sense of the word. True, it's a Christmasty novel that is more of a romance story (I have outgrown that. I have outgrown that. I have outgrown that. I have outgrown that....) than her usual crime-busting books - I knew that! But it's still a disappointment.
  
  First of all, it's short as hell. Surely, Evanovich being from the romance book field, can dig into her roots and fire up a more fiesty romance story. Secondly, it was not as filled-to-the-brim with nasty Bronx-y language as I thought. She (Evanovich) has this way of making her leading lady say the FUNNIEST things in the world.
  
  Granted, the one thing I liked about "Visions of Sugar Plum" was the leading man!! He sounds yummy. I wouldn't mind a romp under the sheets with a guy like him. She cleverly tried to make the whole scenario of a guardian angel sound as realistic as possible - a sports car and bad attitude problem gives this angel a new dimension, you see.
  
  If you're running out of books to read and think you won't mind reading one of Evanovich's less-talked-about books, try "Visions of Sugar Plum".
  
  
• Major disappointment from my fave author
  By A8ESN3G85N12K on 2002-11-18
  I love Janet Evanovich's previous 8 books in the Plum series, but this one was a total waste of time. I liked that in the regular series, there was always a shred of plausability, like this could really happen. This "story" had none of that for me. What she was thinking when she wrote this is beyond me. Is she planning to go into Sci-Fi now?
  I hope she got whatever it was out of her system and will be back on target for book #9.
  And where was Ranger?
  
  
• good things come in small packages!!!!
  By A19RK4MMLGT5TL on 2002-12-15
  I normally would not write a review when there are so many on this book already, but seeing how many were poorly rated I felt an overwhelming desire to have my say. If you love Janet Evanovich books, if you are a fan of Stephanie Plum, if you adore her family with all their quirks and are willing to let yourself move in a world of fun and "fantasy", your going to LOVE this book. Don't try to pull it apart and analyze it, just go with it and enjoy. This book deals primarily with her family and what's not to love about them?!!! Who cares who Ring really is and what Diesel is, in the grand scheme of things it doesn't really matter. This is not a Tolstoy classic with symbolism and scholarly views, this is Evanovich lightening your day and making you smile. I dare you to read this book and not laugh! If you are looking for a romance with sexual tension mixed with some lighthearted laughs than this is not the book for you, try reading Evanovich's "Full House", and if you looking for the same old style of a Stephanie Plum book than try rereading her first eight. So the book is short, so are "The Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales" and they are always great reading. If you are willing to break out of the old mold and can't get enough of Stephanie's family and need to escape into a fun book you couldn't ask for anything better.
  
  
• Basically a short story; can't believe I paid hardback price
  By A3L789TW0PN021 on 2002-11-21
  I was so excited to see a new book by Janet Evanovich that I bought it without reading much about it (except to ensure that it did involve Stephanie Plum). It was the first day it was available, and there were no customer reviews yet. I enjoyed reading it because I love her sense of humor, but I feel cheated. Twelve dollars (plus shipping) is awfully expensive for what is essentially an extended short story.
  Guess I should have paid more attention to the fact there was no number in the title.
  
  
• big disappointment
  By A2BUUAENFLC6DE on 2002-12-06
  What is it with lame holiday books? I like the Stephanie Plum books a lot and eagerly awaited this one. What a disappointment! Evanovich must be taking lessons from John Grisham, whose lame Skipping Christmas was a big stinker last year. The book felt rushed, the characters/plot were childish and silly.

  I sincerely hope this is not a view of things to come in future Plum books or I'll be dropping this series in a hot minute.
  
  

• What was she thinking?
  By on 2003-01-02
  I love Stephanie Plum books. I love the humor. I love Grandma. But what was Janet Evanovich thinking? I think she wrote it in an afternoon, just stealing sentences from her other books, because there is really no story here. Don't waste your money; don't waste your time.
  
  
• An eggnog hangover
  By ADXH89QHBYG97 on 2002-11-26
  I love Stephanie Plum and am quite fond of good fantasy. However the two do not mesh well. Who is Sandy Claws? We never do find out. Who is Ring? What is Diesel? Do we care? This plot does not allow a willing suspension of disbelief. Please borrow this book from the library. You will hate yourself in the morning if you pay full price for what is essentially a short story.
  
  
• Visions of Sugar Bums
  By A9RVBMUBI7M1I on 2002-12-03
  I love Janet, but this was a real disappointment. It took me less than two hours to read this book...just about as long as it probably took Janet to write it. Were we trying to make some kind of production quota here? I can't even say it was a piece of "fun fluff." It was nothing. Janet, less cheese doodles and more "meat."
  
  
• Highly disappointing
  By AQEUJ22EBAUKM on 2002-11-06
  As an avid Stephanie Plum fan since the publication of book one I was eagerly awaiting the publication of this book. I snatched it off the shelf the day it came out and read it that night. Highly disappointed is an understatement. This book fell far below the standards that one has come to expect of Stephanie Plum. The premise for the book was stupid and all the supernatural balony left one feeling cheated and used by the author. It did not belong in a Plum novel. This is an example of the author trading on the good name of her favorite heroine in order to make sales.
  
  
• Come on Evanovich - You can do much better!!
  By on 2002-12-01
  I am a HUGE Janet Evanovich fan! Living in the U.K. I quite happily paid U.S. prices and shipping fees to ensure that I got her new book as soon as possible. I started to read it the day it came, but unlike Stephanie Plum books numbers 1-8 (which took a mere day to read) this Evanovich book took over a week to read and even then it was a struggle. It's boring, a huge diappointment, has a tenuous plot and at times insults your intelligence. My advice is don't buy it - if you want to read it, at least wait until it's out in paperback or borrow it from a library/a friend. Come on Evanovich - you can do much better!!
  
  
• Written by Bizarro Janet???
  By A3F4PVESHV9947 on 2003-09-21
  Just as Superman has Bizarro Superman, there is clearly a Bizarro Janet Evanovich out there who wrote this horrible, awful, REALLY, REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEALLY BAD book under the name of OUR Janet Evanovich's!

  WILL THE REAL JANET PLEASE STAND UP?

  I don't know where the idea was conceived to publish this "Twilight Zone at Christmas," wanna-be novel-ette, but I was COMPLETELY disappointed and even horrified by this book!

  The storyline was so bizarre and unplausible, yet never completely explained. I'm grasping for words to express how utterly confused and dismayed I was by this book, which I purchased to read during a short flight to visit my new in-laws during the Xmas holiday.

  After a few chapters, I knew I'd return the book when I got home. Unfortunately, I was unable to because I left it behind. I really wanted my money back for this book. I wouldn't keep it if someone handed out free copies!

  The book was so awful that I was embarassed to ask my in-laws to send it back to me for fear they'd wonder why I ever purchased such a book in the first place.

  If anyone remembers how Superman ever vanquished Bizarro Superman, maybe they can give Janet some tips so we'll be saved the trouble of purchasing such a mockery of her true writing talents again!
  
  

• Disappointing.
  By AKOT6YWMUKOJ4 on 2005-09-08
  I have hurtled through the Stephanie Plum series this Summer. LOVE the books with their inept (just like me!) heroine(?). I was pleased to come across "Sugarplums" in the library, but I was extremely disappointed in its execution. It reminded me of the equally disappointing Christmas story that Patricia Cornwell wrote for her lead character Kay Scarpetta.
  It seemed to be an effort to tide us over until the next fully fleshed-out book, but it was really kind of lame in its effort to be wacky.
  No harm done, I just returned it to the library.
  Waiting for #12...
  
  
• Visions of stale sugar plums
  By on 2002-11-09
  This book is not worth the money. If you have never read any of the other Stephanie Plum books it would probably be okay. I found it tired/old/boring. Her other books are great!
  
  
• Very Disappointing
  By A3FVN06C5NDKU3 on 2002-11-12
  I was disappointed in Janet's Hard Eight but nothing compared with the disappointment in this book. She must have slapped it together overnight. I have loved her series of books but this is one book I can say that I was very glad was over in only 149 short pages.
  
  
• Don't waste your time or money!
  By on 2002-11-13
  TOTAL disappointment! I love the other books but this one was done purely for the money without any regard for plot or readers. BORING and not worth your time.
  
  
• Not the norm but fun none the less.
  By A1HRJ09X8XN3O4 on 2002-12-19
  This is not the usual Evanovich mystery novel but is still fun reading. The idea of Diesel being anything other than a "Dream" man is not what I believe Ms. Evanovich was trying to portray. Stephanie's extended family (sister and nieces) are given more "air-time" which works out great. Lulu, Connie, and Morino stop by but the real fun is with her skip and her niece the pony. Isn't Christmas meant for children anyway?

  There is still the regular Plum mishaps, another car bites the dust, with Stephanie taking the hit with more grace and patience.

  If you are looking for some light hearted fun while your significant other is watching football games this is the book for you! This book should be taken as it is meant to be - a fairy tale with a New Jersey twist.
  
  

• Funny, but overpriced
  By A34F8WQDRG2VTB on 2002-11-07
  Stephanie's having a hard time working up some holiday spirit, and it doesn't help when a stranger mysteriously appears in her apartment and her unmarried sister discovers she's pregnant. Add in the continuing adventures of Grandma Mazur, a paint thief who's skipped bail, and a few rampaging elves and she's ready to run. It's a great Christmas romp, Plum style.
  If you're not a fan, you'll want to start with one of the other books, since a lot of characters appear in this book with very little introduction, and you might be a bit confused about who exactly these dysfunctional people are.
  My only real complaint is that at 14$, it's a bit pricy for what you get.
  
  
• Quirky but cute...
  By A3R19YKNL641X3 on 2002-11-10
  This is a strange novella to describe... All the Stephanie Plum characters are there, but it definitely is a "fantasy" novel. I almost expected the final page to consist of Stephanie waking up from a dream, and none of it really happened.

  Like the other reviews, it's a very short, quick read. I picked it up at the library, so I didn't have a concern over the cost. But I too would have been upset to spend full price for a hardback that I would read in less than two hours.
  
  

• Don't buy this book.
  By on 2002-11-12
  If you like the Plum series . . . don't buy this book. In fact, should there be more "Plums" in the future, I'm afraid this book will keep me from coming back. It effectively means the end of the series for me.
  
  
• Should have waited for the paperback!
  By on 2002-11-18
  I can't believe this book was published in hardcover! I normally LOVE the Plum series. This was just a bit too out there for me. Hopefully the next book will be worthy of reading. This one I'd advise you to pass by.
  
  
• An early Christmas present for Stephanie Plum fans.
  By AE12AEJFCOGGY on 2002-12-03
  There are only 4 days to Christmas and Stephanie Plum hasn't bought a tree, or done any decorating, or even started shopping for presents. Sounds like a typical holiday for the hapless, but loveable Jersey bounty hunter.

  It's also not unusual for Stephanie to find a handsome man standing in her living room. What is out of the ordinary is how he got there: he just...well...materialized. Out of thin air. Also, he claims to be the Christmas Spirit. And he's here to help Stephanie find Sandy Claws, the elderly toymaker who's skipped out on his bail.

  If that all sounds a little silly, that's part of the fun. Evanovich has given her fans an early Christmas present in this wonderful little book. The plot works as both a fableistic Christmas story and an excellent mystery to boot.

  Stephanie Plum is a wonderful character, probably the best recurring female protagonist in the mystery genre. She's smart and spunky, always irrerverent, and a joy to spend time with. And if she's not enough, there's always Stephanie's pistol-packing, ribald and randy Grandma Masur! "Visions of Sugar Plums" is a delightful little tidbit, sure to delight all of Evanovich's fans.

  Reviewed by David Montgomery, Mystery Ink
  
  

• Visions of Sugar Plums = Plum Waste of Money
  By on 2002-12-05
  Save your money, people.

  I love the Plum series, but this book was nothing but a filler to make Evanovich and her publisher some easy Christmas money.

  The plot was plotless. The "new" character was never fully explained -- basically he was an alien, and of course, a good-looking one, who had skills the likes of which make McGyver look like an idiot. No Ranger. Tad bit of Morelli.

  The bottom line is: This book is a waste of your time and money. Don't get sucked in!

  Let's hope Book #9 gets back on track.
  
  

• Plum Lovin' (A Between-the-Numbers Novel)
• Plum Lucky (A Between-the-Numbers Novel)
• Lean Mean Thirteen (Stephanie Plum, No. 13)
• Twelve Sharp (Stephanie Plum, No. 12)
• Fearless Fourteen (Stephanie Plum, No. 14)