If You Like Janet Evanovich...

Book Cover: One for the Money

Evanovich, Janet -- Stephanie Plum Series: One For the Money (1994), Two For the Dough (1996), Three to Get Deadly (1997), Four to Score (1998), High Five (1999), Hot Six (2000). Feisty Stephanie Plum begins a career as a bounty hunter after losing her job as a lingerie buyer in New Jersey. The series has been enormously popular and many of her readers want more more more.

If you dig Janet Evanovich, why not give one of these a go?

Andrews, Donna -- Murder With Peacocks (1999). Meg Lanslow, maid of honor for three impending weddings, returns home to Virginia to iron out the details as well as the truculent brides-to-be. When the annoying sister of her mother's fiance turns up murdered, Meg and her busybody father investigate.

Barnes, Linda -- Carlotta Carlyle Mysteries: A Trouble of Fools (1987), Snake Tattoo (1989), Coyote (1990), Steel Guitar (1991), Snapshot (1993), Hardware (1995), Cold Case (1997), Flashpoint (1999). Carlotta Carlyle is an ex-cop unlucky in love who turns to cab driving and private investigating in Boston.

Crusie, Jennifer -- Tell Me Lies (1998), Crazy for You (1999). Small town life is not what it seems in these stories about regular people keeping outrageous secrets.

Eichler, Selma -- Desiree Shapiro Mysteries: Murder Can Kill Your Social Life (1994), Murder Can Ruin Your Looks (1995), Murder Can Wreck Your Reunion (1996), Murder Can Spook Your Cat (1998), Murder Can Singe Your Old Flame (1999). New York private investigator Desiree Shapiro never passes on dessert. She charms the truth out of witnesses, clients and suspects.

Epstein, Carole -- Barbara Simons Mysteries: Perilous Friends (1996), Perilous Relations (1997). Public relations executive Barbara Simons, a legend in her own mind, solves crimes in Montreal.

Ford, G.M. -- Leo Waterman Mysteries: Who in Hell is Wanda Fuca? (1995), Cast in Stone (1996), The Bum's Rush (1997), Slow Burn (1998), Last Ditch (1999). Leo Waterman is a low-rent private detective with a motley crew of homeless friends who help him solve mysteries in Seattle.

Garcia-Aguilera, Carolina -- Lupe Solano Mysteries: Bloody Waters (1996), Bloody Shame (1997), Bloody Secrets (1998), A Miracle in Paradise (1999). Cuban-American investigator Lupe Solano solves cases in Miami with the help of her colorful friends. La vida Lupe is light, funny and just a bit bloody.

Hayter, Sparkle -- Robin Hudson Mysteries: What's a Girl Gotta Do? (1994), Nice Girls Finish Last (1996), Revenge of the Cootie Girls (1997), The Last Manly Man (1998). Comic romps through New York city featuring tabloid-TV reporter Robin Hudson.

Henderson, Lauren -- Sam Jones Mystery(ies): Black Rubber Dress (1999). Sam Jones, an artist with an attitude, dons said dress for the unveiling of her first sale, a sculpture in the swanky lobby of a London financial house. When a night watchman turns up dead, implicating one of the high society guests in his last breath, she sets out to discover why.

Isaacs, Susan -- Magic Hour (1991), After All These Years (1993). Not necessarily a series, a funny look at Long Island society.

Kellogg, Marne Davis -- Lilly Bennett Mysteries: Bad Manners (1995), Curtsey (1996), Tramp (1997), Birthday Party (1999). Lilly Bennett, although born to privilege, chose the police beat instead. After retirement, she returns to her home town of Round-Up, Texas, as a U.S. Marshall and private investigator.

Maracotta, Lindsay -- Lucy Freers Mysteries: The Dead Hollywood Mom's Society (1996), The Dead Celeb (1997), Playing Dead: A Hollywood Mystery (1999). Animator Lucy Freers is drawn into solving mysteries among Hollywood's celebrity set.

Myers, Tamar -- Magdalena Yoder Mysteries: Too Many Crooks Spoil the Broth (1994), No Use Dying Over Spilled Milk (1996), Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Crime (1997), Just Plain Pickled to Death (1997), Between a Wok and a Hard Place (1998), Play it Again, Spam (1999). Pennsylvania Dutch innkeeper Magdalena Yoder keeps folks fed and solves mysteries. The stories include recipes!

Piesman, Marissa -- Nina Fischman Mysteries: Heading Uptown (1993), Close Quarters (1994), Alternate Sides (1995), Survival Instincts (1997). Neurotic lawyer Nina Fischman solves New York cases with schtick.

Roberts, Gillian -- Amanda Pepper Mysteries: Caught Dead in Philadelphia (1987), Philly Stakes (1989), I'd Rather Be in Philadelphia (1992), With Friends Like These (1993), How I Spent My Summer Vacation (1994), In the Dead of Summer (1995), The Mummers' Curse (1996), The Bluest Blood (1998), Adam and Evil (1999). Amanda Pepper, hip prep school English teacher and city-dweller, solves mysteries in and around the comfortable Philadelphia suburbs.

Rogers, Chris -- Dixie Flannigan Series: Rage Factor (1999), Chill Factor (2000). Plenty of action featuring a female bounty hunter. A bit darker than Evanovich.

Sacks, Jen -- Nice (1999). Grace is a nice girl who can never seem to get out of go-nowhere relationships. So she takes to murder, until she gets involved with someone with the same bad habit.

Shankman, Sarah -- Samantha Adams Mysteries: Now Let's Talk of Graves (1990), She Walks in Beauty (1991), The King Is Dead (1992), He Was Her Man (1993), Digging Up Momma (1998). Samantha Adams is a wisecracking journalist on the trail of outrageous crime stories from Atlantic City to New Orleans.

Stabenow, Dana -- Kate Shugak Mysteries: A Cold Day For Murder (1992), A Fatal Thaw (1993), Dead in the Water (1993), A Cold-Blooded Business (1994), Play With Fire (1995), Blood Will Tell (1996), Breakup (1997), Killing Grounds (1998), Hunter's Moon (1999), Tailspin (2000). Charismatic Kate Shugak, an Aleut who formerly worked for the District Attorney, uses survival skills and her knowledge of the Alaskan landscape to solve mysteries. A fun alternative to novels with urban settings.

Viorst, Judith -- Murdering Mr. Monti: A Merry Little Tale of Sex and Violence (1994). Sassy Brenda Kovner, devoted surgeon's wife and advice columnist, makes huge and hilarious changes in her life on the occasion of her 46^th birthday.

Westlake, Donald E. -- Dortmunder Series: The Hot Rock (1970), Bank Shot (1972), Nobody's Perfect, (1977), Why Me? (1983), Good Behavior (1985), Drowned Hopes (1990), Don't Ask (1993), What's the Worst That Could Happen? (1996). Bumbling burgler Dortmunder and his charming bevy of pals sometimes succeed at capers in and around New York City.

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Our favorite mystery writers were recently asked to name their favorites (Tulsa World, 9/5/99, p. G4). Janet Evanovich's top five?

True Crime (1995) by Andrew Claven
The Black Ice (1993) by Michael Connelly
Brazen Virtue (1988) by Nora Roberts
The Godwulf Manuscript (1973) by Robert B. Parker
Free Fall (1993) by Robert Crais