Now twenty-six novels into her world-famous, mega-bestselling Stephanie Plum series, Janet Evanovich has nothing left to prove—and yet somehow, she keeps getting better each time out.
This time around, it’s not just a job for Stephine . . . it’s personal.
After Plum’s Grandma decides yet again to get married, Stepahine isn’t sold on the groom to be. That turns out to be a moot point, though, when Jimmy Rosolli, a local gangster, drops dead less than an hour after the wedding ceremony. While Grandma Mazur is heartbroken, things go from awful to worse when Jimmy’s former “associates” suspect that Mazur is hoarding the ex-gangster’s money in an effort to keep it all to herself, making her an enemy, and putting her life in danger.
Of course, there’s one thing—or one person, rather—that they didn’t count on, and that’s Stephanie, who isn’t about to just sit by and watch her grandma be threatened.
Just before the release of Twisted Twenty-Six, one of the most anticipated books of the year, Janet Evanovich agreed to go on the record for our Five Questions segment, and I asked her about everything from whether she ever imagined her Plum series lasting long to what readers can expect from number twenty-seven next year.
Check out the full Q&A below, then make sure to pick up your copy of Twisted Twenty-Six, now available in bookstores everywhere.
TRBS: First and foremost, Wow! This is your 26th Stephanie Plum book, and in my opinion, one of your best yet. Did you ever think—what was it, back in 1994?—when you wrote One For the Money, that you’d still be writing about Stephanie all these years later?
Evanovich: I wanted it to be a continuing series. It never occurred to me that it would be THIS continuing! I was thinking four or five books, if I was lucky. If I’d known the series was going to be such a success I would have chosen a name that was easier to write when autographing books. Janet Jones, maybe.
TRBS: What is your writing process like, and how has it changed over the years, if at all?
Evanovich: When I started writing I had kids in school and my husband had a demanding job. So I was writing late at night and whenever I had a free moment. My kids are now adults, my husband is retired, and I can afford a housekeeper. YAY! I can now write full-time from 6:00a.m. to 5:00p.m. It’s an amazing luxury.
TRBS: How did you come up with the story idea for this one, and do you ever plan out multiple books at a time, or just focus on the one you’re witing?
Evanovich: I’ve always planned out relationships a couple books at a time. Twisted Twenty-Six is actually part of a trilogy, and for the first time, I have a continuing plotline. I wanted to give Stephanie and the reader a big Indiana Jones adventure . . . Jersey style!
TRBS: What sort of research did you have to do before actually sitting down to write this one?
Evanovich. Mostly I ate a lot of chips and drank a lot of pinot noir. If I was stuck for an idea I switched to champagne and supermarket birthday cake.
TRBS: Lastly, now that number twenty-six is finally set to hit store shelves, have you already started working on number twenty-seven, and when can readers expect to see more from Stephanie Plum?
Evanovich: Yes, I’ve started working on twenty-seven. It’s very exciting. I love beginnings. And I’ll tell you a secret but you have to promise not to tell anyone. I’m bringing a new character into twenty-seven. A kick-ass woman who is going to give Stephanie a run for her money. She’ll be in twenty-seven and twenty-eight and if the readers like her I might spin her off into her own series. Twenty-seven should be in stores November 2020.
Praised as “One of the hardest working, most thoughtful, and fairest reviewers out there” by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline, Ryan Steck has “quickly established himself as the authority on mysteries and thrillers” (Author A.J. Tata). Steck also works full-time as a freelance developmental editor and pens a monthly thriller column for CrimeReads. For more information, be sure to follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He currently lives in Southwest Michigan with his wife and their six children.