Stephanie Plum and the Magician

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 05 Sep 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Red Emma	05 Sep 2003
I love a mystery, have read them voraciously all my life. It was Ranger, the primo bounty hunter in Janet Evanovich's hilarious series about Stephanie Plum, girl bounty hunter, which made me begin to wonder if Evanovich is a tarot afficianado. Stephanie, herself, can only be the Ace of Swords. When she was laid off as a lingerie buyer, she black mailed her sleazy cousin, a bail bondsman, into hiring her to hunt down and return FTA's. People who have Failed to Appear on their court dates. The main problem with this is, FTA's really have no desire to turn up in court and Stephanie only gets paid if she brings them back. Dead or Alive. Of course bringing them back dead is seriously frowned upon. Then there's her more-or-less steady, police detective Morelli. Morelli, is a crusader on a mission -- rid Jersey of bad guys. He's determined, informed, full of conviction. The very model of the Knight of Swords. While Morelli's drawn to Stephanie because she's delightful, not to mention sexy, and unorthodox, he frequently demands that she give up her dangerous profession (As a bona fide law officer, he sneers at calling what she does a "profession."). In fact, when they marry (an idea which sends Stephanie screaming to the nearest exit), he wants her to settle down. Become the Queen of Pentacles. The thing is, when they're working on the same case -- but never together, Morelli's pride wouldn't permit it -- Stephanie usually gets to the answer before he does. Then there's Ranger who can only be The Magician. He's the Sleazy Cousin's primo bounty hunter, takes only cases with a $10,000 payout. A former army ranger, most of his life and background are wreathed in mystery. Stephanie's drawn to him like a lemming to the sea. It's hard to describe Ranger. He appears and disappears like, as Stephanie says, a wisp of smoke. In addition to his bounty hunting, he carries on other dangerous, sometimes dark, activities. He literally knits worlds together, acting as a go-between for the police and various mob factions, and carrying on negotiations between the mob "families" themselves. All his activities, whatever they may be, seem to pay well as he owns office buildings in Bostons among other pieces of expensive real estate. And as Stephanie says about him, sometimes he talks The Street, and sometimes he talks like a Harvard graduate. He creates classy cars, seemingly out of pure ethereal energy, for Stephanie who's frequently limited to her father's very uncool old blue Buick. Of course, before Stephanie's had the "magic" cars for very long they get rolled on by garbage trucks, just before they explode. (Thanks to a bomb planted by a murderer who thinks she's getting too close.) I can't figure out Stephanie's Grandma Mazur. In her early years she was a good "burg" housewife -- another Queen of Pentacles -- but after Grandpa Mazur went to his reward, she shapeshifted. Became kind of an Ace of Swords, or maybe an Ace of Rods. But still a reluctant 77 (or thereabouts.) She'd really like to be a bounty hunter with Stephanie. As you may have guessed, I really love Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books. I'd like to hear from others who have ideas about their favorite characters. Especially if anyone has thoughts about Grandma Mazur. Goddess Bless.

MeeWah	05 Sep 2003
Red Emma: Okey-dokey, I'll bite. I have not read any of this series, but since ye wax enthusiastically about it & I have loved mysteries ever since I first read Nancy Drew in the third grade (followed by the Hardy Boys, Tom Swift & Tarzan & beyond), I plan to get some of the books. I would like to venture some thoughts on Grandma Mazur based on your brief description. She strikes me as possibly a Fire sign; an intelligent, vibrant & imaginative person who had to shelve her dreams upon marriage or possibly even before. Based on her age, likely the societal mores of her younger years were not particularly supportive of a woman having a career outside of the home even if she had a college education. She has not had the means to express her potential. With her hubby gone, she has the freedom to please herself; to express what she has repressed of her personality for years. The profession of bounty hunter appeals to her sense of adventure & her curiousity. Btw: one of my favourite fictional characters is Miss Marple of a series of mystery novels by Agatha Christie. She is sort of a female British version of the French Inspector Hercule Poirot, another of Christie's fictional characters. Both remind me of Sherlock Holmes, another favourite fictional detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. As 'tis been a while, I am relying on memory. Miss Marple is an elderly spinster who has a nose for murder cases that puzzle the authorities. Her unassuming & meek appearance belies her steel-trap mind & sense of adventure. She has a keen insight into fhe foibles of human nature & the convoluted paths it can lead one to take. She strikes me as a Knight of Swords though she could also be Queen of Swords.

Red Emma	05 Sep 2003
MeeWah: Miss Marple, Poirot, and Sherlock are some of my favorite detectives. Larry and I particularly like to settle down for an evening to watch one of the BBC's great films of them. I guess these days, I like something more contemporary, especially if it concerns women detectives. Aimee and David (I think it's David) Thurlo have created Emily Clah, a female police detective of the Navajos. Their stories are great, although their writing style doesn't begin to equal Tony Hillerman's. I think you'd like Stephanie Plum. The books are, "One for the Money," Two for the Dough," "Three to get Deadly," and "Four to Score." Evanovich has done nine in the series. The first seven are hilarious...just the thing to shed the troubles of a difficult day. Eight and nine are outstanding stories, and Evanovich is a cracker jack writer, but they lack the humor of the early ones. Still worth reading, though, especially to find out if Stephanie and Ranger ever give in to their hormones. Whenever anyone mentions the sexiest tarot card, I think of Ranger and say, The Magician. MMnmmhmmmmm!

RedWood	05 Sep 2003
I absolutely LOVE this series..I need to re read teh books now LOL..I will definately come back to this thread..i love grandma mazur!! hehe

Moongold	05 Sep 2003
Red Emma, I have not read the Stephanie Plum books either but both you and MeeWah have reawakened an old interest in female mystery writers and female sleuths. Mystery writing and detection novels are not necessarily the same things. Some of the great mystery writers such as P. D. James, Dorothy Sayers et al wrote primarily with male characters but they are brilliant books. Back to female sleuths, Antonia Frazer is a British historian who also wrote detective fiction with a character called Jemima Shore. These were 1970's and really enjoyable. Sarah Paretsky and her VI Warshawski are famous contemporary US writers and characters. Cathy Reichs has a twist with her forensic anthropologist character whose name I can't remember, but the books are good, I also love Miss Marple, and there is another contemporary British character who has hit the TV BBC serials (author Linda La Plante), and who is a very interesting, complex character. She is a police inspector. I am sure these women writers would be highly psychic. Have no backing whatsoever for that - just feel it.

MeeWah	05 Sep 2003
Red Emma: Thanks very much for the information. The name of Stephanie Plum is intriguing in itself. Evocative of England; also the Parker Bros game 'Clue'. Am looking forward to reading this series. Is it available in paperback? I prefer hardcover, but paperback is more accessible. Am somewhat familiar with Tony Hillerman's novels featuring Joe Leaphorn. I think at least one was made into a movie. Also like Rabbi David Small of Harry Kemelman's mystery novels; Qwilleran of 'The Cat Who...' series by Lilian Jackson Braun. I love PBS' Mystery series but rarely get to see them because their air times are usually too late for me. Recently, I saw a couple of presentations with Diana Rigg, but I forget the name of the character she played.

truthsayer	05 Sep 2003
[quote]Originally posted by MeeWah [b]Am somewhat familiar with Tony Hillerman's novels featuring Joe Leaphorn. I think at least one was made into a movie. *****the movie you are thinking of could be "dark wind". it features leaphorn's younger counterpart jim chee. worth seeing. it stars lou diamond phillips. i've read all hillerman's chee and leaphorn books except for the latest. he is such a wonderful writer. anyone read any of the faye or jonathon kellerman series? faye writes about a jewish married couple who solve murders. her hubby jonathon writes about a burned out child psychologist and gay police detective duo. really interesting for their insight into their characters. anyone ever read of margaret maron's books? she has one series about a female cop and one about a female judge. i haven't gotten through one of her books yet but i had the privelege of hearing her speak and getting her to sign 2 books for me. what about the alphabet murder series? i can't remember the author's name(i can see her face, darn it!) but the lead character is a female PI named kinsey milhone. if you don't mind vampires and werewolves, the anita blake the vampire slayer series is very good. i prefer the earliest books when you don't get into her extremely strange love life like in the last 5 books. the world she creates and murders she solves are some of the most imaginative i've read. that's all i can think of for the moment. the stephanie plum series sounds like one that i would also enjoy. thanks for sharing.

Raven	09 Sep 2003
At a friends suggestion I started on the first book in this series a couple of month's ago. It's almost become an obession. As soon as I finish one I start on the next. You're right Ranger definitely is the Magician. I too love Grandma Mazur and I like the thoughts on her being from the Fire sign. At first I didn't think so but I have to admit she definitely has a sense of curiosity and that curiosity always turns into an adventure. She is definitely fibrant and imaginative

The Stephanie Plum and the Magician thread was originally posted on 05 Sep 2003 in the Tarot Games & Fun board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Tarot Games & Fun, or read more archived threads.