Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich

"Plum Spooky" is Plum good! 

This Stephanie Plum rendition also brings a little change of pace because most of it takes place in a new location, the Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey, and we get to meet a whole new eccentric cast of characters.  We're also reintroduced to the hunky Diesel, an international bounty hunter who passes through Trenton once in awhile. It adds a little interest to see Stephanie Plum paired with someone other than Ranger or Morelli-- and to have it be more of a sibling relationship (not that Diesel doesn't try for more.)

Basically, Stephanie is on the trail of a mad kid scientist, Martin Munch, and runs in to the guy Munch is working for, Wulf Grimwoire, a very scary man who also happens to be Diesel's cousin.  Diesel is after Wulf, who is wanted for a string of murders among other international terror charges.  Wulf's main interest in Stephanie is that Munch takes a liking to her and wants her to be his sex slave.  Every change Stephanie gets she uses her famous kick routine in the unmentionables.

For once Stephanie's car is not torched by bad guys.  It would have been torched by a fire farting hermit who lives in the Barrens, but Stephanie's new jeep had already been trashed by a family of raccoons when she ran out of gas in the piney woods of the Barrens. She's also looking after a monkey for an acquaintance, and runs into a whole bevy of monkeys on an animal preserve in the Barrens. See what I told you? Lots of new and different zany characters and action.

Anyway, like most of Evanovich's Stephanie Plum novels, this is entertaining and totally effortless reading that will make you laugh out loud at regular intervals.

An idea-- Stephanie Plum and her pals would make such great characters in a film series.  I'd be interested in knowing if anyone has approached the author with an offer. I suppose the filming budget would be pretty big given the number of vehicles and buildings that explode or get torched in every episode...

Liz Nichols

Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich

Stephanie Plum is at her prime in this zany installment about the attractive bail bond enforcer and her memorable entourage of family, friends, co-workers, and boyfriends. There are more blow ups and burned out cars and apartments in this book than in any previous one that I can recall, for those who like this type of pyrotechnics.

Stephanie has her usual collection of bond violations to enforce-- a flasher, an octogenarian with a beef against his dentist, a pyro-maniac, and a career criminal who will kill if given the chance. Mixed in are a couple of major plots-- Lulu is in danger of being whacked literally by a mob enforcer who cuts off his victims' heads. Lulu witnessed a gruesome beheading and is now in grave peril of the same fate. The other major plot line has to do with Ranger, Stephanie's sometime boss and love interest, who needs her help to solve who is breaking in to the buildings his security company has set up on alarm systems. The burglaries seem to be happening right under the noses of Rangeman employees.

As usual, Stephanie has a hard time deciding whether she likes Ranger or police detective, Joe Morelli better. In this round Ranger seems to be winning.

As always, a fast and entertaining read.

Liz Nichols