Book: Sizzling Sixteen

Janet Evanovich

Mystery
Random House / 2010
Hardback / 400 Pages
Series Stephanie Plum 16

Trenton, New Jersey, bounty hunter Stephanie Plum has inherited a “lucky” bottle from her Uncle Pip. Problem is, Uncle Pip didn’t specify if the bottle brought good luck or bad luck. . . .

BAD LUCK:
Vinnie, of Vincent Plum Bail Bonds, has run up a gambling debt of $786,000 with mobster Bobby Sunflower and is being held until the cash can be produced. Nobody else will pay to get Vinnie back, leaving it up to Stephanie, office manager Connie, and file clerk Lula to raise the money if they want to save their jobs.

GOOD LUCK:
Being in the business of tracking down people, Stephanie, Lula, and Connie have an advantage in finding Vinnie. If they can rescue him, it will buy them some time to raise the cash.

BAD LUCK:
Finding a safe place to hide Vinnie turns out to be harder than raising $786,000. Vinnie’s messing up Mooner’s vibe, running up pay-per-view porn charges in Ranger’s apartment, and making Stephanie question genetics.

GOOD LUCK:
Between a bonds office yard sale that has the entire Burg turning out, Mooner’s Hobbit-Con charity event, and Uncle Pip’s lucky bottle, they just might raise enough money to save the business, and Vinnie, from ruin.

BAD LUCK:
Saving Vincent Plum Bail Bonds means Stephanie can keep being a bounty hunter. In Trenton, this involves hunting down a man wanted for polygamy, a turnpike toilet paper bandit, and a drug dealer with a pet alligator named Mr. Jingles.

GOOD LUCK:
The job of bounty hunter comes with perks in the guise of Trenton’s hottest cop, Joe Morelli, and the dark and dangerous security expert, Ranger. With any luck at all, Uncle Pip’s lucky bottle will have Stephanie getting lucky---the only question is . . . with whom?

Sizzling Sixteen . . . so hot, the pages might spontaneously combust!

I picked this book up because Series

What I liked the Most? Mooner’s back – I freaking love this guy!!! And mmmmm yummy Ranger!! I want a guy like him in my Christmas stocking.

What I liked the Least? The blank pages – WTF?!?!?! And where was the “Vinnie’s running up pay-per-view porn charges in Ranger’s apartment” that the blurb talked about?

Review: You know I usually check out other reviews before I read a book – I mean after all a lot of times I can judge if I need to put my patience cap on or if a book is going to fly – but dang Chicas (and most of the reviews I saw were from women) REALLY? I must say you ladies have got to be reading something else, cause I enjoyed this book. It was a fun read with lots of LOL moments.

Yes you are right – there were problems with the book;

Too much Lula
Not enough Ranger
Too much Vinnie running around almost naked (yuck)
And while I get that this is Trenton – really the cops didn’t think to have an issue with the fire sale at the bonds office or the funny brownies? Really?

But the funny pieces outweigh these minor (unless you count the often missing Ranger) issues and give her credit the heroic Hobbits attacking the Orcs was very well done – if a bit out in left field.

Recommended to: Fans of the series

Best Quote: “I don’t know. I think they might have put some wacky mushrooms on my pizza last night. I was driving down Broad Street just now, and I swear I thought a cow was walking down the street.”