“Sizzling Sixteen” by Janet Evanovich

Review #128

A Stephanie Plum Adventure

Stephanie Plum, half-Italian, half-Hungarian, a shrewd mixture of smarts and dumb luck, works for her cousin, Vinny , as a bail bondswoman in Trenton, New Jersey. Vinny has been kidnapped by some very scary guys to whom he owes money in the six-figures.

As Stephanie, sidekick file clerk Lula, and office manager Connie, soon realize, Vincent Plum Bail Bonds is seriously in the red due to Vinnie's gambling. Vinnie has also gotten caught up with local mobster Bobby Sunflower in a complicated scheme. Even though her sleazy cousin isn't her favorite person and chasing oddball felons isn't her ideal career, Stephanie knows family loyalty counts for something. So the three women set off to free Vinny.

Along the way, they facilitate a cow stampede and an alligator escape, are assisted by a bunch of Hobbit Con-goers, and find their office going up, literally, in flames. Stephanie wrecks the usual car and ping-pongs between the hot and dangerous Ranger and the hot and domestic Morelli.

In the first few pages, Evanovich both catches readers up on the hilarious and cockeyed history of the preceding 15 books and…brings back beloved stoner, Mooner.

However, the larger story simply recycles elements from previous installments.