FINGER LICKIN' FIFTEEN

Finger Lickin' Fifteen

by

Janet Evanovich

6/26/2009

(Fifteenth in series--not including the in-between novels)

UNBUCKLE YOUR BELT AND PULL UP A CHAIR. IT'S THE SPICIEST, SAUCIEST, MOST RIB-STICKING PLUM YET.

Recipe for disaster:

Celebrity chef Stanley Chipotle comes to Trenton to participate in a barbecue cook-off and loses his head --literally.

Throw in some spice:

Bail bonds office worker Lula is witness to the crime, and the only one she’ll talk to is Trenton cop, Joe Morelli.

Pump up the heat:

Chipotle’s sponsor is offering a million dollar reward to anyone who can provide information leading to the capture of the killers.

Stir the pot:

Lula recruits bounty hunter Stephanie Plum to help her find the killers and collect the moolah.

Add a secret ingredient:

Stephanie Plum’s Grandma Mazur. Enough said.

Bring to a boil:

Stephanie Plum is working overtime tracking felons for the bonds office at night and snooping for security expert Carlos Manoso, A.K.A. Ranger, during the day. Can Stephanie hunt down two killers, a traitor, five skips, keep her grandmother out of the sauce, solve Ranger’s problems and not jump his bones?

Warning:

Habanero hot. So good you’ll want seconds.
_____________________________

***(3 1/2 Stars) I've read them all....from number one, to the in-between books, the mini "Last Peep", and now "Finger Lickin' Fifteen". I've listened to them all on audio, stood for hours in line to meet Ms, Evanovich a couple years ago, and even have a, "I (heart) Ranger" bumper sticker on my car.

I have really enjoyed the series from beginning to end. Yes, the characters are getting too predictable and the laugh-out-loud moments are way fewer than they used to be, but like a good light hour-long comedy on TV, these books are fun to read and picking up this book was like stopping by an old friend's house for coffee and a sweet roll.

The book was silly at times (c'mon--a hot dog outfit? I was seeing Justin Timberlake from "Saturday Night Live" when I read that part of the book). The death of two Porshe Cayennes, a Ford Focus, the infamous Firebird, and Stephanie's couch (once again) was expected, and Ms. Evanovich did not disappoint with the outlandish behaviors of Lula and Grandma Mazur.

Was this her best in the series? Nope. But it was better than "Fearless Fourteen". Is the series waning? Probably. But I don't care. I will keep picking up the Plum books until Janet stops writing them. Why? Because in all honesty I am waiting for Ranger to finally get another shot. We almost had Stephanie this time. ((sigh))