Twelve Sharp

Janet Evanovich

Stephanie Plum is being stalked again. But this time the stalker is a woman she doesn't know who claims a relationship that was unknown to Stephanie.Other than aiming a shotgun at Stephanie when Stephanie wouldn't leave her alone, she has been sitting in her car waiting outside the bail bond office waiting for someone else to contact Stephanie - Ranger.

Stephanie is torn between Joe Morelli, the dangerous vice (or is he now homicide?) cop and Ranger, the dangerous bounty hunter? Well, in the meantime, there are other skipped criminals to locate and return to jail. But when a girl is kidnapped and Ranger turns to her for help, Stephanie is again pulled into the danger that seems to find her. When her stalker is found killed, Joe gets pulled in as well. Then, to add to the mix, another bounty hunter adds his distinct touch to the case.

To keep life interesting, Lula has started singing with a new band that includes their cross dressing friend Sally. When Grandma Mazur joins the group, their outlandish outfits become even more unpredictable. Vincent Plum's business is lagging. They're interviewing bounty hunter wanna bes. Too many of them apparently have seen the cable television show Dog. Between the macho Dog imitators and the people who want to wave guns, it's hard to find the right - or any - person.

Although at times the Stephanie Plum novels lag in story, they always provide laughs. Twelve Sharp is no exception. There I was laying by a hotel pool with friends chuckling or laughing out loud. Most of them know what I was reading so they ignored me. Lula and Sally's band alone is worth some great mental visuals. Although the book is irreverant in tone, the mystery is a good one. It has some different twists that fit it with the overall arc and delivers a crafted mystery that has an obvious ending once the reader gets far enough. This book delights.

You'll laugh out loud at Stephanie Plum and crew.

Notice: Non-graphic violence, Strong indecent language, Suggestive dialogue or situations

The Series:

One for the Money
Two for the Dough
Three to Get Deadly
Four to Score
High Five
Hot Six
Seven Up
Hard Eight
Visions of Sugar Plums
To the Nines
Ten Big Ones
Eleven on Top
Twelve Sharp
Plum Lovin'
Lean Mean Thirteen
Plum Lucky
Fearless Fourteen
Plum Spooky
Finger Lickin' Fifteen
Sizzling Sixteen
Smokin' Seventeen
Explosive Eighteeen

The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz