Finger Lickin' Fifteen

Oh Stephanie Plum, how you used to make me laugh a lot more. This was my initial reaction to finishing the 15th novel in the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich, "Finger Lickin' Fifteen." Once again I picked up the latest installment about the bumbling bounty hunter from New Jersey who has crazy adventures and even crazier cohorts. From the book's cover:

"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."

I think the quality of the books has waned over the years, that or I shouldn't have read so many of them this year (7 so far)! Fortunately I only have book 16 left to be caught up with the series and maybe it will be a little bit more enjoyable reading one entry a year. There is still some good things to be found with "Finger Lickin' Fifteen." I still do appreciate Evanovich's easy reading style and most of the characters, especially Grandma Mazur and Lula to name a couple. I just think that the story lines are becoming either a bit too rehashed or a little over the top. I've mentioned this before, I think when publishing a book about the same characters yearly it's hard to remain fresh, especially after this many entries. Recommended for fans of the series.