REVIEW: Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich

Title: Sizzling Sixteen (Stephanie Plum #16)
Author: Janet Evanovich
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publication Date: June, 2010
Hardcover: 309 pages
Genre: Contemporary Romance / General Fiction
Rating: 10/10

Description: 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 local stoner Walter “Moon Man” Dunphy's vibe, running up pay-per-view porn charges in security expert 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 mysterious bottle, they just might raise enough money to save Vinnie and the business 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, 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!

My Thoughts: Once again, fans of Stephanie Plum are treated to another wacky adventure with Stephanie and her posse. This time, Stephanie, Lula and Connie are faced with the possibility of losing the bail bonds office when Vinnie is kidnapped by local mobsters looking to collect on a massive gambling debt.

As the deadline to deliver the money approaches, more secrets about Vinnie and his shady dealings are brought to light when it’s revealed that Vinnie has embezzled money from the company that funds the bonds. If Vinnie doesn’t come home, nobody can write the bonds that nobody can fail to appear on and that would mean the end of Stephanie’s illustrious career as Trenton’s most wacky bounty hunter.

Along the way, Stephanie receives help from Mooner and his Hobbits, Morelli and of course, Ranger and his unlimited supply of replacement vehicles.

Stephanie continues to struggle with her feelings towards Ranger and her on-again off-again relationship with Morelli. Unfortunately, didn’t get to see a lot of Grandma Mazur this go around so am hoping the next book will bring more of Grandma’s wacky behavior and commentary. Connie was a surprise in this book with a more active role and her hidden talents of making stink bombs was very entertaining.

All in all, this was an excellent installment of adventure, excitement, wacky hilarity and some intense sexual tension (thank you, Ranger!) starring my favorite bounty hunter and her entourage.