Janet Evanovich's latest book in her Stephanie Plum series, Takedown Twenty, is another hilarious entry in a very entertaining series! New Jersey bounty hunter Plum understands the value of family, but her "back is up against the wall" when her job requires her to apprehend mobster Salvatore "Uncle Sunny" Sunucchi. He has been charged with murder for running over a guy (twice) and no one in Trenton wants to turn him in! Besides hiding out at various rental properties, girlfriends' houses, and private clubs, Uncle Sunny even takes turns spending the night with the parents of his godson, Stephanie's almost-fiance', cop Joe Morelli. Other than hunting down Uncle Sunny and evading being shot or thrown off a bridge by his bodyguards, security specialist (and hottie) Ranger enlists Stephanie's help in solving the bizarre death of the mother of one of his client's, who plays bingo with Stephanie's Grandma Mazur. Mix in a giraffe who keeps appearing to Lula and Stephanie on the streets of Trenton and you have the ingredients for another madcap adventure. This title in the series has some very funny moments and Grandma Mazur is as zany as ever as she goes on dates with some of Trenton's most eligible Senior Citizen bachelor's. Stephanie even considers changing jobs---and you'll never guess what she tries her hand at next. It's best to start reading this series at the beginning (One for the Money is the first one) as the characters' stories build on each other throughout the series. Check out what Janet Evanovich is doing by visiting her website at www.evanovich.com, at Facebook/JanetEvanovich or by writing her at P.O. Box 2829, Naples, FL 34106.
I was really intrigued with the title of this book, which is one of the reasons I first picked it up! Faces of the Gone is a fast-paced thrill ride and the debut for author Brad Parks. Author Parks graduated from Dartmouth College and spent a dozen years as a reporter with The Washington Post and The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ). He currently writes novels and lives with his wife and two small children in Virginia. For more information on Brad Parks, visit his web site at http://www.bradparksbooks.com/. Faces of the Gone stars investigative reporter Carter Ross, an employee of the Newark Eagle-Examiner who is sent to the scene of a crime: four bodies stacked in a vacant lot with a single bullet wound in the back of each head. Ross is puzzled by the fact that the four victims have nothing in common--an exotic dancer, a drug dealer, a hustler and a momma's boy--and all resided in different parts of the city. The police eagerly pounce on the theory that the murders are revenge for a bar robbery, and Ross' paper prints the story, but Carter is determined to figure out the truth. Carter enlists the help of several newspaper employees and discovers that the victims do have one thing in common, but this discovery could get him killled. This book has a great "New Jersey flavor" and if you like Harlan Coben's books, you are sure to love Brad Parks!
If Janet Evanovich's new Stephanie Plum series entry doesn't cause you to crave barbeque, then I don't know what will! Finger Lickin' Fifteen is a riot of a story, that lives up to the other fourteen books in the series. Stephanie Plum, lingerie-seller-turned-bounty-hunter, is at her zany best in this new novel, which centers around the murder of celebrity chef Stanley Chipotle. Chipotle visits Trenton, NJ to participate in a barbeque cook-off and ends up losing his head, unfortunately right in front of Lula, Stephanie's sidekick and fellow bail bonds office worker. Chipotle's killers spend their time trying to locate Lula to get rid of the only witness to his murder, and Lula recruits Stephanie to help her find Chipotle's killers so that she can feel safe and they can collect the reward money. Lula's big plan is to enter the barbeque competition that Chipotle had entered--and enlists Grandma Mazur's help in creating a prize-winning barbeque sauce (preferably one that doesn't give folks food poisoning). Stephanie also works overtime in this book, snooping for Ranger and his security company during the day, to help him discover who is breaking into his monitored homes and businesses and how they are accomplishing the burglaries. Evanovich again displays all of her beloved characters at their kooky best and delivers another humorous look at the life of the citizens of the 'burg in Trenton, NJ. Haven't read any Stephanie Plum novels yet? Start with the first book in this series, One for the Money.
