Sizzling Sixteen is the latest installment of many from the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. I would consider these books a mystery with some romance and lots of humor. I have always thought that this series of books was absolutely great. Evanovich loves to keep the readers coming and she does every time she puts out a new Stephanie Plum book. As always this newest book in the series novel was funny, riveting, and quite interesting.
Each series of these books you think you already know what you are going to read about, however Evanovich continues to impress by changing up the story by bringing in new characters and revisiting old characters. Stephanie Plum is a bounty hunter for her cousin Vinny at his Bond Enforcement Agency. It isn't the job she went to school for but a job nonetheless. She isn't the greatest bounty hunter around but she gets the job done in a comical messed up way. I liked the fact that each time I read these books, Stephanie Plum is dealing with something different as a bounty hunter. Her love life continues on this ride of which man shall she choose or can she even attempt to choose. Joe Morelli, a childhood friend that was quite the wild boy back in their high school days has always tried something with Stephanie, primarily sexually related. They have an on again off again relationship. And once you think they are going to make it and get married, Evanovich stops and keeps you thinking and wishing for more. Then there is Ranger, a bounty hunter as well, who sometimes brings in the skippers for Vinny. He owns his own security company and he's very private. He has helped Stephanie on many occasions in apprehending a fugitive and is very interested in her personally. It is what I believe to be one of the struggles Stephanie has between Morelli and Ranger. Who does she pick? Should she pick? They are both nice looking, well built men, and each does something different to Stephanie (how she feels).
I liked this latest title because it involved Stephanie's cousin Vinny. He's mentioned in the other series but usually the focus is not solely on him. This time, he's a major part of the story when he gets into gambling trouble with some Russia mafia guy and gets kidnapped for ransom money. Stephanie and Lula (large African American woman with a lot of spunk and attitude and former hooker) met up in one of the earlier series and have been friends ever since. Lula works at Vinny's agency filing but rarely does any filing, she likes to help Stephanie out on her captures, which makes for quite a hysterical time. Connie, Vinny's secretary, gives Stephanie the captures she has to bring in and attempts to keep Vinny in line. What I liked in Sizzling Sixteen, is that Connie, Lula, and Stephanie all work together to get Vinny back. They might not do it the best or right way, but they get the job done leaving behind their trail in the utmost funniest way.
Evanovich's series of Stephanie Plum books always make me laugh and keep me wishing for more. I can hardly ever wait for the next one to come out. When a series has gone on as long as this one has, you often wonder if the next one is going to be as good as the last. Will it be everything you hope it to be? I have never been disappointed by Janet Evanovich's books, including the Stephanie Plum series.
If a reader liked this book then I recommended them to read the following books:
Fiction:
Any of the Stephanie Plum series, starting with book number one: One for the Money by Janet Evanovich. These books do not have to really be read in order, but if you want to completely understand how Stephanie Plum becomes a bounty hunter and where all the characters fit, then starting from the beginning is the best. If you found yourself unable to put this book down, then reading the other books in this series is a must.
If Evanovich isn't your style but Sizzling Sixteen still sparked your interest, then I would suggest books by Sandra Brown. Play Dirty or Rainwater are a couple of title suggestions. Sandra Brown writes mysteries about the same way Evanovich does, while not all of them contain the amount of humor Evanovich's does, they do contain the mystery and the romance. Brown's books can be just as addicting as Evanovich's books.
Nonfiction books that may interest someone who likes to read mysteries:
Nonfiction:
A Cold Case by Philip Gourevitch. ISBN 0312420021. 183 pages.
This book is about an investigators 30 year pursuit of petty criminal and murderer Frank Koehler, who shot two men in a continuation of a bar agreement in 1970. The investigator Andy Rosenzweig used research and interviews to take the reader back to his earlier days as a New York City police officer. Rosenzweig describes the background of the Koehler family's crime and how he tracked down the infamous criminal living in California.
This book is described as an impossible to stop reading narrative which is beautifully written. If a reader likes a good mystery book in fiction then this book in nonfiction will surely perk their interest.
American Roulette: How I Turned the Odds Upside Down--My Wild Twenty-Five Year Ride Ripping Off the World's Casinos by Richard Marcus. ISBN 0312291396. 370 pages.
This book is a first person account of Marcus' many years spent making a living by cheating the casinos. This is a quick paced adventurous book, however there is language and jargon that is on the rawside of honest. Marcus describes his many partners and numerous scams. He takes great pride in the way he made his living doing illegal activities.
While this book does sound a bit on the blundt side of writing, I recommend it because in the book Sizzling Sixteen, a great deal of gambling and scamming is mentioned. If readers liked reading about that in Evanovich's book, they may find it fascinating to read about a real life account from someone who made a living at it.
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