Faced with the prospect of losing the only job she's ever been even moderately good at, Stephanie joins forces with office manager Connie (a stink bomb expert with Mob family connections), and office file-er Lula (the plus size ex-prostitute ebony goddess who likes to wear tight clothes half her size) to try and rescue him and / or try to raise money for the ransom. His lifestyle misdeeds, both sexual and financial, have finally caught up with him and a gangster named Bobby Sunflower has him hidden away somewhere pending ransom delivery. The story starts off with a ransom demand for slime ball Vinnie Plum's release - he's Stephanie's relative and employer with a penchant for abnormal sex (it involves prostitutes and sometimes, goats - don't ask!) and gambling.

Uncle Pip's lucky bottle couldn't compensate for that kind of fiery mayhem to herald the beginning of a good Plum potboiler. Not a promising beginning, I thought, my smile walking slowly to its grave. Apparently, this time it had already happened in the previous story (yes, in Fifteen, which I've yet to read) and so it starts off with Stephanie car-less. It started off tamely, without Stephanie's car burning up or exploding or getting destroyed in some manner, in the first few chapters. Even he understands why when Plum's in the house :) Thankfully she didn't wake up although hubby did give me reproving looks, which vanished in an understanding smile when I pointed out the Evanovich cover. Now I normally never make a sound in fear of waking her up, but this was just too good to stop laughing.

And that too with my sleeping baby not far from where I was reading. Suffice to say that the book had moments that had me howling with laughter.

If you've not read this book, then don't read ahead as I'm revealing some of the plot in my detailed review below. Thank the good lord, this one does not disappoint - not entirely. However the long lasting effect of the initial books in this series (laugh out loud, rolling on the floor kind) are such that to date I pick up a Plum book with an anticipatory grin. But the last few ones ( excluding 15 which I missed reading for some mysterious reason?! I'll be reading and blogging it soon, btw, thanks to St.Martins who shot over a copy as soon as they realized I'd missed it - Thanks!!) barely coaxed a few smiles from me. I generally always look forward to getting a good laugh with a Plum book in my hand.

Sixteen by janet evanovich