In another book of bounty hunter Stephanie Plum, this time we learn that Stephanie's cousin and employer has been kidnapped and held for ransom. Vinnie owes a lot of money to some bad people and the team at the bond office doesn't know how they are going to come up with it. Stephanie think she may be able to bag some outstanding bonds but she's not a very good bounty hunter to start with.
True to form, there are some very funny moments in this book. Most of which come from the banter between Stephanie, ex-hoe Lula, and feisty Grandma Mazur.
When I sit down to read books in this series, I'm expecting something quick, light, and fun. From that perspective, the series never fails to disappoint.
First Line: "Uncle Pip died and left me his lucky bottle."
Rating:
(3.5/5)
It's a few days before Christmas and, like usual, Stephanie Plum is less than prepared. She keeps putting off everything, including finding her latest skip Sandy Claws. Suddenly a not-too-bad-looking man appears in her kitchen. He's going to help her get in the Christmas spirit and find Claws. But how exactly did he just appear like that? Typical to Stephanie's chaotic nature, there's a car fire and other craziness that follows her around.
Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter from New Jersey, is back for the fourteenth installment of her series. This time she isn't doing as much bounty hunting as she is bodyguarding and babysitting. A famous singer is in town and Stephanie has been asked by Ranger to help with keeping her in line and on time. In her spare time she does look up one skip, Loretta, who asks Stephanie to take care of her teenage son while she's getting bonded out. This ends up lasting for much loner than expected and Stephanie has to live with a teenager in Morelli's house for quite a few days.
Stephanie Plum is back, trying to find the retired Eddie DeChooch. Thinking he'll be an easy catch because he's so old, Plum goes after him with her friend Lula, an ex-prostitute, only to have him slide out a window and escape. Not to be outdone by a senior, Stephanie tries again, and again, and again. Her car suffers another not-so-surprising destruction in the process. Meanwhile, her mother and grandmother are starting to plan Stephanie's wedding to Morelli without her and Stephanie isn't even sure if she is ready to marry anyways. Stephanie's sister also comes back to New Jersey from California, her husband having left her, and decides that maybe she needs to try to be a lesbian.
When Stephanie Plum heads in to her cousin's bail office to get her most recent assignment, she doesn't expect to be asked to bring in her fellow bounty officer and friend Ranger. Ranger was the last person seen with Homer Ramos before he was shot in the head and his office building set on fire. Stephanie turns down the job but her office isn't the only one looking for Ranger. Her arch nemesis is the bounty officer looking for him, as are two thugs who won't say who they are working for. 
Stephanie Plum and the crazy cast of characters are back in the fifth book of this fun series. This time, it seems that Stephanie's uncle has disappeared, after fighting with the garbage company for a lousy $2. Since there are no big catches to make as a bail enforcer, Stephanie sets out to find where Uncle Fred has gone to, for lack of something more interesting to do. Soon she realizes that she's being followed during her investigations. Bunchy introduces himself as a bookie, but Stephanie knows better. 
The third book in the Stephanie Plum number series, this book does not disappoint! You read this book for the quirky characters rather than for the plot line. This book sees Plum searching for Uncle Mo, a neighbourhood favourite. When Stephanie gets shot at multiple times in one day and finds a basement full of dead bodies, she calls in the help of Lula, an ex-hooker turned filer, and of course Ranger and Morelli. I love the chemistry between Stephanie and Morelli. It's a love/hate (but of course, more love than hate) relationship between the 2 of them. Grandma Mazur wasn't in the book as much as she has been in the past, but making up for it was Lula. Some of her antics were so funny I found myself chuckling on the train... which is kind of embarrassing. I'm looking forward to reading the next book! I can't wait to see where Stephanie and Morelli's relationship goes next!