This is a somewhat fey entrant into the Stephanie Plum, Bounty Hunter adventures. Although not in the number series, it contains all the usual suspects, but with different emphasis. Both Morelli and Ranger are around but off-stage as it were. Enter Diesel, who appears to have magic powers, and is on the track of a cousin, bad and I mean very bad Wulf Diesel takes up residence at Stephanie’s – an old friend?
Meanwhile Stephanie is on the trail of Martin Munch, whom Vinnie bonded and has skipped big time. Vinnie is out a lot of money, and needs Munch brought in quickly before his father in-law and investor, Harry the Hammer does him (Vinnie) some serious damage.
Stephanie finds herself in loco parentis of a monkey called Carl. Lulu, a large lady who wears her clothes two sizes two small, is not enamoured of Monkeys. Much hilarity ensues.
Both Martin and Wulf lead Diesel and Stephanie into the Barrens, an area frequented by the Jersey Devil, and by all accounts one wants to steer clear of him. While Wulf is seeking world domination, Munch is after getting Stephanie naked, well any woman actually. To get him to assist in the world domination Wulf agrees to capture Stephanie as a birthday cake for Munch to get him to get his mind back on the world domination front.
It’s fun but in my view comes more under the category of fantasy than crime fiction. People disappearing in a puff of smoke are not your everyday occurrence, although Diesel says it quite easy once you get the hang of it.
You really do need to be a Stephanie Plum fan to enjoy this book, but there are as ever some great moments where you have to put the book down to wipe your yes from laughing.
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Lizzie Hayes
Earlier books in the series are One for the Money, Two for the Dough, Three to Get Deadly, Four to Score, High Five, Hot Six, Seven Up, Hard Eight, To the Nines, Ten Big Ones, and Eleven On Top.