By Janet Evanovich (St. Martin’s, 2010)

I’m a Stephanie Plum fan. I don’t think I’d much like her in person, but as a fictional character, she’s hard to beat.
In this 16th book of the series, Stephanie and her cohorts Lula and Connie are faced with the kidnapping of their boss, Vinnie, who has racked up a huge gambling debt. Vinnie’s wife has thrown him out on his ear, so his father-in-law won’t pay the ransom. If the girls don’t manage to pay up, the bailbond agency will go out of business, and then they would be without jobs.
Their solutions involve stink bombs, thievery, and a humongous “garage” sale, outwitting even the bad guys. As the book closes, they have retrieved Vinnie, but we’ll have to wait until book 17 to find out how they get the bond agency back in business.
Stephanie doesn’t solve her romantic problem of being attracted to two men, Ranger and Morelli. The sexual tension continues unabated in Sixteen. Lula seems to have acquired some education from her association with Connie and Stephanie and doesn’t talk in “street talk” as much. Granny and her penchant for funeral visitations is always good for a belly laugh.
All in all, Evanovich has kept the three-ring-circus atmosphere going and once again has provided a delightful reading experience .