Plum Spooky

Klutzy bounty hunter Stephanie Plum teams up with mysterious Diesel and the monkey left on her doorstep to track down a nerdy genius and his sinister business partner in the depths of the New Jersey Pine Barrens. Lorelei King does her usual superlative job for the Evanovich oeuvre, adding juice and dimension to each wacky character. She deftly handles everyone, from bail bond receptionist Connie’s classic New Jersey accent and outrageous sidekick Lula’s brash outbursts to Ranger’s smooth purr (it’s amazing how he, as voiced by King, can make the word “babe” mean so many different things). The structures of Plum novels tend to be similar; it’s the laughs that keep readers coming back. King enhances the humor of this series, so much so that Evanovich fans should consider putting down that book and plugging in the CD player instead. A St. Martin’s Press hardcover (reviewed online). (Jan.)