The life of a bounty hunter is never dull, as Stephanie Plum can attest to in her five previously published adventures. In Hot Six, a new wrinkle is thrown into the mix. The son of a high-powered illegal arms dealer is murdered. The prime suspect is Carlos "Ranger" Manoso, Plum’s colleague and possible love interest.
Luckily, Stephanie doesn’t have the task of looking for Ranger. She’s got her own cases to track and a family situation interfering with her personal life. Plum’s Grandma Mazur, highlighted in previous installments, is back with a bang and the need for temporary housing. Stephanie has to put her love life on hold while grandma becomes roommate.
Author Janet Evanovich pulls out all the humorous stops in this sixth novel in the series. Stephanie’s modes of transportation, her sidekicks, her family and even the bad guys are all stranger than fiction and highly amusing. Hot Six devotes more time to Stephanie’s daily life than the main issue at hand. The arson/murder case is often mentioned in the plot, but not fully explored until the final pages. This fact shouldn’t be taken as criticism, just as an observation.
The Stephanie Plum series is best appreciated if read in numerical order. One for the Money explains how Plum’s bounty hunting career came into play and introduces the wacky supporting cast that defines this set of best sellers. Hot Six is just as sharp and funny as its predecessors. Evanovich adds a surprise on the final page. Resist the urge to peek and you’ll be pleased with the result.
