Fearless Fourteen
Janet Evanovich
St. Martin's Jun 2008, $27.95
ISBN: 9780312349515

Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is having a difficult morning while trying to take Loretta Rizzi to jail for missing her hearing and forfeiting her bail; the problem is that Loretta holds a gun to her head threatening to kill herself. By the time she talks Loretta down Stephanie promised to pick up her son Zook up at school. Stephanie gets him up and takes him the home of her lover Joe Morelli, who is also a distant cousin of the lad.

Dom Rizzi is released from prison after robbing bank of nine million dollars. He was the only one of the partners who went to jail. When he gets out he is livid that Aunt Rose left her house to Joe, a very distant cousin of his. It is believed that the loot is in Aunt Rose's former house; strangers seem to be stalking the place at all hours. Loretta makes bond, but is abducted by one of the bank robbers who wants the loot. Joe uses a jackhammer to concrete he placed in the basement as he believes the key to getting the money is buried there. Stephanie and Dom team up to free Loretta from a former partner of his who will kill her if the money is not given to him immediately.

FEARLESS FOURTEEN is a hilarious crime caper as Stephenie who often does not know what she is doing next relies on Ranger for his illegal activities to assist her. Joe is a saint for putting up with her antics including putting up with strangers in his home while his house becomes the focus of treasure hunters. Stephanie is her usual self landing in one predicament after another, but always pulling out a plum in her most dire moments. Janet Evanovich writes a fabulously amusing numbered entry in her beloved series.

Harriet Klausner