Publishers Weekly: Trenton bounty hunter Stephanie Plum must track down a bail jumper intent on wreaking havoc in Evanovich's breezy "between the numbers" adventure, the first novel-length episode. Before disappearing, Martin Munch, a 24-year-old boy genius with a doctorate in quantum physics, stole a magnetometer from the research lab where he worked. Tasked with bringing him in, Stephanie reluctantly enlists the help of Diesel, the handsome, mysterious bounty hunter who periodically pops into her life. They discover that Munch joined forces with Gerwulf "Wulf" Grimoire, a wealthy psychopath with a penchant for snapping his victims' necks and burning a handprint into their flesh. With Munch and Wulf MIA in Trenton, Stephanie and Diesel follow the trail to the Pine Barrens, a densely wooded area rumored to be the home of the mythical Jersey Devil. Add to the mayhem a bird-flipping monkey named Carl, stolen rockets and just enough of her main squeezes, Morelli and Ranger, to keep it interesting, and you've got just another day in Stephanie Plum's crazy life. Evanovich (Fearless Fourteen) skillfully balances humor with a surprisingly coherent plot, ensuring readers will be clamoring for the next "numbered" installment. |