Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich

Title: Plum Spooky
Author: Janet Evanovich
Series: Stephanie Plum Between-the-Numbers
ISBN-10: 0312383320
Pages: 309
Year Published: 2008
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Date Finished: February 5

From the dust jacket: Turn on all the lights and check under your bed. Things are about to get spooky in Trenton, New Jersey. According to legend, the Jersey Devil prowls the Pine Barrens and soars above the treetops in the dark of night. As eerie as this might seem, there are things in the Barrens that are even more frightening and dangerous. And there are monkeys. Lots of monkeys.

Wulf Grimoire is a world wanderer and an opportunist who can kill without remorse and disappear like smoke. He's chosen Martin Munch, boy genius, as his new business partner, and he's chosen the Barrens as his new playground.

Munch received his doctorate degree in quantum physics when he was twenty-two. He's now twenty-four, and while his brain is large, his body hasn't made it out of the boys; department at Macy's. Anyone who says good things come in small packages hasn't met Munch. Wulf Grimoire is looking for world domination. Martin Munch would be happy if he could just get a woman naked and tied to a tree.

Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum has Munch on her most-wanted list for failure to appear in court. Plum is the all-American girl stuck in an uncomfortable job, succeeding on luck and tenacity. Usually she gets her man. This time she gets a monkey. She also gets a big guy named Diesel.

Diesel pops in and out of Plum's life like birthday cake-delicious to look at and taste, not especially healthy as a steady diet, gone by the end of the week if not sooner. He's an uber bounty hunter with special skills when it comes to tracking men and pleasing women. He's after Grimoire, and now he's also after Munch. And if truth were told, he wouldn't mind setting Stephanie Plum in his crosshairs.

Diesel and Plum hunt down Munch and Grimoire, following them into the Barrens, surviving cranberry bogs, the Jersey Devil, a hair-raising experience, sand in their underwear, and, of course. . . monkeys.

First sentence: Sometimes you get up in the morning and you know it's going to be one of those days.

My review: Stephanie Plum is back in her first full-length Between-the-Numbers novel. Her FTA is Martin Munch. Diesel assists her with Munch as he is looking for Wulf Grimoire. Lula also attempts to help, however she's has personal problems of her own: planning her wedding to Tank, one of Ranger's men.

Honestly, I'm not sure what to think about this book. I guess I've expected more from this series. By now, I think Stephanie would know how to effectively capture a FTA. I feel as though I'm reading the same plot book after book. I understand Stephanie Plum is a comical cozy series, if you will, however the situations Stephanie finds herself in is just over the top.

I liked Carl the monkey, however giving people the finger got old for me around page 22. At times, I forgot about the other characters. Stephanie's parents and grandmother have a few appearances in the novel. Morelli is allowing his brother to crash at his place because his wife kicked him out. Ranger comes to rescue Stephanie from tricky situations. Other than that, they're hardly mentioned at all. This books really centers around Stephanie and Diesel.

I only recommend this book if you want to stay current with the series, however I wouldn't rush out to buy it. Hopefully book 15 will be better.