Customer Reviews:
 Courtesy of Lost for Words August 16, 2010
Cor Lost For Words (Ontario, Canada)
Stephanie Plum is back again, and this time, she needs to rescue her cousin, Vinnie, before things end badly. He has accrued a gambling debt and is being held in lieu of the money. If Stephanie wants to keep her job, and her cousin alive; she needs to come up with the money, fast. She still has a job to do, and with Vinnie missing, her hands are full. Luckily, she has Ranger and Morelli to rely on for help.
This is the sixteenth installment in the Stephanie Plum series, and like it's predecessors, it does have several laugh out loud moments. Stephanie still gets into some pretty crazy predicaments, and Ranger is more often than not, running to her aid. It is a light-hearted, fun read, but Stephanie still hasn't decided what to do with her life, or whether or not she wants to be with Morelli or Ranger. Things just seem to be in stasis. Stephanie's character isn't progressing at all. I wish she'd choose one man, or the other, just to make a choice. I did find that the storyline was better in this book though when compared to some of the previous installments in the series.
Overall it was a lighthearted, fun, and engaging read with many humourous moments, however it doesn't live up to the first books in the series. It is definitely worth a read, though long time fans of either Ranger or Morelli will probably not be impressed with Stephanie's continued indecisiveness.
 Great summer read! July 19, 2010
Lidija Thompson Ward (Edmonton, AB Canada)
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
Sizzling Sixteen was as much fun as its predecessors! There was action, excitement, humor, and of course Ranger and Joe! It was a fun and pleasant read, and it actually made me laugh out loud more than once. Read it on the beach or read it on the plane, but definitely do read it.
Mrs. Q: Book Addict : Visit my blog for newest reviews. July 15, 2010
Mrs. Q: Book Addict (Canada)
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
Title: Sizzling Sixteen
Author: Janet Evanovich
Publisher: St. Martins Press
Pages: 309
Source: Personal Copy
Rating: 3.25/5
Synopsis:
Stephanie Plum is a less than amazing bounty hunter. Her typical day includes being chased, shot at or having her car blown up. Did I mention fighting off an alligator? Enticing him with chicken? Her mother is on edge, wanting nothing more than to have her only daughter settle down and get a normal job. Her father keeps to himself and tries to ignore his unusual family, and her grandma Mazur has her schedule full with social activities including funeral viewings. In the sixteenth installment Stephanie Plum is back in action! Her cousin Vinnie is missing, and he owes gambling money to the wrong people. Stephanie, her best friend, Lula and office secretary, Connie seek to track him down and bring him back to the bonds office. Lula is running around in too-tight spandex, and Connie is receiving threatening phone calls. Stephanie has an empty fridge, is one month behind on her rent and has captures to apprehend while dealing with the Vinnie situation. As temping as it is to forget about Vinnie, she knows the family guilt would be too much to handle. As always the two men in her life are standing-by to protect her. Her on-again off-again relationship with Morelli is currently off. Ranger on the other hand is always perfect and willing to lend Stephanie anything she needs. Stephanie also had to deal with lots and lots of hobbits.
Overall Impression:
Sizzling Sixteen is a typical Stephanie Plum novel. Its hilarious, the characters are quirky and as always there is a little mystery. I always enjoy Grandma Mazur, and Lula is a riot. I laughed out loud when I read those sections. However, after Sixteen books into the series Ive come to want more. Im not sure if thats my issue or Janet Evanovichs. I want her to finally choose between men. I want to see Stephanie grow as a character. She does seem to be a little bit better at bounty hunting, but I feel like her character is at a standstill. The repetition between the novels are annoying. I know how Morelli comes to own his house. I know about Stephanies marriage ends. I know Bob is a big, slobbery dog. Simply put, I want more...
 Janet Evanovich Unsuccessfully Tries to Turn a Plum into a Thriller July 15, 2010
Professor Donald Mitchell (Thanks for Providing My Reviews over 97,000 Helpful Votes Globally)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
"Talk no more so very proudly;
Let no arrogance come from your mouth,
For the LORD is the God of knowledge;
And by Him actions are weighed." -- 1 Samuel 2:3 (NKJV)
Sizzling Sixteen has more plot twists and turns than a pretzel factory. I'm not surprised after seeing how much the cover revealed about the story.
The only trouble is, Stephanie and company just don't seem like the right raw material for a thriller plot.
As a result, scenes that could have been developed into something memorably comic just splat a pie in your face and quickly move on. Before you get the last pie out of your eyes, you get hit with another one. Actually, with so many attempts at doughnut humor in the book, perhaps I should have said that Ms. Evanovich simply splats a jelly doughnut with powdered sugar into your face.
The book races ahead, but you may not find yourself caring whether it does or not. The key element is that Vinnie is in trouble. Now, do you really care what happens to Vinnie?
I assume most people who read these books enjoy seeing Stephanie make up her mind about what relationships she wants to have with Morelli and Ranger. If you enjoy that aspect of the series, you'll probably be disappointed in this book.
I often find some of the bounty hunter confrontations in the series to be hilarious. A couple of the situations in this one had potential, but Ms. Evanovich raced through those as well without taking full advantage of their potential.
The only question I had at the end of the book was whether Ms. Evanovich ever plans to write a book that advances the series romantically with something more than brief stabs at humor.
Unless you are a Plum addict, you can skip this one.
 PLUM PERFECT NARRATION BY LORELEI KING July 14, 2010
Gail Cooke (TX, USA)
w books are as eagerly awaited as the next in the Stephanie Plum series, and here 'tis - SIZZLING SIXTEEN. Of course, it wouldn't really be Stephanie unless her voice is that of Lorelei King who seems to not only be more at home but better and better with each successive narration of the Plum stories (this is the 14th to be read by the award-winning voice performer.)
As Publishers Weekly once said of King's Plum readings, "King enhances the humor of this series so much that Evanovich fans should consider putting down that book and plugging in the Cd player instead."
AudioFile wrote, ".....relax and enjoy Evanovich's tight writing and King's amazing reading..."
Yep, it's unanimous - King's narration of the Plum series is the ultimate in listening pleasure, so treat yourself and listen as Stephanie, office manager Connie, and file clerk Lulu try to raise a pile of cash to save Vinnie (of Vincent Plum Bail Bonds). As readers of this series know by now Vinnie is not perfect, and his imperfections came to the fore when he ran up a gambling debt of $786,000. That's bad enough but even worse when the money is owed to mobster Bobby Sunflower who is holding Vinnie until the debt is paid.
According to the reasoning of Stephanie, Connie and Lulu, if they can find Vinnie it'll give them some time to raise the needed money. Well, finding him is one thing - keeping him out of harm's way is quite another. You don't mess with Bobby Sunflower!
Do you suppose a mammoth yard sale will raise enough money? And, if it does which means Stephanie can resume being a bounty hunter just who will she have to chase down now?
Fans needn't worry Joe Morelli, the best looking cop in Trenton (maybe even the whole state) is on hand as is security expert Ranger.
Enjoy!
- Gail Cooke
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