So Many Books So Little Time

I really wanted to like this book. The first books in this series were hilarious, but unfortunately things have been going downhill for a while, and “Sizzling Sixteen” (or “Fizzling Sixteen,” as some Amazon.com reviewers dubbed it) sets a new low.

Oh, where to start? The plot: Vincent Plum gets abducted, and it is up to Stephanie, Lula, and Connie to get him back. Not-at-all-amusing hijinks ensue. This book appears to have been put together by a robot at an assembly line, using a checklist of things that happen in every Plum book — Stephanie attempts to apprehend odd FTAs, acts inept, and destroys a car; Lula is dieting; Vinnie is a weasel; Grandma goes to a funeral; Ranger and Morelli both want Stephanie, who can’t decide what she wants. Throw in a Hobbit Convention (don’t ask), and here I am, wondering what the hell happened to a series that used to be so great.

The only person who experiences any kind of character growth is Vinnie. Good for him, but it makes the fact that the rest of the crew are staying the same or regressing that much more obvious. There is one nice scene between Stephanie and Ranger, but other than that it’s all same old, same old, and sadly not very funny. I still laugh out loud when I re-read the earlier books, but “Sizzling Sixteen” failed to produce an audible chuckle. We have read it all before, and it was much better written back then, too.

There is some sloppy editing going on, as well. The jacket copy mentions things that never happen in the book — Vinnie watching porn pay-per-view at Ranger’s apartment is, thank God, a figment of the blurb-writer’s imagination. There are some odd word choices — “the road was hard-packed dirt and either side was forested” (that “either” is just bugging me); and I could have sworn I saw “adios” spelled “addios” once (but now that I went looking for it, it’s hiding from me). In general, the writing did not flow well, and there are many stilted phrases like the one I quoted above.

It could be that Ms. Evanovich is burnt out, and needs to take a break from writing Stephanie Plum books. I hope so, because the alternatives (that she actually believes “Sizzling Sixteen” is a great book worth the hard-cover price, or that the newer books are written by a ghost writer) are worse. Perhaps with a better editor and some constructive criticism, the series will get back on the right track. I won’t be holding my breath, though, and will check out book 17 from the library, when (and if) it comes out.

Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich
Publication Date: June 2010
Pages: 309 (Hardcover)
Source: Public Library
Rating: 2 stars (Bad)