Hardcore 24

***

3/5

Thanks to Netgalley and Headline for giving me this book to review.

More adventures in the crazy life of Bounty Hunter, Stephanie Plumb.  Her latest misadventure involves trying to apprehend strange and unlikely FTA’s (failure to attend’s) and becoming involved with people who have taken a new street drug that turns them into, well, almost zombies.  She is aided in this by her friend and colleague, Lula, and her dysfunctional family, including Grandma Mazur.  She worries about her commitment to her boyfriend, Joe, has a fling with Ranger, and is almost led astray by a character who crops up occasionally in Stephanie Plum books, called Diesel.

The plot is slightly more complex than usual, however, the whole book is very light and easy to read, and provides many a smile, so long as you don’t take it too seriously.  The humour is quite slapstick in nature, and there is always the opportunity to smile and marvel at the chaos that is Stephanie’s life.  The characters in this book are, as usual, larger than life, and not always based in reality, but it’s fun!  If you wanted realism, you would not choose to read this series of books.

Grandma Mazur was a little bit over the top this time, maybe a bit too silly. However, I did enjoy how Lula was in this book, still a bit silly, still full of attitude, but less of the crazy.  I’m afraid I didn’t quite see the point of Diesel, he didn’t seem to add much to the plot, and came across less mysterious, more irritating.

I enjoyed Hardcore Twenty-four and would recommend it to people who have enjoyed other Janet Evanovitch novels, or those who like light comedy/crime novels.