Review: Sizzling Sixteen

Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I deliberately put some space between numbers fifteen and sixteen, so that any similarity or sense I had of Evanovich phoning it in were because the book earned it, and not just because I was so familiar with the formula by now. It didn't help.

While the sixteenth book in the Stephanie Plum series has its moments, most of it is a rehash of things that worked in earlier books, mushed up and served lukewarm. I didn't feel the same sense of narrative tension as in earlier books, and Stephanie seemed more irritated at life than motivated to do what the nice writer said. It felt like she was being prodded along, rather than that she and her actions made up the story.

I do plan on picking up number 17, but only out of curiosity. This one ends on a plot complication that could've meant the end of the series, and I'm curious whether Evanovich has the chops to make the picking-up seem plausible and not forced.

Besides, I made it this far into the series. Might as well catch up all the way.



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