Oh how I hate to say this, but Janet Evanovich, creator of one of my favorite mystery genre protagonists, bounty hunter Stephanie Plum, seems to be pumping out stories for quantity, not quality. Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series is a light and fun, fast read anyway; it's part of the charm: the bumbling everywoman heroine who finds herself working for her cousin Vinny the bondsman in suburban New Jersey while pulled between her more sensible relationship with the hottie cop Joe Morelli and the more adventurous liaison with hottie international problem-solver (let's call it) Ranger; the fat bombshell ex-hooker and now file clerk Lula; Plum's penchant for losing her bond-skips at the last minute and her bad luck with her car always catching fire or blowing up. I love Stephanie Plum, and I love her romantic tug-o-war, and I love all the characters in this crazy, funny, light-hearted mystery-lite series.

So it pains me, right here in the middle of my heart, that lately Evanovich seems to be losing interest in her detective creation or perhaps is distracted by other, non-Plum issues. Yes, the latest in the number series, Finger Lickin' Fifteen, is a light romp through the usual plot lines and character set-ups. But the only part that elicited a genuine giggle was the hot-dog costume scene. The tension is gone, the charm... gone. And what is Stephanie's reluctance to have sex with Ranger while off-again with Morelli really about? In this book, it's transparently a plot device that doesn't convince at all.

The story revolves around Ranger's Rangeman security business suffering from break-ins. Somehow, unbelievable even in a world created in fine-spun sugar delight, Ranger needs Stephanie's help to figure out who's breaking into his clients' homes. But we stalwart Plum fans will accept just about any premise, because we know our suspended disbelief will be rewarded with goofy action and unlikely but hilarious resolution to the problem.

Fifteen doesn't deliver. The inconsistency of voice and the superficial treatment of already two-dimensional (but typically highly-entertaining) characters came as a huge disappointment, since Evanovich has delivered so strongly up through about a dozen books. After providing so many novels that cracked me up and amused me greatly, Evanovich can be forgiven for faltering in these last couple of Plum novels. I hope it is only a temporary setback. As greedy as I am for the next Plum novel, I'd prefer it if Evanovich took her time and spiked the novel rather than produce something less than Plum-worthy.

P.S. If you aren't familiar with Stephanie Plum, start (right now!) with the first of the series, One For the Money. A whole fun world in New Jersey awaits you!