St. Martin's (Hardcover), ISBN 0312205406
OK, let's get one thing straight...no, I won't tell who rang that doorbell at the end of High Five. 

Hip-deep in trouble and seemingly determined to stay that way, Stephanie Plum, New Jersey's most accident-prone bounty hunter digs herself into a more difficult situation with every step in this sixth novel in the highly acclaimed series. This time, her FTA (failure-to-appear) folder shows the name of none other than Carlos Manoso, a.k.a. Ranger -- fellow bounty hunter, street mercenary, and one of the two men who make Stephanie's heart (and other parts) beat faster.  

Suspected in the killing of Homer Ramos, son of a notorious black-market arms dealer, Ranger fails to make a scheduled court appearance and gets targeted for pickup. Although Stephanie turns down the official job, she begins to search for Ranger on the sly while tracking down the other FTAs on her list. In the meantime, her relationship with Joe Morelli heats up, only to cool down just as quickly when feisty Granny Mazur decides to move in with her.  

And let's not forget the dynamic duo -- better known as Mitchell and Habib--hired by another criminal interested in Ranger's whereabouts. Assigned to follow Stephanie in her supposed search for Ranger, the two stalk Stephanie's every move without much success. Oh, and don't forget the slobbering dog and the homicidal maniac that show up on her doorstep. 

Creating a crazy mix for a demented, mixed-up team of loonies, Janet Evanovich continues to make me guffaw at nearly every page-turn. Fast, fun, full of danger and lots of belly laughs, Hot Six definitely rings in as Evanovich's best to date. The plot moves at a nearly frantic pace while Stephanie Plum and her cohorts continue to enmesh themselves in outrageous situations. This insane, chaotic yarn never fails the test of a good book -- keeping the reader engaged from beginning to end. Don't miss Hot Six -- full of fun, frolic and enough murder to make it a mystery. 

Maria Y. Lima

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