Stephanie's new case was supposed to be simple. Kenny Mancuso had shot his friend, not fatally, and then skipped out on his bond. Should be real simple, right? Of course, first she has to find Kenny. Then his friend is murdered. Trying to track down any leads, she joins Grandma Mazur at a funeral home run by Spiro, another of Kenny's childhood friends. But Spiro has a case of his own. 24 caskets have been stolen, and he wants Stephanie to hunt them down. Is there a connection? With Ranger to advise and Joe Morelli to shadow, will Stephanie put all the pieces in place and catch Kenny before he turns on her?
Stephanie Plum is an appealing heroine. She acts tough, but in reality she's all too human. The plot is complicated enough to keep the reader engaged, and the action never lets up. There were several parts I thought I had figured out only to learn later I was wrong. And Grandma Mazur is a riot as she gets more involved in the story.
It's easy to see why these books are so popular - an appealing main character and fun stories. If you're looking for purely escapist fiction, this is the series for you.