Beach book of the week
Expect a laugh per page as big-haired bounty hunter Stephanie Plum chases the depressed but gun-happy septuagenarian Eddie DeChooch in this witty, gritty seventh episode of Evanovich's popular crime series. Considered a smalltime crook, DeChooch turns out to have a dead woman in his toolshed and some dangerous enemies who kidnap Plum's stoner high-school pals. The grapevine in Italian-American Trenton, N.J., proves more effective than Plum's detective work, resulting in a plot that relies on explanatory dialogue rather than clever twists. But a cast of good-hearted hoods and nutty family members to rival The Sopranos' (Plum's randy granny is a hoot) more than makes up for that. (St. Martin's, $24.95)
Bottom Line: Plum pick
