Janet Evanovich - Three To Get Deadly

Just everything about these books of Evanovich's is great, and Three To Get Deadly maintains the high standard of the first two, but Stephanie's interactions with Ranger and her hamster Rex are a particular joy, as is the way in which Lula's character is developing. This one's plot revolves around the disappearance of 'Uncle Mo', a universally-loved icecream and candy store owner (and also, as it transpires once Stephanie's investigations get underway, known as 'Old Penis Nose' by the local hookers and seemingly mixed up in murkier pursuits), and the concurrent murder of a series of local drug dealers, and it's hilarious, both in a 'one-liner upon one-liner' and an 'absurd setup/situation upon absurd setup/situation' way. The bounty hunter's a marvellously, sympathetically drawn character surrounded by a growing cast which is never less than fascinating, and her misadventures are a joy to read (Evanovich continues to gets plenty of mileage out of subplots involving Stephanie's family, her simmering relationship with Joe Morelli, and the motley series of FTAs she goes after in and around the burg) - page-turning and v. funny.