Everyone's favorite Jersey girl and bounty-hunter Stephanie Plum has a problem. She owes a favor to mysterious heart-throb Ranger, with whom she sometimes collaborates on fugitive-apprehension jobs. He would like her to go see her ex-husband, slimy lawyer Dickie Orr. While she's at Orr's new law office, Ranger would like her to put him off-guard with casual chatter, and then slip a surveillance bug into his pocket. For some unspecified reason, Ranger needs to know what shady activities Orr might be participating in.

Stephanie and flamboyant former 'ho Lula and cynical Connie (the office manager at Vinnie's bail bonds) all go to Orr's office. Lula and Connie wouldn't miss this confrontation for the world. Not even to stay out of the horrible New Jersey winter weather. They know that even though Stephanie was only married to Orr for about 15 minutes years ago, she still has the urge to swat him into a small grease spot on the floor. Top at the list of Orr's sins is his infidelity – specifically with Stephanie's nemesis: the ultra-slutty Joyce Barnhardt who also fancies herself a bounty-hunter.

Sure enough, when they get to Orr's office, he is first surprised and then obnoxious. Stephanie goes ballistic, threatens him, grabs a clock from his desk that was a wedding present from her side of the family, and has to be dragged out by her friends as Orr's employees call the police.

Unbeknownst to her, that clock turns out to be so important that Orr's shady friends will kill to get it.

Not that Stephanie knows this at first. In fact, she completely forgets about the clock. She has more important worries including the usual strange list of fugitives she must bring in. There's a hillbilly grave-robber who keeps a python in his trailer in the woods (along with his extended clan). There's a rogue taxidermist who puts together exploding-stuffed animals as booby traps to anyone who might try to root him out of his house while he's waiting for the cable t.v. company to come and service his account.

But things get worse! Orr disappears. It looks like foul play. Stephanie, due to her memorable melt-down at Orr's office, becomes the prime suspect. Hottie cop Joe Morelli knows more than he's telling.

Stephanie finds herself thrown together with Ranger as they piece together the circumstances surrounding Orr's disappearance. It looks like his slimy law partners were involved in money laundering, drug trafficking, and weapons sales.

And if that weren't enough, Stephanie's grandma is rehearsing to be a backup singer – with Lula – in the flamboyantly trashy garage band fronted by drag-queen Sally.

Well, Lean Mean Thirteen delivers all the things the fans want: fast-paced action, eccentric characters, sexual tension, wisecracks, and broad humor. That's also the problem. Everything stays the same. Stephanie is still dithering over her love-triangle with Joe and Ranger without ever really doing anything with either one of them. Grandma still tries to pry open coffins at viewings. Lula and Stephanie exchange the same wisecracks as they incompetently try to apprehend fugitives. And Rex the hamster still runs on his little wheel.

Comedy is tremendously worthwhile and hard to do (as is a series) and Evanovich has done well with both. But, to be honest, it's starting to get a little repetitious. I hope she shakes things up with the 14th book.

Lean Mean Thirteen can be found on Amazon through this link: Lean Mean Thirteen (Stephanie Plum Novels)