Featured Alternate Selection of the Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club and a Main Selection of the Mystery Guild

Working for her bail bondsman cousin Vinnie, Stephanie Plum is hot on the trail of revenge-seeking waitress Maxine Nowicki, whose crimes include bail jumping, theft, and extortion. Someone is terrifying Maxine's friends, and those who have seen her are turning up dead. Also on the hunt for Maxine is Joyce Barnhardt, Stephanie's archenemy and rival bounty hunter. Stephanie's attitude never wavers - even when aided by crazy Grandma Mazur, ex-hooker and wannabe bounty hunter Lula, and transvestite rock musician Sally Sweet - and even when Stephanie makes an enemy whose deadly tactics escalate from threatening messages to firebombs.

'[A] fast-paced thriller.'
   SAN DIEGO-TRIBUNE

'A racous delight.'
   PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

'Plenty of wit and grit.'
   NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW

'A Winner.'
   GLAMOUR

'High-speed comic mayhem.'
   DETRIOT FREE PRESS

'This is one you have to have.'
   WASHINGTON TIMES