No one makes me laugh the way Stephanie Plum does. She would have fit right in with my family, and I have to admit that we have to be related somewhere down the genetic road. Then again, maybe it’s just Janet Evanovich’s skill as an author to expose all the wackos inside the family unit that makes me want to claim kinship.

Despite the fact that this is the 16th book in the series (13 number books and 3 between-the-numbers books), and despite the fact that I can see which direction Evanovich and her characters are probably going to go, the author maintains the same kind of magic that family stories do. No matter how many times you’ve heard them, you’re ready to hear them again. They’re always funny and always enjoyable, and there’s always something human and endearing about them.

And in this one, how can you not love a midget that thinks he’s a leprechaun who’s stolen Mafia money just to get an operation for an ex-racehorse he can talk to? Or Grandma Mazur’s foray into the wild and wooly environs of Atlantic City’s gambling casinos?

Plum Lucky is a road trip for Stephanie and company that is truly of mythological proportions – especially with Lula trying out for the role of a supermodel. Diesel, a regular accompaniment of the between-the-numbers adventures, is back for another mad gallop to the finish line, and he’s just as mysterious as ever.

Stephanie’s long-suffering mother, sandwiched between the impossible generations of her daughter and her mother, calls Stephanie for help. Grandma Mazur is missing in action and Stephanie has to find her. Following Grandma Mazur’s backtrail, Stephanie finds out about the duffel bag her grandma got into a fight over with a man dressed as a leprechaun. After Diesel puts in an unexpected appearance, Stephanie finds out that the leprechaun is a known thief named Snuggy, an ex-jockey that claims he can talk to animals.