Stephanie Plum, Trenton’s hardest working, most underappreciated bounty hunter, is having a dry spell. She’s hunting multiple fugitives from justice and (so far) has brought in a grand total of . . . none.

High on her list is Duncan Dugan, who was caught red-handed robbing Martin Plover’s jewelry store and promptly jumped bail. With Dugan in the wind, Plover offers Stephanie a freelance assignment. He wants her to locate his former security guard, Andy Manley (a.k.a. Nutsy). He is convinced that Nutsy stole a fortune in diamonds from his back-room safe on the same day that Dugan cleaned out the display cases in front. Two crooks, two crimes, plenty of problems. 

With her boyfriend, Joe Morelli, away in Miami on police business, Stephanie is taking care of Bob, Morelli’s giant orange dog who will devour absolutely anything in his path, from Stephanie’s stray doughnuts to the upholstery in her car. Morelli’s absence also means the inscrutable, irresistible security expert Ranger is front and center in Stephanie’s life when things inevitably go sideways.

To complicate matters, her best friend, Lula, is convinced she is being stalked by a mythological demon hell-bent on relieving her of her wardrobe. An overnight stakeout with Stephanie’s mother and Grandma Mazur reveals three generations of women with nerves of steel and driving skills worthy of NASCAR champions. And both Morelli and Ranger are sending the message that it’s time for her to make a choice between them once and for all.

As the body count rises and witnesses start to disappear, it won’t be easy for Stephanie to keep herself clean when everyone else is playing dirty. It’s a good thing Stephanie isn’t afraid of getting a little dirty, too.