As I write, the world is consumed by unfathomable dilemmas: a global pandemic, raging hurricanes in the South and wildfires in the West. On the home front we’re faced with a number of decisions. Nuke a TV dinner, call in for takeout, or thaw that frozen casserole you forgot to label. Pick an old movie or a series rerun. And don’t forget your mask if you leave the house.

OR you can read a book, specifically FORTUNE AND GLORY. Oh, it has issues --- some improbable, some impossible, some more hazardous than others --- but they will entertain you and even make you laugh out loud. And they will be resolved by the last page. Probably.

"FORTUNE AND GLORY is a pure Evanovich tour de force --- full of adventure, romance, danger and comedy --- and a great escape from the real world, which is exactly what we need right now."

Issue #1: What is the promised treasure left to Grandma Mazur by her late bridegroom, Jimmy Rosolli? Jimmy rudely dropped dead at their wedding reception before he had a chance to elaborate. At least he had the grace to leave everything he owned to her in his last will and testament. Nothing was specified, but it showed a token of his love --- a token that, in its entirety, was a scrap of paper with some words scribbled on it. Then there were those two peculiarly shaped keys that Grandma Mazur and Stephanie dug out from under the worn cushion of his treasured La-Z-Boy chair. The chair was like a throne in that backroom of the Mole Hole strip club where Jimmy’s Jersey mob pals hung out. What the keys open could be money, drugs, jewels or priceless artifacts, which all leads to:

Issue #2: Where is this so-called treasure? Word has it that it’s buried somewhere between Trenton and Atlantic City. This gem of wisdom comes from two made Mafia guys who think the keys open a safe containing an unknown fabulous fortune. That piece of paper may be a cryptic map that relates to points on the Jersey Turnpike. Not helpful. And they’ve heard that if they can’t open the safe, it’s Hiroshima! Jimmy was mum on what that meant. The mobsters turn up everywhere Stephanie and Grandma Mazur go, from underground tunnels to funerals.

Then a new character enters the picture: the beautiful and mysterious Gabriela Rose, who also seems to pop up wherever they go --- even Joe Morelli’s apartment. She might give Stephanie a run for her money.

The only thing anyone knows, if and when they decipher the combination to the safe, is that they’d better get it right or --- there’s that word again --- Hiroshima!

Issue #3: If you’ve followed Stephanie’s adventures, then you’re familiar with the endless mystery: Is it Ranger or Morelli who wins her heart? She has more than one opportunity to put that decision to the test.

A few regulars also get involved. There’s Lula, Stephanie’s sidekick, and a squirrely bond jumper who turns out to be somewhat helpful when it comes to safecracking. And, of course, numerous car destructions bring Ranger to the rescue, and the Trenton police force finds Morelli on the scene. It wouldn’t be a Stephanie Plum novel without them.

FORTUNE AND GLORY is a pure Evanovich tour de force --- full of adventure, romance, danger and comedy --- and a great escape from the real world, which is exactly what we need right now. Oh, and by the end of the book, we hope to have resolved all three of those issues.