This is one of the shorter Stephanie Plum novels, but there actually seems to be some character development and it isn't a rehash of earlier plots (cars still get blown up, though).
43. A Fine and Pleasant Misery, by Patrick F. McManus
A collection of Pat McManus's columns from Field & Stream. These are hilarious, and definitely true to life (one column talks about national parks and mentions the sight of a territorial display between two adult male Homo sapiens over a parking space; having been to Yosemite recently, I can verify that this sort of behavior is real).
"Oh, you can’t help that," said the Cat: "we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad." "How do you know I’m mad?" said Alice. "You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn’t have come here.”
