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Search - One for the Money (Stephanie Plum, Bk 1)
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Book Description:
Watch out, world. Here comes Stephanie Plum, a bounty hunter with attitude. In Stephanie's opinion, toxic waste, rabid drivers, armed schizophrenics, and August heat, humidity, and hydrocarbons are all part of the great adventure of living in Jersey.
She's a product of the "burg," a blue-collar pocket of Trenton where houses are attached and narrow, cars are American, window are clean, and (God forbid you should be late) dinner is served at six.
Now Stephanie's all grown up and out on her own, living five miles from Mom and Dad's, doing her best to sever the world's longest umbilical cord. Her mother is a meddler, and her grandmother is a few cans short of a case.
Out of work and out of money, with her Miata repossessed and her refrigerator empty, Stephanie blackmails her bail bondsman cousin, Vinnie, into giving her a try as an apprehension agent. Stephanie knows zilch about the job requirements, but she figures her new pal, fearless bounty hunter Ranger, can teach her what it takes to catch a crook.
Her first assignment: nail Joe Morelli, a former vice cop on the run from a charge of murder one. Morelli is also the irresistible macho pig who took Stephanie's virginity at age sixteen and then wrote the details on the bathroom wall of Mario's Sub Shop. There's still powerful chemistry between these two, so the chase should be interesting.
It could also be extremely dangerous, especially when Stephanie encounters a heavyweight title contender who likes to play rough. Benito Ramirez is known for his brutality to women. At the very least, his obsession with Stephanie complicates her manhunt and brings terror and uncertainty into her life. At the worst, it could lead to murder.
She's a product of the "burg," a blue-collar pocket of Trenton where houses are attached and narrow, cars are American, window are clean, and (God forbid you should be late) dinner is served at six.
Now Stephanie's all grown up and out on her own, living five miles from Mom and Dad's, doing her best to sever the world's longest umbilical cord. Her mother is a meddler, and her grandmother is a few cans short of a case.
Out of work and out of money, with her Miata repossessed and her refrigerator empty, Stephanie blackmails her bail bondsman cousin, Vinnie, into giving her a try as an apprehension agent. Stephanie knows zilch about the job requirements, but she figures her new pal, fearless bounty hunter Ranger, can teach her what it takes to catch a crook.
Her first assignment: nail Joe Morelli, a former vice cop on the run from a charge of murder one. Morelli is also the irresistible macho pig who took Stephanie's virginity at age sixteen and then wrote the details on the bathroom wall of Mario's Sub Shop. There's still powerful chemistry between these two, so the chase should be interesting.
It could also be extremely dangerous, especially when Stephanie encounters a heavyweight title contender who likes to play rough. Benito Ramirez is known for his brutality to women. At the very least, his obsession with Stephanie complicates her manhunt and brings terror and uncertainty into her life. At the worst, it could lead to murder.
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Other Versions of this Book: Paperback, Audio Cassette (Abridged), Hardcover, Hardcover, Audio Cassette, Audio CD (Abridged)
Top Member Reviews
Al C. (
10 member(s) found this review helpful.
I know this book has been reviewed to death, but I'll give it another kick. Stephanie Plum is the consumate bounty hunter noir. Sam Spade, Travis McGee and Mike Hammer now have competition...in pantyhose.
She lost her job as a lingerie buyer for a discount chain, and, when her life began to scrape bottom, her mother suggested she visit her cousin Vinnie, the bailbondsman, for a filing job. Unfortunately, that job had just been filled. But there was always skip tracing -- tracking down clients who have jumped bail.
Not being very shy, and needing money desperately, Stephanie takes the job. And, since finances were the driving factor, she decides to start at the top -- tracking a murder suspect, who happens to be a cop, who grew up in her neighborhood, who she once ran down in her fathers Buick, on purpose.
Anyway, Stephanie gets a crash course in bounty hunting, and picks up her share of scrapes and bruises along the way. And, though she continues to find her jumper, she is having a heck of a time bringing him in.
And then there is Stephanie's grandmother...
My wife nagged me to read this book, and I finally gave in. It is well written and entertaining. Every page is filled with action, and there are lots of light moments to keep the reader afloat. I enjoyed it very much, despite the moderately high estrogen levels. Since I was told the series gets better with the second and third novels, I guess I'll have to continue. I won't tell her I'm looking forward to it :o)
Jeanette S. (
5 member(s) found this review helpful.
my first evanovich and have to say I love it! I love stephanie and all the other quirky characters. it's not usually my typical book type but I will be trying more by this author. it is mystery/comedy/romance/adventure all rolled into one. can't wait to read the next plum adventure!
Kristin C. (
4 member(s) found this review helpful.
I enjoyed this book, it was cute and funny. I finished it in 2 days. I'm on to "Two for the Dough"
Kathryn J. (
4 member(s) found this review helpful.
Excellent series. A really fun read.
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is just the first of the belly laughs you'll have with Stephanie Plum! These books are so funny that I can't read them in public for fear of looking like an absolute idiot. If you need something to take your mind off of some really bad life situation, these books are it!
Claudielou
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Stephanie Plum is so smart, so honest, and so funny that her narrative charm could drive a documentary on termites. But this tough gal from New Jersey, an unemployed discount lingerie buyer, has a much more interesting story to tell: She has to say that her Miata has been repossessed and that she's so poor at the moment that she just drank her last bottle of beer for breakfast. She has to say that her only chance out of her present rut is her repugnant cousin Vinnie and his bail-bond business. She has to say that she blackmailed Vinnie into giving her a bail-bond recovery job worth $10,000 (for a murder suspect), even though she doesn't own a gun and has never apprehended a person in her life. And she has to say that the guy she has to get, Joe Morelli, is the same creep who charmed away her teenage virginity behind the pastry case in the Trenton bakery where she worked after school.
If that hard-luck story doesn't sound compelling enough, Stephanie's several unsuccessful attempts at pulling in Joe make a downright hilarious and suspenseful tale of murder and deceit. Along the way, several more outlandish (but unrelentingly real) characters join the story, including Benito Ramirez, a champion boxer who seems to be following Stephanie Plum wherever she goes.
Janet Evanovich shares an authentic feel for the streets of Trenton in her debut mystery (she developed her talents in a string of romance novels before creating Ms. Plum), and her tough, frank, and funny first-person narrator offers a winning mix of vulgarity and sensitivity. Evanovich is certainly among the best of the new voices to emerge in the mystery field of the 1990s.
Mary W. from SAINT CLOUD, MN wrote on 11/25/2006...
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is the first Evanovich book I've read and now I know why so many people are fans. Humorous yet suspenseful and thrilling.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
#1 of the Stephanie Plum series. I love all of them. Very funny and a light and fun read!
Linda R. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Having grown up in the "Burg", I have to say I LOVE this series. Stephanie Plum is the quintessential "burgerbite" and, trust me when I say, the cast of characters including Grandma Mazur are true to life. I laughed out loud reading this book because Stephanie's family is exactly like I remember growing up. This series is a great read and once you start you'll be hooked.
Monica L. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I finally broke down and read my first Stephanie Plum book recently. I can't say as though I was impressed as I had expected to be. This book was cute and it held my interest, but I probably would have liked it better had I read it in the mid-90s... it was pretty dated so many of the funnier entries fell sort of flat.
I will probably read more of the Stephanie Plum books in the future but I'm not hooked on her (yet).
Rate These Member Reviews
Jewel C. from PEORIA, AZ wrote on 10/26/2008...Hot guys,adventures, & laughs. I love this books series.
Very original. Stephanie Plum is a realistic character who is easy to relate to. Definitely has you laughing out loud.
Rachel R. (Quick read, great for lunch time jaunts into some one else's chaotic life. I'll be following the rest of the set.
This is the first of her books I've read and I really like it. I'm glad I have the next 13 ready to go.
This was a great story.You'll LOL at Stephanie.A must read,you'll want the rest of the books as soon as your done.
Valesca L. (This was my first Janet Evanovich book and I loved it! A neighbor gave me all 12 books to read and I'm glad I started with the first, I'm hooked! Already I'm at the third! ;-)
Stephanie is just a very funny, likeable character, her family amuses me (mostly the granny!) and the interaction with Joe Morelli is just great to follow. ;-)
Very quick, light, fun, and entertaining read.
And so it begins ... the first of the funniest mystery romps ever. I laughed aloud at Gramma Mazur, Lula and the whole gang. If you didn't start at the beginning, here's your chance. Terrific!
Great book and I'm not totally addicted to Stephanie Plum! Can't wait to read all the rest of the series.