Book Reviews of One for the Money (Stephanie Plum, Bk 1)

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)

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!

I enjoyed this book, it was cute and funny. I finished it in 2 days. I'm on to "Two for the Dough"

Excellent series. A really fun read.

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

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.

I am sorry that I procrastinated in starting to read this series. I so thoroughly enjoyed this first book - it had me laughing out loud several times. I finished the book in record time and immediately started the next one as I was so involved with the characters and wanted to see what happened next. The main character and the writing style reminded me a lot of Kinsely Milhome in the Sue Grafton alphabet series books. It's an easy, light read, but not total fluff -- a lot of mystery and adventure to keep you turning the pages. I highly recommend!

I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting from this book. It seems like such a popular series. I won't say that I 'loved' it. I liked it. I found Stephanie to be a little annoying at times. I know she's supposed to be this bumbling crazy lady, but I dunno... It was a really easy read, read it in two nights and it's mindless reading, which was definitely welcome after the insanity of the past week or so. It's a worth a read if you need something read at the beach or on an airplane. If you want something with teeth, skip this one for now.

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.

This is the first Evanovich book I've read and now I know why so many people are fans. Humorous yet suspenseful and thrilling.

#1 of the Stephanie Plum series. I love all of them. Very funny and a light and fun read!

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.

Quick read, great for lunch time jaunts into some one else's chaotic life. I'll be following the rest of the set.

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.

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).

Trenton native Stephanie Plum is out of work, out of money, and her car's in repo-hell. So who does a hardly working girl turn to when the going gets tough? Meet cousin Vinnie, bail bondsman. Stephanie figures its nice work if you can get it--shagging bail jumpers for $10,000 a pop. So she joins up and the fun begins!!
Couldn't put this one down....read it in 2 hours...

I read it in 2 nights. I absolutely loved it. Stephanie Plum becomes a bounty hunter when she's out of money and her car gets repossessed. I like how she steals the vehicle of the man she's trying to bring in. There were other funny parts as well. My kind of book!

I love this series. they are laugh out loud funny, easy reads, and a lot of fun. and who doesn't have a crush on Ranger or Joe?

This was a GREAT book,kept me going and intrested all the time.I am waiting now to get book 2 and see if it is just as good.so far,book one was EXCELLENT,actually I read it in less then 2 days.

This was the first book that I had read from this author and it won't be the last. It keep me laughing and turning pages from start to the end. This author is definitly one of my favorite authors.

A fun and funny book that I laughed my way through.

Stephanie plum is a laid-off lingerie buyer. She is divorced. She is 30 years old. She lives in Trenton, New Jersey. Her car was repossessed and to make rent she has been selling her furniture – if she doesn't find work soon she will have to move back with her parents. She convinces her cousin Vinny to hire her as a bounty hunter in his bail bond business. She is given one week to bring in bail jumper Cop Joe Morelli. He disappeared after shooting an unarmed man. The bounty is high 10k and it helps to want vengence on the man who took her virginity behind the eclair counter at the bakery. He never called and wrote a poem about on the bathroom room.

Stephanie knows nothing about bounty hunting but stumbles upon Joe, but doesn’t know what to do with him when she finds him. So Stephanie enlists the help of one hot mysterious bounty hunter called Ranger. Ranger is amused by Stephanie and agrees to be her mentor. When Ranger asks what she did when she found Morelli she said I asked him to go with me to the police station but he refused! Ranger works in the gray side of the law but helps Stephanie purchase a gun and mace so she will be prepared next time.
So during the story she borrows Joe’s car since he is on the run and it is bombed and she is stocked by a pysco prize fighter. There are a lot of unexpected and funny turns through the book. You will chuckle if not laugh through the book. The books are keepers.

A friend borrowed the first book and promptly came back and borrowed the other 13. She is willl buy the 15th herself. The characters are solid with a lot of chemistry. I haven’t read another book where all the characters jump off the page and are all likeable. You will be entertained through the book. No thinking or pondering allowed. I would recommend this whole series.

Beware: even if you do not like donuts be prepared to crave them. I actually had to purchase tastey cakes but they sounded so good….they weren’t. Stephanie is able to eat anything she wants and not gain an ounce so she eats a lot in the books.

I love this series! Stephanie Plum, bail bondswoman extraordinaire, always seems to find herself in situations with her men, her grandmother, her friends, etc. that lead to danger and hilarity. I can never put one of these down until I've finished reading it. This is the first of the series, and I guarantee you will be hooked after you read it.

Great series!!

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.

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.

What a great book. Stephanie's escapades had me laughing.

Fantastic!

Hilariously funny!

Every book that Janet Evanovich writes is excellent. I have read all of the Stephanie plum series that has been out and they are so good.

One for the Money starts the Stephanie Plum series. Very funny. Fast paced and easy to read, a little trashy but well written it definetely has a certain charm.

For all you Plum fans out there--this is the book that started it all!

Entertaining.

Great book. I love all of her Stephanie Plum novels.

First of a great series - fun and funny. You don't really need to read them in order, but it does help.

This is the first Stephanie Plum novel. You will definitely fall in love with Ms. Evanovich's cast of characters, especially Lula and Grandma Mazur...these books will keep you in stitches.

This is book one in the Stephanie Plum series. Was a very fun read.

If by some weird chance you don't know about Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, then treat yourself to a wild, hilarious ride and order this book!

excellent read...first Stephanie plum novel

Great fun!

Wonderful series! Once I started this one, I had to read the rest.

LOVE this series! One of the few that makes me laugh out loud!

This is a great book. I'm so glad a friend introduced me to the "Plum" series!

****

The first Stephanie Plum mystery novel in the hilarious series from Evanovich

Just read this for the first time and really enjooyed it! Can't wait to check out the next one...

Fun characters, easy read. I enjoyed it.

I absolutely love this book and all the rest of the Stephanie Plum series!

Quite a few women on a message board I frequent were raving about this series so I had to check it out.It is a quick fun read. I have ordered the next 2.

The whole series is great! Don't miss ANY of the books. You'll laugh outloud no matter how serious you take yourself.

Really enjoyed all the characters. I was laughing out loud at several of the scenes. On to the 2nd book now :)

omg, I was laughing out loud so much, my husband had to read it too! Light, fun and fast. A very enjoyable read.

The original Stephanie Plum novel. Stephanie loses her job, and decides to work for her cousin as a bounty hunter. Her first job is to track down her ex-boyfriend who is now a cop on the run. But, Stephanie gets her man, with a lot of help.

Thrilling!! Couldn't put it down! Can't wait to start the next book in the series.

Absolutely excellent!

Loved it!! A really great book!

Meet Stephanie Plum from the very beginning and you'll be hooked! This book basically launched Evanovich's career as a bestselling author, deservedly so. Very fun to read.

Great book!! I love this series!

i have devored every one of the books in this series. LOVE THEM!!

A tough Jersey girl becomes a bounty hunter to make money. Her first case, a cop that she has a "history" with. Can she find him before the cops do?

A nice, quick read with some good laughs.

This is my first Janet Evanovich book and I'm hooked! Stephanie Plum is refreshing and funny. Cant wait for the next book to arrive!

A funny fast reading book. Evanovich is always a fun read.

Great book, I am already on book 5 of the series, they are so funny.

enjoyed the main charactera nd will definitely read more of her stories. fun book, easy mystery

enjoyable

This book went fast! I'll certainly be reading the rest of this series by Janet Evanovich, the next one being Two for the Dough. I love the main character, Stephanie Plum. She's just so... normal! I like that. And she's tough, too. She kind of had to be strong in order to make it through this book in one piece! Because of her money troubles, Stephanie signed up with her cousin, Vinnie, (gee, that makes me think of a certain movie!), to be a bounty hunter. The only problem is, the guy she's supposed to be looking for is an old crush, and he's just as charming as ever.

Trenton native Stephanie Plum is out of work, out of money, and her car's in repo-hell. So who does a hardy working girl turn to when the going gets tough? Meet cousin Vinnie, bailbondsman.....

great, fast paced read. can't wait to get the others

First book in the Stephanie Plum series - These are so funny.

Fantastic! The whole series is great!

Excellent

Probably the best book I have ever read in my entire life! Janet Evanovich has the ability to pull me in and I can't put her books down until I am finished. I can't wait for the next one to be published!

Great book. 1st in the series.

Very easy and fun read.

Trenton native Stephanie Plum is out of work, out of money, and her car's in repo-hell. So who does a hardly working girl turn to when the going gets tough? Meet cousin Vinnie, bail bondsman. Stephanie figures it's nice work if you can get it--shagging bail jumpers for $10,000 a pop. So she joins up.

Her first assignment: nail Joe Morelli, a former vice cop on the run from a charge of murder one. There's also a cranky ex-prizefighter dogging her and a nasty habit she has of leaping first and looking later. If Stephanie doesn't wise up fast, the first dead body in her future could be her own.

Great read. This one is very funny. I couldn't put it down.

Wonderfully funny, yet a lot of serious things that happen to Stephanie and Joe.

Meet Stephanie Plum she is out of work, out of money,and her car's in repo-hell. So who does a hardly working girl turn to when the going gets tough? Meet cousin Vinnie bail bondsman. Shagging bail jumpers for $10,000 a pop is nice work... so she joins up.
A funny ,fast moving crime fiction!

A very entertaining read!

This is one of the most fun books I've read in a long time. It'll hook you right away and then you sit back and enjoy the ride. It's gutsy, funny, serious enough to keep you on the edge of your seat and then you're left looking for the next in the series.

light murder mystery

This is one of my very favorite series. This first book starts it off with a bang. Anybody who hasn't read a Stephanie Plum, should really consider it for a laughing good time.

Great quick read!!!

Fantastic fun series! This is the first one.

Oh I loved this book. Can't wait to read the rest of the series.

Excellent fast pace fun book that will keep you reading from beginning to end,I look forward to reading the other ten books

Laugh out loud FUN book! I am ready for her next ..........

This book made me laugh out loud more than once!

Kept me rolling.

Love this whole series!

Good story and keeps you guessing!! Stephanie Plum learns how to become a bounty hunter to keep her bills paid!!

Excellent fun! Love this series. High-energy, low-comedy mystery with a funny heroine and hot guys.

Excellent! I was totally hooked right from the start!

Funny...strong language

Very funny - especially the grandmother!

First in the series about Stephanie Plum. Very humorous!

A friend of mine suggested the Stephanie Plum series to me and gave me her copy of One for the Money, which was given to her by her sister, which was given to her by her boss, and so on and so on. The mysteries may not be as in depth as some other series, but the characters are truly captivating and Evanovich's style keeps you turning the pages.

Fun read with some suspense

This book was a riot! I couldn't put it down. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

First in a very funny series!

Great book--the first of a terrific series!

Funny and light-hearted! Stephanie Plum is a great character - can't wait to read the rest in the series.

Have read several other Janet Evanovich books in this series. Felt that this was one of the weaker one - but still interesting reading.

Great series.

Meet Stephanie Plumb-a latter day bounty hunter, she always gets her man.

"Fat chance of missing Stephanie Plum. A Jersey girl with Bette Midler's mouth and Cher's fashion sense--big hair, gold hoop earrings, Spandex bike shorts, tons of turquoise eye shadow and attitude out to here--The New York Times Book Review

"An absolute delight, the kind of book that reminds us how much fun reading mysteries should be. This book has at least one chuckle a page as well as a couple of real belly laughs every chapter."--The Denver Post

Great fun !

I read this in a few hours... I really liked it! My husband even commented that I was laughing out loud at some parts.

Evanovich has become my favorite author. She is laugh-out-loud funny. If you haven't read her Stephanie Plum series yet, start with this one. If you have read it and you want to get someone else hooked, start with this one.

Funny!

Great book!

I am late to the Stephanie Plum series, but I'm glad I have caught on. This book was really good. The characters are great and the plot is funny with several nail-biting parts thrown in. A great book... can't wait to read more!

Fun, fun, fun!!!

The FIRST book in the series featuring Stephanie Plum who is a bounty hunter in Trenton, New Jersey.

This was PERFECT for a light read.. I loved the characters and the sense of humor. I will continue the series happily.

Very good and sets up the characters for the rest of the series.

Number 1 in the Plum series-good escapist read!

Fantastic series - funny!!

I loved this series!!!!

this is the first I have ever read by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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