Book Review: One for the Money

"Welcome to Trenton, New Jersey, home to the wiseguys, average Joes, and Stephanie Plum, who sports a big attitude and even bigger money problems (since losing her job as a lingerie buyer for a deparment store).  Stephanie needs cash -- fast -- but times are tough, and soon she's forced to turn to the last resort of the truly desperate: family.

Stephanie lands a gig at her sleazy souzin Vinnie's bail bonding company.  She's got no experience, but that doesn't matter. Neither does the fact that the bail jumber in question is local vice cop Joe Morelli.  From the time he first looked up her dress to the time he first got into her pants to the time Steph hit him with her father's Buick, M-o-r-e-l-l-i had spelled t-r-o-u-b-l-e.  And now the hot guy is in hot water -- wanted for murder.

Abject poverty is a great motivator for learning new skills, but being trained in the school of hard knocks by people like psycho prizefighter Benito Ramirez isn't.  Still, if Stephanie can nab Morelli in a week, she'll make a cool ten grand.  All she has to do is become an expert bounty hunter overnight -- and keep herself from getting killed before she gets her man."

I recently finished reading One for the Money (Stephanie Plum, No. 1) by Janet Evanovich.  I couldn't put it down.  Stephanie just draws you in with her personality and her awful bounty hunter skills.  And I think I might be a little in love with Joe Morelli (shh, don't tell my husband).

Everytime Stephanie sees her mom she's complaining about her awful job as a bounty hunter and suggesting some other easy job she could get.  Grandma Mazur is always mentioning something that she saw on television.  And her father is a man of few words.

From the first page I was hooked.  If you're looking for an easy to read series with some good laughs then I definitely recommend this series.  There are still some series moments, like when Benito Ramirez is on the hunt to rape and torture Stephanie.  But all-in-all, I really enjoyed it.

Coming up next: Two for the Dough (Stephanie Plum, No. 2).