Stephanie Plum is a modern woman. She's smart and sassy. She finds herself in completely ridiculous yet surprisingly logical situations. She works her butt off to pay the rent. And she manages to resist a sexy, dangerous cop, do her job, and keep her integrity, which means she'll never show up on Ricky Lake or Jerry Springer, but that's fine with me!
ONE FOR THE MONEY is a mystery set in New Jersey in a neighborhood referred to as "the burg." Stephanie is poor and desperate for a job as she recently lost her position as a lingerie salesperson. Her mother suggests she contact "Cousin Vinnie," a bond agent who is looking for help. She agrees to become a bounty hunter. She goes from selling underwear to toting guns, pepper spray, and a stun gun to track down hardened criminals. Did I mention that she is desperate?
Her first job is to bring in a cop on the run, a man who is dangerous, and who, as an 8-year old boy once talked little Stephanie into letting him play "choo-choo" in her panties. He's a tough-as-nails vice cop who is wanted for murder. She agrees to chase him down because the money is irresistible, but it's a big job for her very first time out.
I don't want to give too much away -- it is, after all, a mystery. On to my opinions . . .
The book is written in first-person, which I have found to be annoying in other books, but it works great for Evanovich's tales. As I read through the story, which goes REALLY FAST, I found myself feeling like I was Stephanie and whenever she was scared, angry, or amused, I was right there with her.
ONE FOR THE MONEY has some of the craziest, most colorful secondary characters that I've ever met. Grandma Mazur is her -- yes, you guessed it! -- grandma, but is like none other on the earth. Her mother could drive anyone to drink, but her concern for Stephanie is apparent to everyone throughout the book. Lula the hooker is an interesting person that makes you think Stephanie is actually quite normal. Ranger, the seasoned bounty hunter who pulls Stephanie's butt out of trouble through the book, is quite a guy.
I took a chance and deviated away from my usual reading choices -- usually pure romance. I was blown away by the quality writing and hysterical scenes in Evanovich's debut book. I can't wait to read more about Ms. Plum and the burg from hell. Pick up a copy of ONE FOR THE MONEY. You'll be glad you did. Another book I need to recommend -- very much on my mind since I purchased a "used" copy off Amazon is "THE LOSERS CLUB: Complete Restored Edition" by Richard Perez, an odd, strangely entertaining little novel I can't stop thinking about.
