Kirkus Review - One For The Money by Janet Evanovich

 

One for the Money  

by Janet Evanovich

Release date: August 26, 1994 

After hitting rock bottom, Stephanie Plum takes a job as a Bounty Hunter, and her first case is to bring her former flame, Joe Morelli, to justice.  Hilarious hijinks occur as Stephanie investigates and tries to bring him in for violating his bond on the charge of murder. 

Stephanie Plum is determined to get out of debt and find a job to pay her bills. She has convincedHe her creepy Uncle Vinnie to give her a job as a bounty hunter.  She sets her sights on Joe Morelli, who violated his bond order and would get her out of debt. Joe Morelli is an ex-police officer and the bad boy of Trenton. He is Stephanie’s former flame, who ran over him with her car when he didn’t call her. Soon, Stephanie realizes she is over her head and is referred to a seductive professional bondsman, Ranger, who takes her to a shooting range and buys her a gun.  

We soon meet Stephanie Plum’s family, and she finally tells them that she was fired from her lingerie job about four months ago.  While her mother wants her to meet a man and have babies, Grandma Mazure is thrilled that Stephanie is employed as a bounty hunter.  She is so delighted that she takes the gun and shoots the chicken they are eating on the table.  You can see where Stephanie gets her spunk and determination.  Even after getting a gun, Stephanie is outsmarted again and again by Joe Morelli, including Morelli handcuffing Stephanie naked to the shower rod and throwing the key in the garbage after she hijacks his vehicle and lets a nude male exhibitionist and FTA sit in his car. After playing humorous cat and mouse, they make a deal: she will help investigate his innocence and get $10,000. 

While Janet Evanovich’s book is heavy on humor, it is more than that. It contains mystery and violence. While investigating, Stephanie seeks the help of prostitutes Lula and Jackie, who might know where to find Carmen Sanchez, whose apartment was the scene of the crime.  While investigating, she crosses paths with Benito Ramirez, a violent boxing champ and sexual predator who tries to rape Stephanie. Morelli intervenes with a gunshot, ruining his chance to go undercover. Everyone Stephanie talks to about the crime, someone kills or silences the witnesses. She also has the boxer, Benito Ramirez, harassing her; he knows where she lives. After Stephanie gives Lula food, he rapes and cuts Lulu and then ties her to Stephanie’s fire escape for talking.  Instead of running away, Stephanie doubles down on solving the crime, proving Morelli's innocence, and making a lot of money to survive.  This is the first book in a long series and a great introduction to the quirky characters in the Stephanie Plum series set in Trenton, New Jersey.    

One for the Money is an entertaining romp, using humor and mystery to create a story you would want to read repeatedly.  Perfect for anyone who wants a mystery with a bit of humor.