One for the Money (Stephanie Plum, No. 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

by Janet Evanovich (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
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. --Patrick O'Kelley

From Publishers Weekly
First novels this funny and self-assured come along rarely; dialogue this astute and raunchy is equally unusual. The gutsy heroine introduced here is Stephanie Plum of Trenton, N.J., a recently laid-off lingerie buyer who has no job, no car and no furniture. She does have a hamster, a deranged grandmother, two caring parents and several pairs of biking shorts and sports bras. Finding work with her cousin Vinnie, she becomes a bond hunter and scrounges money enough to buy a gun, a Chevy Nova and some Mace. Her first assignment is to locate a cop accused of murder. Joe Morelli grew up in Stephanie's neighborhood. Possessed of legendary charm, he relieved Stephanie of her virginity when she was 16 (she later ran over him with a car). In her search, Stephanie catches her prey, loses him and grills a psychotic prizefighter, the employer of the man Morelli shot. She steals Morelli's car and then installs an alarm so he can't steal it back. Resourceful and tough, Stephanie has less difficulty finding her man than deciding what she wants to do with him once she's got him. While the link between the fighter and the cop isn't clear until too late in the plot, Evanovich's debut is a delightful romp and Stephanie flaunts a rough-edged appeal. Mystery Guild alternate; author tour; film rights optioned to Tri-Star.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: HarperTorch; Other Printing edition (September 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061009059
• ISBN-13: 978-0061009051
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (549 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #358,872 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This is item 1 in The Stephanie Plum Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

63 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stephanie has Captured a New Fan, August 23, 2002

By	Mark Baker (Santa Clarita, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Stephanie Plum has been out of work for months. With her savings gone and her car repossessed, she's desperate enough to ask her cousin Vinnie for a job. But the filing job she went in for has been filled, so she decides to try her hand at bounty hunting. After all, how hard can it be?

Turns out to be plenty hard. After all, most of the criminals won't come when asked politely. And she did target Joe Morelli, a cop on the run trying to prove he was framed. Still, that huge paycheck and a shared past keep her focused on Morelli. But when boxer Benito Ramirez starts dogging her trail, she begins to suspect she's in over her head. Can she survive long enough to bring Morelli in?

I've been hearing lots about these books, but hadn't had a chance to try one yet. Wish I hadn't waited so long. The writing style is engaging and the pace fast. I had a hard time putting the book down and couldn't stop thinking about it when I did. When the book ended, I started looking around for the second to see what would happen next to the main characters.

It's easy to see why this series is so popular. The fun characters and storyline make for quick, light reading. I'm looking forward to catching up on the seven books I haven't read yet and hope to enjoy visits with these characters for many years to come.

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Meet Stephanie Plum......you got to love her!, June 11, 2001

By	"intentaccess" (Boca Raton, Florida USA) - See all my reviews

What a book. This was hilariously funny. Stephanie Plum is from NJ and having some money problems. Sold her furniture, her car has gotten repo and next she will be needing a place to live if she doesn't come up with an idea fast. She goes to see her cousin Vinnie ( Bail bondsman ) looking for a job. The job had just been filled but the bounty hunter he used was having surgery. Stephanie, newly employed as bounty hunter. After all you get 10% and she would get 10k for bringing Joe Morelli in. Joe is a former cop and is running from Murder One. Stephaine and Joe do go back to growing up. This was a great book! Very funny, Ms. Evanovich really has a gift for writing a story in a very refreshing way! The " who done it " I couldn't tell until it happened. The pages just kept turning as the characters were very real, and enjoyable! I can't wait to read the next one!

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hooked-Always waiting for the next book to hit the shelves!, December 17, 1999

By	Leah L Higbe (United States) - See all my reviews

I have read all of the Stephanie Plum series and can not wait until the next one comes out. These books are a definate joy for anyone who has ever had a bad day go worse. When reading these books I try to be alone, not only to be undisturbed but also because I laugh so loud I disturb others. At a book signing I learned Janet is as funny in person as in her books, she comes by the humor naturally. Stephanie always finds herself in situtations due to her lack of a better career and her stuborn personality that will not allow her to listen to others advice. Stephanie is a very real character that is very easy to identify with even if you don't live life as close to the edge as she does. The stories have it all from danger, humor, sexuality, and moves so well that you carry it around hoping to find a few minutes to read just a little bit more. This whole book keeps you coming back for more with great characters that are humorous and outrageous, but could easily be someone you already know. One of my favorite characters is the grandmother that gets into just about as much trouble as Stephanie. Read this first one and I guarantee you will be back for the rest of the series.