ISBN: 978-0312990459
My rating: 4.5/5
Watch out, world. Here comes Stephanie Plum, a bounty hunter with attitude. In Stephanie's opinion, toxic waste, rabid drivers, armed schizophrenics, and August heat, humidity, and hydrocarbons are all part of the great adventure of living in Jersey.
She's a product of the "burg," a blue-collar pocket of Trenton where houses are attached and narrow, cars are American, windows are clean, and (God forbid you should be late) dinner is served at six.
Now Stephanie's all grown up and out on her own, living five miles from Mom and Dad's, doing her best to sever the world's longest umbilical cord. Her mother is a meddler, and her grandmother is a few cans short of a case.
Out of work and out of money, with her Miata repossessed and her refrigerator empty, Stephanie blackmails her bail bondsman cousin, Vinnie, into giving her a try as an apprehension agent. Stephanie knows zilch about the job requirements, but she figures her new pal, fearless bounty hunter Ranger, can teach her what it takes to catch a crook.
Her first assignment: nail Joe Morelli, a former vice cop on the run from a charge of murder one. Morelli is also the irresistible macho pig who took Stephanie's virginity at age sixteen and then wrote the details on the bathroom wall of Mario's Sub Shop. There's still powerful chemistry between these two, so the chase should be interesting.
It could also be extremely dangerous, especially when Stephanie encounters a heavyweight title contender who likes to play rough. Benito Ramirez is known for his brutality to women. At the very least, his obsession with Stephanie complicates her manhunt and brings terror and uncertainty into her life. At the worst, it could lead to murder. (evanovitch.com)
My thoughts
Loved it!
Janet Evanovitch has created some quirky characters, which live in "the burg," somewhere in New Jersey, with Stephanie Plum as the main protagonist. Once I got into the story and knew the “who’s who” of the characters, I just couldn’t put the book down again. It had me giggling and laughing with wonderful dialogues and scene descriptions. Stephanie is not the typical heroine you would expect to read about as a bounty hunter, she down to earth, prefers a donought to some fruit for breakfast and struggles to get out for her runs to get fit. Not to mention the relationship (or the lack thereof) with Ranger and Joe Morrelli.
If you’re in need for a crime story with a different nudge to it, go and get “One for the Money” – you won’t regret it!
