Book Review: One for the Money

Two weeks ago, I noticed that Janet Evanovich had two books on the Globe and Mail best seller list. Both of them are still there. Eleven on Top is #9 on the paperback fiction list, and Twelve Sharp is #5 on the hardcover fiction list.

Upon further investigation, I found that they are part of the Stephanie Plum series. Being a series purist, I felt compelled to start at the beginning, so I checked the first book of the series out of the library. I finished it in two days.

One for the Money is the story of Stephanie Plum. Through Stephanie, readers learn early on that you can take the girl out of Jersey, but you can't take Jersey out of the girl. Stephanie has lost her job as a lingerie buyer for a small department store. On one of her pilgrimages home for a home-cooked meal, her father convinces her to ask her cousin Vinnie for a filing job. When Stephanie arrives at Vincent Plum Bail Bonding Company, the receptionist informs her that the filing job has been filled, but that the real money is in "skip tracing". And one of Vinnie's skip tracers just happens to have been admitted to hospital with a ruptured appendix.

Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter. Has a bit of a ring to it, don't you think?

The rest of the book details Stephanie's first assignment: bringing in Joe Morelli, formerly from the neighbourhood, now a vice cop charged with murder.... and on the run.

This book is filled with likable and interesting characters. Stephanie, of course, is foremost. The book is written in the first person and reveals Stephanie's spirit, fortitude, and sense of humour in an appealing manner. I also liked Stephanie's grandmother, a peripheral character with a comical sense of panache. Even the lowlifes Stephanie encounters through her new employment, although decidedly not likable, capture the reader's attention. I got the feeling that, had this been on the big screen, I would not have been able to take my eyes off of them.

One note: I often review young adult or children's literature on The Books Nook. This is definitely not that kind of reading. This book is for you to read on the beach this summer, not your ten-year-old.

Happy bounty hunting!