One for the Funny
Written: May 11 '07
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Interesting characters, funny, good crime novel and very readable
Cons: A lot of cussing and some sexual situations that might not be for everyone
The Bottom Line: I loved this book and want to own the entire series. I found it very re-readable
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| Kimber_333's Full Review: Janet Evanovich - One for the Money |
I am always on the look out for new authors that I can read. I am fond of crime novels and thrillers. So, when my husband brought me a three book set by an author named Janet Evanovich, I was willing to give her a go. The set included book three, four, and five. I devoured them and raced out and bought books one and two. Book one is One for the Money. It's in this first book that you are introduced to the lead character., Stephanie Plum. Stephanie was a lingerie buyer for a department store. But she has recently lost her job. In danger of losing everything she has slowly been selling off her furniture and appliances to make ends meet. When her car is repossessed, she realizes that she needs to do something to bring in money. Her mother tells her to go to her sleazy cousin, Vinnie, who runs a bail bonds company. He needs a filing clerk. Dreading the thought, she goes to see him because she has run out of options. When she arrives, she meets Connie, Vinnie's office manager. Connie tells her that the filing job has been filled, but recommends that she become a bail bond enforcement agent. All she has to do is go out and bring in people who have failed to appear in court. If they don't appear, Vinnie loses the bond money he has posted for them. The take for bringing them in – ten percent of the bond amount. It can mean big money if she brings in a person with a big bond on them. Enticed by the large dollar amounts dancing in front of her eyes, she convinces her cousin to take her on. Unwilling to take her on, it takes a bit of threatening and bribery before he agrees. Only when she throws out the threat to inform Vinnie's wife of his rather strange sexual escapades does he agree. She leaves the office with her mission accomplished – she is employed. Kinda. She isn't sure she hasn't bitten off more than she can chew. Bail Bonds Enforcement Agent. A bounty hunter.
After her first bungled attempts, Vinnie decides she needs a mentor. He hooks her up with the best bounty hunter he has, Ranger. When Stephanie first meets Ranger, she isn't sure if he isn't more dangerous than the criminals she is going after. With dark, sexy looks and a panther like demeanor, Ranger is amused at Stephanie and decides to take her under wing. Not that she is sure that this is a safe place to be. He takes her out, gets her armed and gives her a few tips. Unfortunately, her first case is to find and turn in Joe Morelli. A cop that she has history with, from the first time he looked up her skirt at six years old to the time he took her virginity in high school. He was too hot to handle in more ways than one. But if she can bring in her man, she earns a cool ten grand. Driven by desperation and a need to eat, she takes on the case.
We follow Stephanie's trail of destruction and bungled attempts at being a bounty hunter. She has no skills, she is a chicken and she is afraid of her own gun. But she makes up for all that with a dogged determination to make this work. Along the way we meet an interesting array of characters including her wacky family and the seedier side of Trenton, New Jersey. As the dead bodies start piling up, she is still no closer to bringing in her man, and now she is one of the targets. Despite her best efforts to be brave, she finds herself firmly involved with no way out. Can she bring in her man and save her own skin? You have to read it to find out.
With laugh out loud humor and so many interesting characters, I found this book hard to put down. Janet Evanonvich has a knack of bringing the characters to life. In between laughter, I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat worrying about what would happen next. With an excellent blend of suspense, mystery, action and humor this book is an excellent kick off to the series. There are currently twelve books in the series with the thirteenth on the way. Having read all of them, I can say that the quality I found in the first books was maintained through out the series. I wouldn't recommend starting in the middle, it does work best if you start with the first book and work your way through them. It's not impossible to follow things if you don't start with the first book, but it does make the whole experience more enjoyable as many things that happen earlier do get mentioned in later books along with her continued relationships with people through out the series. I think one of the things I identified with in this series is the fact that Stephanie wasn't perfect. She bungled things the whole way. She found herself in incredible situations with no clue how to get out of them. She has no clue what she is doing, but goes on anyway with nothing but her wits and her tenacious attitude. Kinda reminds me of myself. I often find myself in situations that I have no clue what I'm doing, but simply bluff my way through them. The kinds of things that happen to her are the same kinds of things that happen to us in every day life. It's entertaining to see the inventive ways she manages to get herself out of the predicaments. While this is first and foremost a crime novel with all of the elements of a mystery/crime novel – the humor is a huge bonus. It seems by being able to laugh at times just makes the serious parts more dramatic.
While I read, I went out and bought each of the following books. I currently own books one through nine and rushed out to borrow ten, eleven and twelve from the library. I can't wait to own the rest of them so I can enjoy them all over again. When my husband heard me laughing out loud at one of the funnier parts, he asked me what I was reading. When I told him, he asked me if hadn't already read that book. I told him that I had, but just because I had read it before doesn't mean it isn't funny any more. It's kind of like watching a good movie over again – it stays just as good the second time around. I find myself re-visiting these books over and over. But then, I like to read books that I like several times.
These books may not be for everyone. There is quite a bit of cussing that takes place in the book. There are also several references to sexual conduct and sexual situations. So if you are offended by bad language and sexuality in your books – this series would not be for you. I found the language and the situations to fit well in the flow of the novel. It didn't stand out as just put in there for the effect. But again, if this is offensive to you, please pass this series by. With reading the first book, I was hooked. Janet Evanovich has a new fan. She has also written other books outside this series, but I haven't read any of them yet, including the Barnaby series and single romance novels. But that's for another day and another op. Happy Reading.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Kimber_333
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Member: Kimber Flory
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Reviews written: 171
Trusted by: 20 members
About Me:
Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.
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