4 stars for One for the Money (Stephanie Plum book 1) by Janet Evanovich.
One for the Money is an easy read that starts out relatively ok, or in fact I would say, a wee bit tending on the bland side but it keeps getting better and better as the story develops, and the plot thickens to navigate the account from an allegedly normal murder case to one with more than meets the eye.
The author does a fantastic job giving the female lead character, Stephanie Plum, a girl born and raised in a blue-collar chunk of Trenton called the burg, a voice that narrates with zesty humor. Bulk of the conversations in which Stephanie is engaged in, start off as seemingly normal and plain, but in a wink of the eye, can turn to being exceedingly hilarious narration that literally make me laugh until I cry.
What I like a lot about Stephanie Plum is that she is a character who is as normal as can be. There is nothing fanciful or extraordinary about her. She does not possess super powers or the specialized skills required for skip tracing, yet she is brave enough to take up the challenge for this job because she recognizes the need to do so and goes all the way for it. While she aims to earn her keep on her very first big case, she is also very aware that she needs to accomplish some other smaller easier cases to bring bread home. This pragmatic attitude is what I like most about our heroine.
It is relatively easy to predict Stephanie’s actions from her thought processes. But just when I think I got the happenings figured out, the author throws me off-balance with a twist in events and what follows thereafter. This is reason why I give myself a pat on the back for being able to guess successfully, the true murderer before the story runs out. As it is, the story wraps up nicely and logically with a heartwarming sense of closure.
Overall, book 1 of the Stephanie Plum series is a captivating read, especially so from second half of the book onwards. I am very happy to have found a long run series (21 books to date) written from first person point of view, more significantly, one which I enjoy reading. The pleasant, humor-induced writing style not only suits my reading taste but also promises of more wonderful instalments to come.
Publisher: Scribner
Publication date: 24 Feb 1999
*** Favorite quote 1 ***
Food is important in the burg. The moon revolves around the earth, the earth revolves around the sun, and the burg revolves around pot roast.
For as long as I can remember, my parents' lives have been controlled by five-pound pieces of rolled rump, done to perfection at six o'clock.
~ One for the Money
Janet Evanovich
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Stephanie Plum has lost her job, her car, her marriage and is about to lose her apartment if she doesn’t raise some cash quick. What’s a girl to do? Bond enforcement, of course. No experience necessary, especially since her sleazy cousin Vinnie owns the bail bonds company and can easily be blackmailed.
Plum’s first case is to bring in former boyfriend (it ended very badly) and current police detective Joe Morelli. Morelli is wanted for murder and is going to be hard to find. Plum will need help from expert bond enforcement agent Ranger, a hooker named Lula, and her Grandma Mazur, who is always on top of the latest Burg gossip.
*Blurb from author's website*
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