One for the Money

One for the Money is by Janet Evanovich. This is the first of the Stephanie Plum novels. Stephanie Plum is a typical "Jersey Girl". She has been laid off from her job as a lingerie (read underwear) buyer at a department store; she has sold most of her furniture and small appliances; her phone has been disconnected; her car repossessed; and the cupboard is bare (she's eating her hamster's food). What's a girl to do? She goes to her cousin Vinnie who owns a bail bonding service and gets a job as a bounty hunter. Her first case: find Joe Morelli, a cop on the run for murder (and Stephanie's first fling from high school - oopsie). Her plan: steal his new red Jeep Cherokee and wait for him to try to steal it back! This is one of the most original mystery stories I've read in a long time. Evanovich is wickedly funny and Stephanie's antics will have you howling with laughter, her Grandmother is an absolute hoot. There is also enough violence, murder, and car bombing to keep you turning pages as fast as you can. While the violence and sex are not graphic they are present and the language is as rough as the neighborhood. This is a great book, but for older readers.

Ratings: 11th grade - 10 out of 10 - V (violence) - P (profanity) - AC (mature thematic content) - SC (non-graphic sexual content).