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Book Review: "One For the Money: A Stephanie Plum Novel" by Janet Evanovich

I'm not much of a mystery reader. But about five years ago, my sister gave me the first four Stephanie Plum novels for Christmas. I tackled "One For the Money", the first in the series (which is now up to 18 books), on a plane to Florida. By the time I landed, I was almost sorry the flight was over because I was already hooked and wanted to find out how the book ended. Now this novel is being made into a major motion picture starring Katherine Heigl which comes out in theatres on January 27th, so I picked it back up recently and reread it.

The Stephanie Plum books are not mysteries in the traditional sense. For one thing, the main character is not exactly a cop or private investigator. She's a bounty hunter, sort of. Stephanie is a wise cracking New Jersey native who finds herself between jobs and goes to work for a relative that is a bail bondsman. Desperate for cash, she agrees to skip tracing, meaning she is supposed to bring in folks who jumped bail. Trouble is, some of those people aren't too keen on being found. To make matters worse, Stephanie has seriously underestimated what she has gotten herself into.

The other thing that makes this book unlike traditional mysteries is that it's laugh-out-loud funny. Some of the humor is crude, so it is not for the easily offended, but I found it so hilarious that people on the plane were giving me sideways glances. Stephanie is a klutz, has no idea how to use a gun, and has remarkably bad luck, especially with vehicles and with men. This lands her in some rather embarrassing situations.

Stephanie's first assignment is a doozy: a cop named Joe Morelli, who might be referred to politely as a "frenemy". Joe has been accused of murder and has no intentions of coming in until his name is cleared. Stephanie not only has to figure out how to nab Joe, but also how to keep herself safe from those who knew the murder victim and don't want her snooping around. From commandeering Morelli's vehicle to being terrorized by a psycho prize fighter, she's in way over her head.

Punctuating the more humorous scenarios, such as dinner at her family's house (Stephanie's grandmother is a laugh riot), there are some truly scary moments that hit you out of the blue because you're busy being amused by the preceding sentence. Like any good mystery, you never know quite where the story is going or what the characters are going to do. But this novel, like the other five in the series I have read so far, has a satisfying if unpredictable conclusion.

Even if you have never been to New Jersey, you will feel like a native by the time you finish "One For the Money". The vivid descriptions of the Trenton neighborhoods and the colorful personalities to be found there are a big part of the novel's charm. And it is easy to identify with Stephanie's awkward brassiness.

With only fourteen chapters, this book is a surprisingly quick read, something to breeze through on a vacation or even a single afternoon if you're ambitious. It is widely available in paperback. You probably have time to pick it up and devour it before the movie comes out.