Author: Janet Evanovich
About the book: Welcome to Trenton, New Jersey, home to wiseguys, average Joes, and Stephanie Plum, who sports a big attitude and even bigger money problems (since losing her job as a lingerie buyer for a department store). Stephanie needs cash--fast--but times are tough, and soon she's forced to turn to the last resort of the truly desperate: family.
Stephanie lands a gig at her sleazy cousin Vinnie's bail bonding company. She's got no experience. But that doesn't matter. Neither does the fact that the bail jumper in question is local vice cop Joe Morelli. From the time he first looked up her dress to the time he first got into her pants to the time Steph hit him with her father's Buick, M-o-r-e-l-l-i has spelled t-r-o-u-b-l-e. And now the hot guy is in hot water--wanted for murder.
Abject poverty is a great motivator for learning new skills, but being trained in the school of hard knocks by people like psycho prizefighter Benito Ramirez isn't. Still, if Stephanie can nab Morelli in a week, she'll make a cool ten grand. All she has to do is become an expert bounty hunter overnight--and keep herself from getting killed before she gets her man.
My thoughts: I really enjoyed this book. Of course, the whole time I was reading it, I couldn't get the image of Katherine Heigl out of my head. I wonder how I would have pictured Stephanie Plum before the trailers for the movie came out? Anyway, I loved Stephanie and how hard headed she could be, yet sort of ditzy at the same time. Even though she has fallen on hard times, she seemed to have her share of good luck in getting herself out of sticky situations with out too much personal harm. This isn't to say that she didn't get knocked around a little during some of her more "careless" exploits. I can't wait to continue reading this series and see if anything more develops between her and Morelli.
Upon visiting Janet Evanovich's website, I discovered that yesterday, March 1, was Morelli's birthday - so Happy Birthday Joe!
Publisher/Publication Date: Scribner, 1994
ISBN: 9780312362089
352 pages
Challenges:
New Authors
Library Challenge
What's In a Name?
Cruisin thru the Cozies
Cozy Mystery Challenge
Mystery and Suspense Challenge
Stephanie Plum Reading Challenge
1st in a Series
