One for the Money (Stephanie Plum #1)

Genre(s)
Age Range
16+
Release Date
May 25, 1995
ISBN
0312362080
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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.

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.

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Stephanie Plum's Crazy Capers
(Updated: June 15, 2026)
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Reader reviewed by Mrs. Healt

I absolutely LOVE this series of books by Janet Evanovich!  However, I would NOT recommend them to anyone under the age of 16 due to the adult content.  Stephanie is a bounty hunter working for her uncle for extra money.  The only proble is that she isn't very good at it!  She neds up captuing FTA's in the most hilarious ways!!!  Evanovich develops her characters in such a way that they almost seem like real people who you would want to meet in real life!  This series is a do not miss for adults!
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Jersey Bounty Hunter
(Updated: June 15, 2026)
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Reader reviewed by Jess

I simply love this book!! Had me laughing as I read (and people looking at me funny across the break room). This is the first of a many book series, and small novellas. It introduces yyou to Stephanie Plum. She is a Jersey girl through and through. Big hair and all. She is down on her luck and kind of blackmails her cousin Vinny (not sure, but PRETTY sure the movie pun was intended in this one ) into giving her a job as a bounty hunter in his company. She is not very good at all, or even a little good. Unless you count the amount of times you find yourself grinning because of something that Stephanie did. And Morelli? Oh, yum!! I definitely would recommend this series to anyone.
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funny and hot
(Updated: June 15, 2026)
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Reader reviewed by lyn


Stephanie Plum novels are exiting and funny. In the first of the series, stephanie Plum needs a job ASAP. She blackmail's her cousin Vinnie in to giving her s job. The job: bounty hunter. Stephanie know nothing about the job, but that doesn't stop her. Not to mention that the guy she is hunting down is Joe Morelli, the hot Italian who charmed her off of her virginity. Things get more heated when her mentor is the hot and mysterious Ranger. This book is filled with witty remarks and exiting turns that will keep evewryone wanting more. I definately recommend this book! 


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Stephanie Plum for President
(Updated: June 15, 2026)
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Reader reviewed by An_d

I want to first point out that this is not what I would recommend for a young teen reader.  It is very adult in many aspects from sex, language to themes.  However, Janet Evanovich paints a picture so vivid and clear, you can literally see the scuffs in Stephanie's Doc Martens!  One For The Money is a comedy masked as a mystery.  You will be so caught up in the bumbles and fumbles of dear, Stephanie, you forget that there's a mystery to solve!  It's literally laugh out loud!  The characters, the atmosphere and the theme is just pitch-perfect!  This series is a great read and fun and quick!  I would recommend this to only teens above the age of 16.  

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AWESOME one of the best mysteries of allll time!!!
(Updated: June 15, 2026)
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Reader reviewed by Emily

This a laugh out out loud comedy and I have read all fourteen books in the series so far and it is one of a kind. The books are unique. It is about a girl rom an ordinary suburb.

But there one problem she aint got an ordinary job. She is a bounty hunter a comical one at that and doesn't fit the stereo type.

And she has a granny who goes to funerals to meet other old people a.k.a old men who she likes to call her honey munchkins and nothing slows her down.

It is one of the funniest book series of all time. I highly reccommend it.
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