Book Review

One for the Money is a riveting yet hysterical book about a young woman named Stephanie Plum. This is the first in a series of a total of twenty-four books. This first book tells her story of how Stephanie lost her cushy job she once had, is going through financial troubles, and is forced to move back home with her parents. She loses her car since she can no longer make payments, so she is forced to borrow her grandma's car to find a job. She seems down on her luck and is running out of money fast. Her mother is the one who sets up a meeting with Stephanie's cousin, Vinnie, who owns a bail bonding company. Her mother hopes that in setting up this meeting with family that Vinnie can give her daughter a job. Stephanie has tried to get jobs elsewhere, but with no luck, she is forced to go to this meeting with her cousin for a possible job. The big problem is that Stephanie knows nothing about being a bail bondsman.

She goes to the meeting and at first her cousin doesn't want to give her the job, for obvious reasons, that she has never had any experience before. After some convincing, and some bribery, Stephanie manages to get the job as a bail bondsman. Her first day, her cousin Vinnie, gives her a job he thinks she can handle, what he calls an 'easy' case to close. However, Stephanie runs into some obvious issues with dealing with those who have skipped out on their bond hearing. She has trouble getting her first bail skipper and it takes her longer to convince him that going back to jail for his bond hearing is the best choice. She runs into some problems and runs into some very interesting people along the way. When she finally does bring in her first bail jumper, she feels confident that finally she can do the job, even though the first payout wasn't what she was hoping for.

Stephanie is determined that she can chase down a bigger bail jumper for more money so she goes to her cousin, Vinnie, for help. He enlists the trust of another bounty hunter named Benito Ramirez to help his cousin get more experience. Ramirez is scary, big, and doesn't talk much. But Stephanie allows him to help her catch a wanted murderer who skipped his bail bond hearing, someone she knows well. He happens to be a famous vice cop, and a guy she used to have a weakness for as well. So she goes on this chase to find this vice cop hiding out, runs into some problems along the way, and has to rely on the help of Ramirez in the most embarrassing and interesting situations. Her job is to catch this cop, named Joe Morelli, in one week time, or she loses the bail bond money and loses her job. It is a very riveting book that catches your eye from the very first line all the way to the end. It is definitely a book that is hard to put down, and you can't wait to finish. I really enjoyed this book because it showcased a female bounty hunter working her way up. She doesn't start off right away knowing what to do. It follows her journey through the learning process of a new job and a new life. This book is very interesting, full of twists and turns, hilarious moments, and full of action as you embark on the journey of a female bounty hunter.