Stephanie Plum is your typical Jersey girl. In need of a job after being fired as a lingerie buyer, she takes the opportunity to work for her cousin Vinny, a bonding agent.

With her new career as a bounty hunter Stephanie needs to work with mysterious ex-military man Ranger and  former prostitute Lula to track down the attractive bail-jumper Joe Morelli, whom Stephanie has had an on-again off-again relationship with for years.

Janet Evanovich’s book “One for the Money” is riddled with laughs and situations that people could put themselves in.

The book does have its serious moments, like cars blowing up and criminals threatening to permanently un-employ Stephanie. The hilarious moments are the relatable ones, however.

When Evanovich introduces the spunky Grandma Mazur in a dinner scene by having her shoot the roast chicken in front of the entire family, no reader can hold back laughter. Every family has that crazy relative that makes dinner so much more entertaining.

Everyone has moments of anxiety about their home being broken into, but what makes Stephanie unique is that she isn’t worried about her valuables, just her hamster Rex.

The writing style is very tight in this book, leaving no stone unturned. Even if the reader does not realize it, everything that happens, every small detail that may seem insignificant, has a purpose and will help solve the case.

For a mystery novel, the ending is still somewhat a surprise. The element of surprise is a pivotal tool in Evanonich’s writing, keeping the suspense level high until the final pages of the novel. The story finishes and wraps up, but the writing style lends itself to sequels.

Currently, Janet Evanovich is working on her nineteenth Stephanie Plum novel. “One for the Money” and the rest of the Stephanie Plum books have all been top New York Times Best Sellers.

There is honestly not a lot to criticize in this novel. The writing is clear, tight, funny and detailed, all the while keeping the reader’s attention and making it painful to put the book down. The intriguing story line leaves the reader wanting to pick up the next novel, “Two for the Dough.”

5 stars out of 5