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Stephanie Plum #1-3
Plum Boxed Set 1
One for the Money
ONE FINE MESS
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...
ONE FALSE MOVE
Stephanie lands a gig at her sleazy cousin Vinnie's bail bonding company. She's got no experience. But that doesn't matter. As 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...
ONE FOR THE MONEY
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...
Two For The Dough
Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is still learning the ropes at her cousin Vinnie’s bail bond office, so when she sets out on the trail of Kenny Mancuso—a suspiciously wealthy, working class Trenton boy who has just shot his best friend—the stakes are higher than ever. That Mancuso is distantly related to vice cop Joe Morelli—who is trying to beat Stephanie to the punch—only makes the hunt more thrilling….
Taking pointers from her bounty hunter pal, Ranger, and using her pistol-packing Granda Mazur as a decoy, Stephanie is soon closing in on her mark. But Morelli and his libido are worthy foes. And a more sinister kind of enemy has made his first move…and his next move might be Stephanie’s last.
Three to Get Ready
A "saintly" old candy-store owner is on the lam-and bounty hunter extraordinaire Stephanie Plum is on the case. As the body count rises, Stephanie finds herself dealing with dead drug dealers and slippery fugitives on the chase of her life. And with the help of eccentric friends and family, Steph must see to it that this case doesn't end up being her last...
ONE FINE MESS
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...
ONE FALSE MOVE
Stephanie lands a gig at her sleazy cousin Vinnie's bail bonding company. She's got no experience. But that doesn't matter. As 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...
ONE FOR THE MONEY
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...
Two For The Dough
Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is still learning the ropes at her cousin Vinnie’s bail bond office, so when she sets out on the trail of Kenny Mancuso—a suspiciously wealthy, working class Trenton boy who has just shot his best friend—the stakes are higher than ever. That Mancuso is distantly related to vice cop Joe Morelli—who is trying to beat Stephanie to the punch—only makes the hunt more thrilling….
Taking pointers from her bounty hunter pal, Ranger, and using her pistol-packing Granda Mazur as a decoy, Stephanie is soon closing in on her mark. But Morelli and his libido are worthy foes. And a more sinister kind of enemy has made his first move…and his next move might be Stephanie’s last.
Three to Get Ready
A "saintly" old candy-store owner is on the lam-and bounty hunter extraordinaire Stephanie Plum is on the case. As the body count rises, Stephanie finds herself dealing with dead drug dealers and slippery fugitives on the chase of her life. And with the help of eccentric friends and family, Steph must see to it that this case doesn't end up being her last...
Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
586 people are currently reading
2011 people want to read
About the author
Janet Evanovich
326 books40.8k followersJanet Evanovich is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Stephanie Plum series, the Lizzy and Diesel series, twelve romance novels, the Alexandra Barnaby novels and Trouble Maker graphic novel, and How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author, as well as the Fox and O'Hare series with co-author Lee Goldberg.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 260 reviews
February 14, 2019
Watched the movie One For The Money and had to reread a few of these :)
February 17, 2011
I had never heard of Janet Evanovich before this. I just ran to the bookstore and grabbed this audio book in a hurry. What a hoot! Very well narrated and even my husband loved them. We laughed all the way on the unplanned road trip.
Evanovich does a hilarious job of blending Stephanie Plum’s character as a ‘balls of brass’ woman with a cute, ditzy amateur who is desperate enough for money to try her hand at bounty hunting…tracking down the man who ‘stole’ her virginity. It is amazing she can make her heroine both dumb and smart. I’ve talked with some people who were disappointed because they feel SP is not this shrewd, savvy, experienced investigator.
If you are looking for hardboiled female detectives (that have won Shamus awards) try Karen Kijewski’s Kat Colorado series, Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone alphabet soup, Sara Paretsky’s Chicagoan V.I. Warshawski, or Linda Barnes’ Carlotta Carlyle, a Boston PI (also a 6’1’’ redhead).
While I like clever female protagonists, I, personally, can take a little inexperience in my heroines especially if she is as spunky as SP. Evanovich’s dialogues crackle with many LOL moments and the characters come alive. Yes, beware, there is a little violence towards women, but this is a MURDER mystery.
Evanovich does a hilarious job of blending Stephanie Plum’s character as a ‘balls of brass’ woman with a cute, ditzy amateur who is desperate enough for money to try her hand at bounty hunting…tracking down the man who ‘stole’ her virginity. It is amazing she can make her heroine both dumb and smart. I’ve talked with some people who were disappointed because they feel SP is not this shrewd, savvy, experienced investigator.
If you are looking for hardboiled female detectives (that have won Shamus awards) try Karen Kijewski’s Kat Colorado series, Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone alphabet soup, Sara Paretsky’s Chicagoan V.I. Warshawski, or Linda Barnes’ Carlotta Carlyle, a Boston PI (also a 6’1’’ redhead).
While I like clever female protagonists, I, personally, can take a little inexperience in my heroines especially if she is as spunky as SP. Evanovich’s dialogues crackle with many LOL moments and the characters come alive. Yes, beware, there is a little violence towards women, but this is a MURDER mystery.
June 25, 2022
I really enjoy the Stephanie Plum Cozy Mysteries. My mother read all of them and recommended them to me.
October 31, 2010
First off, I love Lori Petty's narration and I'm sad that she didn't do any more beyond the first 3 books. I really enjoyed these audiobooks, and if you like Janet Evanovich's books, I think you'll love the audiobooks.
One For the Money - Stephanie is laid-off and looking for a way to make money quick because her car's just been repossessed and she has no food in the fridge. She becomes a bail-bondsman for a cousin and her first job is an old boyfriend who was her first. This book was not only funny but some of the characters were downright psychotic scary. Very good book.
Two For the Dough - Stephanie and Joe Morelli are looking for Joe's cousin, who is a psycho. Now the cousin is after Stephanie and her grandmother. Funny story. Hated thinking about the way this guy hurt her grandmother, but all done with humor.
Three to Get Deadly - This one is about vigilantes gone wrong. And finally Stephanie and Joe start to take their relationship to another level.
One For the Money - Stephanie is laid-off and looking for a way to make money quick because her car's just been repossessed and she has no food in the fridge. She becomes a bail-bondsman for a cousin and her first job is an old boyfriend who was her first. This book was not only funny but some of the characters were downright psychotic scary. Very good book.
Two For the Dough - Stephanie and Joe Morelli are looking for Joe's cousin, who is a psycho. Now the cousin is after Stephanie and her grandmother. Funny story. Hated thinking about the way this guy hurt her grandmother, but all done with humor.
Three to Get Deadly - This one is about vigilantes gone wrong. And finally Stephanie and Joe start to take their relationship to another level.
June 21, 2008
Talk about your guilty pleasures, or would guilty hilarity be more accurate? I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard at a book! I thought I was going to pee my pants when Granny shot that chicken. And I think people in Trenton, NJ and people in DeRidder, LA must have something in common.
On a less flattering note, I didn't like all the swearing, but after a while my mind didn't read them, almost like my eyes were editing, and I could skip right over without registering the words. Weird, hey? I feel sort of naughty for having read them (not kinky naughty, just the regular kind). Still. Very funny.
On a less flattering note, I didn't like all the swearing, but after a while my mind didn't read them, almost like my eyes were editing, and I could skip right over without registering the words. Weird, hey? I feel sort of naughty for having read them (not kinky naughty, just the regular kind). Still. Very funny.
March 17, 2019
These are the first three books in the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. The first one, One for the Money, wasn't a murder mystery but it was interesting and laid the foundation for the series. The second one, Two for the Dough, evolved into a murder mystery and Stephanie's grandmother, Grandma Mazur who is hysterical plays a major role in helping Stephanie as she look for her assignment, Kenny Mancuso. The third book, Three to Get Deadly, is full of surprises and Stephanie has her hands full juggling Lulu, Morelli, Ranger and the bad guys to solve not one but several murders. For someone whose job is just catching fugitives who jump bail for her cousin Vinnie, Stephanie ends up heavily involved in murder investigations well beyond her expertise as a bounty hunter. Evanovich's writing adds humor to an otherwise dark topic and her characters are great! The Stephanie Plum books would make a great Lifetime movie series for television.
December 18, 2011
I've actually finished the next two books after these three so I'm a little fuzzy on when I finished this one, not to mention, all five books are kind of blended together.
Several bits of information gets repeated in the first several books, but I suppose if someone didn't start at the beginning for some reason, or didn't, like I did, read them all in rush they probably wouldn't have noticed it, while I found it kind of annoying.
At the end of the first three books, I'm still not sold on Morelli, but Ranger on the other hand is made of awesome and needs to be in it more.(which she nicely obliges in the fifth book =D)
Several bits of information gets repeated in the first several books, but I suppose if someone didn't start at the beginning for some reason, or didn't, like I did, read them all in rush they probably wouldn't have noticed it, while I found it kind of annoying.
At the end of the first three books, I'm still not sold on Morelli, but Ranger on the other hand is made of awesome and needs to be in it more.(which she nicely obliges in the fifth book =D)
December 27, 2018
I immediately fell for Stephanie Plum ... how can you not! She is a train wreck with plenty of mascara, and a fantastic family! Can't wait for more adventures!
BTW ... I am TOTALLY Team Ranger! Also Lula is AMAZING ... we all need a Lula in our lives! I have decided I want to be adopted by the Plums so I can have a Grama Mazur!
I have read the first 22 as well as the In-Between the Plums stories and I am so ready for the next several!
BTW ... I am TOTALLY Team Ranger! Also Lula is AMAZING ... we all need a Lula in our lives! I have decided I want to be adopted by the Plums so I can have a Grama Mazur!
I have read the first 22 as well as the In-Between the Plums stories and I am so ready for the next several!
April 4, 2012
Well, I got through the first two books before returning it to the library. Just haven't had a lot of time to read lately. I don't like this series as much as, say, Jame's Patterson's "Women's Murder Club" series; however, I do like it enough to continue reading. I feel like it could more suspense and a faster pace. Not bad, though!
August 25, 2022
One for the Money
I sorta grew up reading these and thought it might be fun to listen to them now. They’re light and funny and listening while I work helps me focus …
I was right, it was fun. Exactly as I remembered it.
“Everything in Jersey has a bad order—it’s one of the few things we can count on.”
4 stars.
Audio:
Lori Petty narrates! How cool! Her voice works, it’s fine to listen to (by my standards anyway) and she performs it well, and has the Trenton accent down.
Two for the Dough
Another fast-paced, action-packed re-read / listen to keep me company while I work.
These are quick reads too, under 3 hours. A great work companion.
*I dislike the negative connotation to pitbulls she made, breed discrimination and ignorant and harmful. Minus half a star for this.
3.5 stars.
Audio:
I’m loving Lori Petty’s depiction of Stephanie and the rest of the cast. 5-star performance.
Three to Get Deadly
The one with ‘Uncle Mo’.
Stephanie gets a lot of hate from locals who think Mo being on a killing spree would be a good thing.
Funny, as always.
4 stars.
Audio
I was spoiled with Lori Petty narrating books 1-2, I prefer her but this one was okay. She did well with some of the Jersey accents … I don’t love her for Stephanie but she is okay for some of the other characters.
I sorta grew up reading these and thought it might be fun to listen to them now. They’re light and funny and listening while I work helps me focus …
I was right, it was fun. Exactly as I remembered it.
“Everything in Jersey has a bad order—it’s one of the few things we can count on.”
4 stars.
Audio:
Lori Petty narrates! How cool! Her voice works, it’s fine to listen to (by my standards anyway) and she performs it well, and has the Trenton accent down.
Two for the Dough
Another fast-paced, action-packed re-read / listen to keep me company while I work.
These are quick reads too, under 3 hours. A great work companion.
*I dislike the negative connotation to pitbulls she made, breed discrimination and ignorant and harmful. Minus half a star for this.
3.5 stars.
Audio:
I’m loving Lori Petty’s depiction of Stephanie and the rest of the cast. 5-star performance.
Three to Get Deadly
The one with ‘Uncle Mo’.
Stephanie gets a lot of hate from locals who think Mo being on a killing spree would be a good thing.
Funny, as always.
4 stars.
Audio
I was spoiled with Lori Petty narrating books 1-2, I prefer her but this one was okay. She did well with some of the Jersey accents … I don’t love her for Stephanie but she is okay for some of the other characters.
May 23, 2023
It was all right. Three books in one and entertaining, although definitely dated. For sure a late 80s to mid-90s read. I prefer the cozier cozy mysteries. Not my favorite.
November 30, 2016
Grandma! She makes these books for me every time! Don't get me wrong, I love Stephanie and lets not get into which stud I prefer but Grandma is a hoot and I love every scene that involves her. Always waiting to see what she does or what comes out of her mouth. Fun books!
March 26, 2011
SOO funnyy!!!
May 6, 2017
First book was meh. The second book was much better. The third book was pretty alright too. In general, this series seems to lack pacing and I think the romance is lacking. I simply don't feel the chemistry between Stephanie and Morrelli. I also really hated that we are repeatedly told that Morrelli is so hot that his coercive sexual advances on Stephanie in her youth are an example of him being too sexy to deny rather than him being gross and coercive. I don't think that is okay. I also didn't like the way homosexuality was portrayed and reacted to in the third book. To be fair, this was written quite a while ago and I'm sure that things improved as the stories continued.
That being said, Stephanie and Rex make these books. The characters (outside of the love interests, imho) are so incredibly well done and interesting. They make the issues with pacing and plot more than bearable even when the pacing is at its worst.
Overall, I found book two really compelling and fun. It was 3 stars for me just because of some issues I had with the writing, but it was super fun to read. Book one verged on 2 stars and book three was solidly 3 stars.
That being said, Stephanie and Rex make these books. The characters (outside of the love interests, imho) are so incredibly well done and interesting. They make the issues with pacing and plot more than bearable even when the pacing is at its worst.
Overall, I found book two really compelling and fun. It was 3 stars for me just because of some issues I had with the writing, but it was super fun to read. Book one verged on 2 stars and book three was solidly 3 stars.
April 17, 2020
This series has been running for so long it's in the secondary double-digits, so having the first three in one volume is a great way to finally start out.
I read One last year, then took way too long of a break for this series, and just read Two and Three this past week and a half or so.
One and Two are thoroughly fantastic and Three is still very good while I found some of the plodding and build-up to be not as interesting despite it also giving me some new character and world elements I was waiting for.
I still love Lizzie & Diesel from Evanovich even more but I'll be real, objectively this is probably still her best series and I think I'll be happy to keep going even more forward from here.
I read One last year, then took way too long of a break for this series, and just read Two and Three this past week and a half or so.
One and Two are thoroughly fantastic and Three is still very good while I found some of the plodding and build-up to be not as interesting despite it also giving me some new character and world elements I was waiting for.
I still love Lizzie & Diesel from Evanovich even more but I'll be real, objectively this is probably still her best series and I think I'll be happy to keep going even more forward from here.
July 4, 2021
I didn’t particularly enjoy this reader (of the CD version). Sometimes too fast or not enunciated well & I had to keep going back to listen again. Speeding up when action is going on makes it exciting but hard to keep up with! And the north “Joisey” accent may be authentic, but it was driving me a bit nuts. I also didn’t know these were abridged until I got to the dnd of the last one & heard the beginning of the credits. I don’t usually do abridged. As to the stories, they were good, moments of humor, I’m curious to listen to #4, since another reviewer here said this reader only did these 3, & see how I like an unabridged version with a different reader. I kept thinking this should be a tv series.
May 22, 2024
Stephanie Plum, a young New Jersey woman, is out of work, and the only job that seems available is that of a bounty hunter working for her bail bondsman cousin. This book contains the first three books in what I think is a long series. I found it at my local library while looking for something else and figured I'd give it a try. It's not as humorous as I expected from the cover blurbs, but it has some snarky banter and a few witty bits. The one thing that really does strain one's capacity for disbelief is why the protagonist sticks with an extremely dangerous job that she so clearly isn't suited for and isn't very good at. But the pacing is good and it's a quick read. I'll probably go ahead and pick up more of these from the library.
February 18, 2020
Filling in notes from my 2006 book journal:
My friend Christi told me to read this series, which is up to 11 books now. Fortunately this book had the first three books in one, so it was easy to pick up and get going. At first the story reminded me of Robert Parker's Sunny Randall series (which I recommended to my friend in return), but so far Stephanie Plum is still bumbling through her cases, and is just barely compentent, solving things with luck. But unlike Parker, this has more back story on her life, her family, her romantic life, which adds a lot more humor. I got through these three pretty quick and liked them, so I'll have to hit the library for the next books.
My friend Christi told me to read this series, which is up to 11 books now. Fortunately this book had the first three books in one, so it was easy to pick up and get going. At first the story reminded me of Robert Parker's Sunny Randall series (which I recommended to my friend in return), but so far Stephanie Plum is still bumbling through her cases, and is just barely compentent, solving things with luck. But unlike Parker, this has more back story on her life, her family, her romantic life, which adds a lot more humor. I got through these three pretty quick and liked them, so I'll have to hit the library for the next books.
September 20, 2020
Stephanie Plum's adventures in books 1, 2, and 3 are great. This series was recommended to me many times before I actually sat down to read them. Love the book, love the characters, and love the charming sense of humor that will often have me chuckling out loud. I don't understand how one person can explode that many cars. I had never heard of TastyKakes until this book. I have now remedied that. I recommend for an entertaining, enjoyable, funny read. Very light sexy talk, no down and dirty descriptions.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2024
Some of the scenes and dialogue in Janet Evanovich's first three books have me laughing out loud, especially the Cluck in a Bucket arrest in Three to Get Deadly. I'd love to meet her main characters in person.
At the same time, I first read these books when they came out thirty years ago, and while I am enjoying revisiting them, the derogatory comments about the LGBTQ community and the treatment of gun violence as a constant source of hilarity have been more jarring this time around.
At the same time, I first read these books when they came out thirty years ago, and while I am enjoying revisiting them, the derogatory comments about the LGBTQ community and the treatment of gun violence as a constant source of hilarity have been more jarring this time around.
July 25, 2024
The Adventures Stephanie Plum!
This boxed set is a keeper! I figured I would be reading g for weeks since the books were all at least 250 pages in length. Color me surprised when I finished in less than a week! I got so engrossed with the characters and the stories.
Definitely will be reading more of this series in the future!! I'm not afraid to admit to being a closet fan of Stephanie Plum and Grandma Mazer!
This boxed set is a keeper! I figured I would be reading g for weeks since the books were all at least 250 pages in length. Color me surprised when I finished in less than a week! I got so engrossed with the characters and the stories.
Definitely will be reading more of this series in the future!! I'm not afraid to admit to being a closet fan of Stephanie Plum and Grandma Mazer!
September 5, 2017
I saw the movie for One For the Money this weekend and decided to go back and reread. My library had this three books in one so I decided to reread all three. Still just as funny especially when Grandma Mazur shoots the chicken. Stephanie and Lula working together is easily the best part of book three.
March 7, 2020
Janet Evanovich is one of my favorite comedy writers. Hard to classify her books. They are funny, very suspenseful and have some romance. However the main character is too busy getting into and out of trouble to really classify it as a romantic suspense, mainly her books are just wonderful fun and I hope she never stops writing them!
April 13, 2020
Just a kinda fun, but not to be taken too seriously. Stephanie Plum is a nice character, but I don't know if I could stay interested after 20+ Stephanie Plum novels. I'd love to see the characters evolve a little bit more. I rated it "it was ok". When I get bored, it'll always be a series I could return to.
January 21, 2021
I like Janet Evonovich books they're easy to read and funny. I decided to start from the beginning of the Stephanie Plum series. Stephanie is a bounty hunter and has two men in her life. Her Grandma Mazur is a hoot. Stephanie's sometime sidekick Lula is also very funny. These books don't take concentration to read, so they are perfect if you like to read but are also busy.
July 5, 2024
This entire series (around 30 books now?) is full of humor and wit. Very easy reads and easy to follow, the kind of books you can read even when you’re not able to focus for too long. Originally would give them 4 stars, but as the series progresses, the writing and stories become repetitive. You read the same book 30 times in a row.
May 23, 2018
When you need a laugh
Lucille Ball comes to mind when I read these books because I find myself smiling a good deal of the time. You have a crazy woman bounty hunter in training and everything that can go wrong usually does. Throw in too hunks and you have a great mix.
Lucille Ball comes to mind when I read these books because I find myself smiling a good deal of the time. You have a crazy woman bounty hunter in training and everything that can go wrong usually does. Throw in too hunks and you have a great mix.
November 26, 2018
If you start reading one Stephanie Plum book and enjoy it, suddenly you want to read them all. (As long as they stay good. That's the real challenge with long running series. Are they any good after the fifth or sixth one?)
December 10, 2018
Great Books!! Book 1,2,& 3..
I read them all in 5 days.. I think there are 27 books to this series or more.. I would definitely recommend this series to Adults .. I absolutely loved them. I can’t wait to start the next one..
-K- W.
Dania Beach, FL
I read them all in 5 days.. I think there are 27 books to this series or more.. I would definitely recommend this series to Adults .. I absolutely loved them. I can’t wait to start the next one..
-K- W.
Dania Beach, FL
December 9, 2022
Who doesn’t laugh out loud at Stephanie Plum? Or Lula? Who doesn’t wish their grandma was Grandma Mazur? Who doesn’t side with team Morelli or team Ranger. The entire series is a must read for light hearted fast fun reading! Too many characters not to enjoy!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 260 reviews