Two for the Dough

Two for the Dough by Janet Evanovich

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Not very compelling as a mystery, but I’ll give it an A+ for humor and quirky characters. Joe Morelli takes a back seat in this one and Ranger is practically non-existant. Grandma Mazur is the main star here. The big blue Buick could be a character in its own right, and then, of course, there is Rex, the hamster. Lots of slapstick humor and laugh-out-loud moments. A wonderful light-hearted escape with no literary merit whatsoever. It would make a great “bad” TV show. C. J. Critt must have worked on her New Jersey accent for this one. I wasn’t convinced on her reading of the first book, but this one was fine. I’ll definitely keep listening to the series.

Description (from back of case):
Stephanie Plum, the sassiest, spunkiest female bounty hunter in America (or at least New Jersey) is back to take on her second case. She’s armed with attitude and outrageous fashion sense – not to mention stun guns, defense sprays, killer flashlights, and her trusty .38 – and all the determination a neophyte bounty hunter can muster. In Two For the Dough, she’s after a ruthless bail jumper who has an affection for mailing Stephanie deadly notes and pickled body parts, and stealing 24 super-cheap caskets loaded with contraband. When the case overwhelms Stephanie and fast-talking vice cop Joe Morelli, she calls in a real pro: her grandma Mazur, a grey-haired, spandex-wearing dynamo packing heat.

One for the Money

One For The Money by Janet Evanovich

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book started off a little slow for me, but when it got going it was a fine ride. I will look forward to more of Stephanie, Vinnie, Joe, and Ranger. And Grandma Mazur, of course. I will also definitely see the movie….

Description:
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…