Carole's Sunday Review: One of the money - Janet Evanovich

Author: Janet Evanovich

Title: One for the Money (Stephanie Plum #1)

Genre: Mystery, Fiction, Comedy, Romance, & Action

Pages: ebook

First Published: 1994

Where I Got It: My shelf (Freebie)

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.

I don't really read many genres like this, but it was picked for book club this month, so here we go!

Honestly, it was a lot better then I thought it would be. I read in a matter of a couple of days (I had a space in between due to sickness and starting a different book that I've dying to read for ages). It was really funny and I liked Stephanie Plum. I felt bad that she lost her job due to the owner's scam. So now no one really wants to hire her. However, she goes over to her cousin Vinnie and begs for anything....so he offers her a bounty hunter job. Her first assignment/test is bag Morelli, who is wanted to murder. Ugh...Morelli...a womanizing scumbag. >___> 

She willingly accepts, because Morelli used her twice: once when they were little kids and second when they were in there upper teens. Scum. I did not like him and if I had been Stephanie I would have gassed him and took him in the first time I caught him. Okay...maybe second time, because I would have been naive as well thinking just saying, "Hey, I'm here to take you in. Come with me" would work as well. Ha, he takes off and says he's innocent. I wouldn't have given a hoot about him saying he's innocent...not my problem....I'm just a bounty hunter. 

Anyways, the story was fun. I enjoyed seeing Stephanie grow into a pretty good bounty hunter (she bags a couple other people for extra money while hunting for Morelli). I loved Ranger. I honestly wish that they would end up together. *shakes my head* Why? I don't know. haha, because he was the first to really believe in her and take her under his wing? Perhaps. 

There were a few points were it did drag a little bit. I admit...I skimmed, because NOTHING was happening. There was a huge lull a couple of times. However, they both were calms before the storm, so it was probably on purpose to give the reader some air. However, I did not want the air. When it comes to a bounty hunter and action-y type books I like little lulls once in a great while (so like a couple pages at most). 

I have mixed feelings about the end. It was good, but I would have done it differently. I can't say what or I will spoil it. However, I do love the last line of the book, again, I cannot say without giving it away. I also have mixed feelings, because it seemed non-cliffhangerish (which is good), but it seemed cut off. Mmm. See? Odd and confusing feelings about it.

In the end, this was a fun book. I doubt I will continue the series on my own, however, if it is picked by one of the book club members, I will not complain. Just not something I will hunt down on my own. The characters were fun, I really liked Stephanie and Ranger. There were a few lulls that bored me and the ending left me unsure if I liked it or not. Hmmmm. Anyways, I totally recommend this to those that like action, mystery, and a touch of an odd romance. Would you even classify this AS romance? It seemed more like a lust not wanted. Huh. Well, I shall stamp this with 3 stars. 

Favorite Character(s): Stephanie, Stephanie's grandma (hilarious old lady, who wears blue shorts to funerals), and Ranger

Not-so Favorite Character(s): Morelli, Rameriz (gah), and the main baddie (GAH! He got me...I did not expect it)

Review: Deal with the devil - J. Gunnar Grey + One for the money trailer

Book 1+ 2
Genre: Historical murder mystery
Pages: 286, ebook
Published: May and June 2011
Review by Anna

Wehrmacht Major Faust has a dangerous secret: he likes England. But it's May 1940 and his Panzers are blasting the British Army off Dunkirk's beach, so he keeps his mouth shut. When the Waffen SS try to murder their English prisoners of war, Faust helps the POWs escape. Now it's treason, with his neck on the line. Then a friend gets him drunk, straps him into a parachute, and throws him out over Oxford during a bombing run. He's quickly caught. Because he helped type the battle plan for the invasion of England, Faust cannot allow himself to be broken in interrogation. Two German armies depend on it. But every time he escapes, someone rapes and murders a woman and the English are looking for someone to hang. He's risking disaster if he stays, someone else's life if he runs, and execution by the Gestapo if he makes it home. Major Stoner, professor turned British intelligence officer, sees three possibilities. Faust perhaps was joyriding in that bomber, as he claims. Or he's on a reconnaissance mission for the German invasion. Or he's a spy. Stoner must break Faust to learn the truth. Their battlefield is confined to a desktop. Only one of them can win. Someone must break. Someone must make a Deal with the Devil.

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“Deal With the Devil” is a historical murder mystery, set during the World War II. Hans-Joachim Faust, a German, finds himself in trouble. He wakes up in the night, not knowing where he is and what’s happened. Soon he realizes that he has fallen out of a plane with his parachute and is currently somewhere in England. But why is he in England and how will he find the way back to Germany? He finds his way to a farm, but unfortunately he is pretty soon captured and brought into custody. What he doesn’t know is that a young woman from the farm is missing and he is obviously a suspect. 

Things only get worse for Faust when he learns that the missing girl is found dead. He is now a suspect in a murder case. And that’s not all. Stoner and the other investigators at Margeaux Hall also suspects he might be a spy. Faust does not do much to clear his name by running away several times from the people who is supposed to guard him. The freedom is short lived, as he always finds himself back at Margeaux Hall, back in his cell.

When the second young woman is found dead, the Scotland Yard joins to investigate. Could it be that Faust is innocent? Stoner certainly doesn’t think so. But Stoner might be wrong. Arnussen and Hackney from the Scotland Yard more and more starts to suspect that it is one of the investigators that is the killer. The question is whether Scotland Yard is on the right track or if they need to look somewhere else for the killer.

The book was released in two parts, with the second part being a bit shorter than the first part. The second part begins where the first part ends, with no summary. This means you have to read part 1 in order to understand what is going on in part 2. Personally I don’t really understand the need in separating the two parts. Why not release the story as one book?

J. Gunnar Grey writes novels that are mysterious, adventurous and romantically suspenseful, as stated in the “About the Author” section of the book. “Deal With the Devil” is certainly mysterious and adventurous, with a little bit of romance. She has a degree (MA) in Writing Popular Fiction. She has been a secretary, a legal assistant, a Starfleet lieutenant commander, a stable manager, among other things. She uses the knowledge she has gained from being all those things, in the book.

I liked the second part of the book better than the first part. It took me a while to get into the story and to understand it. The end is really full of action, which is quite good. I do recommend the book for those who like historical murder mysteries.

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And something from me. I love the Steph Plum books (and hate them for dragging out), and I am sure excited about  the movie