Two For The Dough
Series: A Stephanie Plum Novel #2
Author: Janet Evanovich
Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Page Count: 312
My Rating:
Book Summary
This one’s double the fun!
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 Grandma 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.
More Facts for Readers about our Sleuth:
Main Sleuth: Stephanie Plum (age early thirties)
Description: 5’7″, brown hair, blue eyes, fair skin (Italian-Hungarian descent)
Business: Bounty Hunter (for bail jumpers)
Pet: Rex, a hamster
Sidekick:s Ranger (fellow Bounty Hunter) and Lula (hooker turned filing clerk)
Love Interest: Jospeh Morelli, local vice cop
Family: Mom, Dad, Grandma Mazur, Cousin Vinnie
Location: Trenton, New Jersey
Time of year: October (Indian Summer)
Any Cussing? Yes
Diversity? Yes! Lula is a badass African American woman whose role is growing from her first appearance in book 1 to now, and I can tell she’s going to be a much-loved character in the series. At times she does come across a little charactery and I wouldn’t say her personality is as authentic as it could be, but she is evolving and I think the portrayal will get better and better.
My Review
I jumped in to book 2 of the Stephanie Plum series “Two for the Dough” by Janet Evanovich knowing I was in for another action packed murder mystery. I wasn’t disappointed. I was really pleased to see our recurring cast of characters come back without missing a beat, including a larger role for Lula, a comical hooker turned filing clerk from the first book. She’s got even more sass and attitude this time around and I love that she says what we’re all thinking.
And you know something? I love the fact that the main sleuth Stephanie is marketed as a badass bounty hunter yet she’s just as quirky and flawed as the rest of us. She screws up a lot, she gets herself into ridiculous situations, and she just keeps rolling with the punches. As a female reader myself, I appreciate that. Who would want to read about constant perfection? I for one like reading about a hot mess who somehow ends up winning the day despite setback after setback.
