One for the Money: A Stephanie Plum Novel, Book 1

This series was recommended to me with the warning that the first books in the series are not as good as the later ones. I had a hard time sticking with this one and the second book, but I'm on the third one now and am totally hooked! I makes me laugh out loud at times. I can't wait to get to the later books that are narrated by Lorelei King, because I really enjoy her narration of the Mercy Thompson books. So hang in there, this series definitely does get better!

I found it somewhat difficult to make my brain differentiate between all of the male characters because Critt made them all sound the same. If the author didn't specify who was talking, you couldn't tell by the narration. Critt's too-long pauses between her sentences became annoying.

Overall, I enjoyed the story but didn't love it because of the narration. I'll trudge through books 2-3 just so I can get to a different narrator in book 4.

Janet Evanovich is a publishing legend, but you'd never know it from this audiobook. C.J. Critt is the worst Audible narrator I've ever heard. Her deep breaths and pauses after every sentence distract from the story, and make you wonder if she has emphysema! Too bad she narrated the first 4 books in the Stephanie Plum series - the books deserve better!

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I am listening to another story now, but continue to use this to help put me asleep at night. It is interestering enough to be engaging, but not enough so to interfere with drifting off to sleep.---- That sums up the story quite well.

I am still unsure why the newly released unabridged versions of Evanovich's books are being read by someone who is not Lorelei King. Critt is a mediocre Stephanie Plum at best. The story is typical first in a series, a lot of background info and explanations of characters we'll see throughout the series. Overall, the book is just kind of meh.

Stephanie Plum is not a modern day heroine. She is just another Jersey girl trying to make ends meet in a tough economy. She becomes a bounty hunter after being laid off from her job as an underwear buyer at a department store. This is the perfect premise for a book you want to listen to without having to think, which is exactly what this story delivers.

Of course, as you would expect, Stephanie does become quite the success at bounty hunting. The various characters you meet are colorful, although a bit clichéd. It is no surprise that Stephanie Plum saves the day, and hooks up with the cute cop who looks like a bad guy, but is really one of the nice guys. This is a fun listen that is not a complete waste of your time, but just barely. Not a low brow as the Jersey Shore, but more on the level of The Real Housewives of New Jersey.

This audiobook would be so much better if it had better narration! I found myself having to rewind and listen again before getting the humor of certain parts. The delivery was just not there. Things that were actually very funny came across as a bad joke. This was disappointing. Still, there is nothing about Stephanie Plum books that should be taken too seriously, even bad narration. These books are mean to be fun, and not much more. While the narration was not the best, I was still able to enjoy the story for what is it. An easy read (or listen) that is mildly entertaining.

Wonderfully cozy. A lighthearted, mystery, to curl up with, and pass the time. There were several places where I laughed out loud causing people to stare at me. Stephanie, seems to get herself into, ongoing, silly predicaments. This was my first Janet Evanovich book and I REALLY enjoyed it. I found the narrator to be perfect, but I didn't have any others to compare, as did some of the reviewers. I just purchased four more books and it seems to be quite a large series, so it should keep me out of trouble for a while! I will take the advice of other reviewers and read, rather than listen, to the abridged audiobooks. I've never cared for any of the abridged books that I've purchased.

The reader/performer used such inappropriate inflection and phrasing that she was really annoying to listen to. I very nearly deleted the book before I heard it all. She apparently didn't have any feel for the story she was reading. The main character was annoying also, and rather poorly drawn, in my opinion. No more Janet Evanovitch for me and I will try to avoid any books narrated by C.J. Critt.

All you need is a sense of humor. Actually, you don't even need that. Or a personality. You just have to be able to read, or, in the case of an audible book, listen. Janet Evanovich has given Stephanie Plum enough personality and wit for 10 women. Or men. And with supporting characters like Joe Morelli, Ranger, Lula and Grandma Mazur, all that's necessary is that you read/listen in spurts so you don't die of laughter before the book ends. I'm telling ya, even Rex the hamster, who doesn't even have a speaking part, is funny.

It also isn't hard to find someone to hate in “One for the Money,” the first book in the Plum novels. Joyce Barnhardt comes to mind. She's the series bitch and Stephanie's arch enemy. Why? She slept with Stephanie's husband-at-the-time, Dickie Orr, and neither got much sleep. Speaking of sex, Stephanie and Morelli have had the on-and-off hots for each other since forever, and have been fighting and flirting since childhood.

Then there's fellow bounty hunter Ranger. He and Ms. Plum have nothing in common, except a mutual attraction to each other. He's the consummate professional to Stephanie's bumbling neophyte slob. Ranger's an almost vegetarian and she's never met a cheeseburger she doesn't like. But he seems to always turn up when Stephanie needs him, and in "One for the Money," she needs him several times. Heck, she needs a lot of help. A natural at bounty hunting, she isn’t.

Of course, it also helps to have a fearless family member like Grandma Mazer, who wouldn't back down from a circle saw, and who takes to carrying a pistol (a really big one) in her purse in the next book in the series, "Two for the Dough." She also, much to Stephanie’s dismay, starts tagging along with her on searches for FTAs (failure to appear).

Bottom line: "One for the Money" is a hoot from start to finish. It will leave you wanting more. Fortunately, there is more. A lot of it.

I have not finished listening to the book, but it is taking a while because the narrator is annoying to me. Hearing her constantly take the deep breaths, to me is distracting. Maybe it's her style, but I think you can convey sacrasm and move the story forward without hearing the breaths after every pause. ANNOYING!

I am goiong to need to see how this ends and see if it's the same narrator throughout the series. So not sure.

Her annoying heavy breathing! She doesn't do the voices of the other characters as well as other narrators I have listened to. I like Judy Kay from the Grafton series and the gal from the JD Robb Series isn't too bad either.

It is a movie now, but I haven't seen it.