Three Plums in One: One for the Money, Two for the Dough, Three to Get Ready by Janet Evanovich (2001, Compact Disc)

I got this book after I had already read a few in the series and it was great to go back and see how the whole thing started.

Stephanie Plum is our heroine and she gets downsized out of her job. Most other jobs she can find, don't pay well or she's not good at, when she finds that her yecky cousin Vinny, has a bail bonds office and pays well to find bounty, she decides to give it a shot. So what if she hates guns and these people have the annoying habit of blowing up her cars??? For a few thousand a find, she can pay off her bills and get that cute pair of shoes.
Both her and Vinny knows she needs a mentor so he introduces her to the hottest and best bounty hunter around, Ranger. Who has a habit of calling her "babe" and makes her melt, when he's within 2 feet of her.

The three books fill in some of the back story of Lula, Vinny, Joe, Connie and Grandma, her parents, returning characters to all the following books.

Now that I have read the entire series I can say these first 3 aren't as well written as the last 3-4 in the series but it does flesh out the characters well for the reader.
All these books are light reading, funny with a bit of a mystery in each story. As the series goes on each book gets more complex and fun for the reader. You care about these characters and always want to get her "man" both the bounty and either Ranger or Joe.

Buying 3 Plums in One is a great deal, as all of the first 3 novels are in here. Good place to start the series or to purchase to complete your series.

I hope at some point they make these into movies or a TV series as it's too much fun to leave on the page!

I love the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. I listen to the audio CD's on my 30 min commute to and from work. I like the reader of these--Lori Petty, but I don't think you get the full Evanovich effect with the abridged version. It's not worth the time saved. Go with the unabridged versions; you will get lost in the story and time will fly by.

I received two copies of Two for the Dough and one copy of Three to Get Deadly so I did not receive One for the Money. I did not particularly like the stories, they were a little more juvenile than I like. I think teenagers and young adults would like these books

First book, "One for the Money" is the start of a great read. Some profanity but nevertheless, what a hoot! From the descriptions, you can just see the characters in your mind and what a group! Love the plots and story lines and you feel just like you know them. You will root for Stephanie, Lula, Joe and Ranger! Try these books or CD's, you will laugh and remember some parts and laugh again and again!

Great way to see where all of the excitement around the Stephanie Plum series began - I was hooked after the first book and was glad to already have the next two waiting for me with this three-in-one set.