Two for the Dough (Stephanie Plum, No. 2) (Stephanie Plum Novels)

It's Stephanie Plum, New Jersey's "fugitive apprehension" agent (aka bounty hunter), introduced to the world by Janet Evanovich in the award-winning novel One for the Money.

Now Stephanie's back, armed with attitude -- not to mention stun guns, defense sprays, killer flashlights, and her trusty .38, Stephanie is after a new bail jumper, Kenny Mancuso, a boy from Trenton's burg. He's fresh out of the army, suspiciously wealthy, and he's just shot his best friend.

With her bounty hunter pal Ranger stepping in occasionally to advise her, Stephanie staggers kneedeep in corpses and caskets as she traipses through back streets, dark alleys, and funeral parlors.

And nobody knows funeral parlors better than Stephanie's irrepressible Grandma Mazur, a lady whose favorite pastime is grabbing a front-row seat at a neighborhood wake. So Stephanie uses Grandma as a cover to follow leads, but loses control when Grandma warms to the action, packing a cool pistol. Much to the family's chagrin, Stephanie and Granny may soon have the elusive Kenny in their sights.

Fast-talking, slow-handed vice cop Joe Morelli joins in the case, since the prey happens to be his young cousin. And if the assignment calls for an automobile stakeout for two with the woman who puts his libido in overdrive, Morelli's not one to object.

Low on expertise but learning fast, high on resilience, and despite the help she gets from friends and relatives, Stephanie eventually must face the danger alone when embalmed body parts begin to arrive on her doorstep and she's targeted for a nasty death by the most loathsome adversary she's ever encountered. Another case like this and she'll be a real pro.

Two for the Dough is irresistible fun and powerful suspense entertainment from an acclaimed author who is already a national star.

Average Customer Review: ( 296 customer reviews )
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Stephanie Plum is an appealing heroine. She acts tough, but in reality she's all too human. The plot is complicated enough to keep the reader engaged, and the action never lets up. There were several parts I thought I had figured out only to learn later I was wrong. And Grandma Mazur is a riot as she gets more involved in the story.

It's easy to see why these books are so popular - an appealing main character and fun stories. If you're looking for purely escapist fiction, this is the series for you.

36 of 38 found the following review helpful:

Even Better Than The First!Jul 09, 2001

This is a very funny book! Two for the Dough, the second book in the Stephanie Plum series. Stephanie , bounty hunter gets a new case to find Kenny Mancuso who is accused of killing his best friend and jumping bail. Stephanie still is getting help from bounty hunter Ranger and cop Joe Morelli. Kenny is Joe's cousin and he is also looking for him . Grandma Mazur who is a trip helps Stephanie search the funeral homes for Kenny. Grandma Mazur is very funny and she loves going to funeral home's already. Stephanie also agrees to find missing coffins while she is in search of Kenny. This book was funnier then the first it will have you laughing out loud. The pages just seem to fly; it is very fast paced. I can't wait to read the next one, and I would recommend this series to everybody.

32 of 36 found the following review helpful:

Entertaining book - Definitely worth readingSep 01, 1996

Stephanie Plum is back in this fast paced book that won't let you stop until you're done. This time Stephanie's teamed up with Joe Morelli in order to find his cousin who is accused of killing his best friend. Stephanie, along with Grandma Mazur, searches funeral homes for the allusive Kenny Mancusco. Two For the Dough, although not as funny as the first, has many hilarious moments . Joe Morelli and Grandma Mazur have just as much depth as supporting characters as Stephanie does as the main. Grandma Mazur's adventures in the funeral home are quite humorous, although the mortuary theme was a little too morbid and played too great a part. Janet Evanovich's great sense of humor is reflected in both One For the Money and in Two For the Dough- I laughed so hard I cried! Stephanie Plum is a hip and spunky heroine whose attitude endears herself to her readers. I highly recommend reading Two For the Dough - I can hardly wait to read the next one

21 of 23 found the following review helpful:

If I Laughed Any Louder...Jul 24, 2001
By Wendy Kaplan
I would have been carted away. The divine tough-talking, impossibly inept bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is back, along with her entire cast of totally loony characters. Speaking of whom...let me just get a word of appreciation in for the long-suffering man of few words, Mr. Plum, Stephanie's father. His eloquent sighs, one-word epithets, and vain attempts to hide in front of a blasting TV are priceless. The plot is much the same as the first book: Stephanie seeks bad guy, aided by the sexy Morelli. Not as much of Ranger in this book, but Morelli makes up for it. A great deal of the action transpires in a slimy (the only word I could think of) funeral parlor run by an equally slimy rat-like creature named Spiro. He has managed to misplace two dozen caskets...along with various body parts of those in his...um....eternal care. You MUST read this book!!!! Hilarious, outrageous, fast-paced, delightful--what more do you want? Well, if you were Stephanie, you could go for a greasy cheeseburger and fries just about now...

21 of 23 found the following review helpful:

Stephanie's Back and Better than EverJun 07, 2000
By Roz Levine
Two for the Dough begins as Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter from hell, is hired to find neighborhood bad boy, Kenny Mancuso, who's accused of killing his best friend and jumping bail. With the help of her mentor, Ranger and vice cop, Joe Morelli, Stephanie's hot on the case, finding a lot more than she expected, including lost army coffins, gunrunners and murderers. This is a fast paced, funny, very witty novel with scenes that will have you laughing out loud. Ms Evanovich brings back her quirky, wacky supporting cast and we get to spend a lot more time with Plum family. The writing is wonderful, down to earth and the irreverent dialogue is unrivaled. In the end Stephanie gets her man, in more ways than one. All of the books in this series are a real treat. Do yourself a favor...start with One for the Money and read them all.

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