Stephanie Plum
Encyclopedia
Stephanie Plum is a fictional character
and the protagonist
in a series of novels written by Janet Evanovich
. She is a spunky combination of Nancy Drew
and Dirty Harry
, and - although a female bounty hunter
- is the opposite of Domino Harvey
. She is described by the author as "incredibly average and yet heroic if necessary."
Evanovich claims the inspiration for Stephanie's character came after watching Midnight Run
starring Charles Grodin
and Robert De Niro
, adding, "If Mickey Spillane
wrote Archie and Veronica
, Stephanie would be Betty." As the series has progressed, Stephanie has become more stable and responsible, and a better bounty hunter. "But truthfully," Evanovich says, "Stephanie has stayed the same more than she’s changed."
As of November 2011, Stephanie has appeared in eighteen full-length novels, four holiday novellas, and a short story in a compilation of various authors' works.
admits that Stephanie Plum's character is inspired by her own, in both history and "similar embarrassing experiences." Evanovich says, "I wouldn't go so far as to say Stephanie is an autobiographical character, but I will admit to knowing where she lives."
Like Evanovich, Stephanie originates from Trenton, New Jersey
, the city where the series is set. Stephanie grew up in the Chambersburg
neighborhood known to locals as "the Burg", and - like Evanovich - attended Douglass College, although Stephanie graduated "without distinction". The Burg is often portrayed in the series as a close-knit community, from which people rarely leave. Stephanie often finds former classmates and neighbors still living in the Burg, only a few streets away from their childhood home. After graduation, Stephanie married Dickie Orr, then promptly divorced him after discovering him in their new home, cheating on her with rival Joyce Barnhardt on their brand new dining room table.
At the beginning of the first book, One For the Money
, Stephanie has been laid off from her job as a lingerie buyer, she is being forced to sell off her appliances one by one in order to pay her rent, and her car is repossessed. This last straw prompts her to turn to her cousin Vinnie, owner of Vincent Plum Bail Bonds, for a job. She originally hopes to find a file clerk job at the Bail Bonds office but the position was taken, and the only position available is as an apprehension agent or bounty hunter
. Vinnie refuses to hire her, but she manages to convince him to give her a shot by threatening to blackmail him. Stephanie's financial situation is still rather perilous, partially due to her poor financial skills, and she often finds herself seeking alternative ways to earn money in order to pay her bills.
When the series begins, Stephanie Plum is single and living with her hamster, Rex, in an apartment building with predominantly elderly neighbors. She revisits her parents who live several miles away in the Burg for meals, "family time," and pineapple upside-down cake. While Stephanie finds her family stressful, they often give her tips or connections which assist in her job.
of Grey's Anatomy
has reportedly landed the role for the feature film releasing on January 27, 2012.
. In Two For the Dough
, she becomes Vinnie's filing clerk and Stephanie's sometimes partner. Stephanie refers to her as a plus-sized black woman who attempts to shove a size 16 body into size 10 spandex. According to the reader poll on Evanovich's official site, the favored actress to portray Lula is Mo'Nique, though it is reported that "The View" co-host and comedienne Sherri Shepherd
has been cast in the role. She reappears in later books after she begins to work as a file clerk at the bail bonds office. The other file clerk quit after Vinnie attempted to sexually harass her. Lula is a poor file clerk, and frequently accompanies Stephanie when she is going after bonded clients who haven't shown up for their court appearance (known colloquially as Failure to Appear, or FTAs). By the 11th book, Lula has worked her way up into being a full time bounty hunter and takes over for Stephanie after she quits working as a bounty hunter. Eventually Stephanie returns to the job, and Lula goes back to being the file clerk and Stephanie's sometime partner.
are hinted at but never fully explored. She is short and curvy with a hairy upper lip. Stephanie went to school with her little sister Tina. She is occasionally described as Betty Boop with a moustache.
In several interviews, Evanovich says the inspiration for Grandma Mazur is "loosely based on my Aunt Lena and my Grandma Fanny," adding "She's who I want to be when I grow up."
in book seven but doesn't like it. Her husband is mentioned, but never appears in the books, as having run away with Angie's and Mary Alice's babysitter. In Hard Eight
, Valerie becomes bumbling lawyer Albert Kloughn's receptionist, and the two begin a relationship. In Visions of Sugar Plums
Valerie becomes pregnant with Kloughn's daughter, whom they name Lisa. In Eleven on Top
, Valerie and Kloughn cancel their wedding after a stressful bout of wedding planning, but are eventually tricked into getting married in Plum Lovin'
after Val gets pregnant with Kloughn's second child.
a policeman acquaintance conned Stephanie into dog-sitting for in Hot Six
. The arrangement becomes permanent when the owner refuses to reclaim the dog, and Bob became a part of Stephanie's life. By Seven Up
, Bob had decided to move in with Joe Morelli, and he and Stephanie now have shared ownership of him. Bob has been described as a big, orange bottomless pit. He'll eat just about anything (including various items of clothing- thongs, socks, shoes and more!) and usually leaves big dog piles wherever he goes... which is why Stephanie likes to walk him on Joyce Barnhardt's lawn.
Morelli was suspected of murder and was her first FTA, and Stephanie chased him around town, much to his annoyance. Eventually, she turns him in (after locking him in a freezer truck with three bodies) and clears his name. In Three To Get Deadly
, she notices that he's stopped flirting and trying to get her into bed. After she asks him why, Morelli claims that "A man would have to be a total masochist to be interested in you", but by the end, he is interested in her again. Their relationship has since evolved into a romance that runs alternately passionately hot and ice cold.
At various times, both Stephanie and Morelli have seriously considered marriage, but never at the same time. They both know they're not ready for commitment, but often comment on the idea together and have lived together more than once. Their relationship runs cold as a result of many arguments - usually over her job (She's been known to stress Morelli enough that he tends to takes Rolaids & Maalox and tells her that he is quickly deteriorating because of her) and they eventually lead to her relationship with Ranger. Being that both were born & bred in Trenton, whatever happens to/around her usually has a number of others calling Morelli to inform him - cars being blown, bodies being found, etc. He's said that he doesn't even need to listen to the radio anymore; he knows she's always involved (usually by some illegal means) and that he always gets calls about her and the latest situation she's in. By the later books, Morelli has resignedly accepted it to be almost normal, but it doesn't make him any less stressed or worried.
Morelli has told her that he trusts her, but he doesn't trust Ranger (same with Diesel) and she often has bouts of jealousy when Morelli's name is said with other women. She's been prone to sneaking around his house to spy when that happens. Later on, it appears that he has finally accepted her job (Not so much the Ranger part), but it doesn't keep him less worried or try less to protect her. In the more recent books, he often tag-teams with Ranger for her protection, much to her extreme annoyance at being shuffled back and forth between the two men like luggage.
Stephanie also stays at his house often, which he inherited from his Aunt Rose. She comments on how he's different from his infamous Morelli male relatives and has domesticated since his "wild-oat sowing days." In Seven Up
, Stephanie and Joe announced their engagement under pressure from their families, but called off the wedding in book seven. When asked if Stephanie and Morelli will end up in a permanent relationship, Evanovich responds, "I don't want to tie Stephanie down to Morelli yet. Maybe some day, but certainly not for several more books."
In Twelve Sharp
, Stephanie is finally able to tell Morelli that she loves him, but omits the part about how she loves Ranger as well.
In the upcoming movie, One for the Money, Joe Morelli will be played by actor Jason O'Mara.
Stephanie's relationship with Ranger, somewhere between boyfriend/girlfriend and teacher/pupil, provides much of her day-to-day stress, along with the almost constant threat of car bombing. Ranger says he loves Stephanie "in his own way" but isn't the marrying type. Even if she is on with Morelli, it doesn't stop Ranger from kissing or flirting with her, nor does she do much to discourage his advances. Regardless of his rivalry with Morelli, he has said that "Morelli is a good man" and is the marrying type Stephanie wants. Ranger does high-dollar or high-risk recovery for Vinnie, and sometimes lends Stephanie a hand with some of the more dangerous or slippery FTAs. He often assigns employees to guard or track her when she is in serious danger. Ranger "bleeds money" every time Stephanie requires protection, which is frequently; she minds, but he doesn't so much - she actually appears as a line item in his budget (where she's listed under "entertainment"). In some of the later novels, Stephanie moonlights for RangeMan during safety or financial dilemmas. As a result of him often coming to her aid or rescue, she has built up quite a tab with him and he has said that one day, he will collect.
She also has a key to his seventh-floor apartment and sometimes goes there when she feels threatened. To him and his Merry Men, Stephanie is considered his "personal property" and he often tag-teams with Morelli for her protection. By "Twelve Sharp", after being kidnapped with Julie by a Ranger copycat, Stephanie realizes that she loves both Morelli and Ranger. More than once, she has acknowledged that she can't ever have the full family life she wants with Ranger (He has made it clear more than once that he won't settle down), but continues to associate with him anyway - much to Morelli's dismay.
In the upcoming movie, One for the Money, Ranger will be played by actor Daniel Sunjata.
, and another, even more mysterious man in her life, whom she has admitted she also loves), but it hardly stops Diesel from making moves - sleeping on top of her in bed, somehow stealing her bra (while she's still wearing it), etc.
In Plum Spooky, she and Diesel babysit Carl the monkey and get stuck caring for other monkeys they pick up as well. When Ranger finds out that Diesel has been carting the monkeys around, he "looked like he might burst out laughing again." After she is seen with him at Pino's in Plum Spooky, Morelli gets several calls informing him and is also none too happy about Diesel's living arrangements with her when he's around. But like Morelli, Diesel resorted to Pepto-Bismol worrying over Stephanie's safety in "Plum Spooky" (after telling her he was getting an ulcer because of her). He thinks it's amusing that she's so gullible about his paranormal abilities. Despite her ongoing romantic entanglements with two men already, Diesel doesn't mind trying to get her into bed as well and constantly flirts with her.
when he vanishes after a public argument with Stephanie, making her a suspect in his disappearance.
, when Grandma Bella has been kind to Stephanie in her visions, telling her that she would not die until she was very old.
", and he hosts a Star Trek
party which is ruined when Stephanie tries to arrest a man dressed as Captain Kirk. In "Fearless Fourteen", Moon-Man appears as a character who plays an online video game called "Minion Fire" with Morelli's distant cousin, Mario (who is known as "Zook"), and Grandma Mazur ("Scorch") and her friends. By then, he's also cleaned up his act and no longer does drugs.
In Fearless Fourteen, it is implied that Tank is African-American. This is indicated by the sentence in Chapter Five, "Tank's eyes were blank and his face went gray under the brown." However, brown is a rather generic descriptor, so it could also indicate that he is Hispanic.
In book 5 when Tank is first introduced he's in a group of 3 men 2 African-American and one undetermined. The undetermined man speaks and it wasn't Tank. It's also later mentioned in 14, he's definitely African-American
In Lean Mean Thirteen, while Tank is in the hospital after being shot, we learn that his real first name is Pierre. Although, according to Ranger, "Tank isn't overly fond of being named Pierre."
, aka "Big Blue", that now belongs to Grandma Mazur. Most men admire Big Blue as a classic; Stephanie hates it, considering it unwieldy and a gas hog, not to mention much too conspicuous, but more often than she likes, she finds herself driving it. Big Blue's biggest advantage (as far as Stephanie is concerned) is that it seems to be nearly indestructible; every accident Plum has been in with the car has resulted in either no damage or only scratches to the paint (even when the other car is smashed inwards); even a bomb attached to the car failed to explode. Stephanie quoted that if the seat was taken out that, "It would probably regenerate". This car is based on the car on which Evanovich learned to drive.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
and the protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
in a series of novels written by Janet Evanovich
Janet Evanovich
Janet Evanovich is an American writer. She began her career writing short contemporary romance novels under the pen name Steffie Hall, but gained fame authoring a series of contemporary mysteries featuring Stephanie Plum, a lingerie buyer from Trenton, New Jersey, who becomes a bounty hunter to...
. She is a spunky combination of Nancy Drew
Nancy Drew
Nancy Drew is a fictional young amateur detective in various mystery series for all ages. She was created by Edward Stratemeyer, founder of the Stratemeyer Syndicate book packaging firm. The character first appeared in 1930. The books have been ghostwritten by a number of authors and are published...
and Dirty Harry
Dirty Harry
Dirty Harry is a 1971 American crime thriller produced and directed by Don Siegel, the first in the Dirty Harry series. Clint Eastwood plays the title role, in his first outing as San Francisco Police Department Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan....
, and - although a female bounty hunter
Bounty hunter
A bounty hunter captures fugitives for a monetary reward . Other names, mainly used in the United States, include bail enforcement agent and fugitive recovery agent.-Laws in the U.S.:...
- is the opposite of Domino Harvey
Domino Harvey
Domino Harvey was an English bounty hunter, notable within that field for being female and from a privileged background. Though there is speculation as to whether she really was a model, there are in fact photographs which show her involved in what would appear to be modeling-related work...
. She is described by the author as "incredibly average and yet heroic if necessary."
Evanovich claims the inspiration for Stephanie's character came after watching Midnight Run
Midnight Run
Midnight Run is a 1988 American action comedy film starring Robert De Niro as a bounty hunter and Charles Grodin as his prisoner....
starring Charles Grodin
Charles Grodin
Charles Grodin is an American actor, comedian, author and former cable talk show host. Grodin began his acting career in the 1960s appearing in TV serials including The Virginian. He had a small part as an obstetrician in Roman Polanski's Rosemary's Baby in 1968...
and Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro, Jr. is an American actor, director and producer. His first major film roles were in Bang the Drum Slowly and Mean Streets, both in 1973...
, adding, "If Mickey Spillane
Mickey Spillane
Frank Morrison Spillane , better known as Mickey Spillane, was an American author of crime novels, many featuring his signature detective character, Mike Hammer. More than 225 million copies of his books have sold internationally...
wrote Archie and Veronica
Archie Comics
Archie Comics is an American comic book publisher headquartered in the Village of Mamaroneck, Town of Mamaroneck, New York, known for its many series featuring the fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle and Jughead Jones. The characters were created by...
, Stephanie would be Betty." As the series has progressed, Stephanie has become more stable and responsible, and a better bounty hunter. "But truthfully," Evanovich says, "Stephanie has stayed the same more than she’s changed."
As of November 2011, Stephanie has appeared in eighteen full-length novels, four holiday novellas, and a short story in a compilation of various authors' works.
Character history
Janet EvanovichJanet Evanovich
Janet Evanovich is an American writer. She began her career writing short contemporary romance novels under the pen name Steffie Hall, but gained fame authoring a series of contemporary mysteries featuring Stephanie Plum, a lingerie buyer from Trenton, New Jersey, who becomes a bounty hunter to...
admits that Stephanie Plum's character is inspired by her own, in both history and "similar embarrassing experiences." Evanovich says, "I wouldn't go so far as to say Stephanie is an autobiographical character, but I will admit to knowing where she lives."
Like Evanovich, Stephanie originates from Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
, the city where the series is set. Stephanie grew up in the Chambersburg
Chambersburg, New Jersey
Chambersburg was a municipality that existed in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States, from 1872 to 1888. Chambersburg is now a section of Trenton....
neighborhood known to locals as "the Burg", and - like Evanovich - attended Douglass College, although Stephanie graduated "without distinction". The Burg is often portrayed in the series as a close-knit community, from which people rarely leave. Stephanie often finds former classmates and neighbors still living in the Burg, only a few streets away from their childhood home. After graduation, Stephanie married Dickie Orr, then promptly divorced him after discovering him in their new home, cheating on her with rival Joyce Barnhardt on their brand new dining room table.
At the beginning of the first book, One For the Money
One For the Money (novel)
One For the Money is the first novel by Janet Evanovich featuring the bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. It was published in 1994 in the United States and in 1995 in Great Britain...
, Stephanie has been laid off from her job as a lingerie buyer, she is being forced to sell off her appliances one by one in order to pay her rent, and her car is repossessed. This last straw prompts her to turn to her cousin Vinnie, owner of Vincent Plum Bail Bonds, for a job. She originally hopes to find a file clerk job at the Bail Bonds office but the position was taken, and the only position available is as an apprehension agent or bounty hunter
Bounty hunter
A bounty hunter captures fugitives for a monetary reward . Other names, mainly used in the United States, include bail enforcement agent and fugitive recovery agent.-Laws in the U.S.:...
. Vinnie refuses to hire her, but she manages to convince him to give her a shot by threatening to blackmail him. Stephanie's financial situation is still rather perilous, partially due to her poor financial skills, and she often finds herself seeking alternative ways to earn money in order to pay her bills.
When the series begins, Stephanie Plum is single and living with her hamster, Rex, in an apartment building with predominantly elderly neighbors. She revisits her parents who live several miles away in the Burg for meals, "family time," and pineapple upside-down cake. While Stephanie finds her family stressful, they often give her tips or connections which assist in her job.
Appearance
Stephanie Plum briefly describes herself in the first chapter of each book, typically mentioning her Italian-Hungarian descent, fast metabolism, brown curly hair, and blue eyes. Katherine HeiglKatherine Heigl
Katherine Marie Heigl is an American actress and producer. She is possibly best known for her role as Dr. Izzie Stevens on ABC's Grey's Anatomy from 2005 to 2010, for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Drama Series in 2007...
of Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
has reportedly landed the role for the feature film releasing on January 27, 2012.
Lula
Lula was introduced as a minor character working as a hooker in the first book in the series, One For the MoneyOne For the Money (novel)
One For the Money is the first novel by Janet Evanovich featuring the bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. It was published in 1994 in the United States and in 1995 in Great Britain...
. In Two For the Dough
Two For the Dough (novel)
Two for the Dough, published in 1996, is the second novel by Janet Evanovich featuring the bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. Like others in the Stephanie Plum series, Two For the Dough was a best-seller, spending 36 weeks on the Top 150 list....
, she becomes Vinnie's filing clerk and Stephanie's sometimes partner. Stephanie refers to her as a plus-sized black woman who attempts to shove a size 16 body into size 10 spandex. According to the reader poll on Evanovich's official site, the favored actress to portray Lula is Mo'Nique, though it is reported that "The View" co-host and comedienne Sherri Shepherd
Sherri Shepherd
Sherri Evonne Shepherd is an American comedienne, actress, and television personality. She is one of five co-hosts on the ABC daytime talkshow, The View, as well as being the current host of the Newlywed Game and having a recurring role as Angie Jordan on the NBC series 30 Rock...
has been cast in the role. She reappears in later books after she begins to work as a file clerk at the bail bonds office. The other file clerk quit after Vinnie attempted to sexually harass her. Lula is a poor file clerk, and frequently accompanies Stephanie when she is going after bonded clients who haven't shown up for their court appearance (known colloquially as Failure to Appear, or FTAs). By the 11th book, Lula has worked her way up into being a full time bounty hunter and takes over for Stephanie after she quits working as a bounty hunter. Eventually Stephanie returns to the job, and Lula goes back to being the file clerk and Stephanie's sometime partner.
Connie Rosolli
Connie is Vinnie's receptionist/guard dog. Her ties to the MafiaMafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
are hinted at but never fully explored. She is short and curvy with a hairy upper lip. Stephanie went to school with her little sister Tina. She is occasionally described as Betty Boop with a moustache.
Mary Lou
Mary Lou Stankovic is Stephanie's best friend. Married to Lenny Stankovic with children and a dog. Stephanie occasionally pays her a visit, usually to talk about Morelli. Maiden name is Mary Lou Molnar.Vinnie Plum
Vinnie is the owner of Vincent Plum's Bail Bonds, where Stephanie is employed. He is also Stephanie's cousin, and he can barely tolerate his employees. He's rumored to have had a romantic relationship with a duck and is usually locked away in his office talking with his bookie; taking a snooze or having a conversation with his "Johnson".Grandma Mazur
Grandma Mazur is Stephanie's maternal grandmother. In Two For The Dough her real name is revealed to be Edna. She lives in Stephanie's parents' house ever since her husband died of heart failure. In Lean Mean Thirteen Grandma Mazur uses his real name: Harry. She is a woman unwilling to grow old, ever. Stephanie relates to Grandma Mazur more than any other member of her family. Beginning in Two For the Dough, Grandma Mazur begins to tag along on cases with Stephanie, often pulling a gun out of her purse at inappropriate moments. Grandma Mazur also frequents the local funeral parlors because they are the social center of the neighborhood. She sometimes peeks underneath the casket lid to see the dead body, causing hysteria in the parlor. Grandma Mazur is also the official owner of Big Blue, a '53 powder blue Buick that men love and women hate. The car is virtually indestructible, and Grandma Mazur got it from Stephanie's Grand Uncle Sandor. She moved in with Stephanie for a short periods of time during "Hot Six". She also occasionally watches pay-per-view porn, on account that "The Weather Channel doesn't have enough action".In several interviews, Evanovich says the inspiration for Grandma Mazur is "loosely based on my Aunt Lena and my Grandma Fanny," adding "She's who I want to be when I grow up."
Valerie
Valerie, Stephanie's older sister who moved to California after getting married, is mentioned briefly in the first six books as being the perfect daughter. For the first six books, Valerie lived in California. In Seven Up, Valerie moves back in with her parents after a failed marriage, her two daughters - Angie and Mary Alice - in tow. Angie is much like Valerie was at her age, and Mary Alice has a vivid imagination more like her Aunt Stephanie. Valerie tries to become a lesbianLesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
in book seven but doesn't like it. Her husband is mentioned, but never appears in the books, as having run away with Angie's and Mary Alice's babysitter. In Hard Eight
Hard Eight (novel)
Hard Eight is the eighth novel by Janet Evanovich featuring the bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. It was written in 2002.This book is notable for the introduction of Albert Kloughn, an attorney and soon to be brother-in-law of Stephanie....
, Valerie becomes bumbling lawyer Albert Kloughn's receptionist, and the two begin a relationship. In Visions of Sugar Plums
Visions of Sugar Plums (novel)
Visions of Sugarplums is the ninth book in the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich, published in 2003. One of four "holiday novellas" in the series, it falls between Hard Eight and To the Nines....
Valerie becomes pregnant with Kloughn's daughter, whom they name Lisa. In Eleven on Top
Eleven on Top (novel)
Eleven on Top is the eleventh novel by Janet Evanovich featuring the bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. It was published in June 2005, and quickly became a #1 best-seller, remaining on the USA Today list of 150 best-selling novels for 19 weeks.-Plot summary:...
, Valerie and Kloughn cancel their wedding after a stressful bout of wedding planning, but are eventually tricked into getting married in Plum Lovin'
Plum Lovin'
Plum Lovin' is a 2007 novel by Janet Evanovich. It is the thirteenth book in the Stephanie Plum series.Stephanie's sister Valerie marries Albert Kloughn after getting pregnant by him for the second time....
after Val gets pregnant with Kloughn's second child.
Stephanie's parents
Her mother, Ellen, and father, Frank, have the type of relationship built to last. Her father gets served first in exchange for getting to pretend he controls the house, and to keep him from stabbing Grandma Mazur with his fork. Her mother gets to cook and rule the house. Her mother thinks Stephanie should have a relationship like hers but Steph is skittish about marrying again. Her mother also wants Stephanie to get a nice, safe job and reminds her regularly, "They're hiring at the button factory!" Her father seems less concerned about Stephanie and her job. Stephanie's father also drives a cab part time to get away from Grandma Mazur and, later in the series, Valerie and Albert Kloughn when they move into Stephanie's parents' house.Bob
Bob is a big golden retrieverGolden Retriever
The Golden Retriever is a medium-sized breed of dog. They were historically developed as gundogs to retrieve shot waterfowl such as ducks and upland game birds during hunting and shooting parties. As such, they were bred to have a soft mouth to retrieve game undamaged and have an instinctive love...
a policeman acquaintance conned Stephanie into dog-sitting for in Hot Six
Hot Six (novel)
Hot Six is the sixth novel by Janet Evanovich featuring the bounty hunter Stephanie Plum and was written in 2001.-Plot summary:The book begins at the point at which High Five ended, revealing who Stephanie picked: Ranger or Joe Morelli. The story then jumps ahead five months, with Stephanie's...
. The arrangement becomes permanent when the owner refuses to reclaim the dog, and Bob became a part of Stephanie's life. By Seven Up
Seven Up (novel)
Seven Up is the seventh novel by Janet Evanovich featuring the bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. It was written in 2001.-Plot summary:Stephanie is assigned to bring in semi-retired mobster Eddie DeChooch when he fails to appear in court for selling contraband cigarettes...
, Bob had decided to move in with Joe Morelli, and he and Stephanie now have shared ownership of him. Bob has been described as a big, orange bottomless pit. He'll eat just about anything (including various items of clothing- thongs, socks, shoes and more!) and usually leaves big dog piles wherever he goes... which is why Stephanie likes to walk him on Joyce Barnhardt's lawn.
Rex
Stephanie's roommate/hamster. Spends most of his time sleeping in his soup can or running on his wheel. Known to bite when scared or frightened.Joseph Morelli
Joe Morelli is Stephanie's on-and-off boyfriend, a former bad boy turned vice cop. He is also known as Officer Hottie or the Italian Stallion. Her history with Morelli started with a "choo choo" incident when she was six. At the age of sixteen, Stephanie lost her virginity to Morelli in the Tasty Pastry shop behind the éclair stand, after which he never called (but left quite a few flattering messages in bathroom and stadium walls around town). Three years later she saw Morelli and ran over him with her father's Buick, breaking his leg. A few years later in One for the MoneyOne For the Money (novel)
One For the Money is the first novel by Janet Evanovich featuring the bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. It was published in 1994 in the United States and in 1995 in Great Britain...
Morelli was suspected of murder and was her first FTA, and Stephanie chased him around town, much to his annoyance. Eventually, she turns him in (after locking him in a freezer truck with three bodies) and clears his name. In Three To Get Deadly
Three to Get Deadly (novel)
Three to Get Deadly is the third novel by Janet Evanovich featuring the bounty hunter Stephanie Plum and was first published in 1997. It won the 1998 Dilys Award.-Plot introduction:...
, she notices that he's stopped flirting and trying to get her into bed. After she asks him why, Morelli claims that "A man would have to be a total masochist to be interested in you", but by the end, he is interested in her again. Their relationship has since evolved into a romance that runs alternately passionately hot and ice cold.
At various times, both Stephanie and Morelli have seriously considered marriage, but never at the same time. They both know they're not ready for commitment, but often comment on the idea together and have lived together more than once. Their relationship runs cold as a result of many arguments - usually over her job (She's been known to stress Morelli enough that he tends to takes Rolaids & Maalox and tells her that he is quickly deteriorating because of her) and they eventually lead to her relationship with Ranger. Being that both were born & bred in Trenton, whatever happens to/around her usually has a number of others calling Morelli to inform him - cars being blown, bodies being found, etc. He's said that he doesn't even need to listen to the radio anymore; he knows she's always involved (usually by some illegal means) and that he always gets calls about her and the latest situation she's in. By the later books, Morelli has resignedly accepted it to be almost normal, but it doesn't make him any less stressed or worried.
Morelli has told her that he trusts her, but he doesn't trust Ranger (same with Diesel) and she often has bouts of jealousy when Morelli's name is said with other women. She's been prone to sneaking around his house to spy when that happens. Later on, it appears that he has finally accepted her job (Not so much the Ranger part), but it doesn't keep him less worried or try less to protect her. In the more recent books, he often tag-teams with Ranger for her protection, much to her extreme annoyance at being shuffled back and forth between the two men like luggage.
Stephanie also stays at his house often, which he inherited from his Aunt Rose. She comments on how he's different from his infamous Morelli male relatives and has domesticated since his "wild-oat sowing days." In Seven Up
Seven Up (novel)
Seven Up is the seventh novel by Janet Evanovich featuring the bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. It was written in 2001.-Plot summary:Stephanie is assigned to bring in semi-retired mobster Eddie DeChooch when he fails to appear in court for selling contraband cigarettes...
, Stephanie and Joe announced their engagement under pressure from their families, but called off the wedding in book seven. When asked if Stephanie and Morelli will end up in a permanent relationship, Evanovich responds, "I don't want to tie Stephanie down to Morelli yet. Maybe some day, but certainly not for several more books."
In Twelve Sharp
Twelve Sharp (novel)
Twelve Sharp, published in 2006, is the 12th novel by Janet Evanovich featuring the bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. The hardcover version appeared at the top of the New York Times Bestseller List in the week of July 9, 2006, while the paperback release has also been in the top four spots in...
, Stephanie is finally able to tell Morelli that she loves him, but omits the part about how she loves Ranger as well.
In the upcoming movie, One for the Money, Joe Morelli will be played by actor Jason O'Mara.
Ranger
Ranger is Stephanie's fellow bounty hunter and tutor and sometimes known as Batman because of his mysterious ways. Ranger is Cuban-American, and drives a rotation of very expensive black cars (Stephanie has lingering questions about the origin of Ranger's car-supply, but he will only say 'Don't ask'). He is the C.E.O. of RangeMan, Inc., a security company (among other things). Ranger's real name is Ricardo Carlos Mañoso; in High Five we learn he has a daughter named Julie. Julie's mother is named Rachel and a stepfather named Ron; Ranger got her pregnant one night when he was in the military and on leave. Ranger married her and gave the baby his name and financial support. The two were divorced when the baby was born, but he visits when invited.Stephanie's relationship with Ranger, somewhere between boyfriend/girlfriend and teacher/pupil, provides much of her day-to-day stress, along with the almost constant threat of car bombing. Ranger says he loves Stephanie "in his own way" but isn't the marrying type. Even if she is on with Morelli, it doesn't stop Ranger from kissing or flirting with her, nor does she do much to discourage his advances. Regardless of his rivalry with Morelli, he has said that "Morelli is a good man" and is the marrying type Stephanie wants. Ranger does high-dollar or high-risk recovery for Vinnie, and sometimes lends Stephanie a hand with some of the more dangerous or slippery FTAs. He often assigns employees to guard or track her when she is in serious danger. Ranger "bleeds money" every time Stephanie requires protection, which is frequently; she minds, but he doesn't so much - she actually appears as a line item in his budget (where she's listed under "entertainment"). In some of the later novels, Stephanie moonlights for RangeMan during safety or financial dilemmas. As a result of him often coming to her aid or rescue, she has built up quite a tab with him and he has said that one day, he will collect.
She also has a key to his seventh-floor apartment and sometimes goes there when she feels threatened. To him and his Merry Men, Stephanie is considered his "personal property" and he often tag-teams with Morelli for her protection. By "Twelve Sharp", after being kidnapped with Julie by a Ranger copycat, Stephanie realizes that she loves both Morelli and Ranger. More than once, she has acknowledged that she can't ever have the full family life she wants with Ranger (He has made it clear more than once that he won't settle down), but continues to associate with him anyway - much to Morelli's dismay.
In the upcoming movie, One for the Money, Ranger will be played by actor Daniel Sunjata.
Diesel
Diesel appears in the four holiday novellas: Visions of Sugar Plums, Plum Loving, Plum Lucky, and Plum Spooky. Originally born Swiss, he is described as "over six feet of gorgeous, hard-muscled, slightly tanned male" with brown eyes and thick, unruly sandy blond hair with a dangerous set of dimples. Although not nearly as significant as Morelli and Ranger, Diesel and Stephanie share a mild flirtation. But like Morelli and Ranger, he also has affectionate nicknames for her and is just as every bit amused at the situations she finds herself in. He has special abilities and his job is to track down fugitives with supernatural abilities, called Unmentionables. He pops up every once in a while in Stephanie's life and always sleeps in her bed when he's in town (staying at her apartment and sometimes going over to dinner at her parents'). In Plum Lucky, when Stephanie mentions Diesel to Ranger, Ranger shows exasperation and when asked if he doesn't like Diesel, simply says, "We don't hang out together." After finding out about Stephanie's involvement with Diesel, Ranger warns her about Diesel's enemies. Stephanie has made it clear that she is not looking for a relationship (already possessing a boyfriend, to whom she is "practically married" Twelve SharpTwelve Sharp (novel)
Twelve Sharp, published in 2006, is the 12th novel by Janet Evanovich featuring the bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. The hardcover version appeared at the top of the New York Times Bestseller List in the week of July 9, 2006, while the paperback release has also been in the top four spots in...
, and another, even more mysterious man in her life, whom she has admitted she also loves), but it hardly stops Diesel from making moves - sleeping on top of her in bed, somehow stealing her bra (while she's still wearing it), etc.
In Plum Spooky, she and Diesel babysit Carl the monkey and get stuck caring for other monkeys they pick up as well. When Ranger finds out that Diesel has been carting the monkeys around, he "looked like he might burst out laughing again." After she is seen with him at Pino's in Plum Spooky, Morelli gets several calls informing him and is also none too happy about Diesel's living arrangements with her when he's around. But like Morelli, Diesel resorted to Pepto-Bismol worrying over Stephanie's safety in "Plum Spooky" (after telling her he was getting an ulcer because of her). He thinks it's amusing that she's so gullible about his paranormal abilities. Despite her ongoing romantic entanglements with two men already, Diesel doesn't mind trying to get her into bed as well and constantly flirts with her.
Joyce Barnhardt
Joyce is Stephanie's arch rival. She has picked on Stephanie ever since grade school, and still is an object of contempt after Stephanie caught her cheating with Dickie Orr, Stephanie's then-husband. Joyce also occasionally sleeps with Vinnie, who likes to spank her and make her bark like a dog. In turn Vinnie gives her a few cases to capture. Despite their mutual dislike, on several occasions, Joyce actually helps Stephanie out of bad situations, with the reason she'd rather humiliate Stephanie rather than let a bad guy get her. In Finger Lickin' Fifteen, Joyce aggressively goes after Morelli (as he is then off with Stephanie) despite his desperate maneuvers to avoid her and he considers shooting her "just to get it over with." Joyce actually is shot in the chest toward the end of the novel, but survives.Dickie Orr
Dickie Orr is Stephanie's ex-husband. Marrying him was known as one of her stupid choices. Not even a year after they got married, Stephanie divorced him after finding him cheating on her with Joyce Barnhardt on her dining room table. The divorce was not at all friendly, and they stopped talking to each other. Dickie appears occasionally in the books and is a featured character in Lean Mean ThirteenLean Mean Thirteen
The thirteenth book in the Stephanie Plum mystery series; which includes three novellas in addition to the thirteen chronologically titled novels. This book was released on June 19, 2007.-Plot summary:...
when he vanishes after a public argument with Stephanie, making her a suspect in his disappearance.
Grandma Bella
Joe Morelli's grandma. She tends to be a little kooky at best. She gives Stephanie the "eye" and likes to make predictions about Stephanie's future, especially with Morelli. Though her visions are normally morbid, there have been times, specifically in To the NinesTo the Nines (novel)
To the Nines is the ninth novel by Janet Evanovich featuring the bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. Written in 2003, it's the second book in a row that doesn't revolve around a criminal bond, and the first to take Stephanie out of New Jersey and into the neon glitz of Las Vegas.To the Nines appeared on...
, when Grandma Bella has been kind to Stephanie in her visions, telling her that she would not die until she was very old.
Benito Ramirez
A boxer and homicidal rapist who brutalizes and sometimes kills women. Refers to himself in the third person as "The Champ." Introduced in One for the Money, in which he stalks Stephanie and almost kills Lula, and is incarcerated. He returns in the fifth book, High Five out on parole and proclaims to follow Jesus. He returns to finish what he started by stalking her again and gets killed in her apartment by and during her confrontation with Allen Shempsky.Moon-Man
Walter "Moon-Man" or "The Mooner" Dunphy went to high school with Stephanie, where he was considered the class stoner. He has made appearances in "Hot Six," "Seven Up," (as a major character) "Fearless Fourteen" and "Sizzling Sixteen". In "Hot Six", the Mooner lives with another man named Dougie, who sells hijacked goods to people. He's a known "TrekkieTrekkie
A Trekkie or Trekker is a fan of the Star Trek franchise, or of specific television series or films within that franchise.-History:In 1967, science fiction editor Arthur W...
", and he hosts a Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
party which is ruined when Stephanie tries to arrest a man dressed as Captain Kirk. In "Fearless Fourteen", Moon-Man appears as a character who plays an online video game called "Minion Fire" with Morelli's distant cousin, Mario (who is known as "Zook"), and Grandma Mazur ("Scorch") and her friends. By then, he's also cleaned up his act and no longer does drugs.
Sally Sweet
Salvatore Sweet is a cross-dresser who first appears in "Four to Score" as a person who solves a series of word puzzles for one of Stephanie's cases. At this time, he is part of a transvestite rock band called "The Lovelies". He joins Stephanie and Lula during a takedown, which (naturally) doesn't go as planned. He helps Valerie and Albert Kloughn plan their wedding during "Ten Big Ones" and "Eleven on Top", during which time he also drives a school bus. He saves Stephanie from the Comstock Street Slayers at the end of "Ten Big Ones", running over or shooting down most of the gang members with an UZI. He and Lula are performing together in a band called "The What" in "Twelve Sharp" (Grandma Mazur briefly joins the band as well).Eddie Gazarra
Eddie Gazarra, a Trenton cop, grew up in the same neighborhood as Stephanie. He's usually called in when Stephanie blows up a car or finds a dead body. Eddie is married to Stephanie's cousin Shirley-the-Whiner. Eddie is also usually one of the first people on the scene when something happens to Stephanie.Tank
Tank is Ranger's right-hand man. He's pure muscle, and starting in "Twelve Sharp", he starts going out with Lula. By "Fearless Fourteen", Lula and Tank are engaged after she tricks him. The engagement is called off in Plum Spooky.In Fearless Fourteen, it is implied that Tank is African-American. This is indicated by the sentence in Chapter Five, "Tank's eyes were blank and his face went gray under the brown." However, brown is a rather generic descriptor, so it could also indicate that he is Hispanic.
In book 5 when Tank is first introduced he's in a group of 3 men 2 African-American and one undetermined. The undetermined man speaks and it wasn't Tank. It's also later mentioned in 14, he's definitely African-American
In Lean Mean Thirteen, while Tank is in the hospital after being shot, we learn that his real first name is Pierre. Although, according to Ranger, "Tank isn't overly fond of being named Pierre."
Joe Juniak
Juniak was once a Trenton police officer, but during the series he has been mayor of Trenton. He was running for a state position as well.Mrs. Bestler
Mrs. Bestler is a senior citizen that lives in Stephanie's building. She enjoys playing "Elevator Operator" and she sometimes forgets where she lives.Dillon Ruddick
Dillon is the building supervisor at Stephanie's apartment building. He lives in the basement, and on numerous occasions, he has helped Stephanie take care of her unit in exchange for a six-pack.Constantine Stiva
Stiva owned his own funeral parlor, known as the best in the Burg. The original building burned down after Stephanie and Grandma Mazur were cornered by Kenny Mancuso and his goons in "Two for the Dough". In "Eleven on Top", Stiva, acting as his stepson (who died in the fire), threatens Stephanie, who is getting close to spoiling his plans to retrieve some loot he and some companions stole years before. He causes Stephanie to burn down the Cluck-in-a-Bucket that she was working at. He is arrested, and in later books, his funeral parlor is being run by two gay men.Car Death
Stephanie is infamous for destroying cars, for which she has been dubbed the "Bombshell Bounty Hunter" in the local paper. She has had cars repossessed, stolen, stripped, wrecked, crushed by burning garbage trucks, and smashed into little cubes. Over time, she has had to resort to a truck with a bad radiator, a mismatch of two cars called a Rollswagen, and a series of other clunkers. Ranger often supplies her with a high-end SUV or sports car, but these fare no better than her other vehicles. To her regret, Stephanie is often forced to resort her Uncle Sandor's seemingly indestructible powder blue '53 Buick RoadmasterBuick Roadmaster
The Roadmaster was an automobile built by the Buick division of General Motors. Roadmasters produced between 1936 and 1958 were built on Buick's longest non-limousine wheelbase and shared their basic structure with senior Oldsmobiles. Between 1946 and 1957 the Roadmaster was Buick's top of the line...
, aka "Big Blue", that now belongs to Grandma Mazur. Most men admire Big Blue as a classic; Stephanie hates it, considering it unwieldy and a gas hog, not to mention much too conspicuous, but more often than she likes, she finds herself driving it. Big Blue's biggest advantage (as far as Stephanie is concerned) is that it seems to be nearly indestructible; every accident Plum has been in with the car has resulted in either no damage or only scratches to the paint (even when the other car is smashed inwards); even a bomb attached to the car failed to explode. Stephanie quoted that if the seat was taken out that, "It would probably regenerate". This car is based on the car on which Evanovich learned to drive.
FTAs
- One for the MoneyOne For the Money (novel)One For the Money is the first novel by Janet Evanovich featuring the bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. It was published in 1994 in the United States and in 1995 in Great Britain...
: Joe Morelli, Clarence Sampson, Lonnie Dodd, William Earling - Two for the DoughTwo For the Dough (novel)Two for the Dough, published in 1996, is the second novel by Janet Evanovich featuring the bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. Like others in the Stephanie Plum series, Two For the Dough was a best-seller, spending 36 weeks on the Top 150 list....
: Kenny Mancuso, Eula Rothridge - Three to Get DeadlyThree to Get Deadly (novel)Three to Get Deadly is the third novel by Janet Evanovich featuring the bounty hunter Stephanie Plum and was first published in 1997. It won the 1998 Dilys Award.-Plot introduction:...
: Moses "Uncle Mo" Bedemier, Stuart Baggett - Four to ScoreFour to Score (novel)Four to Score is the fourth novel by Janet Evanovich featuring the bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. It was written in 1998.-Plot summary:Stephanie Plum is back, and this time she's on the trail of Maxine Nowicki, an ex-waitress accused of stealing her ex-boyfriend's car...
: Kenny "the Man" Martin, Maxine Nowicki, Norvil Thompson - High FiveHigh Five (novel)High Five is the fifth novel by Janet Evanovich featuring the bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. It was written in 1999.-Plot summary:Business is slow for Stephanie Plum, so when her Uncle Fred goes missing, Stephanie agrees to help look for him. Soon enough, Stephanie realizes that she's in over her...
: Randy Briggs, Alphonze Reuzig, Kenyan Lally - Hot SixHot Six (novel)Hot Six is the sixth novel by Janet Evanovich featuring the bounty hunter Stephanie Plum and was written in 2001.-Plot summary:The book begins at the point at which High Five ended, revealing who Stephanie picked: Ranger or Joe Morelli. The story then jumps ahead five months, with Stephanie's...
: Carol Zabo, Carlos "Ranger" Manoso, Lenny Dale, Morris Munson, Elwood Steiger - Seven UpSeven Up (novel)Seven Up is the seventh novel by Janet Evanovich featuring the bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. It was written in 2001.-Plot summary:Stephanie is assigned to bring in semi-retired mobster Eddie DeChooch when he fails to appear in court for selling contraband cigarettes...
: Eddie DeChooch, Roseanne Kreiner, Melvin Baylor - Hard EightHard Eight (novel)Hard Eight is the eighth novel by Janet Evanovich featuring the bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. It was written in 2002.This book is notable for the introduction of Albert Kloughn, an attorney and soon to be brother-in-law of Stephanie....
: Andy Bender, Martin Paulson, Laura Minello - Visions of Sugar PlumsVisions of Sugar Plums (novel)Visions of Sugarplums is the ninth book in the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich, published in 2003. One of four "holiday novellas" in the series, it falls between Hard Eight and To the Nines....
: Sandy Claws - To the NinesTo the Nines (novel)To the Nines is the ninth novel by Janet Evanovich featuring the bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. Written in 2003, it's the second book in a row that doesn't revolve around a criminal bond, and the first to take Stephanie out of New Jersey and into the neon glitz of Las Vegas.To the Nines appeared on...
: Punky Balog, Samuel Singh, Butchy Salazar, Steven Wegan, Roger Pitch - Ten Big OnesTen Big Ones (novel)Ten Big Ones is the tenth novel by Janet Evanovich featuring the bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. It was written in 2004.When Janet Evanovich was questioned why she decided to focus on gang violence in this book, she replied, "I keep in touch with the Trenton Police Department...
: Roger Banker, Harold Pancek, Carol Cantell, Sally Sweet, Anton Ward, Shoshanna Brown, Jamil Rodriguez - Eleven on TopEleven on Top (novel)Eleven on Top is the eleventh novel by Janet Evanovich featuring the bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. It was published in June 2005, and quickly became a #1 best-seller, remaining on the USA Today list of 150 best-selling novels for 19 weeks.-Plot summary:...
: Sam Sporky - Twelve SharpTwelve Sharp (novel)Twelve Sharp, published in 2006, is the 12th novel by Janet Evanovich featuring the bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. The hardcover version appeared at the top of the New York Times Bestseller List in the week of July 9, 2006, while the paperback release has also been in the top four spots in...
: Lonnie Johnson, Kevin Gallager, Leon James, Dooby Biagi, Caroline Scarzolli, Melvin Pickle, Charles Chin, Bernard Brown, Mary Lee Truk, Luis Queen - Plum Lovin'Plum Lovin'Plum Lovin' is a 2007 novel by Janet Evanovich. It is the thirteenth book in the Stephanie Plum series.Stephanie's sister Valerie marries Albert Kloughn after getting pregnant by him for the second time....
: Annie Hart - Lean Mean ThirteenLean Mean ThirteenThe thirteenth book in the Stephanie Plum mystery series; which includes three novellas in addition to the thirteen chronologically titled novels. This book was released on June 19, 2007.-Plot summary:...
: Simon Diggery, Carl Coglin - Plum LuckyPlum LuckyPlum Lucky is a crime novel by mystery writer Janet Evanovich. It is the 14th part of her series dedicated to bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. It was published on January 8, 2008.-Synopsis:...
: Billy Major - Fearless FourteenFearless FourteenFearless Fourteen is a novel written by Janet Evanovich. It was released on June 17, 2008.-Plot summary:Stephanie Plum apprehends Loretta Rizzi for failure to appear in court after holding up a liquor store , but Loretta, who is a distant cousin of Stephanie's policeman boyfriend, Joe Morelli,...
: Susan Stitch - Plum SpookyPlum SpookyPlum Spooky is a novel by Janet Evanovich starring the fictional character Stephanie Plum. One of four holiday novellas in the series . Plum Spooky is much more ambitious than the other "Betweens" in that the nefarious activities uncovered have world-wide implications....
: Hector Mendez, Denny Guzzi, Gordo Bollo, Martin Munch - Finger Lickin' Fifteen: Kenny Hatcher, Junior Turley, Ernie Dell, Myron Kaplan, Cameron Manfred
- Sizzling Sixteen:
- Smokin' Seventeen:
- Explosive Eighteen:
- FTAs mentioned but not apprehended within a book: Jesus Rodriquez