Books set in New Jersey

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September 27, 2022
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Books set in New Jersey

Every state has its hallmark writers. Mississippi has William Faulkner and his incomparable (fictional) Yoknapatawpha County and Missouri can lay claim to Mark Twain. The state of Maine is gifted with Pulitzer winner Richard Russo and horror icon Stephen King. Rural Pennsylvania is the playground of the much-heralded (and occasionally maligned) John Updike, and when many bibliophiles think of New Jersey, they also think of Richard Ford's series of novels featuring recurring Everyman character Frank Bascombe. Illinois can lay claim to William Maxwell, Sandra Cisneros, and Adam Langer, among numerous others. And what reader can think of Washington State without contending with the sparkle-vampire yarns of Stephanie Meyer?

What makes authors like these inextricably associated with a particular state is not simply the matter of their having been born there or choosing to live there. The connection, from a writerly standpoint, is deeper than that鈥攖heir work, nearly all of it, is set in "their" state.

Of course, there are certainly exceptions. Whether a writer sets a tale in the town where they went to college or spent part of their childhood鈥攍ike Donna Tartt's "The Secret History" and its New England arts school setting and the almost-factual small town of Jo Ann Beard's "In Zanesville," respectively鈥攐r crafts a story that follows a social or political theme to a location they know little about but lay narrative claim to anyway, the world is rife with books known, loved, and respected that also capture the essence of place鈥攂ooks where setting itself is one of the strongest characters.

compiled a list of books set in New Jersey from . Whether you're looking for a good read set in the state you call home, or you're looking to expand your curiosity with a writer you're already familiar with, we've got you covered.

One for the Money (Stephanie Plum, #1)

- Rating: 4.04 (520,561 ratings)
- Author: Janet Evanovich
- Published: August 26, 1994
- Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Humor, Chick Lit
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In the Unlikely Event

- Rating: 3.54 (64,656 ratings)
- Author: Judy Blume
- Published: June 2, 2015
- Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Adult Fiction, Audiobook
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Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret

- Rating: 3.91 (202,931 ratings)
- Author: Judy Blume
- Published: January 1, 1970
- Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Childrens, Classics
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Ten Big Ones (Stephanie Plum, #10)

- Rating: 4.14 (97,847 ratings)
- Author: Janet Evanovich
- Published: June 22, 2004
- Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Humor, Chick Lit
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Two for the Dough (Stephanie Plum, #2)

- Rating: 4.11 (158,656 ratings)
- Author: Janet Evanovich
- Published: January 10, 1996
- Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Humor, Chick Lit
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Hard Eight (Stephanie Plum, #8)

- Rating: 4.16 (120,971 ratings)
- Author: Janet Evanovich
- Published: June 18, 2002
- Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Humor, Chick Lit
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To the Nines (Stephanie Plum, #9)

- Rating: 4.15 (115,947 ratings)
- Author: Janet Evanovich
- Published: July 15, 2003
- Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Humor, Chick Lit
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Hot Six (Stephanie Plum, #6)

- Rating: 4.19 (125,708 ratings)
- Author: Janet Evanovich
- Published: July 14, 2000
- Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Humor, Chick Lit
-

Four to Score (Stephanie Plum, #4)

- Rating: 4.17 (136,779 ratings)
- Author: Janet Evanovich
- Published: June 15, 1998
- Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Humor, Chick Lit
-

Seven Up (Stephanie Plum, #7)

- Rating: 4.14 (122,458 ratings)
- Author: Janet Evanovich
- Published: July 19, 2001
- Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Humor, Chick Lit
-

High Five (Stephanie Plum, #5)

- Rating: 4.18 (123,754 ratings)
- Author: Janet Evanovich
- Published: January 1, 1999
- Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Humor, Chick Lit
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The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

- Rating: 3.89 (250,276 ratings)
- Author: Junot D铆az
- Published: September 6, 2007
- Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Magical Realism, Novels
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Caught

- Rating: 4.00 (62,767 ratings)
- Author: Harlan Coben
- Published: February 25, 2010
- Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Crime
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Gone for Good

- Rating: 4.11 (56,799 ratings)
- Author: Harlan Coben
- Published: January 1, 2002
- Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Crime
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Superfudge (Fudge, #3)

- Rating: 4.00 (63,099 ratings)
- Author: Judy Blume
- Published: January 1, 1980
- Genres: Childrens, Fiction, Young Adult, Middle Grade
-

Finger Lickin' Fifteen (Stephanie Plum, #15)

- Rating: 4.01 (85,762 ratings)
- Author: Janet Evanovich
- Published: June 23, 2009
- Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Humor, Chick Lit
-

The Mall

- Rating: 3.60 (2,617 ratings)
- Author: Megan McCafferty
- Published: July 28, 2020
- Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Historical Fiction, Fiction
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Plum Lucky (Stephanie Plum, #13.5)

- Rating: 3.75 (49,694 ratings)
- Author: Janet Evanovich
- Published: January 8, 2008
- Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Humor, Chick Lit
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Eleven on Top (Stephanie Plum, #11)

- Rating: 4.16 (105,609 ratings)
- Author: Janet Evanovich
- Published: June 21, 2005
- Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Humor, Chick Lit
-

American Pastoral (The American Trilogy, #1)

- Rating: 3.93 (73,906 ratings)
- Author: Philip Roth
- Published: May 12, 1997
- Genres: Fiction, Classics, Literature, Novels
-

Fearless Fourteen (Stephanie Plum, #14)

- Rating: 4.04 (90,050 ratings)
- Author: Janet Evanovich
- Published: June 17, 2008
- Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Humor, Chick Lit
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Indignation

- Rating: 3.76 (16,109 ratings)
- Author: Philip Roth
- Published: September 5, 2008
- Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Novels, American
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Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal

- Rating: 4.12 (88,750 ratings)
- Author: G. Willow Wilson
- Published: October 15, 2014
- Genres: Graphic Novels, Young Adult, Fiction, Superheroes
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Palisades Park

- Rating: 3.77 (6,258 ratings)
- Author: Alan Brennert
- Published: January 1, 2013
- Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, World War II
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Three to Get Deadly (Stephanie Plum, #3)

- Rating: 4.14 (145,901 ratings)
- Author: Janet Evanovich
- Published: February 14, 1997
- Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Humor, Chick Lit
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The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women

- Rating: 4.14 (118,873 ratings)
- Author: Kate Moore
- Published: April 18, 2017
- Genres: Nonfiction, History, Science, Audiobook
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Lean Mean Thirteen (Stephanie Plum, #13)

- Rating: 4.09 (92,898 ratings)
- Author: Janet Evanovich
- Published: June 19, 2007
- Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Humor, Chick Lit
-

Americanah

- Rating: 4.32 (333,026 ratings)
- Author: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- Published: May 14, 2013
- Genres: Fiction, Africa, Contemporary, Feminism
-

Twelve Sharp (Stephanie Plum, #12)

- Rating: 4.15 (95,352 ratings)
- Author: Janet Evanovich
- Published: June 20, 2006
- Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Humor, Chick Lit
-

Just One Look

- Rating: 4.02 (38,500 ratings)
- Author: Harlan Coben
- Published: January 1, 2004
- Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Suspense
-

Hold Tight

- Rating: 3.95 (47,462 ratings)
- Author: Harlan Coben
- Published: April 15, 2008
- Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Suspense
-

Back Spin (Myron Bolitar, #4)

- Rating: 4.00 (28,381 ratings)
- Author: Harlan Coben
- Published: January 1, 1997
- Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Crime
-

Live Wire (Myron Bolitar, #10)

- Rating: 4.09 (43,122 ratings)
- Author: Harlan Coben
- Published: January 1, 2011
- Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Crime
-

Cape May

- Rating: 2.98 (4,651 ratings)
- Author: Chip Cheek
- Published: April 30, 2019
- Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Historical
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Promise Me (Myron Bolitar, #8)

- Rating: 4.01 (31,675 ratings)
- Author: Harlan Coben
- Published: January 1, 2006
- Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Crime
-

Smokin' Seventeen (Stephanie Plum, #17)

- Rating: 3.97 (79,858 ratings)
- Author: Janet Evanovich
- Published: June 21, 2011
- Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Humor, Chick Lit
-

Girl Waits with Gun (Kopp Sisters, #1)

- Rating: 3.77 (30,220 ratings)
- Author: Amy Stewart
- Published: September 1, 2015
- Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fiction, Historical
-

Flesh and Blood (Kay Scarpetta, #22)

- Rating: 3.73 (19,051 ratings)
- Author: Patricia Cornwell
- Published: November 4, 2014
- Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Crime
-

Top Secret Twenty-One (Stephanie Plum, #21)

- Rating: 3.87 (56,816 ratings)
- Author: Janet Evanovich
- Published: June 17, 2014
- Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Humor, Chick Lit
-

Death's Excellent Vacation

- Rating: 3.71 (10,297 ratings)
- Author: Charlaine Harris
- Published: August 3, 2010
- Genres: Paranormal, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Vampires
-

Explosive Eighteen (Stephanie Plum, #18)

- Rating: 3.96 (75,435 ratings)
- Author: Janet Evanovich
- Published: November 22, 2011
- Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Humor, Chick Lit
-

Fade Away (Myron Bolitar, #3)

- Rating: 4.03 (29,659 ratings)
- Author: Harlan Coben
- Published: December 11, 1996
- Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Crime
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Can't We Talk about Something More Pleasant?

- Rating: 4.13 (28,050 ratings)
- Author: Roz Chast
- Published: May 6, 2014
- Genres: Graphic Novels, Memoir, Nonfiction, Humor
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Notorious Nineteen (Stephanie Plum, #19)

- Rating: 3.95 (68,091 ratings)
- Author: Janet Evanovich
- Published: November 20, 2012
- Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Humor, Chick Lit
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Plum Lovin' (Stephanie Plum, #12.5)

- Rating: 3.74 (54,050 ratings)
- Author: Janet Evanovich
- Published: January 9, 2007
- Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Humor, Chick Lit
-

Sizzling Sixteen (Stephanie Plum, #16)

- Rating: 3.96 (77,733 ratings)
- Author: Janet Evanovich
- Published: June 22, 2010
- Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Humor, Chick Lit
-

Takedown Twenty (Stephanie Plum, #20)

- Rating: 3.83 (61,886 ratings)
- Author: Janet Evanovich
- Published: November 19, 2013
- Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Humor, Chick Lit
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The Season of You & Me

- Rating: 3.85 (1,850 ratings)
- Author: Robin Constantine
- Published: May 10, 2016
- Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Realistic Fiction
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Tithe (Modern Faerie Tales, #1)

- Rating: 3.71 (89,748 ratings)
- Author: Holly Black
- Published: October 1, 2002
- Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, Fae
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