Hard Eight, Janet Evanovich
Hard Eight, Janet Evanovich
98 Rating(s)
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
Club: $9.99

Hard Eight
A Stephanie Plum Novel

Author: Janet Evanovich

Narrator: Lorelei King

Unabridged: 8 hr 32 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/01/2003


Synopsis

The #1 bestselling phenomenon continues in the eighth Stephanie Plum novel. The stakes get higher, the crimes get nastier, the chases get faster, and the men get hotter.

This time Stephanie, Morelli, Ranger. Lula, Valerie, and Grandma Mazur are strapped in for the ride of their lives. Stephanie is hired to find a missing child. But things aren't always as they seem and Stephanie must determine if she's working for the right side of the law. Plus, there's the Morelli question: can a Jersey girl keep her head on straight when more than just bullets are aimed for her heart? And with the Plum and Morelli relationship looking rocky, is it time for Ranger to move in for the kill? Janet Evanovich's latest thriller proves that Hard Eight will never be enough.

About Janet Evanovich

Janet Evanovich was born Janet Schneider on April 22, 1943 in South River, New Jersey. She routinely appears on both the New York Times and Amazon Bestseller Lists and has a devoted following of readers. Using the pen name Steffie Hall, she published her several short romance novels. She later struck gold with her popular ‘Stephanie Plum’ Series – the twenty second book in the series, (‘Tricky Twenty Two’) will be released this November. After the third book in the series, Evanovich started running contests for her readers to suggest names for the next book. Each Plum book since that time has been named by a fan. The heroine, Stephanie Plum becomes a bounty hunter in her hometown of Trenton, New Jersey by bribing her pervert cousin Vinnie for a job after she is laid off as a lingerie buyer. Although there is plenty of romance and comedy in the books, they are primarily modern mysteries with an outrageous cast of secondary characters that add down to earth humor.

Evanovich became the first in her family to attend college. After graduating from South River High School she went on to attend Douglass College, part of Rutgers University. Janet Evanovich married her husband Pete in 1964. When she had her son, Peter and daughter, Alexandra, she decided to become a stay at home mom to raise her children. She first began writing in her thirties and had trouble publishing her first three manuscripts. Someone suggested she try writing romance novels. She had written two romance novels and still had not found anyone to publish them and became discouraged. She stopped writing and instead signed on with a temporary employment agency. After she worked there for several months, she received an offer to publish her second romance manuscript. She wrote and published multiple short romance novels before creating the world of Stephanie Plum. She has also written several other series, including the ‘Wicked’ Series, the ‘Alex Barnaby’ series, and the newer ‘Fox and O’Hare series featuring an FBI Agent and her partner, a notorious thief on the FBI’s Most Wanted List.


Reviews

AudiobooksNow review by Tracy on 2009-07-03 14:12:04

Great book and great story. I gave the book four stars because the long awaited night together of Ranger and Steph is not detailed or well written at all. Very disappointing stuff from a former romance novelist. Anyway, if you want mystery it's great. However, you will be disappointed by the Ranger and Stephanie relationship in this book.

Goodreads review by James on May 07, 2020

Book Review 4 out of 5 stars to Hard Eight, the 8th book in the "Stephanie Plum" cozy mystery series, written in 2002 by Janet Evanovich. OK... so I cannot figure out for the life of me how Ms. Evanovich comes up with the hilarity in these characters. It's absolutely amazing to see the va......more

Goodreads review by Heather on March 01, 2010

Finally, after seven books, Stephanie has fornicated with Batman, aka, Ranger. Major kudos go to Janet Evanovich for making my stomach flip without a whole lot of information. I've never even seen this Ranger, or Joe Morelli for that matter, and yet all I have to do is read a line and somehow they c......more

Goodreads review by Jilly on May 08, 2016

This one was a little bit of a let-down after the previous books. I mean, yeah, there were plenty of cars getting blown-up and a killer in a rabbit suit chasing her, but there was also a kind of sad undertone because of the break-up. I don't want sad and serious in these books! I read them to get aw......more

Goodreads review by Cyndi on April 28, 2018

Out of all the Stephanie Plum books, so far, I think this has the scariest villain. Reread-April 2018. The Plum’s neighbor asks Steph to find her granddaughter. This leads Steph through terrifying encounters with a bunny and a bear. It’s scarier than it sounds. Meanwhile she and Morelli are separated......more

Goodreads review by Paul on April 24, 2025

The series is wobbling a little! The Plum family's next door neighbour, Mabel Markowitz, needs Stephanie's help. Her grand-daughter, Evelyn Soder, has disappeared with her daughter and Evelyn's husband is threatening to collect on a child custody bond that would leave Mrs Markowitz homeless. The husb......more


Quotes

“Keeps up Evanovich's standards for over-the-top situations” —Chicago Tribune

“[A] must read...readers will want to finish this delightful work in one sitting.” —Midwest Book Review

“Offers the best action yet.” —Newark Star-Ledger

“The girl mercenary is as fresh as ever.” —People

“Hard Eight is most emphatically not Raymond Chandler but, like his work, a piece of finely crafted prose.” —San Francisco Chronicle

“Plum is one of fiction's most irresistible heroines.” —Seattle Post Intelligencer

“Evanovich has certainly come a long way since One for the Money; her latest Stephanie Plum mystery merits a one-day national laydown on June 18.” —Library Journal

“Well plotted and cleverly resolved...her wickedly funny characterizations and the intriguing love triangle are what keep her readers coming back for more.” —Bookpage

“As close to summer escapism as you can get. Evanovich hits a high note with her newest...a great addition to a well-stocked beach bag.” —Houston Chronicle

“A perfect summer vacation book...promises fun, laughter, and unforgettable characters...Evanovich delivers.” —Tennessean (Nashville, TN)

“Thrills mixed with lust, seasoned with humor: a delightful escape.” —News & Record (Greensboro, NC)

“Evanovich produces more than "beach reading". She writes rollicking, raunchy, hysterical fiction that is so real, you will laugh out loud and want to visit the Burg.” —Rockwall County News

“Just when you think the adventures of Plum and company can't get any funnier or more convoluted, Janet Evanovich proves you wrong-nobody does it better!” —Romantic Times