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    Hard Eight: A Stephanie Plum Novel
    Hard Eight: A Stephanie Plum Novel
    Hard Eight: A Stephanie Plum Novel
    Audiobook8 hours

    Hard Eight: A Stephanie Plum Novel

    Written by Janet Evanovich

    Narrated by Lorelei King

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    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.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Audio
    Release dateMar 1, 2003
    ISBN9781593970666
    Hard Eight: A Stephanie Plum Novel
    Author

    Janet Evanovich

    Bestselling author Janet Evanovich is the winner of the New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Award and multiple Romantic Times awards, including Lifetime Achievement. She is also a long-standing member of RWA.

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    Reviews for Hard Eight

    4/5

    1,844 ratings56 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Another great addition to the series. Well, Morelli and Stephanie are getting married or aren't getting married.. Not so sure, with this on again off again relationship. I love the way Stephanie gets even with Joyce by allowing Bob the dog to do his business on her lawn. Boy did she ever have a hard time catching her Older FTA Eddie DeChooch in this one. And the heart incident.. What a hoot.. I don't know where she comes up with these stories but they sure do have a lot of twists and turns and funny too.
    • 5/5
      The love triangle is killing me with curiosity, but it is sure a great way to keep you reading on!
    • 4/5
      In the eighth book in the series, Stephanie and Morelli are on the outs and Ranger is threatening to cash in on their "deal". Stephanie's parents' next door neighbor, Mabel Markowitz, is about to lose her house because she put it up as collateral for her granddaughter, Evelyn's, custody bond, and now Evelyn and her daughter Annie have disappeared. Stephanie starts to search for Evelyn and Annie and runs afoul of bad guy Eddie Abruzzi. A fun, slightly dark (for Stephanie), read, pretty typical of the series, and just what the doctor ordered. Three and a half stars.
    • 5/5
      Another great read in the Stephanie Plum series. The ending was the best prelude to what could become of a specific couple.
    • 3/5
      Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter, is searching for a runaway mother and child while trying to avoid both the child's father and Eddie Abruzzi, the stereotypical madman with willing henchman. Unfortunately, she is not a very good bounty hunter, which leads to much of the humour in the book. While searching for the mother and child she is also attempting to apprehend two other bail bondees, one of whom she attempts to capture several times but fails even though he is a drunk, the other she happens to come across without even bothering to look! Stephanie requires police help so often they have a pool, and draw lots to see whose turn it is to enjoy her latest predicament. Meanwhile, she is 'helped' by an array of characters including: Lula, who is supposed to do the office filing but would much rather watch Stephanie get cars blown up; Albert Kloughn, who is an attorney at law without many clients; Ranger, mysterious guy who makes her weak at the knees; Morelli, her on-again/off-again boyfriend who hates her job; and the fantastic Grandma Mazur, who tends to scare the bozos who try to scare her by wishing she were twenty years younger!I must confess to having very mixed feelings about this book. I'm familiar with the other Stephanie Plum books and the format hasn't changed: there are still many moments that are laugh out loud funny. Better than that, there are moments that are go-back-read-it-again-immediately and laugh-out-loud-again funny. There's not much point in quoting pieces out of context, but suffice it to say that the dialogue is often very funny. The book is very easy to read and the storyline is hardly taxing - it's certainly NOT a whodunnit, or even a whytheydunnit, more a how-many-times-can-she-let-them-escape-h​er? For those of you looking for strong, interesting plotlines and complex humour, this is not the place to look. If, however, you are looking for something undemanding and amusing, you've struck gold.Except...there are two things that bothered me about this latest installment.Firstly, and least importantly, Evanovich breaks the cardinal rule of will-they/won't they tension by letting Stephanie and the mysterious Ranger fall into bed together. It is noticeable that in Friends and similar comedies, it is always funnier when there's an element of doubt, when the protagonists aren't together. Ross and Rachel had to be split up as the writers of the show realised that they lost their comic edge when they were lovers. Anyway, getting back to the point, no matter what happens between Stephanie and Ranger now, that element of sexual tension has been well and truly lost, and with it, the humour such tension generated. There is more comedy to be found in frustration that in action and these novels are intended to be comic.Secondly, and far more importantly for me, important events and meanings are skimmed over. There are references to Lula's former occupation as a 'ho' which are utterly devoid of any kind of feeling about her past. Even the fact that Lula was extremely brutally treated by Benito Ramirez in a previous book is treated in a very off-th-cuff manner. As the death toll rises, Stephanie reassures people who come accross her that she hardly ever kills anyone and worries that her couch has death cooties as a result of being the last refuge of sawed-in-half Steven Sodor. As in previous books, the cavalier attitude to arson attacks, kidnapping, sexual threats and extreme violence leads to humour and prevents the reader being overly concerned by the harsh treatment meted out to crooks and minor characters. However, the more I read the more I felt that too much grotesque violence was being happily skimmed over by the narrator and Stephanie herself. Although this is meant to be a light read, I felt it would have benefitted from either less violence or a slightly more considered response to it. It reminds me of a bit in Huckleberry Finn in which Huck is asked if anyone was hurt when the boat blew a cylinder head. He replies that only a black man was harmed and his aunt responds, in all seriousness, that it was very lucky, because sometimes people did get hurt. Yes, Steven Sodor got sawed in half but there isn't a moment of pity or thought spared on him as he is, in Evanovich's world, completely villainous and expendable.Anyway. I'm probably taking it all too seriously! An easy, light-hearted and very humorous read, if you don't stop and think too much.
    • 4/5
      Stephanie Plum is always a hoot!
    • 3/5
      The stuff with Ranger felt more than a little creepy. Which sucks because normally I dig their flirtatious relationship. Also Stephanie never seems to grow as a character. And enough with the cars always being destroyed. The gag is played out.
    • 2/5
      I got this book sort of by accident, so I read it while on holiday. It's not a bad book, but it hasn't encouraged me to read more books of this series.
    • 4/5
      This was the longest it has ever taken me to actively read a Stephanie Plum novel, so I'm a little disappointed by that. However, the humor and antics were just as good as ever.
    • 4/5
      This series is such an easy read. It's like watching a really bad sitcom, that you love despite it being bad. I love it.
    • 2/5
      There was quite a bit of hype to follow Seven Up. Needless to say, Hard Eight didn’t do it.There were a few things I liked about the book.1: I love Stephanie’s niece Mary Alice. How can you not love a kid who thinks she’s a horse?2: I also like the creativity of the murder. I know it’s morbid, but you gotta love the brain of someone who can be so creative. To get a dead man into an apartment, he is cut in half and placed in gym bags so they are inconspicuous. Clever, to say the least.3: After so many books, you have to get creative with the bad guys. This time they wore costumes. I like the creativity, but it’s hard to take a guy in a bunny suit seriously, even if he is throwing fire bombs at you.4. Albert Klaughn (Clown) .. enough said. I love the Clown. He reminds me of an 8 year old girl wanting to know everything she can about the world in as little time as possible. I imagine the numerous questions he asks come out a mile a minute.On paper, it seems like “What else can you ask for?” But, I thought the book was kind of blah. Those things stood out, but in 300 pages, that’s really not a lot. They can’t all be 5s.I give Hard Eight 2 bookmarks.
    • 4/5
      The seventh book in Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series shows the author at the top of her game. The laughs are on almost every page, the story is engrossing, and the characters very memorable.

      Evanovich's humor is never petty or mean. She finds the heart in her characters and invites us to laugh with them rather than at them.
    • 4/5
      Just when you think Stephanie can't get herself into more trouble...
    • 3/5
      Hard eight, was another good one of the Stephanie Plum series. I am really liking this series. This one was a little slow, but a good read.
    • 3/5
      Suprisingly good, definately better than To The Nines. not as darkas a spoiler free summary might make you think.
    • 3/5
      I’m not that huge fan of Janet Evanovich. Some of her books I found better, some of them worse. This one is actually a pretty good one.

      I think I like this book more because Stephanie is not as silly as she used to be. At least most of the time. And Lula doesn’t annoy me as much as usual. The crime part is not very brilliant but it is quite interesting and from time to time pretty funny. I followed it with pleasure.

      I am most disappointed with the love part. The situation between Stephanie and Joe is getting more and more complicated. I have never liked love triangles and this one here is extremely annoying. This whole quarrel between Stephanie and Joe is so bizarre and totally unnecessary. Basically, it's only needed to warm up the feelings between Stephanie and Ranger. Completely pointless if you ask me.

      An additional plus for the "perfect" sister of Stephanie and her two devilish daughters. I will be happy to see them again.
    • 3/5
      Another misadventure for Stephanie. She and Ranger get closer and wedding plans spiral beyond her control. Usual laughs.
    • 3/5
      Stephanie is assigned a bounty for a senior citizen, Eddie DeChooch who is far more wily at getting away from her than anyone expected. However, while searching for DeChooch Stephanie stumbles on a body and unraveling the links between Eddie and the corpse and the disappearance of a few of Stephanie's acquaintance will take all of Stephanie's skills and luck.It's more of the same for this series and as long as I space these out it's comforting rather than irritating. There's more Morelli v. Ranger hemming and hawing from Stephanie, Grandma Mazur continues to say the most ridiculous things, and Stephanie somehow manages to solve the crime yet again. I most enjoyed the growth for Stephanie's mother and sister in this volume. If you like formulaic mystery series, this ain't bad although there are a few spots the book shows its age.
    • 5/5
      Our favorite bounty hunter is back.At the end of Hot Six, Stephanie found a body in Eddie DeCooch's shed. Eddie is a semi retired mobster, elderly, crazy, and just happens to be dating Grandma Mazur. With a murder charge, Eddie goes FTA. Stephanie is charged with locating him and bringing him back for trial. With a marriage proposal from Joe and a sex involving deal with Ranger, Stephanie finds it hard to concentrate on the job.Full of fun and excitement. so very entertaining.
    • 4/5
      I have read all of the Stephanie Plum novels so far and I just love these books. They are a very easy read and are something to read when you just wanna relax after a long day. They are just so humorous and I love all the characters, especially Grandma Mazur. It has a little bit of everything thrown in, while still being lighthearted.

      I would recommend these books to anybody.
    • 4/5
      Stephanie is back at it again. I have not read many books in this series but after reading this one I am reminded of how much I enjoy Stephanie. I need to go back and read the books I have missed in this series. Yet, Stephanie is not the only one that brings the laughter as well. Her crazy family, her friends, the people she hunts, and the two love interests. Speaking of friends, though, I do have to give a shout out to Lulu. She brought the laughs with her "model diet". Although, when you read about it, it sounds like the "keto" diet of today. What with her meats that she carried around with her. Seeing Stephanie in action was entertaining. She had me along for the whole ride. When it comes to the love interests; both men have their good qualities. Not sure who I am rooting for more. All I know is that I can't get enough of Stephanie.
    • 3/5
      A fun, fluffy read :)
    • 4/5
      This was the longest it has ever taken me to actively read a Stephanie Plum novel, so I'm a little disappointed by that. However, the humor and antics were just as good as ever.
    • 4/5
      I'm not really a fan of chick-lit but I do like this series, it doesn't tend to do the fluffy boy meets girl stuff more the girl shoots bad guys and makes out with a couple of cute guys.
    • 4/5
      Book number seven in Janet Evanovich's über-popular series about still-not-very-good-at-her-job bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. This time, Stephanie goes after an elderly mobster while also dealing with two missing friends, a visit from her sister, and pressure from all sides about planning a wedding. Also, there's mud wrestling.The plot is entertainingly ridiculous, maybe even more so than usual, and there are some nicely funny moments. I also like the fact that Stephanie's family is getting a little more development, especially her mom. I am, however, losing patience with the love triangle thing. Not only is it a cliche, and one that shows every sign of being dragged out for the next umpteen volumes, but it's not doing any favors for the characters of the guys involved. I'm finding them both annoying now, and am especially disappointed by the fact that a character who was perfectly okay for the first few books has become downright skeevy now that he's a love interest. Or lust interest. Whatever.
    • 3/5
      Once again the wacky cast of endearing characters drew me in despite a plot that was a bit less interesting than some of the others.
    • 5/5
      I go into these books knowing that there is going to be romance, humor, and a lot of car crashes. This one was no different. Stephanie had to pick up Eddie DeChooch, an old man who missed his court date. Simple enough since he’s an old guy, but apparently not for Stephanie and Lula. I lost count of how many times they had him and lost him, but somewhere around 8 or 9.
      This book was hilarious with Grandma and Mooner hanging out (I didn’t see that coming but now that it happened it seems completely normal), a marriage proposal from Morelli, and Stephanie’s perfect sister in town. There were moments where I had to set the book down until I stopped laughing.
      Key points: Dialogue is on point throughout the whole book. Each character has their own voice and even though the book only comes from Stephanie’s POV, I can relate to every character in their own way. Perfect comedy, perfect romance, and perfect mystery. A book by an A author and an A book series.
    • 3/5
      Funny! And on the homefront, Stephanie’s “perfect” sister Valerie has decided to move back to Trenton, bringing her two kids from hell. Grandma Mazur is asking questions about being a lesbian, and Bob, the bulimic dog, is eating everything in sight — including the furniture.

      Mud wrestling, motorcycles, fast cars, fast food, and fast men. It’s SEVEN UP. Absolutely Janet Evanovich at her very best.Semi-retired mob guy, Eddie DeChooch, is caught trafficking contraband cigarettes through Trenton, New Jersey. When DeChooch fails to show for a court appearance, bond enforcement agent Stephanie Plum is assigned the task of finding DeChooch and dragging his decrepit ass back to jail. Not such an easy job, it turns out, since DeChooch has learned a lot of tricks over the years and isn’t afraid to use his gun. He’s already shot Loretta Ricci and left her for worm food in his shed. He wouldn’t mind shooting Stephanie next.
    • 5/5
      Stephanie has to apprehend DeChooch who has missed court for illegally moving too many cigarettes across state lines. However, there are two gangsters looking for him, and the local stoners have disappeared. Morelli and Stephanie's families think they are engaged. Ranger places a price on helping Stephanie apprehend DeChooch.Love these books. They don't lack humor and sex appeal. Quick and fun reads. Every one.
    • 3/5
      Another fun instalment with everyone's favourite bounty hunter, Stephanie Plum. Whilst there is plenty of light-hearted humour, a crazy-over-the-top plot and plenty of entertainment, I would not call this precisely required reading. Appealing and enjoyable, but I don't think I could read too many in a row.