"Go, Stephanie, Go!"

Stephanie Plum is back with a vengeance, hot on the trail of another mystery when Mabel, her parents' neighbor, asks her to look for her granddaughter, Evelyn. Evelyn and her daughter Annie have disappeared with a child-custody bond hanging over Evelyn's head, meaning that if Evelyn really has taken Annie, the bond company can take Mabel's house. Stephanie suspects there is more to the story than anyone, including Evelyn's sleazy ex-husband, is saying. She's in a race against time as a rival, competent bounty hunter who bears a striking resemblance to Catwoman, Evelyn's ex, and a scary landlord looking to remove Stephanie's still- beating heart from her body all search for the missing mother.

Fans of Evanovich's sassy sleuth will be pleased to note that, even if this is book eight, the characters and the storyline are as strong and funny as they were in the first novel. Stephanie gets herself into the most bizarre situations, chasing down an overweight, poorly balanced FTA and another who tries to slice her up, takes four sets of her handcuffs, and sends her straight into the welcoming arms of a giant margarita. It baffles the mind to think that she actually gets PAID for this!

The eighth installment in the Stephanie Plum series, HARD EIGHT contains all the parts of a winning Evanovich mystery: twisted plot, frightening villain, ridiculous yet challenging FTAs, a gutsy Stephanie who continues to do all the things I probably wouldn't do in her place, and her riotously funny family that makes mine look like the Brady bunch. Throw in her rocky romantic relationships with gorgeous Trenton cop Joe Morelli and dangerously appealing bounty hunter Ranger and you've got a winning novel that will keep you turning page after page.

Reviewed by Kelley Hartshorn
Posted January 10, 2003

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Summary

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.