Stephanie Plum returns as Janet Evanovich's heroine. Stephanie is a bounty hunter who never gets her man. Stephanie is just one step away from being inept. She just getes lucky. In this story, a missing person case takes her on a wild goose chase. Only this time, a local mob boss doesn't like Stephanie butting into the case. Apparently there is something the missing person has that the mob guy wants. He blows up at least two of Stephanie's cars and kills a man in her apartment to try to deliver his message to stay away. Stephanie also has to deal with an elusive man who refuses to be taken in for his court date. And she still can't make up her mind if she's still interested in cop friend Joe Morelli, or the sexy mercenary Ranger. Friend Lulu and Grandma Mazur join the crime fighting as usual and the whole cast creates a comedy of errors trying to capture the bad guys and still stay alive.
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The review of this Book prepared by BethG
Stephanie Plum has a big problem on her hands. Seven-year old Annie Soder and her mom Evelyn, have disappeared. Evelyn's estranged husband, Steven, a shady character of a seedy bar is not at all happy. During the divorce proceedings, he and Evelyn signed a child custody bond, and Steven is demanding the money guaranteed by the bond to find Annie. The money was secured by a mortgage on Evelyn's grandmother's house, and the True Blue Bonds Bail Agency wants to take possession of the house.
Stephanie follows the trail left behind by Annie and Evelyn-and finds a lot more than she bargained for. Steven is somehow linked wiht a very scary Eddie Abruzzi. Trenton cop and on-again, off again fiance Joe Morelli, and Stephanie's tormentor, Ranger, warn Steph about Abruzzi, but it's Abruzzi's eyes and mannerisms that frighten Stephanie the most. Stephanie needs Ranger's savvy and expertise, and she's willing to accept his help to find Annie even though it might mean getting a little too involved with Ranger.
So Stephanie and her whole crew set out to find Annie. The search turns out to be a race among Stephanie's posse, the True Blue Bonds agent, a Rangerette known as Jean Ellen Burrows, and the Abruzzi crew. Not to mention the fact that there's a killer rabbit on the loose!
The review of this Book prepared by Boppy
St. Martin's, June 2002, 25.95, 320 pp.
ISBN 0312265859
Not everyone can work a job where the odds are that they will run across dead bodies, have their cars blown up or have to track down a person who doesn't show up for their court date but Stephanie Plum can and does. Somehow, the idea of being a bounty hunter makes Stephanie feel good and if it means that her lover Joe Morelli doesn't want to be with her because of it then that is his loss.
Stephanie promises her mother's next door neighbor that she will find her missing daughter Evelyn and her two children. Evelyn had to take out a child custody bond using her mother's house for collateral. If she fails to show up at the hearing, her mother will lose the house. In the course of the investigation Stephanie finds a dead body on her couch, is stalked by a killer rabbit, and is in danger of being killed from a powerful crime lord who want something Evelyn has.
Anybody and everybody who loves a hysterically funny crime thriller with plenty of chills, thrills and action must read HARD EIGHT. Janet Evanovich's latest installment in the Stephanie Plum series is so over the top readers will want to finish this delightful work in one sitting. The author effectively uses the protagonist's relationship with Morelli and sexual attraction to Ranger as a way of relieving some high level tension. This novel is guaranteed to be on the New York Times bestseller list before too long.
Harriet Klausner
The review of this Book prepared by Harriet Klausner
