Hard Eight
Janet Evanovich
Again we find Stephanie Plum, master bounty hunter, hot on the trail of Trenton's most wanted- except this time, she's not out to find a probably-criminal FTA. Rather, Hard Eight has Stephanie working to find her neighbor's missing granddaughter and great-granddaughter, a task whose complexity is multiplied many times by the group that accumulates to help and hinder Stephanie's chase. This book, like the others, moves quite quickly in parts but tends to drag in certain areas, though the detail given to Stephanie's life outside of bounty hunting adds to the intrigue and keeps the series afloat. Stephanie's frequent encounters with the two major men in her life, along with fairly routine (routine being a relative word in Evanovich's delighfully awkward Trenton) dinners with her family contribute to an overall sense that there is more to the Stephanie Plum books than the mysteries they contain. This is good because Stephanie's well-worn trick of being just incompetent enough to be a credible threat is beginning to wear a little thin by this eighth book in her series. If readers had to live on the mysteries alone, the series would have long since fallen flat, but a vivid and imaginative Trenton brings Hard Eight to life. Newer characters enter seamlessly into the pre-existing Plum universe and several old friends reappear, including enough of beloved Grandma Mazur to make us all glad (or, perhaps, sadly regret) that we don't have one ourselves. Albert Kloughn is frighteningly immature and is taken to a bit of an extreme, but Evanovich has wisely toned down Lula and, in doing so, fleshed her out a bit. The two characters, create a balance of cliche and actual characterization that works overall and shows that Evanovich is willing to grow as a writer. The pacing of the book leaves a bit to be desired; though various interludes into Stephanie's life keep the book from becoming another rote mystery novel, they tend to drag and make action sequences seem unduly rushed. The thrilling end of the book is again crammed into just a few pages, leaving a bit to be desired but faithfully and adequately wrapping up the story within. The real draw for Hard Eight is its success in relating a vivid vision of Trenton through Stephanie's spot-on narration and reliable performances from supporting cast members, as well as encouraging growth for Stephanie herself. Evanovich certainly has enough tricks up her sleeve to keep loyal readers entertained, but though Hard Eight fits in well to the Stephanie Plum series, it's a familiar gig, even when the missing person is only an acquaintance and not a criminal at all.
Grade: B
Janet Evanovich
Again we find Stephanie Plum, master bounty hunter, hot on the trail of Trenton's most wanted- except this time, she's not out to find a probably-criminal FTA. Rather, Hard Eight has Stephanie working to find her neighbor's missing granddaughter and great-granddaughter, a task whose complexity is multiplied many times by the group that accumulates to help and hinder Stephanie's chase. This book, like the others, moves quite quickly in parts but tends to drag in certain areas, though the detail given to Stephanie's life outside of bounty hunting adds to the intrigue and keeps the series afloat. Stephanie's frequent encounters with the two major men in her life, along with fairly routine (routine being a relative word in Evanovich's delighfully awkward Trenton) dinners with her family contribute to an overall sense that there is more to the Stephanie Plum books than the mysteries they contain. This is good because Stephanie's well-worn trick of being just incompetent enough to be a credible threat is beginning to wear a little thin by this eighth book in her series. If readers had to live on the mysteries alone, the series would have long since fallen flat, but a vivid and imaginative Trenton brings Hard Eight to life. Newer characters enter seamlessly into the pre-existing Plum universe and several old friends reappear, including enough of beloved Grandma Mazur to make us all glad (or, perhaps, sadly regret) that we don't have one ourselves. Albert Kloughn is frighteningly immature and is taken to a bit of an extreme, but Evanovich has wisely toned down Lula and, in doing so, fleshed her out a bit. The two characters, create a balance of cliche and actual characterization that works overall and shows that Evanovich is willing to grow as a writer. The pacing of the book leaves a bit to be desired; though various interludes into Stephanie's life keep the book from becoming another rote mystery novel, they tend to drag and make action sequences seem unduly rushed. The thrilling end of the book is again crammed into just a few pages, leaving a bit to be desired but faithfully and adequately wrapping up the story within. The real draw for Hard Eight is its success in relating a vivid vision of Trenton through Stephanie's spot-on narration and reliable performances from supporting cast members, as well as encouraging growth for Stephanie herself. Evanovich certainly has enough tricks up her sleeve to keep loyal readers entertained, but though Hard Eight fits in well to the Stephanie Plum series, it's a familiar gig, even when the missing person is only an acquaintance and not a criminal at all.
Grade: B
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