All Janet Evanovich Books In Order

Have you heard of Janet Evanovich or her work, but you are unsure how to read her stories? This guide should give you all the information that you need.

She is an author who is well known for having worked on a wide variety of different series.

All Janet Evanovich Books in Order

One of her most popular series is the Stephanie Plum books, but there is a wide variety of other series that she has worked on as well.

Because of this massive range of variety, we have organized all of her stories by series and will give you some information on each so you know how to approach them.

So, if you are planning to read Janet Evanovich’s books, but you are unsure where the best place to start is, or what order to read a certain book series in, then this guide should give you the information you need!

So, if you are going to start reading Janet Evanovich’s stories, keep reading!

More On Janet Evanovich Books

If you want to know more about the author, Janet Evanovich was born in 1943 in South River in New Jersey.

She originally started writing books, not as Janet Evanovich but as Steffie Hall, a pseudonym, and she wrote books mostly in the genre of contemporary romance.

Now she writes as Janet Evanovich, she is much more well-known for writing mysteries in a contemporary setting instead.

Since starting her career, Janet Evanovich has published a massive amount of books, and while doing so, has worked with other famous authors like Charlotte Hughes, Stephen J Cannell, and Lee Goldberg.

Her books have sold more than 90 million copies in total throughout the world. Her debut novel was called Hero at Large and it was her first story published as Steffie Hall as well back in 1987.

She went on to be contracted by Bantam Loveswept the next year. She continued to write romance stories under this contract for 5 years after this.

All Janet Evanovich Books In Order

Lizzie & Diesel

For the main Janet Evanovich stories we are going to focus on in this guide, we want to give you a wide variety of different options to choose from, because of this, we are mainly going to focus on the stories in Janet Evanovich’s Lizzy and Diesel series, then the Knight and Moon series, moving onto the Alexandra Barnaby series, and then the Full series.

We will also go over the order to read her other series, however, these are the specific series which we will go into greater detail with!

Lizzy And Diesel Books

Wicked Appetite (2009)

Wicked Appetite (Lizzy & Diesel Book 1)

We follow Diesel who is not given the choice but to show up to Salem since the 7 stones that represent each deadly sin have been witnessed in Boston, so he is partnered with Elizabeth to recover them.

Lizzie is just the baker in Salem, but she has a talent for finding things, but this mission will not be as easy for them as they thought.

Pros

  • Following Diesel and Lizzy is fun.

Cons

  • Not the best pacing.

Wicked Business (2012)

Wicked Business: A Lizzy and Diesel Novel (Lizzy & Diesel)

We learn of Gilbert who taught English at Harvard but was killed after being thrown off his home. He also had a sonnet book that has connections to the third stone of lust which Lizzy and Diesel have to find.

Pros

  • Having Lizzy and Diesel’s search combined with a murder mystery is fun.

Cons

  • Some of the side characters are less inspired.

Wicked Charms (2015)

Wicked Charms: A Lizzy and Diesel Novel (Lizzy & Diesel Book 3)

We continue following Lizzy and Diesel looking for the stones, they learn of Avarice, a famous pirate, and find his map to get clues on the location of their next stone.

Pros

  • One of Evanovich’s most fun narratives.

Cons

  • Lizzy and Diesel’s interactions are a little less inspired.

Knight And Moon Series

Curious Minds (2016)

Curious Minds: A Knight and Moon Novel

The first of the two Knight and Moon stories follows a human who is not the best at socializing but has a knack for solving mysteries and an extrovert lawyer with a strong attitude.

Pros

  • The relationship between the two leads is well set up here.

Cons

  • The narrative is a bit weak when compared to the strong characters.

Dangerous Mind (2017)

Dangerous Minds: A Knight and Moon Novel

Knight and Moon have to reunite to solve the mystery of an island that has completely gone missing.

Pros

  • The core mystery is a lot more fun than the first book.

Cons

  • We wish this series had more stories!

Alexandra Barnaby Books

Metro Girl (2004)

Metro Girl (Alexandra Barnaby Book 1)

The first in the Alexandra Barnaby series follows the main character going to Florida to look for her brother when he has gone missing.

Pros

  • Learning about Alexandra’s brother through the narrative is entertaining.

Cons

  • Some of the side characters outshine others.

Motor Mouth (2006)

Motor Mouth: A Barnaby Novel (Alexandra Barnaby Book 2)

We follow Alexandra working as a spotter for a NASCAR driver when she sees everything go wrong with a bizarre murder, a kidnapped dog, and a passionate affair.

Pros

  • The relationship between Alexandra and the driver is fun to watch.

Cons

  • The mystery is not as engaging as the previous story.

Troublemaker (2007)

Troublemaker: A Barnaby and Hooker Graphic Novel, Book 1

This is a graphic novel that takes place in the same world as the Alexandra Barnaby series and follows Alexandra and Sam discovering the truth behind a kidnapping.

There is also a direct follow-up to the first volume called Troublemaker 2 (2010).

Troublemaker: A Barnaby and Hooker Graphic Novel, Book 2

Pros

  • If you wanted more from this series, this is the perfect send-off.

Cons

  • We do wish the series had a bit more to it.

Full/Max Holt Series

Full House (1981)

Full House (Janet Evanovich's Full Series Book 1)

This is the first story in Janet Evanovich’s Full series and it follows Nicholas who is a wealthy polo teacher and as soon as he meets Billie he is attracted to her.

Billie herself is a single mother of two but stable with her life. Nick finds her irresistible and Billie finds herself feeling something that she had written off. However, nothing is ever this simple.

Pros

  • The relationship between Billie and Nicholas makes an engaging read.

Cons

  • Works much better as a standalone book compared to the rest of the series that clearly has a series in mind.

Full Tilt (2002)

Full Tilt: A Novel (Janet Evanovich's Full Series Book 2)

With a similar plot to the first Full book, but a unique set of characters, we meet Jamie who is a newspaper editor.

She is willing to do whatever she has to keep her Gazette afloat, however, her life is made unstable when Max arrives as a financial partner.

He is flirty and wealthy, however, Jamie does not want him around, but there is someone else who is willing to do a lot more to get rid of him.

Pros

  • Max is a great love interest to follow.

Cons

  • Some of the side characters are a little hard to believe.

Full Speed (2003)

Full Speed (Janet Evanovich's Full Series Book 3)

Unlike the first story in the Full series, we continue to follow the same couple from the previous story with Max and Jamie now in a relationship and also working together.

However, they both have motivations to investigate a local preacher who they think has ties to a mob as well as past relationships with female members of the church.

However, when they get wind that they are being investigated, things go south.

Pros

  • Getting to see Max and Jamie now in a relationship is entertaining for readers.

Cons

  • The antagonists have relatively murky motivations, however, once you understand them, the plot is a lot easier to follow.

Full Blast (2004)

Full Blast (Janet Evanovich's Full Series Book 4)

We once again continue following Jamie’s story and she has found a case that could either make or break her career.

There is someone in the Lonely Hearts of her newspaper who has admitted to killing a local woman.

However, she has to call upon Max to help her work out the case and their relationship is far from at its best, so as well as solve the case, they need to work out what they mean to each other.

Pros

  • The unconventional nature of Jamie and Max’s relationship is engaging to read.

Cons

  • The plot can become a little predictable as you keep reading.

Full Bloom (2005)

Full Bloom (Janet Evanovich's Full Series Book 5)

We follow a new character for the Full series being Annie who is an entrepreneur in Beaumont in South Carolina.

She has just inherited her grandmother’s small B&B. Things take a turn when she finds out that a local psychic is bringing up rumors about the B&B being a former brothel which is not perfect when they are about to host Max’s wedding. But when she meets Wes, things take a turn.

Pros

  • Annie is an interesting main character to follow.

Cons

  • It takes quite a while for the reader to get accustomed to Wes.

Full Scoop (2006)

Full Scoop (Janet Evanovich's Full Series Book 6)

The last current entry in the Full series follows Maggie who is a pediatrician in the same town as the B&B from the previous story.

She was once a wild girl but now her past is catching up to her, literally, with her ex now free from prison and tracking her down.

For the sake of her protection, Zack is sent to protect her, however, their mutual attraction is making this job a lot more complicated.

Pros

  • The relationship between the unconventional couple is a fun read to get through.

Cons

  • The presence of the ex-character can be a little oppressive throughout the narrative.

Fox And O’Hare Series

Fox and O'Hare

This series follows a con man who is famous for running scams on the rich and powerful and because of this has been a target of the FBI for years.

The main agent who has been working on tracking him down is Kate O’Hare, so when he manages to strike a deal with the FBI, she is stuck working with him.

Quite unconventionally, this series started with a short story, and there is another short story in this series as well, but there are 7 full-length entries as well. The correct order to read this series is:

Culhane Family Series

Culhane Family

For this short duology by Janet Evanovich, we follow Kate whose husband has just left her and was just fired from her job as a magazine editor.

The only place she has to go is her parent’s summer house, and she wants to turn it into a bed and breakfast, however, the only way she finds to get the money to start it up is by doing a seemingly simple spying job.

This short series was written by Janet Evanovich as well as Dorian Kelly and is a great short-time investment that you will enjoy a lot. The two stories included are:

Stephanie Plum Books

Stephanie Plum

Janet Evanovich’s longest series that has been getting consistent releases since 1994 is the Stephanie Plum series.

This series also has a movie adaptation of the first story that was released in 2012. The lead character Stephanie is a tough woman who lives in New Jersey whose life is changed when she is fired and her car gets taken.

The only job which is available is through her cousin who suggests bounty hunting.

This series is of course a massive undertaking, so before you decide to read it, we suggest either watching the movie or reading one of Janet Evanovich’s shorter series to see if you like her writing style. If you do want to read it, the entries in order are;

Elsie Hawkins Books

Elsie Hawkins Series

One of Janet Evanovich’s earliest series is the Elsie Hawkins series which follows an unconventional romance between neighbors.

If you want to try reading one of Janet Evanovich’s older stories, the suggested reading order is:

Gabriela Rose Series

The Recovery Agent: A Novel (Gabriela Rose Book 1)

The newest series that Janet Evanovich has started only has one entry, so if you want something manageable that you can get invested in, then we suggest starting this series!

We follow Gabriela Rose who is known as the Recovery Agent who gets missing heirlooms and treasures back.

We only have the first story in this series, but it was well-recieved and well worth checking out if you are a fan of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series. The only entry in the series currently is The Recovery Agent (2022).

Standalone Books

Hero at Large

If you are wanting a break from Janet Evanovich’s series of books, then you might want to check out one of her various standalone books.

Of course, since these are standalone, they do not need to be read in any particular order, however, if you want to read them in order of release so you can see how Janet Evanovich’s writing style develops, the correct order would be:

Non-Fiction Book

How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author

If you want to read a non-fiction offering from Janet Evanovich, then you have to try her guide on how she writes and how this has contributed to her becoming a bestselling author.

This book is titled How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author (2006) and is well worth a read if you are a fan of her writing style.

Anthologies

The Plot Thickens

The final Janet Evanovich book we are going to mention is the anthology she has been featured in called The Plot Thickens (1997), so if you have read all of her own stories, then these are well worth checking out!

Summary

Hopefully, this guide has given you all the information on how to approach Janet Evanovich’s works.

There are a wide variety of different ways to approach her work, but hopefully, you have found a series that piques your interest.

We recommend finding one of her shorter series which you like the sound of, and reading it to see if you like her writing style, and then if you do, move on to something longer like the Stephanie Plum series.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Janet Evanovich Known For?

Janet Evanovich is an author who is well known for her work on a wide variety of different book series and a few standalone stories as well.

Her longest-running series is the Stephanie Plum series which currently has 33 entries, and 29 without including short stories.

Is There a Janet Evanovich Movie Adaptation?

Yes, there is actually a movie adaption of the 1994 novel by Janet Evanovich called One for the Money.

If you do not recognize the name, this is the title of the first Stephanie Plum book, so if you want an easy way to start the series, watching this movie is a great idea.

The movie was released almost 20 years after the book in 2012. It had a screenplay written by and also directed by Julie Anne Robinson.

Some stars who worked in the film include Debbie Reynolds, Jason O’Mara, and Sherri Shepard.

We follow Stephanie Plum who after being unemployed starts work as a bail enforcement agent who is pursuing a high school crush who is failing to pay bills and is then suspected of murder.

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Anna Davis