How to read Janet Evanovich’s books in order

With dozens of mystery and romance novels published in over forty languages, Janet Evanovich, also known under her nom de plume Steffie Hall, has become virtually synonymous with her genres. If you want to feel your heart race and stay at the edge of your seat as some of her more suspenseful plots unfold, stay tuned — we have a long list of recommendations and an overview of all Evanovich’s books in their chronological order.

About Janet Evanovich

Janet Evanovich (née Schneider) was born in South River, New Jersey, in 1943, to a family of first-generation immigrants. She attended high school in South River and eventually enrolled at Douglas College to study art, becoming the first member of her family to achieve higher education.

She married her husband, Pete Evanovich, in ’64, and when children graced her life, she decided to dedicate herself to the household. Her artistic impulses never waned, however, and she dedicated a lot of her efforts to writing.

Her ambitions were high from the beginning. For years she tried writing the next Great American novel, but after a series of rejections and a suggestion that she should try writing romance stories, she gave genre fiction a shot and realized she enjoyed it more than she had thought.

Stephanie Plum books in order

The Stephanie Plum series is Evanovich’s most famous series of novels and also the longest-running. In almost thirty volumes, the stories center around the titular character, Stephanie Plum, a bounty hunter. Narrating her exploits from the first-person perspective, Plum gives the reader a chance to experience her world of adventure, humor, and romance as intimately as possible.

All Stephanie Plum novels in their chronological order 

• One for the Money (1994)
• Two for the Dough (1996)
• Three to Get Deadly (1997)
• Four to Score (1998)
• High Five (1999)
• Hot Six (2000)
• Seven Up (2001)
• Hard Eight (2002)
• To the Nines (2003)
• Ten Big Ones (2004)
• Eleven on Top (2005)
• Twelve Sharp (2006)
• Lean Mean Thirteen (2007)
• Plum Lovin’ (2007)
• Fearless Fourteen (2008)
• Plum Lucky (2008)
• Plum Spooky (2008)
• Finger Lickin’ Fifteen (2009)
• Sizzling Sixteen (2010)
• Smokin’ Seventeen (2011)
• Explosive Eighteen (2011)
• Notorious Nineteen (2012)
• Takedown Twenty (2013)
• Top Secret Twenty-One (2014)
• Tricky Twenty-Two (2015)
• Turbo Twenty-Three (2016)
• Hardcore Twenty-Four (2017)
• Look Alive Twenty-Five (2018)
• Twisted Twenty-Six (2019)
• Fortune & Glory Tantalizing Twenty-Seven (2020)
• Game On: Tempting Twenty-Eight (2021)
• Going Rogue: Rise and Shine Twenty-Nine (2022)

Elsie Hawkins books in order

The Elsie Hawkins series features four romance novels centering on Elsie Hawkins, an opinionated and feisty old lady who keeps popping up at inopportune times, just as the romance of a young couple is about to spark. The novels are light-hearted, but there’s more to them than it might at first appear.

All Elsie Hawkin books in their chronological order

• Back to the Bedroom (1989)
• Smitten (1990)
• Wife for Hire (1990)
• The Rocky Road to Romance (1991)

Full/Max Holt series in order

Co-authored with Charlotte Hughes, the Full/Max Holt series features six romantic yet suspenseful novels.

All Full/Max Holt books in their chronological order

• Full House (1989)
• Full Tilt (2003)
• Full Speed (2003)
• Full Blast (2004)
• Full Bloom (2005)
• Full Scoop (2006)

Alexandra Barnaby books in order

The Alex Barnaby series features two prose works that give way to graphic novels. The stories are a humorous, romantic, and gripping tale of what love among siblings can be like, and Evanovich’s chick-lit style only adds more spicy to the already delicious mix of mystery and adventure.

All Alexandra Barnaby books in their chronological order 

• Metro Girl (2004)
• Motor Mouth (2006)
• Troublemaker (2007)
• Troublemaker 2 (2010)

Hot/Cate Madigan series in order

The Hot/Cate Madigan series so far features only one book co-authored with Leanne Banks titled Hot Stuff. It’s a racy romance tale that will make you blush with every turn of the page.

All Hot/Cate Madigan books in their chronological order

• Hot Stuff (2007)

Lizzy and Diesel books in order

Lizzy and Diesel is a series of urban fantasy novels published between 2009 and 2015. The protagonist is a pastry chef on a quest to save the world from a set of magical stones while trying to navigate his personal relationships and challenges in life.

All Lizzy and Diesel books in their chronological order

• Wicked Appetite (2009)
• Wicked Business (2012)
• Wicked Charms (2015)

Culhane Family series in order

The two novels in the Culhane series tell the story of the family that lends its name to the series and the lives of its members in the late 19th century. It is a tale of romance, lavish parties, and unexpected turns of fortune.

All Culhane Family books in their chronological order

• Love in a Nutshell (2012)
• The Husband List (2012)

Fox and O’Hare series in order

The Fox and O’Hare series is centered around the special FBI agent called Kate O’Hare and an infamous conman, Nicholas Fox. As the two characters couldn’t be more different, their tale is often woven in unexpected ways that leave no reader indifferent.

All Fox and O’Hare books in their chronological order

• The Caper (2018), co-written with Lee Goldberg
• Pros and Cons (2013), co-written with Lee Goldberg
• The Heist (2013), co-written with Lee Goldberg
• The Shell Game (2015), co-written with Lee Goldberg
• The Chase (2014), co-written with Lee Goldberg
• The Job (2014), co-written with Lee Goldberg
• The Scam (2015), co-written with Lee Goldberg
• The Pursuit (2016), co-written with Lee Goldberg
• The Big Kahuna (2019), co-written with Peter Evanovich
• The Bounty (2021), co-written with Steve Hamilton

Knight and Moon Series

Riley Moon, the daughter of a local sheriff, and Emerson Knight, a conman — not a likely combination but surely a humorous one. The Knight and Moon novels are charming and witty, with just enough mystery thrown in to keep you guessing.

All Knight and Moon books in their chronological order

• Curious Minds (2016), co-written with Phoef Sutton
• Dangerous Minds (2017)

Gabriella Rose Series

In 2022, Evanovich started working on a new series featuring Gabriella Rose, a recovery agent with a deadly set of skills. Her next client? Her own family facing extreme danger.

All Gabriela Rose books in their chronological order

• The Recovery Agent (2022)

Janet Evanovich’s standalone books in order

Although most famous for her full series, Evanovich has written a number of standalone novels about equally as captivating characters and full of just as many unexpected plot twists.

Janet Evanovich’s standalone novels in their chronological order

• Hero at Large (1987)
• Thanksgiving (1988)
• The Grand Finale (1988)
• Wife for Hire (1988)
• Foul Play (1989)
• Manhunt (1988)
• Ivan Takes a Wife (1988), republished under the title Love Overboard (2005)
• Back to the Bedroom (1989)
• Smitten (1990)
• Rocky Road to Romance (1991)
• Naughty Neighbor (1992)

Janet Evanovich’s non-fiction books

In 2016, Evanovich gave non-fiction a shot, writing about her own writing process in the aptly titled book How I Write. 

Janet Evanovich’s non-fiction works

• How I Write (2006)

Janet Evanovich anthologies

In addition to her novels, Evanovich has published tales in a couple of anthologies featuring other contemporary authors working in the same genre.

Janet Evanovich’s anthologies 

• The Plot Thickens
• The Last Peep

Audiobooks

Being a New York Times bestselling author, Evanovich has an established presence on Amazon, Book Depository, and other bookselling platforms in both physical and e-book formats. You can also order her books through her official website.

Listen to Janet Evanovich’s books on Speechify

If you prefer listening to books, you can check out Speechify, a new yet rapidly growing audiobook platform with tens of thousands of titles, including those in the mystery and romance genres.

Speechify is affordable and accessible on all kinds of devices, so you can enjoy your favorite Evanovich novels at home and on the go.

Check out Speechify Audiobooks today and enjoy numerous public domain and premium titles.