Game On: Tempting Twenty-Eight

Title:  Game On: Tempting Twenty-Eight

Author:  Janet Evanovich

Publication Information:  Atria Books. 2021. 304 pages.

ISBN:  198215487X / 978-1982154875

Book Source:  I received this book through NetGalley free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "The clock on my bedside table said it was 2:00 am."

Favorite Quote:  "If you're going to be a hacker, you need to be smarter and better than whoever you're hacking."

Game on is the twenty-eighth book in the Stephanie Plum series. It is, however, the first I have read. The series has long been on my list to try, and this book does not disappoint. I was apprehensive about not starting with book 1, but I was able to enjoy this one regardless.

Stephanie Plum, born, raised, and living in and around Trenton, New Jersey, is a bounty hunter. This is not a career she sought out. Rather, the back story is that she fell into it out of financial desperation. Turns out, she is really good at it. Her coworkers - a motley crew of characters feature in every book. Given that she is still in the locale of her childhood, her family and even childhood friends are a part of every book. That particularly insert some humor and caring into the book. Her relationship with her family is sweet and so relatable.

Three men from Stephanie's life feature in this book, and from what I have read, others. Joe Morelli is a police officer and, supposedly, Stephanie's significant other. Ranger is part love interest, part mentor, part mystery man. Diesel Diesel (yes, that is the name) is a Swiss bounty hunter who seems to come in and out of Stephanie's life. There may have been and may still be a romance or not.

Of course, there is a dog - Bob.

The plot of this book is about a group of young hackers who, perhaps, inadvertently intrude into the work of international hacker and criminal Oswald Wednesday (gotta love the names!). He does not take kindly to the hacking, and the hackers are in trouble. Of course, Oswald Wednesday has plans that are considerably more grand and more nefarious. Stephanie and Diesel, for their own different purposes, are on the hunt for Oswald Wednesday. Oswald Wednesday is on the hunt for these hackers, who may have dislodged his plan.

So begins a tale full of chases, near misses, and daring rescues tumbled together with family, friendship, and love. I am not sure if this is the formula for the rest of the books, but, as a first time reader, it works for a fun read. Part of me now wants to go back and read an earlier book is the series and compare. Part of me wants to leave a good enough read alone. I tried the series. I enjoyed it. It's free standing so there is not a need to read more to find out what happens. However, it feels like it is likely a reliable series when you are in the mood for a pick-me-up adventure.

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The Bounty

Title:  The Bounty

Author:  Janet Evanovich and Steve Hamilton

Publication Information:  Atria Books. 2021. 320 pages.

ISBN:  1982157135 / 978-1982157135

Book Source:  I received this book through NetGalley free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "The target is approaching the Vatican."

Favorite Quote:  "The victor will always be the judge, and the vanquished the accused."

The Bounty is book seven in the Fox and O'Hare series. Nick Fox is an ex-con who is caught and given the option to shift to helping the FBI. Kate O'Hare is the FBI agent tasked with managing Fox. A friendship and relationship, of course, develops. Each book is a new adventure involving these two. The first five are co-authored by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg. The sixth is co-authored by Janet Evanovich and Peter Evanovich. This one is co-authored by Janet Evanovich and Steve Hamilton. Steven Hamilton has authored another series on his own.

Clearly, the Fox and O'Hare series is in transition. As such, I imagine the tone and style of the books have shifted as the authors shifted.  However, this is the first I have read in the series. I have no preconceptions of tone, structure, character, plot. In this case, with the shifting authors, that may actually be an advantage as I am comparing this book to another or several others. 

Clearly, there is a back story and a history. However, this book also stands alone. Enough of the history and the relationships is explained for it to not stand in the way of enjoying this book.

The adventure of this book involves the back story in a way. The initial villain they chase is none other than Nick's father. However, is he actually the villain, or are there bigger forces at play? Clearly, there is only one right answer to that question for how else would the book move forward. In fact, the resolution to this question comes relatively early in the book.

In some ways, the book reminds me of The DaVinci Code and National Treasure. There is symbolism and history involved in the untangling of this mystery. There is supposedly an actual treasure. The links here lead to Nazi Germany, the appropriation of treasures by that regime, and an organization called the Brotherhood. There may be a literal pot of gold at the end of this chase.

Once it begins, the book is nonstop action, going from place to place. Many locations involve a tourist landmark. The good guys find a clue. They chase it down, which usually involves some jaw-dropping feat. The bad guys catch up. The good guys escape with their lives and jump ahead. The cast of good guys and bad guys expands and contracts according to the situation. For some characters, the question as to whether they are part of the good guys or the bad guys needs to be determined. So, it continues beginning to end.

The "action" somewhat repeats location to location, but the pace makes for a fun read. The relationships seem to take a back seat to the action in this book. Nick and Kate. Nick and his father. Kate and her father. Kate and her boss. Yet, the relationships are all there, and I see glimmers of the depth they could achieve. Will they? Who knows? I suppose it depends on whether or not there are more books coming, and it depends on who writes them. Whether or not more is to come, this iteration was an entertaining read.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.