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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