Humor & Satire
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Game On: Tempting Twenty-Eight (28) (Stephanie Plum)
Stephanie Plum returns to hunt down a new kind of criminal operating out of Trenton in the 28th book in the wildly popular series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Janet Evanovich.
When Stephanie Plum is woken up in the middle of the night by the sound of footsteps in her apartment, she wishes she didn't keep her gun in the cookie jar in her kitchen. And when she finds out the intruder is fellow apprehension agent Diesel, six feet of hard muscle and bad attitude who she hasn't seen in more than two years, she still thinks the gun might come in handy.
Turns out Diesel and Stephanie are on the trail of the same fugitive: Oswald Wednesday, an international computer hacker as brilliant as he is ruthless. Stephanie may not be the most technologically savvy sleuth, but she more than makes up for that with her dogged determination, her understanding of human nature, and her willingness to do just about anything to bring a fugitive to justice. Unsure if Diesel is her partner or her competition in this case, she'll need to watch her back every step of the way as she sets the stage to draw Wednesday out from behind his computer and into the real world.
When Stephanie Plum is woken up in the middle of the night by the sound of footsteps in her apartment, she wishes she didn't keep her gun in the cookie jar in her kitchen. And when she finds out the intruder is fellow apprehension agent Diesel, six feet of hard muscle and bad attitude who she hasn't seen in more than two years, she still thinks the gun might come in handy.
Turns out Diesel and Stephanie are on the trail of the same fugitive: Oswald Wednesday, an international computer hacker as brilliant as he is ruthless. Stephanie may not be the most technologically savvy sleuth, but she more than makes up for that with her dogged determination, her understanding of human nature, and her willingness to do just about anything to bring a fugitive to justice. Unsure if Diesel is her partner or her competition in this case, she'll need to watch her back every step of the way as she sets the stage to draw Wednesday out from behind his computer and into the real world.
Editorial Reviews
"Plum remains sassy, outspoken, brave, and definitely one-of-a-kind… a hilariously madcap, action-packed caper filled with crazy twists and some nail-biting suspense. [Game On] finds the irrepressible Stephanie and cohorts in absolutely top form." -Booklist (starred review)
Readers Top Reviews
Rock polisher
Pretty good overall. Not a lot of laugh out loud moments. Good plot. Happy that Stephanie doesn't jump into bed with 2 men in one book.
Sally V.
Waiting a year for a book always increases the anticipation, especially after the last one did not live up to expectations. I was not disappointed in this instalment of the Stephanie Plum series. My only regret is that Ranger was not in it very much. I’m glad he did make an appearance near the end. I also prefer Diesel and Wulf in his Diesel’s own series, but the occasional guest appearance in Stephanie’s stories is alright. Loved this one!!!
Short Excerpt Teaser
Chapter One CHAPTER ONE
The clock on my bedside table said it was 2:00 a.m. Lights were off in my small apartment and my bedroom was totally dark. Something pulled me out of sleep and now I was in bed, awake and terrified. I was listening to someone moving around in my living room. My gun was in the brown bear cookie jar in the kitchen. My cell phone was charging in the bathroom. I kept a two-pound Maglite next to my clock, and at the moment it was the closest I could come to a weapon.
My name is Stephanie Plum and I'm a bail bonds enforcement agent. It's the sort of job that might require self-defense skills like kung fu and eye gouging, but I'm not proficient in either. I coerced my cousin Vinnie into hiring me during a time of desperate unemployment and to date I haven't migrated on to a better job.
I heard the intruder walk into my bedroom and drop something heavy onto the floor. I fought through the panic, clicked my flashlight on, and pinned the beam to a face. I recognized the man and went breathless for several beats before getting my heart under control.
"Diesel?"
"Yeah. You want to drop the beam a little, so I don't go blind."
Diesel is over six feet of hard muscle and bad attitude. He has sun-bleached hair that's thick and unruly, talents that are difficult to explain, and a job that's similar to mine but on an international level. Hell, for all I knew he worked at an intergalactic level.
"You scared the beejeezus out of me," I said. "What are you doing here?"
"I got dropped off here. I've got a job in Trenton. Lucky me. That's sarcasm in case you didn't figure it out. I'm beat. It was a long trip."
"Where did you come from?"
He kicked his shoes off. "Bangkok." He stripped off his T-shirt and dropped his jeans.
I sat up in bed. "What are you doing?"
"I'm going to bed. Move over."
"No. No, no, no, no. You aren't sleeping here."
"I always sleep here when I'm in town."
"Twice. Three times, tops, and I didn't want you in my bed then, either. And I haven't heard from you in what… two years?"
"Has it been that long?"
"I have a boyfriend. He doesn't like when I have other men in my bed."
"It isn't still the cop, is it? Bordatello?"
"Joe Morelli."
"I was close."
He dropped his briefs, and I snapped the flashlight off. "Would it be asking too much for you to at least leave some clothes on?"
"Yeah, it would be asking too much."
"Sleep on the couch."
"I don't fit on the couch."
"Terrific. I'll sleep on the couch."
I got out of bed, grabbed my pillow, and ripped the quilt off the bed.
"Your loss," Diesel said. "And you need to do something about the cranky attitude."
I slammed the bedroom door shut and carried my stuff to the couch. "One night and you're out of here!" I yelled back at him.
I have a long relationship with my current boyfriend, Joe Morelli. And I have an unconventional relationship with a security expert named Ranger. My relationship with Diesel defies description. I suppose it's more of an occasional friendship of convenience than a relationship. Kind of like a stray cat that shows up every two years, invites himself into your home, eats your food, and stays just long enough for you to get used to him. Truth is, I know shockingly little about Diesel.
Diesel sauntered out of the bedroom into the kitchen, squinting against the early morning sunlight. He was dressed for the day in jeans, scuffed brown leather boots, and an untucked gray T-shirt advertising tequila. He tapped on the glass aquarium that was home to my hamster, Rex, received no response, and moved to the coffeemaker.
"Is there anything alive in the cage?" he asked.
"Rex," I said. "He's sleeping in his soup can den."
Diesel took a mug from the over-the-counter cupboard and filled it with coffee. "I'm looking for a loser named Oswald Wednesday, also known as O.W. I don't suppose you know him."
"I absolutely know him. Vinnie posted a bail bond for Oswald, and he didn't show up for his court appearance. I've been looking for him for two weeks now and I have nothing."
"What's the charge on Oswald?"
"He broke into a townhouse that was rented to a cop and he came out on the losing end of a wrestling match. Oswald said it was mistaken identity, but he was charged with breaking and entering and assault with a deadly weapon. He was armed with a gun and a knife. He got released on a high bond. Why are...
The clock on my bedside table said it was 2:00 a.m. Lights were off in my small apartment and my bedroom was totally dark. Something pulled me out of sleep and now I was in bed, awake and terrified. I was listening to someone moving around in my living room. My gun was in the brown bear cookie jar in the kitchen. My cell phone was charging in the bathroom. I kept a two-pound Maglite next to my clock, and at the moment it was the closest I could come to a weapon.
My name is Stephanie Plum and I'm a bail bonds enforcement agent. It's the sort of job that might require self-defense skills like kung fu and eye gouging, but I'm not proficient in either. I coerced my cousin Vinnie into hiring me during a time of desperate unemployment and to date I haven't migrated on to a better job.
I heard the intruder walk into my bedroom and drop something heavy onto the floor. I fought through the panic, clicked my flashlight on, and pinned the beam to a face. I recognized the man and went breathless for several beats before getting my heart under control.
"Diesel?"
"Yeah. You want to drop the beam a little, so I don't go blind."
Diesel is over six feet of hard muscle and bad attitude. He has sun-bleached hair that's thick and unruly, talents that are difficult to explain, and a job that's similar to mine but on an international level. Hell, for all I knew he worked at an intergalactic level.
"You scared the beejeezus out of me," I said. "What are you doing here?"
"I got dropped off here. I've got a job in Trenton. Lucky me. That's sarcasm in case you didn't figure it out. I'm beat. It was a long trip."
"Where did you come from?"
He kicked his shoes off. "Bangkok." He stripped off his T-shirt and dropped his jeans.
I sat up in bed. "What are you doing?"
"I'm going to bed. Move over."
"No. No, no, no, no. You aren't sleeping here."
"I always sleep here when I'm in town."
"Twice. Three times, tops, and I didn't want you in my bed then, either. And I haven't heard from you in what… two years?"
"Has it been that long?"
"I have a boyfriend. He doesn't like when I have other men in my bed."
"It isn't still the cop, is it? Bordatello?"
"Joe Morelli."
"I was close."
He dropped his briefs, and I snapped the flashlight off. "Would it be asking too much for you to at least leave some clothes on?"
"Yeah, it would be asking too much."
"Sleep on the couch."
"I don't fit on the couch."
"Terrific. I'll sleep on the couch."
I got out of bed, grabbed my pillow, and ripped the quilt off the bed.
"Your loss," Diesel said. "And you need to do something about the cranky attitude."
I slammed the bedroom door shut and carried my stuff to the couch. "One night and you're out of here!" I yelled back at him.
I have a long relationship with my current boyfriend, Joe Morelli. And I have an unconventional relationship with a security expert named Ranger. My relationship with Diesel defies description. I suppose it's more of an occasional friendship of convenience than a relationship. Kind of like a stray cat that shows up every two years, invites himself into your home, eats your food, and stays just long enough for you to get used to him. Truth is, I know shockingly little about Diesel.
Diesel sauntered out of the bedroom into the kitchen, squinting against the early morning sunlight. He was dressed for the day in jeans, scuffed brown leather boots, and an untucked gray T-shirt advertising tequila. He tapped on the glass aquarium that was home to my hamster, Rex, received no response, and moved to the coffeemaker.
"Is there anything alive in the cage?" he asked.
"Rex," I said. "He's sleeping in his soup can den."
Diesel took a mug from the over-the-counter cupboard and filled it with coffee. "I'm looking for a loser named Oswald Wednesday, also known as O.W. I don't suppose you know him."
"I absolutely know him. Vinnie posted a bail bond for Oswald, and he didn't show up for his court appearance. I've been looking for him for two weeks now and I have nothing."
"What's the charge on Oswald?"
"He broke into a townhouse that was rented to a cop and he came out on the losing end of a wrestling match. Oswald said it was mistaken identity, but he was charged with breaking and entering and assault with a deadly weapon. He was armed with a gun and a knife. He got released on a high bond. Why are...
