Series: Standalone
Format: 318 pages, Kindle Edition
Release Date: January 6, 2026
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Genre: Mystery, Suspense
A disgraced FBI agent is challenged to a life-or-death match by a deviously clever kidnapper in this propulsive novel by USA Today bestselling author Debra Webb.
Former FBI agent Ryan McBride crashed and burned three years ago after a case took a fatal turn. He swore he was done with the Bureau forever—until Special Agent Vivian Grace shows up at his door with a new case he can’t refuse.
Six-year-old Alyssa Byrne has been kidnapped, and her abductor, alias Devoted Fan, has threatened to kill her in twenty-four hours. He promises to reveal the girl’s location to the FBI on one condition: He’ll only talk to McBride.
With the clock ticking, Grace and McBride race to solve Devoted Fan’s puzzles, each more twisted than the last. But when another victim goes missing, with a promise of more to come, they realize that Devoted Fan is not just a stranger with a deranged obsession. His sick game is somehow connected to both their pasts—but around which dark corner lies the answer?
Revised edition: Previously published as Nameless, this edition of The Devoted Game includes editorial revisions.
The Devoted Game by Debra Webb is a fast-paced suspense thriller that delivers high-stakes cat-and-mouse tension, flawed protagonists, and a ticking-clock premise. This revised edition of Webb’s earlier novel Nameless (originally published in 2008 as part of the Less/Dark and Dangerous series) includes editorial revisions. Former FBI special agent Ryan McBride was once a highly regarded specialist in kidnapping cases. Three years earlier, a case ended fatally; he was scapegoated and left the Bureau in disgrace. He has since retreated to the Florida Keys (Key West), drowning his failures in alcohol and isolation.
Agent Vivian Grace—a relatively new agent with her own traumatic history as a kidnapping survivor—arrives at his door. A six-year-old girl, Alyssa Byrne, has been abducted in Alabama. Her kidnapper, who styles himself “Devoted Fan,” issues a 24-hour deadline and will only communicate with McBride. He frames the case as a series of twisted tests and puzzles designed to force McBride back into the game. As McBride and Grace race to solve each challenge and locate victims, additional abductions occur. It becomes clear that the perpetrator’s obsession is not random; the “game” is deeply connected to both agents’ pasts.
The narrative alternates between the intensifying investigation, the protagonists’ personal demons, and the escalating danger. The book excels as a propulsive thriller, with short chapters, relentless pacing, and a genuine sense of urgency driven by deadlines and escalating stakes. The puzzles and riddles keep the investigation active rather than purely reactive, and the emotional weight of the characters’ histories (McBride’s bitterness and failure, Grace’s survival trauma) adds depth beyond pure procedural mechanics. Ryan McBride is a compelling, imperfect hero. His alcoholism, cynicism, and self-destructive habits make him human and grounded rather than a polished action hero.
The partnership between the disgraced veteran and the determined younger agent generates both professional friction and personal chemistry. Suspension of disbelief is occasionally required regarding the FBI’s willingness to involve a disgraced former agent so centrally. The romance aspect of this story didn't appeal to me at all, but it will likely appeal to fans of character-driven crime fiction with a significant romantic thread, ticking-clock plots, and authors such as Harlan Coben or other procedural romantic suspense writers.
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