What do you think?
Rate this book
Fox and O'Hare #0.25
The Shell Game
It was love at first con. Find out how FBI Special Agent Kate O’Hare and con artist Nicolas Fox first met in this exclusive eBook original short story!
Con man Nick Fox is after Garson Klepper’s golden Peruvian relics. For Fox, convincing Klepper to hire him as security for the relocation of the relics to the Getty museum in L.A. was easy. Problem is, Fox wasn’t planning on Klepper also enlisting the help of the FBI. Fox also wasn’t planning on being paired up with rookie special agent Kate O’Hare. She’s smart, she’s tenacious, and when she’s conned, she holds a grudge. Life for Fox and O’Hare will never be the same again.
The Shell Game is a prequel to the riveting series from Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg.
Praise for the Fox and O’Hare series
“The laugh-out-loud humor that readers expect from Evanovich is in full force, and Goldberg’s crafty and elaborate writing is prominent. . . . Everyone will be eager for the next book in the series.”—Associated Press, on The Heist
“Great fun, with plenty of twists.”—The Sacramento Bee, on The Chase
Con man Nick Fox is after Garson Klepper’s golden Peruvian relics. For Fox, convincing Klepper to hire him as security for the relocation of the relics to the Getty museum in L.A. was easy. Problem is, Fox wasn’t planning on Klepper also enlisting the help of the FBI. Fox also wasn’t planning on being paired up with rookie special agent Kate O’Hare. She’s smart, she’s tenacious, and when she’s conned, she holds a grudge. Life for Fox and O’Hare will never be the same again.
The Shell Game is a prequel to the riveting series from Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg.
Praise for the Fox and O’Hare series
“The laugh-out-loud humor that readers expect from Evanovich is in full force, and Goldberg’s crafty and elaborate writing is prominent. . . . Everyone will be eager for the next book in the series.”—Associated Press, on The Heist
“Great fun, with plenty of twists.”—The Sacramento Bee, on The Chase
29 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 7, 2014
About the author
Janet Evanovich
344 books42.2k followersJanet Evanovich is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Stephanie Plum series, the Lizzy and Diesel series, twelve romance novels, the Alexandra Barnaby novels and Trouble Maker graphic novel, and How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author, as well as the Fox and O'Hare series with co-author Lee Goldberg.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 635 reviews
November 5, 2023
|| 2.5 stars ||
Well, okay, I don’t think I really have much of an opinion on this. I thought this would be a little more interesting than it was.
I expected more from Nick and Kate’s first meeting, but it was honestly pretty dull and bland. We don’t see them interact at all, and even though we know they had a “work dinner” together, we actually skip over the actual dinner completely, and we have no clue what happened there or what they talked about. It’s all pretty shallow.
Nonetheless, whereas the first meeting between Nick and Kate was disappointing and lacklustre, the actual plot where Nick was stealing a bunch of artefacts under Kate’s (and everyone else’s) nose was pretty okay and decently thought-out. Nothing mind-blowing or anything, but it wasn’t boring either.
Well, okay, I don’t think I really have much of an opinion on this. I thought this would be a little more interesting than it was.
I expected more from Nick and Kate’s first meeting, but it was honestly pretty dull and bland. We don’t see them interact at all, and even though we know they had a “work dinner” together, we actually skip over the actual dinner completely, and we have no clue what happened there or what they talked about. It’s all pretty shallow.
Nonetheless, whereas the first meeting between Nick and Kate was disappointing and lacklustre, the actual plot where Nick was stealing a bunch of artefacts under Kate’s (and everyone else’s) nose was pretty okay and decently thought-out. Nothing mind-blowing or anything, but it wasn’t boring either.
Read
February 16, 2024No star rating for this one since I haven't read the rest of the series and I pretty much just used it to cheat on a reading challenge. I realize that it's probably fairly ridiculous to cheat on a challenge that I'm completing voluntarily, but I'm nothing if not a stereotypical Gen X slacker.
The 2015 PopSugar Reading Challenge (which I am completing in 2024 for … reasons) has a prompt that's “a book your mom loves.” Problem is, my mother isn't much of a reader so the only recommendation she gave me was “something by Janet Evanovich.” While Evanovich's stuff is fine (I read some of the Stephanie Plum novels way back in my late teens), it's just not something that I have a real interest in reading right now.
That's where this short story came in, as the absolute shortest "book" I could find by Janet Evanovich – 48 minutes on audiobook at normal speed. And, as a bonus, it's a prequel so no need to be familiar with the characters in advance (in theory, at least)!
And, yeah, it was fine. I think I would have appreciated it a lot more if I'd read the rest of the series, though, because it was really hard to care about the main characters in something this short without any other context. So, anyway, no star rating, because it feels kind of unfair to give it a mediocre rating just because I couldn't be bothered to read a full-length Janet Evanovich novel. *shrugs*
The 2015 PopSugar Reading Challenge (which I am completing in 2024 for … reasons) has a prompt that's “a book your mom loves.” Problem is, my mother isn't much of a reader so the only recommendation she gave me was “something by Janet Evanovich.” While Evanovich's stuff is fine (I read some of the Stephanie Plum novels way back in my late teens), it's just not something that I have a real interest in reading right now.
That's where this short story came in, as the absolute shortest "book" I could find by Janet Evanovich – 48 minutes on audiobook at normal speed. And, as a bonus, it's a prequel so no need to be familiar with the characters in advance (in theory, at least)!
And, yeah, it was fine. I think I would have appreciated it a lot more if I'd read the rest of the series, though, because it was really hard to care about the main characters in something this short without any other context. So, anyway, no star rating, because it feels kind of unfair to give it a mediocre rating just because I couldn't be bothered to read a full-length Janet Evanovich novel. *shrugs*
October 23, 2024
3.5⭐
Genre ~ crime fiction
Series ~ Fox and O'Hare, #0.25
Setting ~ California
Publication date ~ October 7, 2014
Est Page Count ~ 33 (8 chapters)
Audio length ~ 48 minutes
Narrator ~ Scott Brick
POV ~ dual 3rd
Featuring ~ FBI, con artist
A super quick introduction into a series that will follow FBI agent Kate O’Hare and con artist Nick Fox. There isn't too much I can say for such a short story. Seems like the series will be a fun cat and mouse time.
Narration notes:
He did great.
Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ X
Genre ~ crime fiction
Series ~ Fox and O'Hare, #0.25
Setting ~ California
Publication date ~ October 7, 2014
Est Page Count ~ 33 (8 chapters)
Audio length ~ 48 minutes
Narrator ~ Scott Brick
POV ~ dual 3rd
Featuring ~ FBI, con artist
A super quick introduction into a series that will follow FBI agent Kate O’Hare and con artist Nick Fox. There isn't too much I can say for such a short story. Seems like the series will be a fun cat and mouse time.
Narration notes:
He did great.
Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ X
December 5, 2014
NOT ENOUGH BOOK TO SATISFY MY KATE/NICK OBSESSION!
January 20, 2019
LOOOOOVED this prequel. So glad I decided to go back and read it before continuing to book two. Can't recommend it enough if you are starting this series, or even if you've read most of the series already. This story is how Fox and O'Hare meet, and I seriously grinned through the entire thing. Good stuff.
January 3, 2015
This a novella that introduced Fox and O'Hare. I wish I read this before "The Heist" as it gives GREAT background info these two.
April 18, 2016
A great short story. Nick meets Kate. Short and sweet and makes you crave for more.
March 23, 2018
First Read: When I first read this, I didn't realize it was a novella, so was most surprised when it ended something like 29-35 pages later. The story didn't have enough book and story for my liking, had good potential, but this wasn't quite it. If they tried it again, put some more meat on it, I think it could be really good.
Second Read: Great short story to start off the series about how Nick Fox and Kate O'Hare meet. Nick is a sexy con and Kate is a new, tough FBI agent. Can't wait to read more! When I decided to read The Heist by Evanovich and Goldberg, I didn't realize that Nick Fox and Kate O'Hare's first adventure was preceded by a few prequel e-book only novellas. The Shell Game is a pleasing and fun, entertaining, fast-paced introduction to the adversarial relationship at the center of this series, between a suave, elegant, likable trickster and a by-the-book FBI agent determined to take him down. The plot is thin, but as a fan of caper stories and films I'm not really here for an intricately plotted mystery; rather, I want breezy banter and outlandish adventure -- and on that score, Evanovich and Goldberg deliver. This is a thoroughly entertaining read that does a fantastic job of introducing Nick and Kate and the professional rivalry that makes them the unlikeliest of crime-solvers. The perfect lunch break-length read, The Shell Game is a diverting introduction to Fox and O'Hare's entertaining shenanigans, a world of thanks to its novelty (at least to date) I'll happily revisit. A fun read, and looking forward to others. Recommend.
Second Read: Great short story to start off the series about how Nick Fox and Kate O'Hare meet. Nick is a sexy con and Kate is a new, tough FBI agent. Can't wait to read more! When I decided to read The Heist by Evanovich and Goldberg, I didn't realize that Nick Fox and Kate O'Hare's first adventure was preceded by a few prequel e-book only novellas. The Shell Game is a pleasing and fun, entertaining, fast-paced introduction to the adversarial relationship at the center of this series, between a suave, elegant, likable trickster and a by-the-book FBI agent determined to take him down. The plot is thin, but as a fan of caper stories and films I'm not really here for an intricately plotted mystery; rather, I want breezy banter and outlandish adventure -- and on that score, Evanovich and Goldberg deliver. This is a thoroughly entertaining read that does a fantastic job of introducing Nick and Kate and the professional rivalry that makes them the unlikeliest of crime-solvers. The perfect lunch break-length read, The Shell Game is a diverting introduction to Fox and O'Hare's entertaining shenanigans, a world of thanks to its novelty (at least to date) I'll happily revisit. A fun read, and looking forward to others. Recommend.
October 7, 2017
This was a super quick read because it is a short story that covers Kate and Nick's first meeting and the beginning of Kate's career. Even though it was written after this series started, it is a nice explanation of things to come. I've enjoyed the feel of these books. I like the characters, the action, the tension.....they are fun reads. So 4 stars.
September 28, 2021
An enjoyable story. I had a great listen with a great reader "Scot Brick".
October 7, 2021
Nice story, intrigued me enough to look into the rest of the series.
March 13, 2021
This short story is a prequel to a new series written by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg (screenwriter of the tv series Monk), featuring newly-minted FBI agent Kate O'Hare and pitting her against the clever thief, Nick Fox. Of course it's love at first crime so the series promises many fireworks and crazy situations ahead. Evanovich's trademark humor really shines through in this story. I'm looking forward to reading more in this series. And yes, you CAN picture this as a tv show!
June 4, 2026
Quick book. But introduced you to the main characters in the series .
April 18, 2020
So cute. Nice to know how Kate and Nick got their start.
As the blurb says, it was con at first say :o)
As the blurb says, it was con at first say :o)
October 7, 2014
This was a good short story about how Fox and O'Hara came together. It fits perfectly with the series. A good little read while waiting for the next book in this series to be published.
May 23, 2018
This is a very short story book, maybe calling it a book in itself is a misnomer, as it's not really a book...
It's more like a preamble, like a quick glance of what is to come, more like a quick intro, allowing us to meet the characters, that I assume will develop and grow in the books to come...
It's like a teaser or a preview of a movie, but in this case, applying to a book format, inviting us to stand by, or follow up and get the real book that is to come soon after...
A good idea in all, I'd say considering a well-known author once said is not so well received by readers, by an audience, to have a preamble, of what is soon to come in the very same book, like a preface or something, so I guess coming up with a short story as a teaser, in itself a separate "book" if we can call it that, I guess is after all a good idea...
It's more like a preamble, like a quick glance of what is to come, more like a quick intro, allowing us to meet the characters, that I assume will develop and grow in the books to come...
It's like a teaser or a preview of a movie, but in this case, applying to a book format, inviting us to stand by, or follow up and get the real book that is to come soon after...
A good idea in all, I'd say considering a well-known author once said is not so well received by readers, by an audience, to have a preamble, of what is soon to come in the very same book, like a preface or something, so I guess coming up with a short story as a teaser, in itself a separate "book" if we can call it that, I guess is after all a good idea...
June 27, 2017
A short story that I should have come upon long ago!
This book explains how Kate and Nick first met and takes us back to Kate's first days in the FBI.
I enjoyed spending a quick part of my day with these two, "seeing" them as they were before they became partners and partners!
This book explains how Kate and Nick first met and takes us back to Kate's first days in the FBI.
I enjoyed spending a quick part of my day with these two, "seeing" them as they were before they became partners and partners!
December 1, 2018
I love this series and these two so it was fun going back to see their very first meet and how the cat and mouse game all began. I'm glad I read this after the full lengths. I think it made me appreciate it more. I definitely smiled over the two as Kate tried to stop a heist Nick planned.
December 29, 2020
I like a story I can continue to read while the details are fresh in my mind. That has been short stories. I love these authors. I want to finish the rest of the series.
June 22, 2022
Very enjoyable short story with the classic characters from the fantastic series.
March 1, 2025
Good introduction to the series characters.
November 27, 2015
This is such an in porta the novella because it gives an insight to why Kate is so obsessed with capturing Nick and just how far back their “relationship” goes.
Kate is the newest acquisition of the FBI office in LA, after years spent in the NAVY she’s ready to take advantage of the chance to be near her family, her first case revolves around the protection of some art pieces and while the partnership with the hot piece of ass from the security agency is making her struggle, she’s ready to prove how good of an agent she is.
Problem is, Nick Fox (who at this point is barely a blip on the FBI’s radar) has laid eyes on the art pieces and has devised one of his famous devious cons in order to steal the pieces.
A legendary rivalry is born on this day...one that will last for years before our two protagonists are thrown together into the adventures of the “main” series.
Kate is the newest acquisition of the FBI office in LA, after years spent in the NAVY she’s ready to take advantage of the chance to be near her family, her first case revolves around the protection of some art pieces and while the partnership with the hot piece of ass from the security agency is making her struggle, she’s ready to prove how good of an agent she is.
Problem is, Nick Fox (who at this point is barely a blip on the FBI’s radar) has laid eyes on the art pieces and has devised one of his famous devious cons in order to steal the pieces.
A legendary rivalry is born on this day...one that will last for years before our two protagonists are thrown together into the adventures of the “main” series.
February 1, 2015
I really like this series and will read every tiny story they produce, especially if they continue to be this good. Basically this is a short story, showing the original crime where FBI Detective Kate and con man Nic Fox first meet. Very creative robbery (seriously how do they think these up?) and a well-written story.
February 15, 2015
Great short story to start off the series about how Nick Fox and Kate O'Hare meet. Nick is a sexy con and Kate is a new, tough FBI agent. Can't wait to read more!
June 9, 2015
Loved this story! How Nick and Kate first meet. Robberies, car chases, cons, and oreos. What more does a story need?
June 19, 2026
This conspiracy thriller tackles government secrets, corruption, and political intrigue, but I found it more frustrating than suspenseful. The premise was ambitious, yet the story often felt heavy-handed, with long stretches of exposition slowing the pace. The ideas were interesting, but the execution didn’t fully deliver.
September 9, 2019
4 ⭐
This book introduces ex SEAL now FBI agent Kate O'Hare and international thief and con man Nicholas Fox.
The novella was short and fun. It laid the groundwork for the rivalry between the thief and FBI agent. Both characters interesting. Loved the banter between Nick and Kate.
This book introduces ex SEAL now FBI agent Kate O'Hare and international thief and con man Nicholas Fox.
The novella was short and fun. It laid the groundwork for the rivalry between the thief and FBI agent. Both characters interesting. Loved the banter between Nick and Kate.
October 7, 2017
Just what I needed today. A little touch of Nick Fox. This series is fun!
November 8, 2017
A great explanation of why Kate is so driven to being down Nick Fox.
March 22, 2018
3.5 stars. Short and fun. It's a nice introduction to listen to after book #1.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 635 reviews