The Devoted Game

by Debra Webb

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 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 Previously published as Nameless , this edition of The Devoted Game includes editorial revisions.

Genres: Mystery Thriller, Mystery

320 pages, Paperback

Published January 6, 2026

About the author

DEBRA WEBB is the USA Today bestselling author of more than 170 novels, including reader favorites the Finley O'Sullivan and Devlin & Falco series. She is the recipient of the prestigious Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for Romantic Suspense as well as numerous Reviewers Choice Awards. In 2012 Debra was honored as the first recipient of the esteemed L. A. Banks Warrior Woman Award for her courage, strength, and grace in the face of adversity. Recently Debra was awarded the distinguished Centennial Award for having achieved publication of her 100th novel.

With more than four million books in print in numerous languages and countries, Debra’s love of storytelling goes back to her childhood when her mother bought her an old typewriter in a tag sale. Born in Alabama, Debra grew up on a farm. She spent every available hour exploring the world around her and creating her stories. She wrote her first story at age nine and her first romance at thirteen. It wasn’t until she spent three years working for the Commanding General of the US Army in Berlin behind the Iron Curtain and a five-year stint in NASA’s Shuttle Program that she realized her true calling. A collision course between suspense and romance was set. Since then she has expanded her work into some of the darkest places the human psyche dares to go. Visit Debra at www.debrawebb.com.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was just okay. The beginning was kind of off putting. Also, it almost objectifies a woman with a sexual assault history. However, thr story itself is pretty suspenseful and it did get better as I kept reading.

Thank you to Net Galley and Thomas and Mercer for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Milena Bookish❤️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t enjoy this one at all. I’m usually a big fan of Debra Webb’s writing—her stories are page‑turners that keep me hooked— but this one felt completely off—as if someone else had taken over. From the very first pages, the style seemed dated, almost like it had been written decades ago...The characters were flat and unlikable, offering no emotional pull or reason to care. The supposed hero came across as a complete jerk, while the heroine lacked the strength or qualities that would make me root for her. The suspense never landed, and the story failed to captivate or compel me to keep reading... Releases on January 6.

Content: language. The story relied too heavily on explicit sexual scenes, which felt unnecessary and detracted from the plot.

Thank you, NetGalley and Publisher, for the eARC.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Devoted Game” is a re-release of Debra Webb’s 2008 novel “Nameless” with some editorial changes.

In “The Devoted Game”, Ryan McBride is a burnout of a former FBI agent. Things had gone south on his last case, and he took the hit, unwillingly, and was a fall guy for the FBI. He has no interest in ever helping the FBI again. And then, at his lowest point, Vivian Grace comes to visit. The young agent is there to ask him to come back to help the FBI solve a missing person’s case. The perpetrator, “A Devoted Fan”, will only talk to him.

To be quite honest, it feels like I’ve read this basic premise time and again. The washed up and burned out is the only one that can help. He doesn’t want to be there. They don’t want him there. And on top of that, Ryan McBride is a jerk with an overinflated ego. I seriously looked up the progress of the audiobook to check, and I was 11% in and so far, all we had covered was how awesome McBride was. He was better than everyone else. He had been done wrong. I wish I could say it got better (his bragging or the author’s reminding us of how great he was), but it continued almost the entire book.

Suffice to say, he is not a likable protagonist. The way he treats Grace is pretty despicable, but it seems like the author wants us to think it is...sexy? Oh yeah, pretty graphic sex scene takes place.

Now, with all of that, I must say, Vivian Grace is an amazing character and the author wrote her with such depth. It is a masterful job in how to write a complex character. The only good purpose of McBride is his being a jerk helps to draw out her pain, insecurities, and backstory.

And the mystery is so good. Like absolute top-notch. The complexity of the story and the dramatic, heart-pounding scenes were incredible.

Tolerate McBride. Hang on for the incredible ride and fall in love with the hero we all need, Vivian Grace.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing an ARC for an unbiased review.

[Erin Perkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not my favorite story from this author. I usually really enjoy their books but this one was not for me. I found the way the MC questioned the FMC over her sexual assault history creepy and off putting! It was truly bizarre. It also felt didn't feel believable that the FMC would have reacted that way after he made her relive her assault through his weird questions. It almost gave the vibe that he got off on hearing about it, and he was supposed to be protagonist? I don't know it just wasn't for me.

Maybe there is some nuance to this topic that I overlooked or missed. I'm sure there is an audience that it will land with. However, the story did get better as it progressed and the suspense was there making it more interesting and easy to read.

The narrators did a great job and made it easier to continue with the story past the first 35%.

Overall, I will still pick up books from this author because I enjoy them, this one just was not for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for the advanced listeners copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own!