Game of Fear

Perini (Behind the Lies) follows daring helicopter pilot Deborah Lansing and undercover deputy Gabe Montgomery as they search for Deb's little sister, Ashley, a tech super-genius, who may have been kidnapped by the designers of a hacker training program. Deb and Gabe barely know each other, but the two oscillate dizzyingly between being sick with worry over the missing teen and unable to keep their minds off of each other in a surge of irrational and unrealistic romance. The programming aspects are interesting, but lack the specificity and detail needed to be realistic, and the dialogue is often melodramatic or extremely expository, leaving the whole story feeling flat and unconvincing. Romance fans who don't need a well-researched setting might find it entertaining, but for readers who like a little realism in their fun, this story will flop. (Aug.)