Blackout

This gripping standalone from Rosenfelt (Without Warning) tells a crackerjack story replete with wry observations and witty, and totally convincing, dialogue. While hot on the trail of crime boss Nicholas Bennett, New Jersey state police officer Doug Brock somehow ended up shot and on the wrong side of a balcony—several feet below it, with serious head trauma. When he comes out of his coma, Doug recalls nothing from the last 10 years: not even his ex-fiancée, fellow cop Jessie Allen, or why, just before his shooting, he called his partner, Nate Alvarez, to say, “This time I got him.” As Doug retraces his steps before the call (aided by a photo on his phone and its amazing GPS technology, which is new to him), it becomes clear that he was dangerously close to uncovering not just criminal activity but an imminent terrorist plot. Time is running out, but Doug can’t rely on any “ta da!” recollections. The pressure to halt a catastrophic event while he struggles to recreate his former life makes this an irresistible read. Agent: Robin Rue, Writers House. (Jan.)