Marshall’s Law

Sanders’s adrenaline-charged second thriller starring ex-NYPD cop Marshall Grade (American Blood) opens with the kidnapping of U.S. marshal Lucas Cohen near Santa Fe, N.Mex. Cohen’s abductors want to know only one thing—Marshall’s location. After killing one kidnapper and escaping, Cohen phones Marshall to warn him. Marshall and Cohen go to New York City to discover who has put the price on Marshall’s head. The prime suspect is Chloe Asaro, a woman whom Marshall once loved and also once shot. Meanwhile, Dexter Vine, who’s leading the various small-time criminals searching for Marshall, hopes to use the $5 million bounty to pay off Chinese mobsters. No one emerges from this story unscathed, and the brutal violence features duct tape and shattered glass almost as prominently as blood and bullets. Amid all the mayhem, Sanders takes care to develop his viewpoint characters as distinct individuals. Hollywood has optioned American Blood, and this sequel continues that novel’s cinematic level of action and excitement. Agent: Dan Myers, Word/Link Literary Agency. (Apr.)