Trail of the Fallen

A crisis hits too close to home for Tommy Smith in Paul’s action-packed fourth outing for the former Army staff sergeant and current wilderness outfitter in the California Sierras (after 2019’s See That My Grave Is Kept Clean). When as many as 20 convicts, hiding in a laundry truck, kill the truck’s driver and escape from Folsom Prison, law enforcement turns for help to Smith, because of his expert knowledge of the terrain and combat skills. The escaped convicts include the leader of a skinhead gang, a murderer and child rapist, and Kip Isringhausen, the ex-husband of Smith’s wife, a Fremont County deputy sheriff. The Smiths fear that Isringhausen is coming for them, and the federal investigators worry that the breakout is connected to the theft of dozens of Marine high-powered sniper rifles. Smith joins the hunt for the escapees, even as a disturbing find at his house suggests that his family is already in extreme danger. That Smith, who did a tour in Afghanistan, suffers from PTSD doesn’t help matters. Paul perfectly balances plot and characters, and the fast pace will keep readers turning pages and wanting more. Ace Atkins fans will be pleased. Agent: Jessica Kaye, Kaye & Mills. (Aug.)