A Soldier’s Revenge: A Will Cochrane Novel

At the start of Dunn’s so-so sixth Will Cochrane novel (after 2015’s The Spy House), Cochrane wakes up in New York City’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel with a bloody dead woman in his bathtub and no memory of what happened. The ex-MI6/CIA agent must scramble for his life and the lives of his adopted 10-year-old twin sons while trying to figure out who’s trying to frame him and why. His only clues: a heavily accented European voice he overhears on a phone and vague suspicions about a Russian agent he once tangled with. His path takes him from Manhattan through Virginia and down to Washington, D.C., where a final standoff with the police and his nemesis propels Cochrane to his likely next adventure. Series fans will enjoy the trademark momentum and the inclusion of several long-running subplots and characters, but others may wince at the formulaic writing, choppy pacing, and random violence. And the twins’ saccharine, meek behavior may make some readers wonder whether Dunn has spent any time around 10-year-old boys. [em]Agent: Luigi Bonomi, LBA Literary Agency (U.K.). (Oct.) [/em]