Chrysalis

In bestseller Child’s strong sixth thriller featuring Jeremy Logan (after 2017’s Full Wolf Moon), the enigmalogist, who solves “problems nobody has encountered before,” gets the challenge of his life. Claire Asperton, general counsel to the Chrysalis Management Group, is concerned about the bizarre death of a board member of the pioneering tech company. Russell Spearman, a producer at Chrysalis Film Studios, collapsed on a glass table, fatally impaling himself on its shards. Asperton then received an anonymous message reading: “Spearman Was the First. No Accident. The Second Will Drop the Day After Tomorrow.” The threat comes at an especially fraught time for Chrysalis, which is about to roll out a breakthrough in virtual reality, a launch imperiled after a second board member dies. With no demand attached to the warning, Logan must use every bit of his formidable intellect to figure out what’s going on and avoid more casualties. As Child masterfully ratchets up the tension, he makes even secondary figures feel real enough for readers to worry about their survival prospects. Michael Crichton fans will find a lot to like. Agent: Eric Simonoff, WME. (July)