Face Off: A Kirk McGarvey Thriller

Edgar-finalist Hagberg’s action-packed 23rd Kirk McGarvey thriller (after Flash Points) finds McGarvey, a former CIA director and now a “special circumstances troubleshooter” for the agency, and his fiancée, Pete Boylan, a super tough CIA agent in her own right, in Paris for a much-needed vacation. While lunching at the Eiffel Tower, McGarvey gets one of his premonitions: something is just not right. Using his finely honed powers of observation, he realizes that terrorists have targeted the tower for destruction. With a little help from the local gendarmes, he manages to foil the plot, but Pete falls into the hands of the terrorists. In his effort to rescue Pete, McGarvey contends with cyber spies, unscrupulous Saudi princes, and an inexperienced and volatile U.S. president. He even crosses paths with Vladimir Putin. As usual, the good guys come out swinging against colossal odds. The relentless McGarvey, who lost part of a leg in a previous case and is getting a bit long in the tooth, will appeal to armchair warriors. Agent: Susan Gleason, Susan Gleason Literary. (Oct.)