The Old Man

Former army intelligence officer Dan Chase, the hero of this engrossing if not flawless thriller from bestseller Perry (Forty Thieves), has lived in a small Vermont town with his two dogs for 35 years. A widower, he’s been in hiding after allegedly stealing $20 million during a mission in Libya. After assassins fail to kill the “old man” (he’s 60), Chase—who has been preparing for such a situation for decades—goes on the run. With numerous false identities and bank accounts across the country, Chase attempts to stay alive long enough to identify exactly who is trying to kill him. Are his pursuers agents of the U.S. government, Libyan operatives, or some other force that has developed an interest in him and the missing money? The unconventionality of the older action hero is refreshing, and the tension throughout is palpable, but the back story of a secondary character—his landlady in the Chicago area—comes across as contrived and unnecessary. Still, readers will eagerly keep turning the pages. Agent: Mel Berger, WME. (Jan.)