True Believer

Thriller Award finalist Carr’s solid sequel to 2018’s The Terminal List finds Lt. Cmdr. James Reece, a former Navy SEAL, on a sailboat in the middle of the Atlantic, headed for an off-the-grid game reserve in Mozambique after going rogue in the previous book. It’s a tough trip, not only because of the dangerous weather but because of the brain tumor that’s going to kill Reece, probably sooner rather than later. After an exciting interlude fighting poachers on the game reserve, Reece is lured back into the field by an old SEAL pal, Freddy Strain, who now works for the CIA. A series of recent terror attacks seem to involve another friend of Reece’s, Mohammed Farooq, who the CIA believe is working with the number one terrorist in the world, Amin Nawaz. In exchange for Reece helping to stop the attacks, Strain promises the government will pardon his past actions. Carr trods familiar genre territory, but he writes well, supplies plenty of gun lore and spycraft, and ties up all the loose ends in a satisfying ending. Fans of military action thrillers will eagerly await Reece’s next outing. [em]Author tour. Agent: Alexandra Machinist, ICM. (July) [/em]