The Mistress and the Key

Mezrich juggles Revolutionary era drama and modern-day espionage in this propulsive sequel to The Midnight Ride. Work on a construction project near Philadelphia’s City Hall has been suspended after site manager Jeff Pokowski unearthed a “cobbled-up cavern” dating back to the 18th century. Shortly after that discovery, a late-night security alert brings Pokowski back to the site, where he finds two corpses and a menacing stranger who kills him when he can’t explain how a mysterious engraving made its way to a local pawn shop. Meanwhile, ex-con Nick Patterson and MIT grad student–turned–card shark Hailey Gordon arrive in Philly from Boston, where they’re suspected of being involved in a 30-year-old art heist at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Through a convoluted series of events, the pair gets wrapped up in Pokowski’s murder and in a showdown against an assassin known as “the Nobody,” all while being pursued by FBI agent Zack Lindwell. Mezrich stuffs the narrative full of fascinating historical tidbits—some real, some invented—including theories about a friendship between Benjamin Franklin and Amadeus Mozart, and rumors about links between the Liberty Bell and the practice of alchemy. The eclectic cast of characters, breakneck pacing, and unpredictable plotting make for a rollicking good time. Steve Berry fans will be riveted. Agent: Eric Simonoff, WME. (Oct.)