To Die For: A 6:20 Man Thriller

Baldacci seamlessly blends a twisty whodunit and a propulsive action plot in his enjoyable third thriller featuring Homeland Security fixer Travis Devine (after The Edge). Devine’s work with the U.S. Office of Special Projects has put him in the crosshairs of an assassin who manages, undetected, to slip a threatening note into his coat pocket, signed simply “The Girl On the Train.” Worried about his safety, Devine’s handlers give him a new assignment: tracking down affluent businessman Danny Glass, who’s been charged with racketeering, human trafficking, and drug smuggling. Glass’s sister and brother-in-law recently overdosed on fentanyl, leaving behind their 12-year-old daughter, Betsy. Glass has applied to become the girl’s legal guardian, a step possibly meant to keep her from sharing incriminating information about him. Devine sets out to befriend Betsy in hopes she’ll disclose what she knows, only to learn that she believes her parents, whom she insists were not addicts, may have been murdered. Baldacci nimbly balances the detective story with Devine’s anxieties about his potential assassination, and the precocious, intrepid Betsy is a hugely memorable supporting character. This keeps the series going strong. Agent: Aaron Priest, Aaron M. Priest Literary. (Nov.)