Below the Radar

At the start of Ridenour’s uneven third thriller featuring FBI agent Alexis “Lexie” Montgomery (after Beyond the Cabin), Lexie’s therapist tells Lexie, who’s feeling guilty about a colleague’s death during her last mission, that she doesn’t have to accept a new assignment—investigating the disappearance of a Dutch constable who went undercover seeking illegal activity among an extremist group, the Animal Liberation Front, and was in touch with an American “known to be involved in dangerous terrorist activities.” But Lexie, eager for a chance to redeem herself, knows she’s the best qualified agent for the job. She joins a small team that sets off for the Netherlands to infiltrate the ALF. The determined, resilient Lexie emerges as a fully rounded lead as she overcomes a range of obstacles before gaining a new outlook on life by book’s end. Ridenour, a retired FBI agent, brings authenticity to the action, but readers should be prepared for stock supporting characters, including an FBI agent who takes a romantic interest in Lexie, and a standard issue plot. Veteran thriller fans will be underwhelmed. (Self-published.)