Grim Trigger: A Cray & Fraser Novel

Plansky’s breakneck second cyberthriller featuring hacker Isabella Cray and FBI agent Will Fraser (after Auto) finds America’s political tensions reaching a fever pitch. Amazon rival Halcyon’s efforts to expand its facilities in rural Oregon have resulted in mass unrest after the Supreme Court ruled that eminent domain allows the local government to hand properties over to Halcyon. The owners of those properties have launched armed sit-ins, sparking similar violent protests across the country. Against that fraught backdrop, FBI whistleblower and Halcyon employee Jessica Alcarez is murdered while investigating the company’s efforts to develop a powerful quantum computer. Her missing lover, Simone Tessier, becomes a person of interest in her death, which leads the feds to tap Cray, Tessier’s ex, to consult on the case. Cray, in turn, pulls Fraser into the fray, and together they try to track down Simone while getting a handle on the intel Jessica uncovered. As they dig, evidence emerges of a harrowing plot by political extremists to bring the country to its knees in preparation for a “New World.” Plansky delivers brisk pacing and plenty of plot twists, but it’s his lived-in characterizations—particularly of the odd-couple duo at the book’s center—that elevate this above similar fare. Here’s hoping Cray and Fraser reunite again soon. (Self-published)