by Noah Boyd
First published 2011
Steve Vail thought his FBI days were behind him. The former agent turned bricklayer had helped the Bureau crack one extortion case and walked away clean. Now he works with his hands, building walls instead of solving crimes. But when he travels to Washington D.C. for what should be a romantic New Year's Eve with Kate Bannon, an FBI assistant director, the past catches up fast. The Bureau has another puzzle that stumped their best minds. They need Vail's particular skills again. What started as a holiday reunion becomes something much more dangerous. Vail must choose between the quiet life he built and the adrenaline of the hunt. The FBI wants him back, Kate needs his help, and somewhere in D.C. a new threat is waiting. This case will test everything Vail learned about walking away from the job that defined him.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water
Setting: Washington DC
Period: New Year's Eve
391 pages · Hardcover · Morrow