First published 2010
Ryan Kessler works as a police detective in Washington D.C. until Henry Loving marks him for extraction. Loving operates as a lifter, a specialist who pulls information from targets through kidnapping, torture, and murder of family members. The government assigns protection officer Corte to guard the Kessler family. Corte brings uncompromising methods and strategic thinking to his work. He also carries personal history with Loving, who murdered someone Corte cared about six years earlier. The family grows tense under protection as Loving closes distance on his target. Corte and Loving engage in a tactical battle, each working to anticipate the other's moves. The lifter pushes closer to the Kesslers while Corte faces a choice between his duty to protect them and his desire for revenge against their pursuer.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, action
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, revenge
Setting: Washington D.C.
397 pages · Hardcover · Simon & Schuster
Content warnings: violence