by Barry Eisler
First published 2010
Ben Treven sits in a Manila jail cell after a bar fight turned deadly. His former commander Colonel Scott Horton arrives with an offer. Ben can walk free if he completes one mission. He must track down Daniel Larison, a rogue operator from his old unit. Larison has stolen ninety-two CIA torture tapes and is blackmailing the U.S. government with them. Ben accepts the deal, but he quickly discovers he is not the only one hunting Larison. CIA assassins want Ben dead. Blackwater mercenaries are closing in. The White House has its own agenda. FBI agent Paula Lanier complicates everything. She is smart, attractive, and determined to claim the tapes before Ben finds them. She has her own motives for wanting them. Ben realizes that everyone around him is playing an angle. Everyone except him. He must choose the right allies or he will not survive this hunt.
Genres: mystery, crime, contemporary, thriller, action, espionage
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Manila, United States
Period: contemporary
333 pages · Hardcover · Ballantine Books
Content warnings: violence