by Ace Atkins
Part of Spenser, book 42
First published 2014
Spenser takes what looks like a straightforward job protecting Kinjo Heywood, a hard-hitting New England Patriots linebacker whose agent claims unknown men are harassing his client. The trouble traces back to a nightclub shooting from two years ago that keeps dragging Heywood into negative headlines. Then kidnappers snatch Heywood's nine-year-old son Akira, and ransom demands lead Spenser deep into Boston's criminal underworld. He assembles his own team of enforcers, calling on both his longtime partner Hawk and his apprentice Zebulon Sixkill to help navigate the dangerous trail. The search takes them from the mean streets to Heywood's luxury Chestnut Hill home as they race against time. When Heywood makes a divisive choice that raises the stakes even higher, Spenser must use every connection and skill to bring the boy home safely.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, found-family
Setting: Boston, Chestnut Hill
308 pages · Hardcover · G.P. Putnam's Sons
Content warnings: kidnapping