by Mark Greaney
Part of Jack Ryan Universe
First published 2027
Jack Ryan Jr. travels to Silicon Valley on business for his investment firm. He needs to evaluate Blackout Labs, a software company that creates electrical grid programs. The firm's chief operating officer is Lucia Benitez, a driven executive who catches Jack's attention during her presentation. He plans to approach her about scheduling a follow-up meeting for his investors. Outside Stanford University, gunmen ambush Benitez as she sits in her driverless taxi. The attack appears professional and targeted. The assailants destroy her vehicle but take nothing and leave no demands. Jack witnesses the failed assassination attempt on the young woman. Concerned for her safety, he decides to follow Benitez when she returns to Buenos Aires. He hopes to protect her while investigating who ordered the hit. The mission proves more complex than expected. Political tensions escalate throughout Argentina as Jack conducts his investigation. He discovers that the situation places him in an increasingly vulnerable position. What began as a protective assignment transforms into something more dangerous. Jack realizes he has become entangled in forces beyond his control.
Genres: adventure, mystery, thriller, action, espionage
Vibes: fast-paced, gritty, high-stakes, suspenseful, tense
Tropes: caught-in-the-middle, escalating-danger, forced-proximity, protective-hero
Setting: Silicon Valley, Stanford University, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Period: 21st-century, contemporary
640 pages · Paperback · Random House Large Print
Content warnings: murder, violence