Part of Pendergast, book 12
First published 2012
Special Agent Pendergast watches helplessly as kidnappers snatch his wife Helen in broad daylight. He chases them from New York to Mexico, but they slip away. Broken by failure, Pendergast locks himself in his apartment and refuses contact with the outside world. NYPD Lieutenant D'Agosta pulls him back into action when a mysterious boy commits a series of hotel murders across Manhattan. The killer displays an uncanny talent for vanishing without a trace. Pendergast realizes the murders carry a message from Helen's captors. The kidnappers strike again, targeting people close to the FBI agent. Rage reignites Pendergast's determination. He follows their trail deep into South American jungles, where an ancient evil waits. This malevolent force has not died but grown stronger, threatening consequences that could reshape the world. Pendergast discovers that pursuing vengeance demands a terrible price.
Genres: adventure, mystery, crime, thriller, action
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, revenge
Setting: New York, Mexico, South America
Period: 21st-century
484 pages · Hardcover · Grand Central Publishing
Content warnings: violence