May 12, 2008
A rock-solid if complicated plot distinguishes this stand-alone thriller from Abbott (Panic
). In Austin, Tex., a hired assassin fumbles an assignment, leaving several men dead. In the pocket of one of the victims, a Belfast hit man, is the business card of Ben Forsberg, who's been trying to put his life together since his wife was gunned down on their honeymoon two years earlier. After Homeland Security agents pick up the clueless Ben because they think he's the killer, Pilgrim, an agent with yet another secret government agency, the Cellar, rescues Ben from the Homeland Security folk. The appealing Pilgrim and Ben set out to clear Ben's name and rescue Pilgrim's boss, Teach, who's been taken prisoner by the mastermind behind the elaborate plot. Abbott keeps the action zipping along as the body count mounts, and Ben becomes far wiser and far tougher as he learns the harsh realities of kill or be killed.
July 28, 2008
In the wake of his wife's supposedly random murder, Ben Forsberg attempts to return to normality, but the arrival of two agents asking about his connection to the murder of a government agent upends everything. Soon, he's paired with an ex-CIA agent who is also being hunted by unknown but evidently nefarious agents, and the two must find a way to vindicate and protect themselves. Gigante's deep, resonant voice matches the intensity of the action. Most of his accents hit the mark and remain consistent throughout the book. His female voices do not vary much, but are still believable. Gigante excels at his timing, pacing and emphasis in both the straight narration and character voices. He also injects a wide range of emotion and attitude. A Dutton hardcover (Reviews, May 12).