The American author David Baldacci, known for his bestseller Absolute Power (1996), which was adapted into a film by Clint Eastwood, is back in France with a trilogy dedicated to the FBI agent Atlee Pine.
The first volume features themes dear to the author such as political conspiracies, international espionage, the FBI, and the Secret Services. With Long Road to Mercy, readers will discover a new heroine with a complicated past and embark on a journey through the Grand Canyon.
Atlee Pine is a particularly effective and professional FBI agent, stationed at the Shattered Rock agency in Arizona, in the Grand Canyon area. So when a stabbed mule is found on a hiking trail with its rider missing, she is the one called to investigate. Just as Pine begins to untangle the threads of this intriguing crime, she is taken off the case and some of the people who assisted her are reassigned.
However, underestimating agent Atlee Pine and her tenacity would be a mistake; it is utterly impossible for her to stop her investigation knowing that something serious is at stake for the USA. She will continue her investigations against her superiors and against the domestic secret services, even if it means risking her career.
David Baldacci presents us with Long Road to Mercy, the introduction of a new heroine, strong, combative, and resilient. Indeed, Atlee Pine’s childhood was marked by a terrible tragedy: the probable kidnapping by one of the worst serial killers in history of her twin sister, Mercy, when they were six years old. This event shaped her and turned her into a rock, not easy to approach. As a result, she chooses the most isolated agencies, preferably without a partner, thus working solo, and her private life is almost as barren as Arizona.
Atlee Pine, a Heroine to Watch
When she begins investigating this strange crime in the Grand Canyon, she had no idea what she would uncover, let alone the consequences. This detective novel has all the features of the Hollywood genre, somewhat like a Mission Impossible: action, humor, an investigation into a political conspiracy, secret services quick to intervene on the scene, and a charismatic heroine. The central pillar of this thriller is undoubtedly agent Atlee Pine, talented, albeit very lucky, her character is at the heart of the story and makes the narrative thrilling. Her duo with Carol Blum, the agency’s secretary, is delightful.
The Grand Canyon is another crucial element of this thriller, David Baldacci masterfully captures its aridity and beauty, making it so impressive. We scramble alongside Atlee and Sam, we sweat, feel the stones roll under our feet, experience the effort of climbing and the perils of descending. The author has carefully studied the terrain and manages to make it perfectly tangible, as if we’re there!
With a heroine ready for anything, breathtaking scenery, and action led at a frenetic pace – even though some may regret a few slow sections in the middle of the story – Long Road to Mercy is an ideal summer page-turner! A second volume, A Minute to Midnight, was released on June 19 in paperback by Talent Editions; and Daylight, the third installment, has just been released, with our review coming in the next few weeks.
