David Trevellyan, introduced to readers in this author’s “Even,” makes his second appearance in this satisfying follow-up. After wrapping up his work at the consulate in New York in less than stellar fashion, the British naval intelligence officer has been dispatched to Chicago for his next assignment: making a “hard arrest,” a euphemism for killing the person in question: “A hard arrest. The kind that involves body bags rather than handcuffs. They’re usually reserved for known terrorists and hostage takers who somehow slip every other kind of net. But they’re also applied to our own people, gone bad . . . They put you up against a highly motivated individual with the same background and training as yourself, but generally with an added dose of craziness.” Then at some point the job turns out to be somewhat different from what was expected, namely, finding a bunch of murderous kidnappers armed with biological weapons.
The author begins each new chapter with an anecdote, usually from his training days in the service, each with its own moral or lesson tying into the next part of the unfolding story. It all takes places within a four-day period. There is a lot of excitement and interesting plotting to be found here, although at times the manner in which Trevallyan and other agents offhandedly dispatch people without giving much thought to an alternative becomes almost cartoonish, not necessarily a bad thing. With a couple of implausible aspects, the tale moves along to an almost abrupt, not altogether unexpected conclusion. It is, in any event, a good summer read.
