In this third installment of Mahler’s (Power, 2015, etc.) thriller series, spy Betty Thursten struggles to stop a nefarious organization from obtaining enough wealth and power to start a world war.

Betty’s thirst for vengeance against whomever murdered her fiance, José Silva, has yet to be satiated. Control, the covert agency she works for, currently has the hit man in custody who took José out. But it wisely keeps the assassin out of Betty’s reach, because he could provide important intelligence on the Cabal, Control’s longtime nemesis. Control’s leader (and Betty’s current lover), Tom Howell, meets with a high-level Cabal member after the evil organization blows up the home of his late father (the former Control head); they call a truce of sorts, to avoid a “Pyrrhic victory.” That Cabal member is Ernesto Montoya, who likely ordered the hit on José. Still, he joins Betty on an assignment in Vail, Colorado, helping her get close to Cabal leadership. Vail turns out to be a hub for agents from both groups, including Betty’s ex-lover and former partner, Gil Richardson, who’s keeping tabs on Betty’s ex–best friend, Jil Harper. Betty must figure out who the bad guys really are—not so easy when they’re often interchangeable with the good. Mahler dives right into this series entry without an opening recap, which may baffle new readers. But things do get clearer as the speedy plot rages on, ultimately revealing a maze of relationships between multiple characters. The bulk of the action is relegated to the exhilarating second half, set in Vail, where Betty displays her skills with a knife, her fists, and a Black Card. The story is further intensified by the agent’s growing distrust of nearly everyone, which, at one point, necessitates “a stiff drink to wipe away her paranoia.” It’s primarily gloomy in tone, but lighter moments shine through, such as the promise of genuine, romantic feelings between Gil and Jil.

A fast-paced, crowded tale that’s sure to spark another sequel.

In Mahler’s (Money, 2011, etc.) latest thriller, secret agent Betty Thursten ends up in the cross hairs of her black-ops employer, who thinks that she’s gone rogue.

Betty works for Control, which is targeting a global empire called the World Order Cabal—a group that’s most likely behind her fiance José’s murder. Her latest mission leaves her injured and her partner, Gil, captured. As Betty spends her ensuing downtime at her apartment, things take an unexpected turn. After she glimpses a friend’s private message, she begins to question not only her own parentage, but her part in Control. Meanwhile, her former lover and current boss, Tom Howell, has his own doubts about the agency founded by his father, which isn’t above committing atrocious deeds to keep its secrets. His affection for Betty clashes with his father’s demand that she be added to a termination list. This densely plotted novel picks up right where the previous one left off, with Betty and Gil in midassignment. Readers need not have read the previous book, although it does enhance the story. An operative named Babs, for example, has a minor but significant role here, but the details of her curious association with Tom were revealed in the preceding novel. There’s a lot more action this time around, though, particularly after Betty realizes that the World Order Cabal is keeping Gil prisoner and decides to rescue him. The plot also has more intrigue, as more than one character learns new information about his or her bloodlines. The numerous connections between characters can be confusing, but occasional recaps help; a bewildered Betty even begins one with the phrase, “Let me get this straight.” Still, the author wisely opts for a more linear tale in this installment, tying off lingering storylines, including one about a pesky mole in Control, while leaving a few subplots open for another sequel.

A dizzyingly enjoyable spy plot that offers consistent suspense.

An attorney moonlighting as a covert agent helps a U.S. black-ops group target a powerful but diabolical organization bent on world domination in Mahler’s (Smoking Kills, 2010) thriller.

As far as Betty Thursten’s family knows, she’s an immigration lawyer in Washington, D.C. But her travels to out-of-state education conferences are typically covers for Betty to carry out assignments for clandestine agency Control. She was recruited by Tom Howell, her ex-boyfriend, who removed himself from her life for years before inexplicably returning. Betty struggles with her conflicted feelings for Tom as well as her physical attraction to fellow agent Gil Richardson. Meanwhile, there seems to be a mole intent on sabotaging Control missions as it sets its sights on the World Order Cabal, an organization that’s been around for centuries. Readers hoping for cover-to-cover espionage action, though, may be a little disappointed. Betty is unquestionably a stellar agent—a black belt in jujitsu who’s equally adept with a sniper’s rifle—but the story spends a great deal of time on events prior to her recruitment, including her relationship with Tom before he’s injured on assignment in Iraq. Mahler’s nonlinear story bounces from the present day to various flashbacks, but these energetic time jumps remain comprehensible throughout. The author also maintains a consistent level of mystery: readers eventually learn, for example, why a woman named Jil Harper is Betty’s former best friend as well as details behind the brutal murder of José Silva, Betty’s post-Tom fiance. Mahler too often lingers on Betty’s attempts to resist Gil’s physical allure—it’s perfectly clear that the two have enticing, “sculpted” bodies. But he also shows how Betty proves to be a formidable agent as she goes after significant players in the World Order Cabal. Along the way, he drops in a few good background elements, including the origins of both major spy organizations. At the same time, the story leaves some unanswered questions, such as the mole’s identity, which Mahler may be saving for a sequel.

An often engaging tale of a woman who’s just as comfortable with melodrama as she is with harrowing espionage.