Blood Line

This debut thriller finds an entire family on the run from those who would sell bleeding-edge technology to the highest bidder.

In Park City, Georgia, Ron and Valerie Granger work for INESCO, a family-owned research company that develops technology for the U.S. government. Ron also happens to be an inactive CIA operative, while Valerie belonged to the Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency. They believe they’ve set their spy careers aside to raise their teen daughter, Leecy, but a home invasion may mean otherwise. After disabling one intruder and killing the other, the Grangers meet with FBI agent John Porter. He informs them that one of the intruders is a former INESCO employee, and perhaps they wanted to kidnap Leecy and leverage her for obtaining vital Department of Defense proposals. The Grangers disagree with Porter’s theory, maintaining that INESCO projects proceed under a shroud of coded secrecy. Later, when Leecy overhears sensitive information, the Grangers must run from the FBI and into the safekeeping of Ron’s former handler, Tammy Wakefield. With her help, they realize that INESCO has a greedy mole and that Ron’s legendary reputation as a violent, take-no-prisoners operative is their best hope for protecting everyone. In his aptly titled debut, author Davis does an excellent job laying the groundwork for upcoming volumes in the series. Ron and Valerie feel like true partners and parents, and Leecy is a believable teen (“my life is on that phone!”). Clever scenes also have Ron playing with his legend as a one-man Native American kill squad who only used a knife and a tomahawk. Valerie’s past as a Mossad assassin is more explicitly referenced; readers learn that she helped get Boris Yeltsin elected. As the tightly written plot advances, however, the Grangers’ familial bonds are so pervasive that it’s hard to feel the real danger. And though the details of CIA operations and modern technology are impressive, the narrative loses some bite when everyone stops to explain things to Leecy. Nevertheless, Davis sets a solid foundation for more adventures.

Sharply written and starring characters readers will be happy to meet again.