SIGNAL FIRE

When terrorist attacks imitate the events of a bestselling novel, a spy couple goes undercover to figure out if the book’s ghostwriter is in on the plot in Miller’s series thriller.

Caleb Rye is a teacher with overdue bills, an unsellable fantasy novel, and a baby on the way. He accepts an assignment to ghostwrite a political thriller from an anonymous outline, and he’s delighted when The Payback sells well. But just as he starts work on the follow-up, real-world terrorist incidents occur that mirror the plot of his book. Meanwhile, married couple Leo Connelly and Sasha McCandless-Connelly must go undercover at Caleb’s school and figure out if he’s connected to the attacks. They quickly discover a decades-old plot involving international conspiracies, archives, and a forbidden romance. This is the latest in a series of legal thrillers following Sasha’s adventures, but it also marks a new chapter: After years of operating in different classified departments, Sasha and Leo are finally working together in the top-secret organization called The Lighthouse. Their mutually supportive partnership provides the story’s emotional core, balancing the story’s global affairs with the comfortable mundanity of married life. Miller takes time to establish Sasha and Leo’s routine with their twins, Finn and Fiona, giving the story relatable stakes. It’s also refreshing to read a spy novel in which the central romance is loving and passionate without veering into familiar Mr. & Mrs. Smith territory. Similarly, Caleb’s relationship with his wife, Emmaline, captures the thrill and terror of new parenthood with more grace than most legal thrillers would offer. The central mystery is cohesive and concise, and Miller’s background as a litigator helps to ensure that the legal details are accurate without alienating non-lawyers. Although the book is likely best appreciated in the context of the 16 novels that have preceded it, even new readers will be instantly hooked, thanks to Miller’s expert characterization and gripping plot.

An engrossing, twisty spy caper with strong relationships that enrich its central mystery.