Reactor

American agents race to stop a nuclear strike in this third installment of a thriller series.

Raviv Haddad, a CIA asset and Israeli spy, is stashed in a Washington, D.C., safe house: “Ever determined to get its money’s worth, the CIA was now focused on extracting everything Haddad knew about Mossad’s ongoing operations.” He surely knows all about Mossad’s possible involvement with an American warship that a nuclear device destroyed. But Haddad seemingly withholds intelligence, and then an assailant manages an attempt on his life, rendering him in a coma. CIA operative Bill Estes and FBI agent Michelle Marsh soon suspect that someone has another explosive device, perhaps more than one. They seek help from a man they’ve previously worked with—Russian engineer Konstantin Pavlovich. He’s currently in Lebanon in the hopes of rescuing his captive sister from a Shia rebel group; tucked away in a bunker, he’s getting power from a nuclear reactor of his own design. One of the potential strikes is in Israel, and Estes, Marsh, and Pavlovich must determine where exactly the detonation will take place. DeGrandpre’s latest installment of the Estes & Marsh Thriller series has heavy ties to its predecessors. Readers are dropped into a story that doesn’t immediately make clear prior events and ongoing relationships. But the taut narrative quickly becomes absorbing, as Marsh tries to piece together what Haddad may know, and Pavlovich devises a methodical plan that involves slowly digging a tunnel. Despite the series named after the two American agents, Pavlovich gets most of the spotlight in this riveting novel. He’s just one of a host of dynamic characters, from Estes’ cynical but charming boss, Dean Skinner, to the Jewish archaeology professor Ya’akov Cohen, who’s deeply enmeshed in the nuclear attack. The story’s action comes in bursts—the Pavlovich-centric prologue and the tense moments when gunfire takes over. DeGrandpre leaves plenty of room for a fourth series entry and ends this one with a memorable closing scene.

A smart, gripping espionage tale that exuberantly showcases its first-rate cast.