Long Road to Mercy by David Baldacci

FBI Special Agent Atlee Pine is the star of David Baldacci’s latest thriller, and what a page-turning, action-packed and character-driven novel Long Road to Mercy is!

As a child, Atlee Pine suffered a tragedy when her twin sister Mercy was taken from the room they shared. Nearly 30 years on, Atlee has never stopped searching for her sister, and she has spent her professional life tracking down those who hurt others. Notorious serial killer Daniel James Tor was caught and convicted of other murders, and while there’s no proof, Atlee believes he knows what happened to her sister and she goes to visit him in prison.

But Atlee is soon investigating a case in the Grand Canyon when a mule is found dead with letters carved into its body, and the rider has gone missing. But the case soon escalates, and it would seem Atlee can’t trust anyone around her, including her colleagues in the FBI, apart from her trusty secretary, Carol Blum. Atlee and Carol are forced to go off the grid in the pursuit of truth in a case that gets more and more deadly and has their national security at risk.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and thought it had a nice balance between the case and Atlee’s personal life and tragic backstory. I particularly liked the developing relationship between Atlee and Carol, and more than one it felt like a ‘Thelma and Louise’ moment when they are on the run. Long Road to Mercy is an excellent thriller.

Reviewer: Karen McMillan

Macmillan, RRP $34.99