Publisher's Weekly Review
U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division agents Scott Brodie and Maggie Taylor return in this spirited follow-up to 2019's The Deserter from father-son duo Nelson and Alex DeMille. This time out, Brodie and Taylor investigate the murder of fellow CID agent Harry Vance, who's been shot in the head in a Berlin park. After ruffling feathers during their last case, Brodie and Taylor hope that solving Vance's murder will get them back in the agency's good graces. However, the more they learn about Vance's killing, the closer they get uncovering powerful secrets that some of their superiors would prefer to keep hidden. Once again, Brodie and Taylor chafe at the obstacles put in their way and become even more interested in the case once they're kicked off of it. The DeMilles supply the plot with brisk action, stirring procedural details, and edifying glimpses at contemporary German politics, but it's the complicated relationship between their witty, intelligent leads that makes this a winner. Readers will eagerly anticipate future cases involving this fascinating duo. (Oct.)
Kirkus Review
Second in the military crime series featuring Special Agents Scott Brodie and Magnolia "Maggie" Taylor, after The Deserter (2019). In Berlin, U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Harry Vance slips out of his lover's bed for a mysterious nighttime meeting. He is an operative in the American Terrorism and Criminal Investigation Unit, or TCIU, and a sniper shoots him dead. Army brass speculates that this is the work of Islamic terrorists, so they bring in Brodie of the Criminal Investigation Division and assign him Taylor as his partner. On foreign soil, "officially and legally" they cannot gather evidence, question witnesses, or make arrests. The two have a one-novel history together, including tension both professional and sexual. "Sex, lies, and betrayal notwithstanding," though, "they made a pretty good team." As they search for justice for their fallen colleague, maybe they can figure out why the assassin killed from long range and then apparently walked over and gouged out Vance's left eye. Maybe evil forces are up to much more than meets the eye, if you'll pardon the expression. Anyway, the partners complement each other: Taylor is the more rational and level-headed, while Brodie blatantly disregards jurisdictional boundaries when he needs to. He has that nothing-to-lose attitude, given that his career is swirling down the toilet bowl anyway. So if it seems a bit odd that she trusts his judgment, it's because he's usually right. Co-authors Nelson DeMille and his son Alex have created interesting characters, though Brodie might be the type that appears more in fiction than in the real world: About to be handcuffed by a pair of armed men, he "suddenly spun around and delivered a ball-busting kick, under the guy's ballistic vest, and into his non-ballistic balls." Then he bloodies the other fellow before he can draw his weapon. The partners deliver a few punchlines of their own in this fast-moving story that's replete with twists and danger. Brodie and Taylor are sympathetic characters who accomplish a lot given their limited authority. Entertaining and sure to please thriller fans. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Following 2019's The Deserter, the current offering by the father-son DeMille duo is haunted by the shadowy presence of Odin, Norse god of death and destruction. Special Agent Scott Brody, a wise-cracking and irreverent investigator out of central casting, and his partner, the milder Maggie Taylor, are sent to Berlin to investigate the murder of a colleague whose very presence in Germany is something of a mystery. While the German authorities attribute the agent's murder to Islamic terrorism, Scott and Maggie discover something far more sinister: a eugenics-fueled conspiracy. Though descriptions of the political intrigue tend to drag on, there are also striking twists and a cinematic finale with Odin revealed and the evil exposed. Readers can relish a beautifully written narrative that displays the crushing power of the past.
