FOR THIS book, author David Baldacci has created a new heroine in our protagonist, FBI agent Atlee Pine.
The story starts with Pine still struggling to come to terms with the tragedy of her twin sister Mercy, who was kidnapped at age six.
Pine has been keeping track of sadistic serial killer Daniel James Tor, the one who kidnapped and killed Mercy, and hid her body.
One day, she confronts Tor in prison to force him to tell her where he buried Mercy 29 years ago.
But Tor ignores her request, and this frustrates her even more.
Pine then devotes herself in her next case – to find a tourist who has gone missing while on holiday at the Grand Canyon.
Although his body has disappeared, his mule has been found mutilated with carved letters ‘J’ and ‘K’ on one side.
A check on the missing man’s background leads Pine on a course that is both mysterious and dangerous.
Fortunately, Pine gets help from park ranger Sam Kettler.
Her research also reveals that two men, Jordan and Kinkaid, were the explorers who discovered a hidden cave in the Grand Canyon back in 1909, and Pine believes the two initials might be linked to their discovery.
Pine and her office assistant, Carol Blum, eventually go off the grid and embark on a road trip to Washington, D.C. to continue their investigation.
Along the way, they experience several narrow escapes from armed soldiers.
They also uncover a government plot that involves a nuclear bomb, possibly hidden in the Grand Canyon.
The finale is both exciting and shocking, as things come to an unpredictable conclusion.
