Determined FBI Agent Atlee Pine Travels Cross Country in Pursuit of Justice in David Baldacci’s ‘Long Road to Mercy’ [REVIEW]

How far will FBI agent Atlee Pine travel in pursuit of the truth? (Photo by Canva)

A talented FBI agent. A threat as big as the Grand Canyon. Some cases make an agent’s career. Others bring it to a screeching halt. Discover which one David Baldacci’s newest character will face in Long Road to Mercy.

Grand Central

To some it may be a children’s nursery rhyme. But to Atlee Pine, they are the words she heard a kidnapper speak before he abducted her twin sister, Mercy, when they were only six years old. They never saw one another again.

Three decades later, Atlee is a special agent for the FBI assigned to the Shattered Rock, Arizona agency, which is responsible for protecting the Grand Canyon.

When a mule is found stabbed to death at the bottom of the canyon, Atlee is called in to investigate. It soon becomes evident that Ben Priest, the tourist who rented the mule, had something more than sightseeing in mind. But just as she begins to unravel the taut plot, she is called off the case.

Now she is faced with a dilemma: pack it in for the night and take some well-deserved R&R or disobey direct orders and continue her search for the missing man. One choice will end her career, the other could lead to the truth and prevent the end of democracy in America as we know it.

With Long Road to Mercy, Baldacci introduces readers to FBI Special Agent Atlee Pine, a flawed, insular, bold and unapologetic character who almost seems to have testosterone pumping through her veins. Yet as the pages turn, Atlee’s soft underbelly is revealed to her secretary, Carol Blum, and to National Parks Service Ranger Sam Kettler.

I thoroughly enjoyed living inside Atlee’s head throughout this novel because of her decisive nature and tenacious quest for answers. In many ways, she reminded me of myself. Of course, unlike me, she deals with the baggage of being torn from her sibling, a memory which haunts her days and nights, and she will stop at nothing to bring her sister’s killer to justice.

It quickly becomes evident that Atlee doesn’t follow orders very well, especially if doing so means turning a blind eye to injustice. So in true Thelma and Louise style, Atlee and Carol soon begin the ride of a lifetime as they drive cross country in pursuit of the truth. But will they survive the twists and turns coming their way, including numerous attempts on their lives by a manipulative madman intent on murder? Find out in David Baldacci’s unforgettable debut Atlee Pine thriller, Long Road to Mercy. 

David Baldacci
(Photo by Alexander James)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David Baldacci is the international number one bestselling author of 37 novels for adults, including The Fallen, End Game, The Fix, No Man’s Land, The Last Mile, The Guilty, Memory Man, and The Escape. 

Several of his books have been adapted for film and television, including his 1996 debut novel, Absolute Power, which starred and was directed by Clint Eastwood.

More than 130 million copies of his books are in print worldwide, having been translated into more than 45 languages and sold in more than 80 countries.

David is also the author of five novels for young readers, including the number one bestseller The Finisher, which is in development for a feature film, and its number one sequel, The Keeper. 

Together with his wife, Elizabeth, the Baldaccis founded the Wish You Well Foundation®, which supports family and adult literacy in the United States by fostering and promoting the development and expansion of literacy and educational programs.

David lives in Virginia with his family. Visit his home on the Web, like him on Facebook, and follow him on Twitter.

LONG ROAD TO MERCY
By David Baldacci
416 pp. Grand Central. $29.

Purchase Long Road to Mercy at one of these fine online retailers: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, IndieBound, and Powell’s.