Collision

May 12, 2008
A rock-solid if complicated plot distinguishes this stand-alone thriller from Abbott (Panic
). In Austin, Tex., a hired assassin fumbles an assignment, leaving several men dead. In the pocket of one of the victims, a Belfast hit man, is the business card of Ben Forsberg, who's been trying to put his life together since his wife was gunned down on their honeymoon two years earlier. After Homeland Security agents pick up the clueless Ben because they think he's the killer, Pilgrim, an agent with yet another secret government agency, the Cellar, rescues Ben from the Homeland Security folk. The appealing Pilgrim and Ben set out to clear Ben's name and rescue Pilgrim's boss, Teach, who's been taken prisoner by the mastermind behind the elaborate plot. Abbott keeps the action zipping along as the body count mounts, and Ben becomes far wiser and far tougher as he learns the harsh realities of kill or be killed.

Starred review from April 15, 2008
Quentin Tarantino meets "Die Hard" as the lives of two men literally collide in Abbott's ("Panic") latest riveting action thriller. Ben Forsberg sees his wife shot and killed on their honeymoon and cannot overcome his grief two years later; a former CIA agent barely survives an attempt on his life and discovers he has been set up by his superiors. The operation he was working on called for Forsberg to be framed for a murder. Not knowing whom to trust, the former agent known as Pilgrim decides to ally himself with Forsberg and uncover the truth. Millions of bullets are fired, and the action never lets up as they go on a seemingly futile quest. Abbott has always been a terrific writer, but this is his best to date. The twists are shocking, and the characters are all too real. For all popular fiction collections. [See Prepub Alert, "LJ" 2/1/08.]Jeff Ayers, Seattle P.L.

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2008
Action junkies be warned: Abbotts latest iteration of the novel-as-extended-chase-scene empties its whole clip straight into the gut. The players: Ben Forsberg, an everyman caught up in a nightmare world that will barely let him catch his breath; Pilgrim, a shadow warrior with an invisible covert-ops group called the Cellar (hes Bens only hope, or is he?); Sam Hector, Bens boss, head of a vast private security firm la Blackwater (hes pulling the strings, but for whom?); Jackie, the loose cannon, a sadistic Irish assassin crazed with grief at the loss of his older brother (how far will he go, and can he be stopped?); and Khaled, zealous associate of a group called Blood of Fire (hes on his way to New Orleans, but for what evil purpose?). The pace: frenetic, nonstop. The dialogue: smart, unobtrusive. The plot: packed, convoluted, head spinning. The everyman angle borrows from Abbotts hardcover debut, Panic (2005); neither book is memorable, but it hardly matters: if it is unbridled action you crave (or if youre just killing time till the next Lee Child comes out), Abbotts your man.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)

July 28, 2008
In the wake of his wife's supposedly random murder, Ben Forsberg attempts to return to normality, but the arrival of two agents asking about his connection to the murder of a government agent upends everything. Soon, he's paired with an ex-CIA agent who is also being hunted by unknown but evidently nefarious agents, and the two must find a way to vindicate and protect themselves. Gigante's deep, resonant voice matches the intensity of the action. Most of his accents hit the mark and remain consistent throughout the book. His female voices do not vary much, but are still believable. Gigante excels at his timing, pacing and emphasis in both the straight narration and character voices. He also injects a wide range of emotion and attitude. A Dutton hardcover (Reviews, May 12).