After a colleague connects Vail with covert Department of Defense operative Hector DeSantos, who has a knack for uncovering difficult-to-locate information, the pair pries loose long-buried secrets and deceptions that reveal a much-larger criminal enterprise at work. As Vail squares off against foes more dangerous than any she has yet encountered, shocking personal and professional truths emerge—truths that may be more than she can handle. In keeping with Alan Jacobson’s page-turning style, is a high-octane thriller, a memorable work rich in believable characters and an intricately plotted story that’s well-researched and ripped from today’s headlines. was named one of the ’s top ten books for 2010, ’s top five thrillers of 2010, ’s top five thrillers of the year, and the ’ top picks of the year. is the second installment of a two-part story that begins with , book two of the Karen Vail Series.