Book Review: Long Road to Mercy by David Baldacci

Published in 2018. Introducing Atlee Pine, FBI agent, who mans a one-person office in Shattered Rock, Arizona. Atlee is called to investigate an unusual situation at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. One of the pack mules used to carry tourists to the bottom has been killed and a tourist is missing. The only evidence she can find are two initials carved into the hide of the mule, ‘j’ and ‘k.’ No one knows what it means until Atlee asks her secretary for help. Fortunately, she knows but it doesn’t help. With nothing more to go on, the case lingers until Atlee is told to drop it and take a vacation by her boss in Phoenix. That just makes her suspicious and she delves deeper into the mystery.

The story of Mercy is not resolved in this book and probably won’t be for several more. When Atlee was six, her twin sister was kidnapped from their bedroom. The kidnapper chose Mercy at random and she was never seen again. Atlee can’t shake the feeling of guilt and it follows her. At thirty, she’s still single and has trouble relating to other people. This case helps her take her first steps in coping with her sister’s kidnapping and probable death.

Atlee is an interesting character and I enjoyed meeting her. I found the plot to be a little far-fetched but okay, it could happen…maybe. I write fantasy novels so I can stretch the imagination quite a way. The author has written 37 books and been on the bestseller list a lot of times. He’s good.