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Starred review from April 27, 2015
Edgar-finalist Gischler (Gun Monkeys) offers tornado-paced shoot-’em-up action in this can’t-put-it-down thriller. After the Army sends former Solo Ops officer David Sparrow home to suburbia to recuperate from deadly assignments that he’s never revealed to his wife, Amy, David more or less happily settles into a domestic routine. Then Amy, a newly appointed New York City deputy DA, inherits the fearful job of prosecuting crime boss Dante Payne. Of course, Payne hates anyone who thwarts him, and he engineers vicious goon squad attacks on Amy and her family, against which David mounts a ferocious killing-machine defense. David must also contend with a terrorist hell-bent on personal vengeance, but fortunately he can rely on old Army buddies, friendly computer wizards, and former spook handlers for help. Amid the mayhem, Gischler provides plenty of comic relief, including a hotel full of drunken Shriners. TV rights have been sold to CBS. Agent: David Hale Smith, Inkwell Management.

April 15, 2015
Ex-Army stay-at-home dad David Sparrow taps into his inner warrior when his family is threatened by a crime lord. Men everywhere give a sigh of relief as he reclaims his masculinity. On a break from his stressful, secret Army job after he begins to lose his edge, David takes charge of his kids, Brent and Anna, so his wife, Amy, can focus on her high-profile promotion in the district attorney's office. Her first big case is prosecuting Dante Payne, a sartorially enthusiastic sociopath who, it quickly turns out, has his foot soldiers everywhere, even on the police force and in the DA's office itself. After a professional breaks into the Sparrows' house to steal a zip drive from Amy's store of evidence, David realizes two things: he will do anything to protect his family, and there is a larger conspiracy at work. From this point on, most of the novel consists of car chases, shootings, boat crashes, and beatings, quick cuts in action movie-like scenes. Apparently Gischler (The Deputy, 2010, etc.) has already sold TV rights to the novel, and it clearly strives to be translated into a more visual medium; Gischler is also a writer of graphic novels. Without the depth of illustration, however, the action scenes begin to feel repetitive and easily skimmable. The novel also exposes that cultural stereotypes of men and women have not changed as much as we may think they have. On a basic level, Gischler argues, no man can be sustained by being "Mr. Mom," and David is clearly more intellectually and physically engaged in his life and his marriage when he's "acting like a man" and protecting his family. Wait for the TV series. Or the graphic novel?

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June 1, 2015
With TV rights already sold to CBS, this family-in-jeopardy thriller should have a long life. David Sparrow is staying home with the kids while his wife, Amy, starts her new job as New York City's deputy district attorney. But when Amy inherits a case prosecuting crime lord Dante Payne, and Payne comes after Amy and her family, David goes from Mr. Mom to Jason Bourne. David has always been vague about his career in the military, and now Amy knows whyDavid was the guy the brass called when they needed to get a good guy out of a bad situation or make sure a bad guy stayed put permanently. After sending the kids off with family, David and Amy hole up at a Manhattan hotel to regroup. David is soon calling in favors to track down the man who's trying to kill them. Payne has brought in his own high-powered hit squad, and it's a race against the clock to see who will emerge with the upper hand. You can easily recommend this thriller to fans of Robert K. Tanenbaum or Sandra Browna perfect fit for the high-octane crowd.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)