The Old Man

October 17, 2016
Former army intelligence officer Dan Chase, the hero of this engrossing if not flawless thriller from bestseller Perry (Forty Thieves), has lived in a small Vermont town with his two dogs for 35 years. A widower, he’s been in hiding after allegedly stealing $20 million during a mission in Libya. After assassins fail to kill the “old man” (he’s 60), Chase—who has been preparing for such a situation for decades—goes on the run. With numerous false identities and bank accounts across the country, Chase attempts to stay alive long enough to identify exactly who is trying to kill him. Are his pursuers agents of the U.S. government, Libyan operatives, or some other force that has developed an interest in him and the missing money? The unconventionality of the older action hero is refreshing, and the tension throughout is palpable, but the back story of a secondary character—his landlady in the Chicago area—comes across as contrived and unnecessary. Still, readers will eagerly keep turning the pages. Agent: Mel Berger, WME.

February 27, 2017
Nearly half a lifetime ago, an Army intelligence officer using the name Dan Chase participated in a mission in Libya during which he allegedly stole $20 million from a corrupt “asset.” Since then, he’s been in hiding, living in Vermont with his two dogs. When Libyan assassins suddenly appear, only to be turned into chew toys by his trained pets, Chase starts running, not only to save his life but to find out who wants to kill him and why now. Author Perry fills this standalone thriller with nonstop action, shifting from Chase’s long-prepped escape maneuvers to chapters featuring Julian Carson, a young special ops contractor hired by military intelligence because of his tracking skills. He’s too honest not to do the job he’s being paid for, but also honorable enough to sympathize with Chase once he realizes his bosses are cynical, deceitful, and without conscience. Reader Berkrot sets an energetic pace right from the start and, once Chase flees, both protagonist and reader put the pedal to the metal, slowing down only long enough for the old man to hook up with Zoe McDonald, a 40-something pianist, who becomes his traveling companion. A Mysterious hardcover.