I’ve really been enjoying David Baldacci’s series featuring FBI agent Atlee Pine. Daylight is the third in the series and pairs her up with another of Baldacci’s regulars, Army CID officer John Puller.

Although the first two books in this series have also featured stand-alone investigations, they’ve been set against a backdrop of a mystery spanning thirty years and one driving Pine. She made some significant progress in the last book in this series A Minute to Midnight and she’s got time off to follow through here. Those who haven’t read any other books in the series need not worry however, as Baldacci recaps Pine’s backstory easily and most of this book is devoted to a new investigation.

Daylight
by David Baldacci
Series: Atlee Pine #3
Published by Macmillan
on 17/11/2020
Source: PanMacmillan
Genres: Thriller / Suspense
ISBN: 1509874577, 9781509874583
Pages: 416

Goodreads

For many long years, Atlee Pine was tormented by uncertainty after her twin sister, Mercy, was abducted at the age of six and never seen again. Now, just as Atlee is pressured to end her investigation into Mercy's disappearance, she finally gets her most promising breakthrough yet: the identity of her sister's kidnapper, Ito Vincenzo.

With time running out, Atlee and her assistant Carol Blum race to Vincenzo's last known location in Trenton, New Jersey -- and unknowingly stumble straight into John Puller's case, blowing his arrest during a drug ring investigation involving a military installation.

Stunningly, Pine and Puller's joint investigation uncovers a connection between Vincenzo's family and a breathtaking scheme that strikes at the very heart of global democracy. Peeling back the layers of deceit, lies and cover-ups, Atlee finally discovers the truth about what happened to Mercy. And that truth will shock Pine to her very core.

I know it’s only been a year since I read A Minute to Midnight but I’d forgotten the plot surrounding Pine’s mother and the discovery of why her family was targeted, why she was badly injured and her sister taken.

Pine kinda messes up Puller’s investigation here – inadvertently of course – unaware she’s walked into the middle of something when all she’s needing is information. It means she feels obligated to help, though in reality both she and Puller need to find Tony Vincenzo – grandson of Ito and at the heart of Puller’s drug ring.

Things become waaaaay more complicated however, with important people and politics coming into play and Puller in particular has his investigation threatened by power-brokers needing to keep secrets. I must admit, as US politics is drowning out all other news and media at the moment and that country heads into their Presidential election I wondered if Baldacci is able to base some of this on actual events or people. Or at least some juiced-up-for-fiction version of it. Let’s just say I would not be surprised.

Although she gets sidetracked by Puller’s investigation, I very much enjoyed Pine’s mission—seeking information about her sister—but there were a few ‘happenings’ late in the book that, though they’ll certainly have me finger-tapping as I impatiently await the next instalment, were a tad over-the-top. Of course, this is fiction so I guess it’s very much allowed.

I’m really enjoying this series and like that Baldacci has connected a few of his characters. Michael Connelly has done the same with some of his series and – for me anyway – it makes them seem more ‘real’ or fully formed. As if they don’t simply hibernate until resurrected for their next lead role.

And… spoiler alert – because I recall commenting in my reviews of The Escape and No Man’s Land that I’d like to see more of him – the older Puller, IT guru Robert pops in here as well.

Roll on book four!

Daylight by David Baldacci was published by Pan Macmillan and is now available.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes.