Out of Range

Steinberg, the creator of the TV series Without a Trace, makes his fiction debut with a high-action thriller that stands out in a crowded field. In part one, set in 2005 Uzbekistan, journalist Charlie Davis covers a mass protest against the government in the provincial capital of Andijan. With him is his politically progressive British wife, Julie, who’s pregnant with their first child. When government forces open fire on the protestors, Charlie and Julie are both wounded, though not critically. Six years later in Los Angeles, where the couple have settled after their recovery, Julie is kidnapped while stuck in freeway traffic after a trip to Disneyland with their two kids. Certain that someone from their past in Uzbekistan is up to no good, Charlie sets out to rescue Julie with all the determination of a Vince Flynn or Brad Thor hero. Good backstory, original characterization, and a cinematic prose style add up to an exciting read. Agent: Richard Abate, 3 Arts Entertainment. (June)