Blown Away

More daring and destructive than the real-life Unabomber, another unstable ex-professor brings New York City to its knees in this sixth and riveting John Becker thriller from Wiltse (Bone Deep). Cunning Jason Cole is holding the city hostage, blowing up routes in and out of Manhattan and demanding millions. Legendary FBI agent Becker heads the team that must stop him. But Cole has a knack for enlisting unlikely helpers that are hard to trace, from drug-addled Bronx hood Defone Lee to gay hitman Donny the Snake Sabela. To make matters worse, he cares less about the money than about teaching a lesson to the powers that be. Before the case is solved, it's not only the cops and FBI who are involved; so are street gangs, garbagemen, wiseguys, even the IRA and Cole's high-school chemistry teacher. Wiltse illuminates a broad spectrum of heroism and villainy with a colorful, often humorous cast of characters that makes agent Becker seem drab by comparison. These engaging folk will hold readers in thrall through a fast-paced, cleverly plotted tale that features plenty of action, on the street and off, and that will leave readers just as the title says. (Oct.)