Traitor

In Edgar finalist Hagberg’s subpar 27th Kirk McGarvey thriller (after 2021’s Gambit), Kirk’s best friend, Otto Renke, the CIA’s chief of electronic surveillance, is arrested on charges of treason. Kirk, a former CIA director who now works as a freelance operator for the agency, and his wife, Pete, who was once the CIA’s chief of interrogations, set out to prove his innocence while Otto undergoes lengthy interrogations led by a loathsome Homeland Security agent. Though all Otto’s accusers claim to have compelling evidence against him, Hagberg gives no hint of what this evidence might be. The tedious interrogations will leave readers feeling like they’re watching a road crew slowly digging a ditch rather than a crack team trying to unearth a dangerous mole. There are a few moments of action, but mostly it’s a slog, and when the traitor is revealed, the name will come as a total surprise to many, as the subtle clues are easy to miss. The traitor’s motive seems silly, tacked on only in an effort to explain the unlikely revelation. Fans will hope for a return to form next time. (Apr.)