cover image Stop at Nothing

Stop at Nothing

Michael Ledwidge. Hanover Square, $26.99 (352p) ISBN 978-1-335-04495-2

Diving instructor Michael Gannon, the hero of this contrived thriller from bestseller Ledwidge (the Michael Bennett series with James Patterson), is fishing off an island in the Bahamas when he sees a corporate jet crash into the water. Gannon discovers a fortune in uncut diamonds and American dollars in the downed plane, along with the bodies of six men. Unable to report the tragedy because of a broken antenna, Gannon decides to hold onto the loot, which he guesses is related to a drug deal. Eventually, it becomes clear that among the victims were some highly important people and a cover-up is involved. Gannon ends up partnering with an attractive U.S. Navy lieutenant, Ruby Everett, who investigates the crash, and a journalist, Eric Wheldon, who lost his State Department job after exposing government corruption. Gannon and his allies must dodge multiple perils en route to a predictable conclusion. Action sequences, rather than characterizations, are Ledwidge’s strength. Fans of unsophisticated page-turners will be entertained. Agent: Josh Getzler, Hannigan Salky Getzler Agency. (Mar.)