cover image The Real Michael Swann

The Real Michael Swann

Bryan Reardon. Dutton, $26 (352p) ISBN 978-1-5247-4232-4

In this addictively readable thriller from bestseller Reardon (Finding Jake), Julia Swann—who lives with her husband, Michael, and two young children in a Philadelphia suburb—is talking on the phone to Michael, who’s waiting for a train at New York City’s Penn Station, when the line suddenly goes dead. She soon learns that a bomb has killed hundreds at the station. She has reason to believe Michael is alive if unaccounted for, and vows to find him. At the same time, she must come to grips with the reality that behind the seemingly idyllic façade of their marriage lurk some dark secrets. Reardon keeps the suspense high with alternating points of view and nonstop action as Julia, an intimately portrayed and identifiable main character, seeks her missing husband. The premise may not be that original and many will anticipate the resolution, but readers shouldn’t be surprised if they find themselves staying up to finish this in one sitting. Agent: Stephanie Rostan, Levine Greenberg Literary Agency. (June)