Shadow State

While an Army Ranger in Afghanistan, Rafe Hendrix, the hero of this high-octane thriller from Sennett (the Nash Hansen mysteries), saved the life of his best friend, Wyetta Johnson, after she was badly injured from a RPG attack. Johnson later became the first Black female gay U.S. president, and Hendrix became the head of her Secret Service detail. That assignment places him in a no-win position when terrorists target Johnson’s wife on a visit to a D.C. school attended by Hendrix’s 11-year-old daughter. His quick decision to shoot a suicide bomber saves the first lady, but a second terrorist detonates an explosive that kills his daughter and her entire class. The choice ends his marriage, and he’s banned from the life of his surviving child, a three-year-old son. Hendrix resigns his post, hoping to make a new start in the relative isolation of Fort Stockton, Tex. But despite that intention, a murder connected to Hendrix sets him on the trail of a killer who’s been recreating political assassinations from American history and may be targeting Johnson. The brisk pace offsets the implausible plot developments. Fans of stoic and resilient action heroes will be entertained. (Feb.)