The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t with Her Mind

Ford’s first Frost Files action-packed misadventure is led by frustratingly limited characters. Teagan Frost is a genetically engineered psychokinetic government operative living in Los Angeles under an alias. When the target of an undercover operation is found dead with a length of rebar wrapped around his neck, Teagan is the prime suspect, as she’s supposedly the only person in the world who’s able to move objects with her mind. Teagan has 22 hours to prove her innocence before she’s condemned to a lifetime as a government lab rat. With the help of her reluctant team of house movers and government flunkies, Teagan pursues the only person in the world who’s just like her. Ford peoples near-future L.A. with a motley crew of misfit tropes—the bumbler, the temperamental grouch, the conniver—and marginalized characters who regrettably veer toward the stereotypical, including an angry black woman and Latino gang members. Perhaps because the characters are flimsy, the romantic subplots are underwhelming. However, Ford’s strengths are evident in the taut action sequences and suspenseful pacing, which tie the book’s central mystery together. This one is purely for undemanding fans of adrenaline rushes. Agent: Ed Wilson, Johnson & Alcock (U.K.). (June)