Pre-Owned Edge (Paperback) 1476726426 9781476726427

Crafting a chilling, strategy-driven thriller packed with "nifty new tricks" (Publishers Weekly), Jeffery Deaver lifts the veil on a clandestine government agency--pitting two "ingenious" (Library Journal) opponents in a high-stakes duel of wits with deadly consequences.

Behind the well-known US security apparatus--FBI, CIA, and more--lurks a top-secret agency specializing in intelligence surveillance and witness protection through its elite operatives. When Washington, DC, police detective Ryan Kessler becomes the inexplicable target of Henry Loving, a ruthless freelance lifter who uses torture, kidnapping, and family leverage, an existential threat to life itself is unleashed.

Enter Corte, a senior federal protection officer--a "shepherd" driven by personal vendetta and decked with tactical brilliance and board-game inspired strategy. As Loving resurfaces six years after killing Corte's mentor, the stage is set for a deadly match. Corte is entrusted to safeguard the Kessler family and unravel the mystery: who hired Loving, and why?

With assistance from investigator Claire DuBois and FBI agent Paul Fredericks, Corte must anticipate every move of the lifter. What follows is a relentless chase, escalating psychological tension, and twisting revelations as family bonds fray under pressure. Lee's axiom--"people will do anything to anybody, if the edge is right"--defines the deadly contest.

Edge is a stand-alone government agency thriller that fuses intense psychological suspense, tactical game theory, and moral complexity. Fans of calculated espionage, modern crime thrillers, and plot-twisting suspense will relish this duel between protector and predator.