Jack is back (The Poet).  Jack McEvoy is a newspaper reporter.  After being let go by the LA Times and asked to train his beautiful, young replacement, Jack has decided to go out with a bang—a big, big story. A call from a grandmother swearing her grandson’s innocence, and just plain swearing at Jack for his story, leads him to something of substance. Little does he know one kid, one car, and one murder will lead to a sadistic killer, one who is quick to sabotage Jack's identity and to butcher anyone close to Jack. The question is who will survive and who will be blamed.

Rachel also returns. Rachel is an FBI agent, and Jack calls her in after his identity is sabotaged. Jack doesn’t know it but he has the advantage since the killer doesn’t know who Rachel is or her connections. Problem is, the killer wants to find out—bad.

The two search LA and Mesa, Arizona looking for a man able to hack into the LA Times and Jack’s life. Someone sick enough to torment and murder without conscience.  During the hunt, Jack discovers it’s a combination of problem-solving, deadly games, and staying one step ahead to keep them safe. It’s quite a chase. Listeners/readers are aware the killer works for a cyber data company as a scarecrow, one who protects data "crops" from hackers, trollers and virus carriers. The nail-biting suspense is in identifying the killer, trying to catch him in time, and hoping no one else dies.

Like the Harry Bosch series, this one shows potential. Jack is a likeable character and Rachel complements him. The drama and suspense was intense enough to keep me interested. I certainly hope this series continues.