The “grand spy-chase novel . . . highly successful and realistic” that introduced the international operative with a lethal touch (Publishers Weekly). Secret agent Joe Gall has a puzzle to put together that stretches from the streets of Laredo, Texas, to the steamy island of Trinidad—and along the way, he must deal with a New Orleans nun with some surprising fighting skills as well as civil unrest in a small southern town . . . As he battles bad guys using all the smarts and survival tactics he learned from the CIA, there are two beautiful women who may hold the answers—but Gall has to start asking the right questions—in the debut thriller of this action-packed series that would go on to earn an Edgar Award nomination. “I admire Philip Atlee’s writing tremendously.” —Raymond Chandler

From the Edgar Award–nominated author:An agent for hire plays bodyguard to a titled beauty in Tenerife—and mixes partying with peril . . . Joe Gall, freelance operative, is assigned to protect a beautiful baroness under threat—and solve the mystery of who is after her. That means heading to the Canary Islands—and playing the part of a rich, hard-drinking American in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. It’s a tough job, but somebody has to do it . . . “[Philip Atlee is] the John D. MacDonald of espionage fiction.” —Larry McMurtry, The New York Times “I admire Philip Atlee’s writing tremendously.” —Raymond Chandler