Long Road to Mercy by David Baldacci

"Long Road to Mercy" by David Baldacci -  Misnomer!

This book was published by Macmillan in 2018 and has 384 pages. This is Book 1 of Atlee Pine series. 

Special agent Atlee Pine is posted at FBI office at Grand Canyon. A batch of tourists climbs down into canyon on mules. Next morning one tourist is missing and one mule is dead. Higher ups in FBI take interest in the case of dead mule. Atlee is seeking answers from a serial killer, who she suspects, kidnapped her twin sister, Mercy, when they were 6 and probably killed her. 

What is the mystery of dead mule? Why are top bosses interested? Will Agent Pine do what is right? Will she be able to trace Mercy?

Although the title is about Mercy, only first chapter is about Atlee's attempts of closure about Mercy. Rest of the story is about an international plot involving the Russians and North Koreans. A typical apocalypse scenario. 

Atlee Pine has to go off-grid to investigate. She gets unconditional help of her secretary and a Park Ranger and little help from the Yazee family and one of her boss' boss. There is also a hint of romance.

The romance, if it happens, and the story of Mercy and what happened to her is probably for the sequel. Since the book does not have story of Mercy, the title of the book becomes a misnomer. Road to Mercy is really long. It transcends books. 

The story is not very interesting. The investigation is sedate. The deductions are not fantastic. Story is slow. The big plot hatched by powers is strange. The powers go to a great length to keep the plot on course, but it crumbles easily and it appears that the decision to abandon the plot is taken by a low-key officer and not higher ups. Americans appear naive and Atlee is more intelligent than the entire administration. In short it's disappointing. However, despite all this, author manages to barely retain reader's interest and you don't abandon reading. 

Why did I read this book? Author.

What did I like? Native American angle.   

What I didn't like? Many things as listed above. 

Give it a miss.