Having stabbed a man to death, a seemingly damaged, deranged Chris Brennan plans to attack a small Pennsylvania town. Or will he? This loner certainly is a liar: he lies about his name, his background, and his experience to gain a teaching and coaching position at a high school where he urgently pursues a teenage boy to assist him with his scheme. Chris succeeds in finding a ten-foot box truck that can hold 50 bags of fertilizer, enough to cause deadly destruction. After putting readers on edge with the development of this unlikable character as a would-be domestic terrorist, Scottoline (Most Wanted; Every Fifteen Minutes) slams the plot into reverse at midpoint and accelerates at full speed. Throw in sexting, cheating, drinking, and grieving to draw in the other protagonists, including teachers, three mothers, and their teenage sons. VERDICT This stand-alone suspense novel is not to be missed by Scottoline's fans as well as other readers who relish fast-paced thrillers by Linda Fairstein and John Grisham. [See Prepub Alert, 10/24/16.]—Wendy W. Paige, Shelby Cty. P.L., Morristown, IN

ATF agent Curt Abbott goes undercover as high school baseball coach Chris Brennan in this entertaining thriller from bestseller Scottoline (Most Wanted). He targets three teenage boys in his investigation of a domestic terrorism plot: wealthy, spoiled Evan Kostis; troubled Raz Sematov, struggling to cope with his father's recent death; and thoughtful, diligent Jordan Larkin, raised by a single mother. As his supervisors threaten to derail the case, loner Curt wonders whether he could have a future with Jordan's mom, Heather, for whom he has unexpectedly developed feelings, if she knew his true identity. Scottoline shifts focus among Curt and each of the boys' mothers, who represent a cross-section of suburban Central Valley, Pa. This fast-paced read culminates in a daring chase that would play well on the big screen, and readers may anticipate the outcome of Curt's budding romance with Heather as eagerly as they do the resolution of the terror plot. 400,000-copy announced first printing; author tour. Agent: Robert Gottlieb, Trident Media Group. (Apr.)

Readers meet Chris Brennan just in time for his job interview at Central Valley High School, where he hopes to teach government, economics, and criminal justice and serve as the assistant varsity baseball coach. The second sentence of the novel makes it clear that he is a fraud, but Scottoline doesn't expand. After obtaining the job, Chris gets to know his students, particularly the baseball players, and readers discover that he has a criminal act in mind. Teens are introduced to some of the players on the baseball team and find out a bit about their family lives, but it's not until a third of the way through the narrative that they learn who Chris really is. Something big is stirring in this small town in Pennsylvania, and a plot with nationwide consequences could create an uproar in the lives of the baseball players and their families. As Scottoline tracks the progress of the investigation step-by-step, readers will be drawn into this exciting and absorbing page-turner. VERDICT Recommend this fast-paced read to teens who enjoy tales of espionage and action.—Marlyn K. Beebe, Los Alamitos, CA