Trap the Devil

April 17, 2017
In the exciting seventh Dewey Andreas thriller (after 2016’s First Strike), bestseller Coes pumps new energy into a familiar plot: a secret cabal lies hidden within the upper reaches of the U.S. government. In 1981, CIA director William Casey huddles with Secretary of State Alexander Haig and outlines his plan to create a secret strike force made up of some of the country’s most elite soldiers. Casey chooses disaffected CIA man Charles Bruner to lead the unit. “Stay and help defeat these crazy Muslims,” Casey asks. Bruner, whose 10-year-old daughter died in a 1979 terrorist bombing in Madrid, accepts. More than two decades later, with their shadow government in place, Bruner and his group launch a treasonous plan, which includes assassinating the speaker of the house, the vice president, and the president. Dewey and other members of the CIA Special Activities Division display their formidable skills as they race to thwart the plot. Coes creates a believable hero in Dewey, who’s almost superhuman but never a cartoon. 125,000-copy first printing; author tour. Agent: Nicole James, Chalberg & Sussman.

April 15, 2017
A former Special Forces operative uncovers the sinister plot of a group of powerful extremists hidden deep within the American government.In Coes' (First Strike, 2016, etc.) latest, a new challenge is laid at the doorstep of elite government operative Dewey Andreas. With physical and emotional scars reminding Dewey of the lasting imprint of his previous missions, his sometime boss and longtime friend, CIA Director Hector Calibrisi, orders Dewey to visit a psychotherapist specializing in treating the acute stress of elite operators. As part of the treatment, and out of concern for the developing love affair between Dewey and his daughter, Hector sends Dewey on a seemingly benign assignment in Paris. However, sipping wine and taking walks along the Seine are removed from the agenda when an American diplomat is assassinated. Along with an array of intelligence specialists at the National Security Agency and the CIA, Dewey begins to suspect a larger plot that is connected back to an order from former CIA Director William J. Casey. The web of intrigue becomes increasingly complex when it appears that the figures pushing this plot are placed strategically in positions of leadership directly behind the president. To peel back the layers of deceit and treachery, Dewey must locate a mysterious woman who is intimately connected to the growing list of assassinations. In the meantime, an intriguing interlacing of narratives emerges as past and present enemies come together against Dewey and his team. A very readable story which at times seems disconcertingly real.

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May 15, 2017

In the world of Special Ops fiction, Coes's Dewey Andreas is not the flashiest hero, but he gets the job done. This time the conspiracy is tied to the federal government, and the odds of success are slim at best. With everything against Andreas, including his own bosses, it will be a blast to see how he saves the day again. [See Prepub Alert, 1/8/17.]

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from May 15, 2017
Coes continues to deliver intense and gripping novels showcasing the world of special ops with his hero Dewey Andreas. This time (following First Strike, 2016) the threat dates back more than 30 years to the formation of a secret plan known as Order 6. That plan, aimed at a clandestine takeover of the U.S. government, is soon to reach fruition. Andreas is asked to assist the secretary of state while he's visiting Paris, but when the secretary is killed, Andreas realizes that he is being framed for the murder. His only hope to exonerate himself is to find a mysterious woman recently released from a sanatorium and then to dig through the past to unearth the conspiracy. Coes continues to get better with each installment of the series, building on themes from The Da Vinci Code and countless other thrillers, but finding within them new depth and sources of suspense. Coes' name should be on the lips of every reader who enjoys Vince Flynn and the Brads (Taylor and Thor).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)