#Review - A Minute to Midnight by David Baldacci #Thriller #Suspense

Series: Atlee Pine Thriller (#2)
Format: Hardcover, 432 pages
Release Date: November 19, 2019
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Source: Library

Genre: Thrillers / Suspense

FBI Agent Atlee Pine returns to her Georgia hometown to investigate her twin sister's abduction, only to encounter a serial killer in this #1 New York Times bestselling thriller.

FBI Agent Atlee Pine's life was never the same after her twin sister Mercy was kidnapped -- and likely killed -- thirty years ago. After a lifetime of torturous uncertainty, Atlee's unresolved anger finally gets the better of her on the job, and she finds she has to deal with the demons of her past if she wants to remain with the FBI.

Atlee and her assistant Carol Blum head back to Atlee's rural hometown in Georgia to see what they can uncover about the traumatic night Mercy was taken and Pine was almost killed. But soon after Atlee begins her investigation, a local woman is found ritualistically murdered, her face covered with a wedding veil -- and the first killing is quickly followed by a second bizarre murder.

Atlee is determined to continue her search for answers, but now she must also set her sights on finding a potential serial killer before another victim is claimed. But in a small town full of secrets -- some of which could answer the questions that have plagued Atlee her entire life -- and digging deeper into the past could be more dangerous than she realizes . . .

A Minute to Midnight, by author David Baldacci, is the second installment in the authors Atlee Pine series. After a dust-up while on duty in Arizona where FBI Agent Atlee Pine stops a kidnapper with a bit of aggression, her boss suggests that Pine actually take a vacation, unlike last time when she saved the world. She agrees. As she is still trying to piece together clues about her twin sister Mercy’s disappearance thirty years before, Atlee heads to rural Georgia with her Bureau assistant, Carol Blum. 

Atlee and Carol take a walk down history lane by visiting Andersonville Prison where more than 45,000 Union soldiers were confined here. Of these, almost 13,000 died here. She visits her former homestead which has seen better days. She begins to talk to those who were around 30 years ago, some of who still remember Lee as a child. The more Atlee talks with residents, the more the mystery grows. The more the mystery grows, the more events that happened in the past become that much clearer. 

In 1989, Atlee and her twin sister Mercy were left alone by their parents. Mercy was taken, Atlee was ended up in the hospital. Atlee's memories of that night have slowly returned. But, she won't be satisfied until she finds Mercy dead or alive. Atlee now wonders if her mind was slightly foggy about how the mystery man got into their room. Could he have just walked in the front door? After all, her parents were allegedly drunk and stoned out of their minds. Her mother awoke early the next morning to find that Mercy was taken and Atlee was hanging on to a thread.

Discussing the matter with some who knew her parents at the time, Atlee begins to see that much of the story she knew hinges on misconceptions, though she is not yet ready to give up. The curiousness of Mercy's disappearance ended up devastating the family. Atlee, in essence, lost both parents by the time she turned 17. When Atlee finds the body of a dead woman that none of the locals can identify, things quickly get twisted. Could this be a coincidence, or is someone trying to send a message? Then a second boy, and a third. It's only a matter of time before a fourth is found and time is running out.

Atlee begins working the case with Max Wallis of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. When more bodies turn up, Atlee finds that she has no choice but to call in the FBI for assistance in finding the serial killer. Special Agent Eddie Laredo and Atlee have a past of sorts. Not much is known except they worked in the same division for a short time. Atlee is a person who likes to work alone. Thus why she was happy when the assignment as Resident Agent in Arizona came available. However, in this case, Atlee can't be the rogue agent. She's burned plenty of bridges and if she doesn't watch herself, she could be at the end of the line.

Atlee has no intention of leaving the Deep South without answers, but with the many twists and turns about her family, and even more twists about who may have actually be involved, the reader should have no issues with staying involved in the story. As usual, Carol is a wonderful character who provides the right amount of charm and levelheadedness that is needed to help Atlee. A strong story that keeps the reader engaged until the final reveal, with a wonderful cliffhanger.  The third book in this series may be the best of these first two.

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