Atlee Pine is an FBI special agent posted to the southwestern United States. There, she must fight a new menace as well as an old nightmare.
She feels like, of all the scumbags she’s put behind bars, none compare to Daniel James Tor, a vicious serial killer. He is the one who fractured Pine’s skull when she was six years old and abducted her twin sister, Mercy.
It is believed that twins have a particular bond that no other human connection can ever match. This appears to be the situation with Pine and her sister. Pine has physical and mental wounds from losing Mercy at such a young age and in such a horrible manner.
Every investigation leads Pine to confront her inner issues. She is unable to move on from the absence of her sister, and it appears that she pushes herself too much. When her investigation finds a hidden cave in the Grand Canyon, she thinks she may be onto something.
Carol Blum, her assistant, and Pine set out on a cross-country road trip. The goal is to look into a few objects that could reveal a government secret. A significant plot twist awaits at the end of the line. Pine is taking a significant risk by pursuing this. Things accelerate to a surprising and unexpected finish.
The series by David Baldacci spans 4 books, and each one follows a different investigation. With every novel, Pine gets closer and closer to finding the truth about her past. She makes a discovery, following a risky inquiry that almost kills her. She finds the reason for her parent’s abandonment and Mercy’s disappearance, but also a hopeful discovery. There is evidence that Mercy survived and escaped years ago. When the truth is revealed, Atlee Pine will confront her biggest test yet, but she will have to pay a price.
See also other series: David Baldacci’s Will Robie Books in Order and John Puller Books in Order.
Atlee Pine Series in order
Similar books
- Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch series follows a retired LAPD detective, now a private investigator.
- John Grisham’s The Whistler series features Lacy Stoltz, an investigator for Judicial Conduct as she handles incompetence and corruption cases.
- Lisa Scottoline’s Rosato & DiNunzio series is about an all-female team of powerful lawyers. They tackle matters that straddle the fine line between the letter of the law and justice.
See also: Gabriel Allon Books in Order.
Most recommended books of the series
- Mercy (Atlee Pine #4) (4.37 Goodreads score)
- A Minute to Midnight (Atlee Pine #2) (4.21 Goodreads score)
- Daylight (Atlee Pine #3) (4.19 Goodreads score)
- Long Road to Mercy (Atlee Pine #1) (3.89 Goodreads score)
Upcoming releases in the series
The Atlee Pine series is complete. The latest addition to the series was the fourth book, Mercy.
Book summaries
Long Road to Mercy (2018)
Eeny, meeny, miny, moe. Catch a tiger by its toe. It’s seared into Atlee Pine’s memory: the kidnapper’s chilling rhyme as he chose between six-year-old Atlee and her twin sister, Mercy. Mercy was taken. Atlee was spared. She never saw Mercy again. Three decades after that terrifying night, Atlee Pine works for the FBI. She’s the lone agent assigned to the Shattered Rock, Arizona resident agency, which is responsible for protecting the Grand Canyon. So when one of the Grand Canyon’s mules is found stabbed to death at the bottom of the canyon-and its rider missing-Pine is called in to investigate. It soon seems clear the lost tourist had something more clandestine than sightseeing in mind. But just as Pine begins to put together clues pointing to a terrifying plot, she’s abruptly called off the case.
A Minute to Midnight (2019)
hometown to investigate her twin sister’s abduction, only to encounter a serial killer. 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 .
Daylight (2020)
The hunt Ever since Mercy was abducted aged six, Atlee has been relentless in her search for her. Finally, she gets her most promising breakthrough yet – the identity of her sister’s kidnapper. The capture As Atlee and her assistant, Carol Blum, race to track down the suspect, they run into Pine’s old friend and fellow agent, John Puller, who is investigating the suspect’s family for another crime. The kill Working together, Pine and Puller must pull back the layers of deceit, lies and cover-ups that strike at the very heart of global democracy. And the truth about what happened to Mercy will finally be revealed. That truth will shock Atlee Pine to her very core.
Mercy (2021)
For her entire life, FBI agent Atlee Pine has been searching for her twin sister, Mercy, who was abducted at the age of six and never seen again. Mercy’s disappearance left behind a damaged family that later shattered beyond repair when Atlee’s parents inexplicably abandoned her. Now, after a perilous investigation that nearly proved fatal, Atlee has finally discovered not only the reason behind her parents’ abandonment and Mercy’s kidnapping, but also the most promising breakthrough yet: proof that Mercy survived her abduction and then escaped her captors many years ago. Though Atlee is tantalizingly close to her family at last, the final leg of her long road to Mercy will be the most treacherous yet. Mercy left at least one dead body behind before fleeing her captors years before. Atlee has no idea if her sister is still alive, and if so, how she has been surviving all this time. When the truth is finally revealed, Atlee Pine will face the greatest danger yet, and it may well cost her everything.
