The novel “Tripwire” by Lee Gimenez was published for the first time in 2021. It’s part of the J.T. Ryan series.
When briefcases containing small atomic bombs are stolen, the US president decides to entrust the investigation to a restricted group of people. There’s the serious suspicion that a traitor with a rank high enough to be able to reveal the top-secret location of the briefcases leads to a highly classified investigation.
With Erin Welch unable to participate after the death of her fiancé, the investigation must be led by J.T. Ryan, Alex Miller, and his CIA agent Rachel West. The explosion of one of the bombs causes thousands of deaths and serious consequences for the national economy.
Exploiting confidential information to operate in the financial markets for profit is a crime called insider trading. A person willing to kill thousands of people to make huge profits, knowing in advance the negative economic consequences, certainly wouldn’t care about the existing penalties for insider trading.
The availability of enormous sums of money can buy the services of many people, even those with knowledge of military secrets and the skills needed to steal atomic bombs. Lee Gimenez tells some of his stories by following the villains; in this case, exploring the unfolding of an international conspiracy.
Greed is the initial motivation behind the conspiracy, but the author offers various developments for the main characters involved. In particular, Alexandra “Lexi” Atwood’s personal story offers various facets that reveal the complexity of her motivations.
The thrillers in J.T. Ryan’s series always feature dramatic plots, but “Tripwire” surpasses the previous ones. The protagonist uses his dubious humor to try to defuse the tension at many points, but in this case, he has to restrain himself. FBI Assistant Director Erin Welch tolerates him because she knows he gets results, but Alex Miller isn’t as understanding and demands results without that attitude.
These are all elements that contribute to the tension in a story where the stakes are truly enormous. The investigation’s protagonists also face fears about the presence of a possible high-level mole, which adds a layer of paranoia.
Lee Gimenez’s various novels tell independent stories, but there may be some connections with others by this author. In this case, there are some references to the novel “Fireball“, which involves the task force created by the US president and, above all, the presence of Alex Miller and Rachel West of the CIA, two recurring characters.
There’s a series of novels focused on Rachel West, but her adventures intertwine several times with those of J.T. Ryan. The author provides enough information to understand the relationship between the two protagonists, but if you have read the other novels in the series, you know all the details of the various developments.
Lee Gimenez always finds interesting ideas for developing international intrigue in his fast-paced, action-packed stories. Like his previous novels, J.T. Ryan’s investigations always see him ending up in some dangerous situations.
“Tripwire” is another thriller full of twists and turns, perfect for fans of this genre. It has a standalone plot that doesn’t require reading the previous novels in the series, and it has a true ending, so you can read it and then decide if and when to continue with the novels in this series that the author has written in subsequent years. You can find it on Amazon USA, UK, and Canada.
