Justine Poole provides security for wealthy and high-profile Hollywood stars, but that all changes when a job puts her in the limelight. When she prevents a brazen robbery at the Beverly Hills home of two of her clients—killing two of the five armed robbers in the process—she is initially lauded in the media as a local hero. But the spotlight soon puts her in the crosshairs of the crime kingpin behind the burglaries. Unable to stand the embarrassment of his lackeys having been defeated by a lone woman, Mr. Conger puts in a call to the one man who can make his problems disappear. Known for his swiftness and subtlety, Leo Sealy will kill anyone for a price. All he needs is a name and a face, any starting point to pick up his victim's trail. Luckily for him, the local news is as eager as he is for any information about the heroic bodyguard—and quick to broadcast their findings, regardless of what it might mean for her safety. But Sealy isn't prepared for just how quick and resourceful Justine can be... So begins a cat and mouse game that only Thomas Perry—"master of nail-biting suspense" ( Los Angeles Times )—could devise, featuring two characters who know more about deadly pursuit than anyone else in the business. As the hardened killer stalks her, Justine learns that the fickle media landscape can turn its celebration into condemnation at a moment's notice, and soon finds that public opinion can be every bit as fatal as organized crime. "A cat-and-mouse tale done to a turn by a veteran who doesn't waste a word or a tear." ― Kirkus STARRED REVIEW "So suspenseful it should be required reading for thrill seekers . . . A tour de force." ― Booklist STARRED REVIEW "A fast-paced thriller for those who like novels in which antagonists attempt to outsmart each other." ― Library Journal "Perry is a gifted storyteller with a perfect sense of pacing and a knack for conjuring up fascinating characters" ― CrimeReads "The cat-and-mouse suspense that Thomas Perry creates here is quite viable and done in that easy, old-school style that he has mastered so well. . . . Justine proves to be much more than Sealy bargained for, which is what drives HERO to its breathless finale." ― BookReporter "An original, simply riveting, and a fun read from start to finish." ― Midwest Book Review "A fine romp, a blood-flecked cartoon of deadly intentions and random chaos." ― Deadly Pleasures Magazine Thomas Perry is the Edgar-winning author of over thirty novels, including The Butcher’s Boy , which Parade Magazine included in its 2021 list of 101 Best Mystery Books of All Time, and Metzger’s Dog , which NPR listeners voted one of the “Best Thrillers of All Time.” His novel The Old Man was the inspiration for the television series starring Jeff Bridges and John Lithgow, and his novel Strip inspired the film Bear Country starring Russell Crowe, which is now in production. Justine hated this part of the job―the waiting when she knew the threat was real and she was putting the body she lived in, the creature that she was, at risk. She also loved this part, when she was crouching in a well-chosen spot, knowing things the adversaries didn’t suspect yet, and sure that the most crucial thing they didn’t suspect was Justine Poole. She could feel her heart gradually increasing its beat, like an engine warming up. She knew she must not stand up or try to look out through the gate. She needed to see her opponents well before a confrontation happened, but she also had to be alert to the possibility of an advance scout sent ahead to detect the presence of professional security. Just today Ben had sent her security footage to help her learn how the latest group of follow-home robberies were being choreographed. They hadn’t had time to talk seriously yet about how to go about stopping one. She knew that Spengler’s method would begin by following the robbers’ Mercedes and taking good, clear pictures of it that showed the license plates. When the Mercedes reached the gate―closed or open―he would pull in behind it so he could block the robbers’ escape and do whatever would get their attention away from the victims while the police caught up. Why hadn’t he called her by now? And here came the Pinskys. She watched the glow from their headlights moving along the canopies of the trees, but she heard only the whisper of the tires on the pavement as their electric vehicle approached. The car began its turn toward the gate and a slight brightening appeared in the driveway that allowed Justine to see the paving stones. The car completed the arc and straightened, and its headlights shone up the driveway and lit the garage door as the car kept going. Jerry must have pressed the remote control in the car because the electric motor beside Justine turned and the teeth of its main gear meshed with the chain and the gate began to close behind it. Justine rose to a crouch, keeping her head low and on the safe side of the motor housing, a