A Booklist , Kirkus , and Deadly Pleaures Magazine Best Thriller of the Year   A private security agent finds that being branded as the City of Angels’ latest hero could also make her its next victim.… 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 Justine Poole takes her job seriously providing security for wealthy and high-profile Hollywood stars. 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 between two people who know more about how to take down one’s enemies than anyone else in the business. Justine finds herself up against both a hardened killer and the fickle media landscape that can turn on her just as quickly as it celebrated her in this high-stakes thriller from the author of The Old Man . 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