From Publishers Weekly
With this thriller full of many original and violent moments of action, mostly at sea, Eidson (One Bad Thing; Frames per Second) introduces a powerful new series that could kick his career into high gear. Jack Merchant, a DEA agent who took early retirement after a disastrous operation, lives on the Lila, his 40-foot sloop docked in the marina at Charlestown, a Boston suburb where he once spent a year drastically culling the drug dealer herd and making lots of enemies-a fact that will soon both haunt and help him. The Lila soaks up every cent he makes as a photographer, and when Sarah Ballard, a woman from his past now running her father's old business of repossessing boats for banks, comes to him with an offer of work tracking down a missing couple and their expensive yacht, he finds himself intrigued-and attracted by Sarah. But she's been through some terrifying times, and Jack quickly realizes "she wasn't looking for hugs and kisses." A lot of the book's strength comes from the way Eidson makes Sarah's roughness and coldness inevitable and convincing. Exceptionally interesting minor players include a cowardly, conniving banker and a dangerously psychotic software tycoon and his virtually invincible "handyman." With a smart new publisher, Eidson seems set for some smooth sailing.Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
When Julie and Paul Baylor disappear aboard their boat, the Fresh Air, Sarah Ballard, who earns her living repossessing boats, is hired by MassBank, her biggest client, to reclaim the yacht. But this isn't a standard repo; Baylor, who was one of MassBank's directors, was behind on his boat payments, and the bank fears embarrassment if the details become public. The stakes: find the boat in a week or lose the bank's business. Sarah turns to ex-DEA agent Jack Merchant for help. Why would the Baylors cut and run when Julie was about to make millions on a dot-com IPO? Jack and Sarah eventually learn the reason, but at great cost to themselves and those around them, as the bodies begin to accumulate on the trail that leads to the Baylors. The first entry in a series featuring Ballard and Merchant is carefully plotted, the action is explosive, and the evolving romance between the emotionally vulnerable heroes is fascinating. An excellent series debut and a portent of even better thrillers to come. Wes Lukowsky
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Book Description
An electrifying new thriller featuring ex-DEA Agent Jack Merchant living out his precarious retirement on the docks of Charlestown, Massachusetts, surrounded by the revenge-minded dealers and punks he used to put away.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

An electrifying new thriller featuring ex-DEA Agent Jack Merchant living out his precarious retirement on the docks of Charlestown, Massachusetts, surrounded by the revenge-minded dealers and punks he used to put away.

FROM THE CRITICS

The Washington Post

The partnership and eventual passion between Jack and Sarah, and the boat's disappearance and the demons from the past that possess both detectives merge beautifully at this point, creating a convincing landscape of deception and self-doubt. — Paul Skenazy

Publishers Weekly

With this thriller full of many original and violent moments of action, mostly at sea, Eidson (One Bad Thing; Frames per Second) introduces a powerful new series that could kick his career into high gear. Jack Merchant, a DEA agent who took early retirement after a disastrous operation, lives on the Lila, his 40-foot sloop docked in the marina at Charlestown, a Boston suburb where he once spent a year drastically culling the drug dealer herd and making lots of enemies-a fact that will soon both haunt and help him. The Lila soaks up every cent he makes as a photographer, and when Sarah Ballard, a woman from his past now running her father's old business of repossessing boats for banks, comes to him with an offer of work tracking down a missing couple and their expensive yacht, he finds himself intrigued-and attracted by Sarah. But she's been through some terrifying times, and Jack quickly realizes "she wasn't looking for hugs and kisses." A lot of the book's strength comes from the way Eidson makes Sarah's roughness and coldness inevitable and convincing. Exceptionally interesting minor players include a cowardly, conniving banker and a dangerously psychotic software tycoon and his virtually invincible "handyman." With a smart new publisher, Eidson seems set for some smooth sailing. (June 1) Forecast: The resemblance of Merchant and Ballard to another Boston-based duo with a push-pull relationship-Dennis Lehane's Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennar-can only help, as will the blurbs from William G. Tapply, Robert B. Parker and Peter Straub. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews