'Downfall' is 'must read' for action-thriller fans

A chance encounter with a woman in a bar thrusts Sam Capra into the deadliest and scariest mission yet in Jeff Abbott's new thriller, “Downfall.”

Capra is an ex-CIA agent, and now that he's rescued his young son, he's ready to be a family man and run a network of bars around the globe owned by a secret organization called The Round Table.

One night in San Francisco, two men chase a woman into his bar. Capra defends the woman — and himself. Both men are killed. Soon Capra's face is plastered on the front page of newspapers, and a man named Belias decides Capra is worth investigating.

“Every person has his price. What is it you want most? Because, believe me, I can give it to you.”

Belias has a network that manipulates people to do his bidding, but the cost isn't readily apparent. For Belias, it's about fulfilling a trusted confidante's wish, even at the cost of another's life. He's the scariest type of villain; someone who can easily get others to do his dirty work. His connections are both unrelenting and seemingly inexhaustible.

Abbott knows how to slowly ratchet up the tension while maintaining great characters and terrific plot twists. Belias has the power to bring down the entire U.S. government — and everything that Capra holds dear — with just a phone call. How can Capra defeat a man capable of doing so much damage?

The Sam Capra series gets better with each outing, and “Downfall” is a “must read” for the action-thriller fan.