After kicking off a brand new fictional series in 2019, former Speaker of the House turned bestselling author and Fox News correspondent Newt Gingrich will publish his second book featuring Valerie Mayberry and Brett Garrett on April 21, 2020, when Shakedown (co-written by Pete Earley) officially hits bookstores.
Valerie Mayberry—the FBI’s counterintelligence expert on domestic terrorism—and Brett Garrett—a dishonorably discharged ex-Navy SEAL who now works as a gun-for-hire primarily as a security contractor in Eastern Europe—were both introduced in Gingrich’s last thriller, Collusion. That title saw the new duo investigate whether or not the Russians really were colluding with Americans, and in 2020, they’re set to return for another torn-from-the-headlines mission that involves Iran.
Check out the cover art and plot details below.
Mayberry and Garrett, introduced in the thrilling Collusion, are caught in the middle of a deadly crisis with Iran in this action-packed adventure from the #1 New York Times bestselling authors.
Unlikely partners Valerie Mayberry and Brett Garrett are at loose ends. The obsessive and uptight Mayberry has left the FBI on bad terms. Garrett’s recent heroics have helped take a little of the sting out of his dishonorable discharge, but he’s got a way to go to find redemption.
When a former Iranian scientist is assassinated in Washington, D.C., the former counterintelligence agent and ex-SEAL are pulled back into the world of clandestine ops—and the fate of the entire East Coast is at stake. Joining ranks with a heralded Mossad agent, Mayberry and Garrett pursue an international killer whose motives remain a mystery.
But he isn’t the only threat. They uncover another planned attack—with too many potential enemies to track down and too little time. When Iran offers to help, the already tense political situation gets more complicated. Operating outside official channels, maneuvering between enemy powers, the two know they must tread carefully to prevent an international incident and keep themselves alive.
Is Iran playing us for fools again? Or are they undermining some other enemy? Can a dysfunctional Washington do the right thing to protect the country? Will political infighting at the FBI grind the investigation to a halt? Will Mayberry and Garrett find the truth before innocent lives are lost?
Newt Gingrich is a former Speaker of the House, a Fox News contributor, and a New York Times bestselling author. He is the author of thirty-six books, including the recent #1 New York Times bestseller Understanding Trump. Listen to Newt’s podcast Newt’s World at http://www.newtsworld.com or anywhere you get your podcasts.
Pete Earley is a former Washington Post reporter, a Pulitzer Prize finalist, and the New York Times bestselling author of sixteen books. He lives in northern Virginia.
Shakedown is not yet available for pre-order, but I’m told that will soon change. We’ll update this article just as soon as that is the case, so make sure to check back in the coming weeks.
Praised as “One of the hardest working, most thoughtful, and fairest reviewers out there” by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline, Ryan Steck has “quickly established himself as the authority on mysteries and thrillers” (Author A.J. Tata). Steck also works full-time as a freelance editor and pens a monthly thriller column for CrimeReads. For more information, be sure to follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He currently lives in Southwest Michigan with his wife and their six children.