It is enjoyable to kick off 2019 with a suspense novel that features a main character who resorts to guile and cunning rather than superhuman feats resulting in large body counts to accomplish his mission. Andrew Grant introduces readers to Paul McGrath in INVISIBLE, the first installment of a new series that exhibits promising potential for future exploits.

As a young man, McGrath followed a life path common to many families. His father dreamed that one day McGrath would join and eventually take over the business he had created. But McGrath had no desire to do so, opting instead for a military career. As the book opens, McGrath is on a mission in Turkey involving the clandestine sale of military equipment to a foreign power. The mission almost goes belly-up, but with great skill, McGrath accomplishes the task he has been assigned. Unfortunately for him, his superiors read the situation differently, so he decides that it’s time to end his military career and go back home.

"It is enjoyable to kick off 2019 with a suspense novel that features a main character who resorts to guile and cunning rather than superhuman feats resulting in large body counts to accomplish his mission."

Returning to New York, McGrath learns that his father suffered a heart attack and died. This heartbreaking news had not reached McGrath because of his undercover status in the military. It turns out that McGrath's father acquired a partner, Alex Pardew, who was less than forthright in his business dealings. His father died under mysterious circumstances, resulting in criminal charges against Pardew. But the case ended in a mistrial when critical evidence disappeared from the New York City courthouse.

Deciding to investigate on his own, McGrath determines that the only place to look for missing evidence is where the trial was held. The best way to complete the investigation is to work in the courthouse. Only one job has the necessary anonymity and access to the entire building that McGrath needs, so he becomes a janitor. No one notices him, but he notices everyone and everything in the building. Throughout INVISIBLE, when people he meets marvel at his skill and knowledge, McGrath’s response is always the same: “I’m just a janitor,” he replies with a smile.

In the courthouse, McGrath learns quickly that justice is not easily and evenly dispensed. While seeking to locate the lost evidence from his father’s case, he encounters others in the courthouse who also have experienced judicial breakdowns. On his first day working as a spy/janitor, McGrath meets Bob Mason, whose wife was the victim of a brutal home invasion. Mason recounts details of a landlord-tenant dispute in a rent-controlled building, a common occurrence in New York. The story strikes a chord with McGrath, who promises to help Mason obtain justice. That effort is the core plot of the book, and it leads McGrath into an international criminal milieu populated as well by some traditional domestic criminals.

McGrath has a plan that he follows with precision, and he is often one or two steps ahead of his opponents and his readers. Certainly there are the occasional suspensions of belief common to all suspense novels. But this fast-paced thriller will hold readers’ interest and attention. Andrew Grant indicates that McGrath will be back for more adventures. I will look forward to his next appearance.