THE POWER COUPLE is a somewhat different book for Alex Berenson. It is a stand-alone that takes place outside of the realm of his John Wells novels, though fans of that excellent series will find much to love here. Berenson combines elements of mystery, espionage and, yes, the domestic thriller subgenre to present an extremely interesting and intriguing tale that keeps readers guessing about its outcome right up to the last page.

Rebecca and Brian Unsworth are the power couple of the title. Rebecca is a driven FBI agent working in its counterterrorism division, while Brian is a coder in the higher echelons of the National Security Agency. Rebecca is handed the first-person narrative reins on occasion, but we also are given the points of view of Brian and their 19-year-old daughter, Kira. Their 15-year-old son, Tony, is a bit of a passive figure but has his moments as well.

"Berenson combines elements of mystery, espionage and, yes, the domestic thriller subgenre to present an extremely interesting and intriguing tale that keeps readers guessing about its outcome right up to the last page."

The initial driver of the plot is a family trip to Europe to celebrate Rebecca and Brian’s 20-year anniversary. Kira meets Jacques, an archetypal Euro stud, on their last night in Paris. He is so smitten with her that he offers to travel to Barcelona, the family’s next stop, for a date the following evening. Kira doesn’t tell her parents about Jacques or their scheduled get-together. When she doesn’t return from what is supposed to be an evening of sampling the Barcelona nightlife on her own, a frantic Rebecca and Brian barely know where to start in trying to locate her.

However, they have two things going for them. One is that Rebecca has some chits that she can call in to make local law enforcement, which is accustomed to reports of smitten American teenagers disappearing for a night or two, take her seriously and investigate. The other is that she took the time to pass on to her daughter a bit of tradecraft in the areas of self-defense and situational awareness.

Readers are offered a peek at what has happened to Kira before the book takes a sharp turn and ping-pongs into the past for a deep dive into Rebecca and Brian’s relationship over the course of the previous two decades. They have their secrets from each other, and the revelation of one or two of them demonstrates that possibly some of what was disclosed in the early portions of the book isn’t quite the truth. That knowledge gives readers a step up on most of the folks trying to find Kyra, with the kidnappers giving them some new urgency when they make a ransom demand.

As the investigation continues, it is clear that there was some advance planning that took place prior to Kyra’s abduction. The underlying question for her parents, aside from where she is, is why she was targeted. It is almost certain that their occupations have something to do with her absence. Questions of retribution and cover-up also arise and are ultimately resolved, at least partially.

If you are a longtime reader of Berenson’s work and disappointed that THE POWER COUPLE is not a John Wells book, I assure you that it is more than worth your while for the same reasons (and a couple of others) that you enjoy his long-running series. You will not be sorry.