The *Unsworths are the power couple in this novel. Rebecca is the stronger spouse. She works for the FBI. Brian is the weaker one, the one without a specific purpose, the one not driven to success. When they are married, he has no real purpose in life nor does he have a permanent, well paying job. At the end, he is working for the National Security Agency, among other things. The Unsworths have two children, Kira and her younger brother Tony.
Rebecca Unsworth is a trained lawyer and a workaholic. Her personality overshadows Brian’s. At one time, he was the house husband, caring for the children and preparing the meals. He never went to college and encouraged Becks to follow her own dream, putting his own future and dreams on hold, whatever they might be. It was pretty obvious that although he was a computer whiz, his future was not hanging in the balance. It was nebulous as was his ambition.
Kira is 19. She is outspoken, outgoing, very social and seems to have the gift of gab. She wisecracks and flirts. She attends Tufts University. Tony is 17. He is shy and gentle. He adores his sister. He attends High School. Both siblings have noticed that their parents’ marriage is faltering. Rebecca puts her work before everything, even family. Brian seems to have a cold side to his personality. He sometimes has moments when his eyes get vacant and he seems to be someplace else. He is beginning to resent Rebecca’s success. She is now the head of the DC Russia Desk. Eventually, Brian’s penchant and talent when it comes to technology, brings him some notoriety, as well. Before long, he is in a compromising position, forced to make a choice, and none of his options are good.
To restore their family to the days when their love for each other was unquestioned, a twentieth anniversary trip to Europe is planned. After they embark, foolish decisions and selfish choices put the family at great risk. Kira’s immaturity and impetuousness, Tony’s sense of loyalty to her, above all else, even when he questions it, Brian’s need for recognition and sexual satisfaction, and Rebecca’s ambition, combine to bring the family to a point of potential tragedy. Kira disappears. The only clue is that she had met a dashing young man in Paris who arranged a rendezvous with her in Barcelona. She secretly met him and never returned home. Both Brian and Rebecca wonder if their jobs are the cause of this possible kidnapping. Tony cannot forgive himself for not telling his parents about Kira’s secret plans. The drama and tension increase exponentially as the investigation into the missing Kira evolves. Secrets are revealed as each character is featured in a different section of the book. Each harbored different plans they did not reveal to each other. Each had had a secret life at one time. Each suspects the other of still engaging in clandestine relationships. For the most part, each excuses the other’s behavior, until each does not, which leads to the surprising conclusion.
Where is Kira? Is she in danger? Did she just decide to stay overnight with Jacques, her Frenchman? She is precocious. She didn’t text which was her habit. Did she lose her phone? Was she taken to gain leverage over a case in which either of her parents were involved? Was she the target or was she a random victim, taken to be sold as a sex slave? Was she drugged? They do not think she would have gone willingly, but would have put up a fight of some kind. She had training in the martial arts. As the life of each character is explored, many secrets are revealed. Who or what was behind her disappearance? Was she still alive? Espionage and the growing mystery keeps the reader engaged until all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place and the mystery is resolved.
*As an aside, does anyone think the name Unsworth is significant as a foreshadowing of what the author thinks of this family…unworthy perhaps of the fate that befalls them or unworthy because of their less than stellar choices and behavior. Was the name choice simply random?

Do you often doubt book reviews you read online? You can believe all the five-star reviews of THE POWER COUPLE. This is one of the most well-written and surprising thrillers I've ever read.

The book begins with a "Prologue," and you won't know who's speaking. You'll have to read all the way to the end. Then you will know, and you can re-read the "Prologue."

Rebecca and Brian take their two teenage children, Kira and Tony, on a vacation in Europe. In Spain, Kira disappears. What follows is the search for her, but that's not all.

This is also the story of a marriage, but it is not a romance story. Rebecca is an FBI agent; Brian is with the National Security Agency. Their history is revealed in flashbacks. They may shock you. They definitely will surprise you.

But the end of that story isn't the end of the book. There's more.

This is my first Alex Berenson book. Don't you just love when you find a great author and get to read his backlist?