As dawn approaches in New York, literary agent Isabel Reed is turning the final pages of a mysterious, anonymous manuscript, racing through explosive revelations about powerful people. In Copenhagen, veteran CIA operative Hayden Gray, determined that this sweeping story be buried, is suddenly staring down the barrel of an unexpected gun. And in Zurich, the author himself is hiding in a shadowy expat life, trying to atone for a lifetime’s worth of lies and betrayals while always looking over his shoulder.

Over the course of one long, desperate day, these lives will collide as the book begins its dangerous march toward publication, toward saving or ruining careers and companies, placing everything at risk—and everyone in mortal peril . . .

Praise for The Accident

“A reliable new must-read in the world of thrillers . . . Unputdownable books like Mr. Pavone’s help keep the business alive and well.”
—NEW YORK TIMES 

“If you like real nail-biters, this is the best one so far this year.”
—STEPHEN KING

“Although 2014 has many a month to run, Chris Pavone may well have snatched up the Thriller-of-the-Year-Award with The Accident.”
—ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

“Chris Pavone is the new best thing. The Accident proves the promise of The Expats. It is as intelligent and timely as it is relentless and gripping. Pavone is going to be around for a long time and now is the time to jump on the train.”
—MICHAEL CONNELLY

“A propulsive A-train of a thrill ride.”
—LOS ANGELES TIMES

“Mr. Pavone’s savvy novel has plenty of swift action and sudden twists, but some of its most engrossing passages evoke the passion that informs a beleaguered lit-world where story sense is still as important as dollars and cents.”
—WALL STREET JOURNAL

“A taut, bookish thriller.”
—PEOPLE

“The world of book publishing has never been more perilous or mesmerizing than in Chris Pavone’s dizzyingly good follow-up to The Expats. The dark eruption of long-buried secrets, complex betrayals further snagged by sex and greed, and eleventh-hour desperate gambits for reinvention all propel a whirlwind story that will keep you up way past your bedtime. Crafty, stylish, satisfying.”
—PAULA McLAIN

“A sly globetrotting spy thriller that gives new meaning to publish or perish.”
—FAMILY CIRCLE

“Chris Pavone’s many fans will not be disappointed with The Accident, his fast-paced, twisting, smart follow-up to The Expats. Cleverly plotted, filled with surprises, a terrific read.”
—WILLIAM LANDAY

“Marvelous . . . The deft plot globetrots and en route provides glamorous locales as well as twisty turns in suspense.”
—NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

“Tantalizing . . . terrific surprises and high-quality writing in this engaging thriller.”
—MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE

“A fast-paced, airport-ready thriller.”
—ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

“Clever, sophisticated, and propulsive. I am constantly awed by Chris Pavone’s writing. He’s already one of the best in the thriller business.”
—JOSEPH FINDER

“[Pavone] has certainly outdone himself with this amazing thriller that is truly impossible for the reader to put down . . . Full of constant surprises.”
—SUSPENSE

“An engaging thriller, driven by compelling portraits of desperate characters.”
—LIBRARY JOURNAL

“The suspense is palpable.”
—PUBLISHERS WEEKLY