Ben's business card is found in the pocket of the sniper who killed a government software designer. Ben's name is also on the designer’s calendar and his message is heard on Ben's voicemail thus implicating him in the attack.

Pilgrim, a second intended victim of the sniper, escapes the initial attempt on his life only to return back to his safe-house where a second attempt is made on his group of CIA misifts called The Cellar by assailants. During the attack, the leader of The Cellar, Teach, is taken hostage. Pilgrim, whose real name is Randall Choate, was a top CIA assassin whose mission in Indonesia ten years previously went wrong. He was extracted by Teach to work for The Cellar, losing his family and identity in the process.

Thus begins this convoluted plot of a corporate consultant and CIA hitman both trying to clear their name with Homeland Security and forced to work together.  Jeff Abbott has been nominated for three prestigious Edgar Awards. Unfortunately, Collision has a plot that is often difficult to follow and the action sequences seem all too frequent at the expense of too little character development. Abbott does provide us with some commentary on the condition of New Orleans post Katrina and the government's use of contractors to provide security around the world.

While Collision is an okay read it isn’t at the level of an Edgar winner or even worthy of four stars.

--Jerry Solot