Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Bricklayer | 2009 | Noah Boyd | Buy |
| 2 | The Bricklayer | 2010 | Noah Boyd | N/A |
| 3 | Agent X | 2011 | Noah Boyd | N/A |
| 4 | Agent X / Last Chance To Die | 2011 | Noah Boyd | Buy |
The Steve Vail series by Noah Boyd features a former FBI agent who walked away from the Bureau to lay bricks for a living. In The Bricklayer (2009), the FBI comes calling when a complex extortion scheme proves too difficult for their current agents, and Vail reluctantly agrees to help. His unconventional methods and willingness to work outside normal channels make him effective where others have failed.
Agent X (2011) puts Vail back in action with another case that requires his particular combination of analytical thinking and hands-on investigation. The series reflects author Paul Lindsay’s own FBI background, and Vail’s cynicism about Bureau bureaucracy rings true for anyone who has worked in a large organization. The puzzle-based plotting, where Vail must decode clues left by sophisticated criminals, gives the books a distinctive structure.