One Second Away

 

One Second Away by Rick Mofina
4/28/26; 400 pages
Doubleday Canada 

One Second Away by Rick Mofina is a very highly recommended complex thriller where the stakes are high and the pace is fast. 

The novel opens with a train operator in Toronto notices a few glitches in the automated while traveling his route. Then his worst nightmare comes true. He has the green light to proceed along the track when he sees a stopped train in front of him. The resulting crash kills five passengers and injures dozens of others. Was this human error or is something more nefarious in the works.

During this same time period, Jessie Ward nine-year-old son, Dylan, is flying to see his dad, Vaughn, in NYC. Jessie and Vaughn are separated. Vaughn's parent's, Dylan's grandparents, Lillian and Miller, will be picking him up at JFK. Jessie has several ways to track Dylan and he has made this trip once before, so they both know the procedures. Then, several hours later Dylan is missing. His grandparents claim to have received a message sending them to another gate. The airline claims that Dylan was picked up by an elderly couple with the ID of Lillian and Miller.  Vaughn says he is working up in Canada, but will immediately head back to NYC. Jessie's worst nightmare is unfolding before her eyes.

Jessie's company Instinct Nine-99 specializes in the creation of classified advanced network security systems, with many big, private and government contracts. Two of her exceptional programmers, Bobby and Serita, use their specialized skills to help Jessie try to find Dylan. At the same time, Vaughn's actions are odd and the police are suspecting Jessie of plotting something to keep Dylan away from his father.  Jessie and her team have to actually help the FBI and police with information they uncover, including pictures of the elderly couple who did take Dylan.

There is a whole lot of action and intrigue happening in this well-written thriller with events that could be ripped from headlines today (but hopefully never happen). The pace is fast through both the investigation of Dylan's disappearance and the inquiry into the glitches resulting in crashes of trains in major cities across the globe. There are several other things going on that make it clear the stakes are high and the danger is very real. Both story lines are interesting, although Jessie's search for her son will be the most frightening one for any parent.

Expect an intricate plot in both of the complicated cases along with several heart-stopping incidents during the investigations. The short chapters help to keep the tension building and the suspense high throughout the novel. Once you start reading, it will be hard to set this thriller aside.

One Second Away is a perfect choice for readers who enjoy complex, fast-paced thrillers and everyone following Rick Mofina's novels. Thanks to Doubleday Canada for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.