Scott Murdoch is a member of a secret government agency, so secret that only a few in the country are aware of it's existence. After years of living in the shadows, Murdoch decides on retirement and writes a book on forensics as an act of closure. Instead of a quiet life off the grid in Paris, he finds himself drawn into a murder investigation at a seedy New York City hotel. The killer appears to have committed the perfect crime and then disappeared without a trace - all while using Murdoch's book as a how-to manual.

Soon he is pressed into service by high-ranking government officials, thrust into service again, traveling to the Middle East in search of a lone wolf Saudi terrorist, with the fate of Western civilization hanging in the balance.

"The world doesn't change in front of your eyes; it changes behind your back."

At 600+ pages and cover art that some might call dull, I Am Pilgrim did not immediately strike me as a "summer read," the kind of page-turner I like to take on day trips to the lake. However, it didn't take more than the opening lines before I was hooked. Hayes has the somewhat dubious distinction of writing the first crime scene that I've excitedly read aloud to my husband over a glass of wine at night.

This book is a rare treat - a literary spy thriller that defies stereotype. Our hero is a young, but extremely accomplished, member of a secret government intelligence agency. The bad guy is a young, radical, Muslim terrorist, hellbent on the destruction of Western civilization. The novel is full of exciting chases, thrilling shootouts, and exotic locations. It does not, however, feel tired or overdone at any point. The book is a fresh take on the traditional spy novel. It's filled with enough twists and surprises to keep you on your toes. Hayes uses exciting side plots and character back stories to allow for some breathing room between tense scenes but these scenes are far from dull. On the contrary, they serve to flesh out his characters and bring them to life in a way that many suspense novels fail to do.

Though this is a debut for Hayes, his experience as a screenwriter results in an absorbing, action packed, heart-in-your-throat read. The pacing is perfect, building suspense in just the right spots and then unleashing the action in explosive bursts. Expertly delivered foreshadowing leaves you breathlessly awaiting the next surprise, the next twist. It's not difficult to imagine the blockbuster film this book will become.

In the end, this book is certainly a contender for best-of-the-year lists. It starts as a murder mystery, becomes a spy thriller, and ends up as one of the best books you'll read this year.

Two masters of their art, one working for the good of his country and one toward plotting its end, come head to head in this fast moving adventure. The hero is Pilgrim, an intelligence officer, a spy and trained assassin, for a highly secret agency of the United States government. He is very good at his job, often brutal, but he believes he it is all worth it, because he is protecting his country. The Saracen is the enemy. He is a Middle Eastern terrorist hell bent on revenge. As a fourteen year old boy, he had witnessed the beheading of his father for refusing to dishonor his religion, and now, he too, is defending it, at all costs. A devout Muslim, he is very good at his job. First, he was a Mujahedeen with a great reputation for success. He was courted, befriended and educated by the fanatics in the Muslim world, but as a loner, he is now a diabolical killer, plotting the end of America using a biological weapon. His methods are both cold-hearted and terrifying. He has no conscience, brutality has no effect on him, and he believes he is doing the work of his G-d, Allah.
Both men had sad and difficult childhoods, both had to take on responsibility for themselves at an early age, both turned out differently than they thought they would, both had violent anger and resentment within them, but their paths veered in different directions. Both had a hidden history and identity. Both could kill in a cold hearted way, both were driven for a cause, one for the USA and the other for Allah. Both were extremely intelligent and dedicated as they turned into murderers, but one turned his efforts into a patriotic pursuit (depending on the eye of the beholder), and the other directed his efforts into terrorism (what some might describe as freedom fighting). The story moves from one of them to the other as it develops, and the similarity between the men is apparent. It exposes the fine line between right and wrong, depending on individual philosophy.
The story takes us through a good deal of Middle Eastern history and explores the reason the Saracen turned from a good son into a monster, able to commit horrific crimes without a conscience. The background story is one that is commonplace in his world, and it is the reason many a young man turns to radical Islam and terrorism. The reader is taken to Europe, Russia and the Middle East as the Pilgrim seeks his prey.
When the tale begins, Pilgrim, alias Scott Murdock, alias Jude Garrett, alias Peter Cambell, and a host of other names, has been in hiding for several years, using a new identity, trying to escape his past. However, no matter how well he thought he had covered his tracks, he was suddenly discovered by a New York City cop, Ben Bradley, who had tracked him down to ask him for his help with a murder investigation in New York City, which took place shortly after 9/11. It seems in the personality of Scott Murdock, Pilgrim had once written a book on crime, and the murderer used it as a manual to commit “the perfect crime”.
The details of 9/11 were well researched (as were other historical events covered in the book). They brought back horrific memories. Bradley was severely injured in a rescue attempt when the buildings collapsed and Pilgrim investigated the events surrounding it and its perpetrators. Several events exhibiting the madness of History are explored and examined in detail throughout the book as the author weaves real events into the narrative, like the Holocaust, as well, in order to develop the characters’ lives and their backgrounds. He points out the reasons for their life choices and the serendipity that brought Pilgrim and Bradley together to prevent the Saracen’s heinous plot against the US. The confluence of this murder investigation and the possible terrorist threat of mass murder again, using a deadly virus, is the catalyst for the story. As terrorism takes center stage, spy networks and their methods are detailed. They are not always pretty. It seems that there is a great deal of corruption everywhere. The Arab world is seething with resentment, the need to discover their attempts at revenge and mass murder overwhelming and all consuming. While both Pilgrim and the Saracen are wanderers and both have one objective, Pilgrim works for national security and Saracen seeks to undermine it. He believes that any means justifies his ends and his religious fervor.
The author says, at one point (I paraphrase), when the price of oil is driven down, the Saudis won’t be able to buy their safety from the extremists, the United States will decline, Israel will be alone and exposed. It seems profoundly prophetic at this time with a Middle East erupting in violence and a United States government no longer steadfastly supporting Israel.
There are so many themes branching off in different directions, it is sometimes hard to keep track, but in the end, the loose ends all tie up rather nicely and the entire story comes together. It is neatly set up for another in the series. Ingrid will resurface at one point, I feel sure.

This is a gripping story from page one. Not a book for the faint of heart since there are graphic depections of terrorist behavior. Intrique and good vs evil.

I thought the book was complicated and intriguing. It was not a simple thriller, well developed characters and background.

A breakneck race against time...and an implacable enemy.
An anonymous young woman murdered in a run-down hotel, all identifying characteristics dissolved by acid.
A father publicly beheaded in the blistering heat of a Saudi Arabian public square.
A notorious Syrian biotech expert found eyeless in a Damascus junkyard.
Smoldering human remains on a remote mountainside in Afghanistan.
A flawless plot to commit an appalling crime against humanity.
One path links them all, and only one man can make the journey.

seems people either loved or hated this book. while i can understand the criticisms and agree with some, I still found that I liked this book. Thought it was a good mystery, spy novel. It is NOT an easy read -- you have to pay attention. The story of the main character unfolds in bits and pieces. I enjoyed it.

Exciting read.

This book takes you into the dark, spy, black market world and leaves you wondering how it all stays so hushed.
Unrealistic feeling towards the end, but never the less a page turner.