Former postal inspection agent-turned-freelance courier Mercury "Merc" Carter is the most unlikely of action heroes in The Mailman, Andrew Welsh-Huggins's energetic series launch.
Four masked criminals are holding Rachel Stanfield and her husband, Glenn, captive in their suburban Indianapolis home. They're willing to torture, even kill, Rachel unless she tells them the whereabouts of Stella Wolford, a low-level employee who recently gave a deposition for a lawsuit at Rachel's firm. They refuse to believe Rachel doesn't know. When the "shrimpy" Merc arrives to deliver a package, his surprise appearance is an inconvenience but this ruthless gang, who pride themselves on being "the best of the worst," think they will dispatch him easily. They are wrong. Merc insists he must deliver his package only to Rachel: "I'm a guy who delivers stuff. Occasionally, things get complicated." Merc incapacitates the gang one by one, but they still manage to escape, taking Rachel hostage, and leaving Merc and Glenn to embark on a cross-country pursuit.
Welsh-Huggins's sharp plotting is propulsive, and The Mailman's high-adrenaline pace never lets up. He weaves in historical background about the United States Postal Inspection Service being one of the country's oldest police divisions and how its agents can carry guns, giving The Mailman a dose of realism. Merc's intelligence and ability to adapt to violent situations without going over the top carry The Mailman. Merc has much in common with Jack Reacher and Colter Shaw, but Welsh-Huggins makes him a distinct character. --Oline H. Cogdill, freelance reviewer