The Mailman

by Andrew Welsh-Huggins

Overview

Library Journal Mystery Pick of the Month

In a new thriller from the author of The End of the Road, a former postal inspection agent tracks a violent crew through the Midwest to rescue a kidnapped woman.

Mercury Carter is a deliveryman and he takes his job very seriously. When a parcel is under his care, he will stop at nothing to deliver it directly to its intended recipient. Not even, as in the current case, when he finds a crew of violent men at the indicated address that threaten his life and take the woman who lives there hostage. That’s because Carter has special skills from his former life as a federal agent with the postal inspection service, skills that make him particularly useful for delivering items in circumstances as dangerous as these.

After Carter dispatches the goons sent to kill him, he enters a home besieged by criminals—but the leader of the gang escapes with attorney Rachel Stanfield before the mailman can complete his assignment. With Rachel’s husband Glenn in tow, Carter takes off in pursuit of the kidnapper and his quarry, hunting them across Indiana, up to Chicago, and into small-town Illinois. Along the way, he slowly picks off members of the crew and uncovers a far-reaching conspiracy and a powerful crime syndicate, all in service of his main objective: to hand the package over to Rachel. Carter has never missed a delivery and isn’t about to start now.

Introducing a new lone-wolf protagonist to rival Lee Child’s Jack Reacher, Steve Hamilton’s Nick Mason, and Gregg Hurwitz’s Evan Smoak, The Mailman is a pulse-pounding series opener with captivating action and enough thrills to leave readers anxiously awaiting the next installment.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781613166109
Publisher:	Penzler Publishers
Publication date:	01/28/2025
Series:	A Mercury Carter Thriller , #1
Pages:	360
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 6.20(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

Andrew Welsh-Huggins, of Columbus, Ohio, writes the critically acclaimed Mercury Carter thriller series and the Shamus Award–nominated Andy Hayes private eye series. Andrew’s short mystery stories have appeared in multiple magazines and anthologies, including The Best Mystery Stories of the Year 2021, 2024, and 2025.

Read an Excerpt

They were seated on the black leather living room sectional, hands zip-tied behind them. Finn, the man who’d pulled off his mask in the kitchen, had drawn the curtains closed, presumably to shield them from their neighbors’ prying eyes. Though that was a bit of a joke, Rachel thought as the horror of their situation sank in, considering how spread out the houses were here, each on its own half-acre of lawn and gardens. Just the kind of privacy they sought when they upsized thanks to Rachel’s new salary.

Two men stood behind Rachel and Glenn respectively, guns held loosely at their sides. Finn sat in Glenn’s wingback on the other side of the glass-top coffee table, face neutral, his own gun resting on his right thigh. The fourth man, the one who hit Glenn, stood behind Finn. The remaining three men had also removed their masks. Which Rachel knew instinctively was a very bad sign.

“Who are you?” Glenn said for what must have been the fifth time since coming to with a moan. Finn had repeatedly ignored Rachel’s pleas to dress his wound and give him something for the pain. Finn said nothing. Just stared.

Glenn said, “Is this about Xeneconn? If it is, you’ve made a big mistake.”

Finn didn’t speak. After a moment, Rachel said, “Glenn—it’s not about Xeneconn.”

“What?” Glenn said, turning his head with difficulty.

“I said, it’s not about Xeneconn.”

“How do you know that?”

“I just know.”

“But how—”

“You should listen to your wife.”

They looked up. Finn had spoken at last.

“Tell us what’s going on,” Glenn mumbled, still struggling to form words. “If it’s not about Xeneconn, why are you here?” His phrasing, the way he posed the question, caught Rachel’s attention. As if something about Glenn’s company would give these thugs a reason to be in their house. But that didn’t make any sense— Before she could finish her thought, Finn said, “Why not ask Rachel? Or should I say, Attorney Stanfield? She and I both know why I’m here.”

“She what?” Glenn turned to Rachel. “Do you know this man?” Hesitantly, she nodded. “Sort of.”

“Sort of? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“He’s the one I told you—”

“It means it’s time to get down to business,” Finn said. He shifted in his chair and studied Rachel with a frown. She summoned all her remaining courage and faced him, taking in the short-cropped black hair, the scar on his left cheek, and the slightly weak chin, as if a sculptor crafting a bust had run out of clay at the last minute. The face that had so unnerved her the first time she saw it, two days earlier.

“To review,” Finn said. “You conducted a deposition within the last six weeks with a woman named Stella Wolford. I have asked you repeatedly, and professionally, for a copy of that deposition. You in turn have refused my request.”

Rachel couldn’t help herself. “Professionally?”

“Way I see it, yes.”

Rachel recalled the multiple phone calls and emails and texts that she received from Finn in recent days, each more demanding than the last, culminating in his appearance by her side in the cereal aisle at Whole Foods Sunday morning. Making his case in person, he called it. She called it stalking and told him to go to hell.

But quibbling seemed a fool’s errand at this point. Her only focus now was hoping she could see her and Glenn through this without further injury.

“As I’ve explained,” Rachel said, forcing herself to keep her voice calm, “it’s a proprietary document that I can’t release because it hasn’t been filed.”

“And as I’ve explained, who cares? I still want it.”

Rachel persisted. “A lawyer with a legitimate connection to the case could file a motion with the court to participate in the litigation. It’s possible that—”

“Yes, yes,” Finn said. “I already told you there’s no such lawyer on my end. And having asked repeatedly, and professionally, you’ve forced my hand and now, with regrets, I have to make other arrangements. Namely—you have sixty seconds to produce the document or we’re going to remove your husband’s fingers. One for every minute of delay.” He nodded at the man behind Rachel, who responded by pulling a pair of pruning shears from his pocket and opening and closing them three times. Slice. Slice. Slice.

“At least tell me why you want it?” Rachel said, voice rising. “What possible interest is it to you?”

“Fifty-five seconds.”

Rachel’s mind raced, trying to discern why this brute, this lunatic, could possibly want the deposition of a low-level employee at a health-care company who had been fired for poor performance and for some reason believed she had cause for a wrongful termination lawsuit. What the hell was she missing here?

“Forty-five seconds.” Finn gestured at Pruning Shears, who walked around to the front of the couch, sat beside Glenn, and reached behind his back for his bound hands.

“Rachel,” her husband said weakly.

Rachel felt tears well up. Not for her or Glenn or even their unborn child. But for Glenn’s daughter. Their daughter. She imagined a school counselor walking into a classroom and searching out Abby—obstinate, mouthy, opinionated, brilliant, beautiful Abby—and gesturing with a grim look to follow her into the hall. Honey, I’m afraid I have some bad news. No, not her daughter. But yes, goddammit. Her daughter.

“Thirty-five seconds.”

“All right, all right,” Rachel said. “I mean, this is insane. And so illegal. But okay.”

“Thirty.”

“I’ll need my laptop,” she shouted. “It’s in my black briefcase, in the office off the kitchen.”

“The deposition is on it?” Finn said.

“Not on the laptop. It’s on a company server I can access remotely. It’ll just take a minute to get through the firewall.”

“I’ll need a copy.”

“I can download it for you. Or print it out. Whichever is easiest.” “Both, please. And just to be clear, if there’s a trick involved, like a silent electronic trigger, something that alerts someone—the same punishment applies. Understood?”

“Yes,” Rachel said, perspiration pouring down her back, dampening her blouse. “No tricks. I promise.”

Editorial Reviews

"I dare you to read the first chapter of The Mailman and not be completely hooked. This is the best kind of thriller, where nobody is who you think they are and every twist in the story is a bigger surprise than you ever could have imagined. There’s no author in the business who can keep you off-balance quite like Andrew Welsh-Huggins . . . The Mailman is his best yet."

Steve Hamilton

"Because of my Reacher fandom, I’m always on the lookout for a Reacher-like hero who can fill the gaps without being an outright Reacher clone or diluted version of the original. I was pleased to find a promising new candidate in the character of Mercury Carter in Andrew Welsh-Huggins’ The Mailman."

Chicago Tribune

"This exciting thriller had me turning the pages, desperate to see what would happen next as the plot raced from one twist to the next. Action-packed and clever, this is a nimble mystery for the 21st century, with an unforgettable hero who’s my newest favorite fictional character."

Criminal Element

"The Mailman is a top-notch thriller that opens strong and fast with a home invasion and kidnapping and never relents until the very last page. Andrew Welsh-Huggins creates an eccentric, resourceful, single-minded protagonist—Mercury Carter—surrounds him with a rich cast of allies and adversaries, and propels them all on a cat-and-mouse chase filled with expertly drawn action and stunning reversals. This is a book you won’t want to miss."

Harry Dolan

"The Mailman is an auspicious series debut. Mercury Carter is a terrific addition to the solitary, quick thinking, resourceful contemporary knight in white."

Crimespree Magazine

"Carter’s ingenuity is the meat of this rousing sequel-worthy thriller."

Akron Beacon Journal

"Welsh-Huggins's sharp plotting is propulsive, and The Mailman's high-adrenaline pace never lets up. . . . Merc has much in common with Jack Reacher and Colter Shaw, but Welsh-Huggins makes him a distinct character."

Shelf Awareness

"In Mercury Carter, Huggins does an outstanding job of creating a character that rivals the top action heroes of today. This first book in a new series will leave fans on edge waiting for the next installment. When you pit a determined character with an impossible plot, you get a thriller that keeps readers turning the page."

Suspense Magazine

"Combining action with old school detective work, The Mailman is a memorable read with exciting twists and turns that will make you want to read more of Mercury Carter even before you’ve finished with this book. It’s fresh, fun, and an excellent addition to the armada of action heroes in thrillers."

BestThrillerBooks.com

"Welsh-Huggins’ The Mailman delivers heart-pounding action and twists from start to finish. If you like smart, fast-paced writing, and an edge of your seat plot, this is your kind of book."

Reed Farrel Coleman

"The Mailman provides zero opportunity to catch your breath from start to finish, and Mercury Carter is one of the most confounding yet satisfying characters I have read in any thriller."

BookReporter

2024-11-23
A highly unlikely hero steps up to neutralize a dangerous band of kidnappers.

Young Abby Stanfield’s horrible grades trigger an argument between her parents, Glenn and Rachel, over the exorbitant tuition at Bellbrook Academy, making for a typical Tuesday evening for the Stanfields until four masked men—Stone and Vlad and Paddy and Finn, the leader—bust into their home and hold the family hostage. Their intent is murky, but apparently focuses on a woman, Stella Wolford, and her connection to Rachel, who’s an attorney. The intruders’ plan is interrupted by deliveryman Mercury Carter, whom Finn rebuffs at the door. Carter, who’s not who he seems, calculates a bit in his Suburban before breaking into the home himself, causing Finn, Paddy, and Vlad to take off with a captive Rachel. After pummeling Stone, Carter gives chase, accompanied by Glenn and Abby. The series kickoff by the prolific author of the Andy Hayes mysteries spools out like a fast-paced treasure hunt, with Finn eliciting info from the steely Rachel in teaspoons while Carter pursues him. A third narrative thread fills in the details of Carter’s rocky past in short cuts. The twisty plot relies on periodic revelations; suffice it to say that Carter is not the only character with secrets. Some additional juice is provided by the arrival of no-nonsense detective Rosa Jimenez, investigating a collateral victim of the villains. Welsh-Huggins keeps the story moving, but readers’ engagement will depend on the appeal of the iconoclastic Carter.

A brisk and busy chase thriller.

Kirkus Reviews