A propulsive thriller that reminded me of Robert Ludlum’s pell-mell books from years back, “The Controller” commences at full speed and never winds down. Disgraced ex-FBI agent Sam Lynch, obsessing over his son’s disappearance six years prior, is called back into the fold by Special Agent Sandra Rose after a gruesome home invasion. Lynch is on the trail of a disputed evil underground group called The Railroad, headed by someone who may or may not be called The Controller, and this novel is Lynch’s obsession writ large. Matt Brolly is a deft, sure-handed writer, especially with action scenes, and the plot spits out surprises every few chapters. If I tired slightly of the almost lurid revelations, for much of my two-night read I turned the pages fast, and I’m certain fans of Reacher or even Dan Brown would relish this supernova first volume of the expected Lynch/Rose series.