Tom Grant is an agent with the CIA.
He is a veteran of more than twenty years fighting terrorists around the world. Such a job is a totally thankless one for no matter how many time an agent stops the evildoers, it takes but one success on their part to have the top brass screaming for a scapegoat. Bosnia was his one failure for which he continues to suffer ostracizing by those above him. Until they need him again.
When thrown into the matter is the fact that Grant refuses to sing his own praises or cover his own rear when flack start flying, it becomes obvious that Grant is the perfect man to call when the going get tough as he will either succeed, making the brass look smart, or fail, taking the heat with him. Luckily for his survival, Grant is very, very good at his job and at staying alive.
His age also plays a role in his troubles as he is nearing 50 and most of those around him are far younger and seem more capable. They aren't but they look and act like it, something Grant doesn't bother with. And if it were pointed out to him, he would likely just shrug.
Playing a major role in both books in this series is Karen Frost of the FBI, a special agent who is never partial to following the rulebook, if she even still owned a copy. While Grant is certainly the main character in the series, Frost is a very close second. She is also one of the main characters in a book that came before the Grant stories, listed herein as a precursor though Grant is not in it. Ms. Frost is also no spring chicken but an experienced agent who has earned her way up the ranks and would have risen higher if she was only willing to play the game. She would rather catch bad guys than accolades.