Nothing matters more to her
when a child's life is at stake.
Special agent Thea Lamb returns to her hometown to search
for a child whose disappearance echoes a twenty-eight-year-old cold case -- her
twin sister's abduction. Working with her former partner, Jake Stillwell, Thea
must overcome the pain, doubt and guilt that have tormented her for years and
denied her a meaningful relationship. For both Thea and Jake, the job always
came first…until now.
The first book in the new series is a good blend of
suspense and second chance romance. Thea is an FBI agent who works on cold
cases involving children. As the story opens, she is headed back to her
hometown in Florida to be with her estranged mother, who finds herself at the
center of another missing child mystery. Twenty-eight years earlier, Thea's twin
sister Maya disappeared from their bedroom without a trace. That disappearance
undoubtedly influenced Thea's choice of a career. Now another child has
disappeared from the same house and the same room. While she supports her mother,
Reggie, Thea also questions what happened in both cases.
Jake heads the FBI unit CARD (Child Abduction Rapid
Deployment) tasked with finding the missing Kylie. His awareness of the chances
of success with each passing hour keeps his determination to succeed fueled. He
will take whatever help is offered.
Thea and Jake have a history together. They were a couple
while both worked for the FBI in DC until Jake received the promotion that sent
him to Florida. A bit of pride and some lack of communication pulled them apart,
but neither had forgotten the other. Both are dedicated to their careers, but
their old feelings don't take long to resurface. I liked their realism, trying
to keep things professional while working on the case and finding the time to
reconnect. I loved the ending, as they realized that the blame for their split belonged
to them both. I wasn't too surprised at the resolution.
The suspense of the story kept me hooked from beginning
to end. The similarity of the abductions of Maya and Kylie was especially intriguing,
considering the time difference between them. One common factor was Reggie, and
Thea's memories stir up questions she wants answered. Meanwhile, Reggie's boyfriend
from during that time was recently released from prison and appears to have a
grudge against her. Add in a creepy neighbor, an odd doll shop owner, and some
bones found in a cave, and there are plenty of suspects to go around. The final
confrontation was a nail-biter. The motivation behind the kidnapping was
heartbreaking, but I had little sympathy for the kidnapper. I loved seeing
Thea's confidence in standing up to the kidnapper and seeing Jake come through
as backup at just the right time. While one mystery was solved, there are still
unanswered questions about Maya's disappearance. I'm looking forward to
learning more and hopefully getting a good result.
The relationship between Thea and Reggie is also a big
part of the book. The tension is palpable as Thea's memories make her question
things about her mother. While I ached for Reggie, I also had questions about
her past actions. Thea and Reggie's interactions have been strained for many years,
starting after Maya's disappearance and worsening as the years went on. Reggie has
changed her life since then, and those changes seem to improve their ability to
talk to one another. Things have improved between them by the end of the book, though
questions remain.
when a child's life is at stake.
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