by Ted Dekker
First published 2009
Ryan Evans has failed as a father. His wife and daughter Bethany have cut him from their lives, leaving the intelligence officer isolated and bitter. Meanwhile, a serial killer known as BoneMan stalks young women, seeking the perfect daughter among his victims. When each woman disappoints his twisted expectations, he breaks their bones and abandons them to die. Six women have already perished this way. Then BoneMan seizes Bethany as his seventh target. Ryan abandons protocol and launches his own desperate hunt for his estranged daughter. The FBI has different plans. New evidence suggests Ryan himself might be BoneMan, transforming the pursuing father into a fugitive. As Ryan races against time to find Bethany, he must evade federal agents convinced of his guilt. Two fathers now circle each other in a deadly game. One seeks to save his daughter and reclaim his role as her protector. The other kills daughters who fail to meet his warped standards.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: cat-and-mouse, estranged-family, fugitive
401 pages · Hardcover · Center Street
Content warnings: murder, violence