Part of Meg Langslow, book 9
First published 2008
Meg Langslow expects to watch two-year-old Timmy for an hour or two when her friend Karen asks for help. Night falls and Karen still hasn't returned. She won't answer her phone. Meg realizes something has gone wrong. The next morning, she straps Timmy into his car seat and follows Karen's trail through town. The deeper she digs, the more convinced she becomes that Karen's disappearance connects to serious criminal activity. The police show little interest in a missing adult. Meg takes on the investigation herself, though chasing leads with a toddler in tow proves challenging. Her extended family creates additional chaos. Her father and the grumpy zoologist Dr. Montgomery Blake work on some secret animal rescue mission that might land them in jail again. Her brother keeps vanishing at convenient moments. Meanwhile, Meg and her new husband Michael wonder if caring for Timmy reveals their readiness for parenthood. The stakes rise when Meg suspects dangerous people might be hunting for the little boy she's protecting.
Genres: suspense, mystery, cozy-mystery, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: found-family, investigation
304 pages · Hardcover · Minotaur Books