Part of Doc Ford, book 16
First published 2009
Doc Ford stands outside the Explorers Club in winter New York when gunmen attack a senator's car. Ford saves the senator but fails to stop the abduction of her companion, a fourteen year old Minnesota boy who won an essay contest. The kidnappers demand something specific and give authorities thirty six hours to comply. They bury the boy alive in a location they believe no one can find. Ford tracks the criminals from Long Island to Florida as the clock counts down. The boy has secrets his captors never suspected. Ford carries his own hidden past, as do other players in this deadly game. All these buried histories will surface before the deadline passes. The boy fights for survival underground while Ford races against time above. Past and present collide as Ford discovers the true scope of the conspiracy.
Genres: adventure, suspense, mystery, crime, thriller, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: hidden-past, race-against-time
Setting: Explorers Club, Long Island, Florida
Period: Winter
368 pages · Hardcover · Putnam Adult
Content warnings: kidnapping