First published 2008
Jack McClure carries the weight of personal tragedy. His daughter Emma died in an accident that destroyed his marriage and left him drowning in guilt. The dyslexia that once made him an outcast now gives him unique investigative abilities as a top ATF agent. He buries his grief in work until Edward Carson calls. Carson stands weeks away from the presidency when kidnappers take his daughter Alli. Carson reaches out to Jack because Emma and Alli were best friends. He trusts Jack to cross any line necessary to bring Alli home. The search pulls Jack into a deadly game with a brilliant adversary who stays one step ahead at every turn. This enemy wields tremendous power and has shaped both Jack's life and his country in ways Jack cannot yet grasp. As Jack tracks Alli through a web of political conspiracy, he must confront his own demons while facing a calculating genius who treats human lives as chess pieces.
Genres: mystery, crime, action, political-thriller
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, grief, investigative-journalism
Setting: Washington DC
Period: 21st-century
400 pages · Hardcover · Forge Books