by Harlan Coben
First published 2008
Tia and Mike Baye install spy software on their sixteen-year-old son Adam's computer. They never wanted to become parents who monitor their children, but Adam has grown distant. His classmate Spencer Hill recently killed himself, adding to ongoing problems at their school. The spying software reveals a troubling message sent to Adam from someone unknown. It says to stay quiet and everyone will remain safe. Spencer's mother Betsy Hill discovers something disturbing while looking at an online memorial her son's friends created. She finds a photograph that seems to show the night Spencer died. He was not alone. Betsy believes Adam Baye appears in the background of the image. When Adam disappears, both families realize their community harbors something dangerous. The Bayes face an impossible choice about how much they should know about their child's life. Their search for Adam forces them to confront whether parental knowledge can become a burden rather than protection.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: family-drama, parental-monitoring, search-for-missing-person
416 pages · Hardcover · Dutton
Content warnings: anxiety, depression, mental-illness