First published 2026
Ten years after losing his daughter Missy, Mackenzie Allen Phillips still struggles with grief that permeates his marriage, his faith, and his daily existence. His wife Nan carries her own unspoken pain as their family remains fractured by tragedy. On what should have been Missy's sixteenth birthday, Mack receives an unexpected request to visit the serial killer who murdered her. Inside the prison walls, he confronts not only the man who destroyed his family but also his own rage and spiritual doubts. The encounter forces Mack to grapple with impossible questions about forgiveness, divine silence, and whether redemption can exist for both victim and perpetrator. As he faces the person he has every reason to hate, Mack must decide if healing is possible when wounds run so deep.
Genres: drama, literary-fiction, christian-fiction, adult, adult-fiction, psychological-thriller
Vibes: dark, emotionally-intense, haunting, introspective, thought-provoking
Tropes: confrontation-with-antagonist, internal-conflict, spiritual-journey
Setting: prison
Content warnings: death, murder