Part of Inspector Lynley, book 18
First published 2013
Sergeant Barbara Havers watches helplessly as her friend Taymullah Azhar loses his daughter. Angelina has taken nine-year-old Hadiyyah and disappeared without a trace. Azhar has no legal rights since he never married Angelina and his name appears nowhere on the birth certificate. The private detective they hire finds nothing. Just as Azhar begins accepting this devastating blow, Angelina returns with terrible news. Someone has kidnapped Hadiyyah from a crowded Italian marketplace. The Italian authorities are investigating, but Scotland Yard refuses involvement in what appears to be a foreign matter. Barbara cannot stand by while a child remains missing. She takes unauthorized action that threatens her entire career. Inspector Thomas Lynley soon joins the investigation, and both officers discover layers of deception beneath the apparent kidnapping. Hidden secrets emerge that reach far beyond one missing girl. Barbara faces an impossible choice between her professional duty and personal loyalty. She must decide how much she will sacrifice to bring Hadiyyah home safely.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, detective
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Italy, Scotland Yard
Period: Contemporary
723 pages · Hardcover · Dutton
Content warnings: kidnapping