by J. A. Jance
Part of Joanna Brady, book 19
First published 2021
Sheriff Joanna Brady welcomes her daughter Jennifer's college roommate Beth Rankin home for Christmas vacation. The sixteen-year-old freshman seems too sheltered for university life, and Jennifer worries about her naivety. Beth has been fighting with her parents, making the Brady family invitation a lifeline. But when Beth vanishes during her stay, Joanna must navigate a case that hits dangerously close to home. Her department is already stretched thin by a complicated officer-involved shooting that has put two young children at risk. Now Joanna faces every parent's nightmare as she searches for a missing girl while her own daughter's safety hangs in the balance. Time runs short in the Arizona desert as the experienced sheriff confronts a case where personal stakes make every decision critical.
Genres: suspense, mystery, contemporary, thriller
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: family-drama, personal-stakes
Setting: Arizona, United States
Period: Contemporary
365 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow
Content warnings: anxiety, depression