First published 2008
Tom O'Brien breaks out of prison after fifteen years on death row. The former police officer was convicted of murdering his wife and her lover, but he maintains his innocence. His own daughter Claire testified against him at the trial. She came home as a teenager to find the bodies and her father holding the gun. Now Claire works as a fraud investigator. She believes her father is guilty, but she starts looking into the case when a law student who claimed to have evidence of Tom's innocence disappears. FBI agent Mitch Bianchi approaches Claire under a false identity. He thinks Tom is innocent and in danger from more than just the police. Tom searches for proof that someone framed him. Claire digs deeper into the mystery despite her suspicions. Mitch tries to protect them both. A conspiracy emerges that reaches back years. The real killer targets Claire to keep his secrets buried. Father and daughter must overcome their broken trust to survive.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Prison
Period: 15 Years
482 pages · Kindle Edition · Ballantine Books
Content warnings: murder, violence