by Tracy Clark
First published 2023
Chicago's brutal winter streets become a hunting ground when fifteen-year-old Ramona Titus vanishes from her foster home. Private investigator Cass Raines, a former homicide cop, takes the case from Leesa Evans, Ramona's biological mother. Evans is a recovering addict who failed her daughter repeatedly but now wants to make amends. Raines also meets with Deloris Poole, Ramona's foster mother, who describes a girl slowly learning to trust after arriving six months earlier filled with anger and suspicion. The police search continues, but Raines relies on street contacts and trusted allies to track leads. The deeper she digs, the clearer it becomes that Ramona is actively avoiding discovery. The teenager carries dangerous secrets that could prove fatal to anyone who gets too close. As Raines closes in, she realizes that both she and Ramona are racing against time in a deadly game where the truth itself has become a weapon.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: found-family, race-against-time
Setting: Chicago
304 pages · Paperback · Kensington
Content warnings: child-abuse, child-death, violence