by Lis W. Wiehl
First published 2017
Erica Sparks arrives in Bismarck to report on North Dakota's first gubernatorial recall since 1921. Mary Bellamy wants to unseat the current governor and speaks about gaining more freedom for the state through political processes. She appears reasonable, but secessionist movements are stirring across America. Erica receives an urgent call from a woman in her hotel lobby. When she goes to meet her, Erica finds the woman dead in the restroom with her throat cut. Someone wants to keep Erica from digging deeper into the story. At home, her marriage to Greg Underwood crumbles while her relationship with teenage daughter Jenny deteriorates. Erica sees civil war approaching both in her personal life and in North Dakota, where military intervention seems inevitable. She uncovers a threat to all Americans that exceeds her worst fears. Time runs short as Erica races to find answers that could save both her family and her country.
Genres: american-fiction, suspense, crime, contemporary, action, 21st-century, mystery-thriller, political-thriller
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, investigative-journalist, race-against-time
Setting: Bismarck, North Dakota
Period: 21st-century
340 pages · Hardcover · Thomas Nelson
Content warnings: violence