by C. J. Box
First published 2009
Jack and Melissa McGuane believed their struggle to become parents was over when they adopted baby Angelina. Nine months later, a phone call shatters their world. The birth father, still a teenager, never surrendered his parental rights. He wants Angelina back. His father happens to be a Denver judge with the power and connections to make it happen. The McGuanes arrange to meet both father and son, hoping to reason with them. The encounter reveals darker motives at work. Love for Angelina plays no part in their demands. What follows becomes a vicious campaign of threats and manipulation. The judge exploits every legal loophole while his son escalates the intimidation. Trust becomes impossible as allies turn into enemies. Jack and Melissa have three weeks before they must surrender their daughter. They will risk everything to keep her safe, even as the clock counts down and the danger grows.
Genres: suspense, crime, contemporary, adoption, family-drama, legal-thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, high-stakes
Setting: Denver
340 pages · Hardcover · Minotaur Books
Content warnings: child-abuse, emotional-abuse, kidnapping