First published 1999
Crime reporter Molly Cates faces her most dangerous assignment when a religious cult seizes a school bus driver and eleven children in Austin. The hostages have been trapped underground in the cult's fortified compound for forty-six days. Federal negotiators are losing hope as the standoff drags on. Cates decides to investigate Samuel Mordecai, the cult's ruthless leader, hoping to find a way to save the children. She enters a deadly psychological battle with Mordecai, matching wits with a manipulative fanatic who holds innocent lives in his hands. As time runs out, Cates must navigate the twisted mind of a man who believes he answers only to God. The confrontation tests every skill she has learned as a reporter and every ounce of courage she possesses. This is the second book featuring Molly Cates, following her debut in The Red Scream.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, psychological-thriller, race-against-time
Setting: Austin
Period: 20th-century
Paperback · HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Content warnings: violence