First published 2012
Catherine Ling survived abandonment on Hong Kong's streets at age four by trading information. She learned survival and assassination from Hu Chang, a master poisoner who became her mentor. The CIA recruited her, and she became one of their top operatives. Now Hu Chang has created an untraceable poison formula, and dangerous forces race to claim it. Rogue operative John Gallo joins the hunt. Catherine must protect both Hu Chang and Luke, the son who was stolen from her and only recently returned home. She faces a group of villains and an enemy so dangerous that her survival remains uncertain. Catherine draws on every skill from her shadowy past as she fights to save the people she loves. The battle takes her from CIA headquarters in Langley to Hong Kong's narrow alleys, testing whether her brutal training will prove sufficient against this new threat.
Genres: adventure, mystery, thriller, action, espionage
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, mentor-protege
Setting: CIA Headquarters, Hong Kong
Period: Present Day
406 pages · Hardcover · St. Martin's Press
Content warnings: violence