First published 2015
Catherine Ling built her career as a CIA operative on one rule: never get attached. Growing up on Hong Kong's streets before the agency recruited her at fourteen taught her that connections mean vulnerability. She made two exceptions: her son Luke and her mentor Hu Chang. When Luke was kidnapped at age two, Catherine's world shattered. Nine years later, he's finally back, and she's determined to rebuild their relationship. But someone from Catherine's past has other plans. Three people close to Catherine are already dead: the former prostitute who helped her survive the streets, a CIA colleague, and the informant who aided Luke's rescue. The killer is systematically eliminating everyone Catherine values, drawing the circle tighter around Luke and Hu Chang. Catherine must dig through years of enemies and betrayals to identify her tormentor before losing the only people who matter to her.
Genres: suspense, mystery, contemporary, thriller, action, espionage
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Hong Kong
Period: Contemporary
347 pages · Kindle Edition · St. Martin's Press
Content warnings: death, violence