A killer puts a child in danger and sends a police detective on a hunt for justice in a novel that will “appeal to fans of Mary Higgins Clark” (Booklist).

Nadal watches for weeks before he first approaches the boy. No matter what Maggie Brown says, he’s sure Matt is his son, and a boy should know his father. After their first confrontation, Maggie should have run. She should have hidden her child. But she underestimated the man who was once her lover. With self-righteous determination, Nadal goes to her house. He demands to spend time with the boy. When she refuses, he reaches for a knife.
By the time homicide detective Richard Christie arrives on the scene, all that remains of Maggie Brown is a bloodstain on the floor. The killer has vanished, and Matt is too scared to remember anything but his mother’s fear. As Christie looks for the killer and Maggie’s friends fight to keep Matt out of the hands of Child Services, Nadal watches the news and waits. A boy should be with his father. He’s going to get his son.

From the Edgar Award–nominated author of Simple and Hideout, this suspenseful tale with “plenty of hometown flavor and characters worthy of investment” is a gritty tale of crime and justice (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). Entertainment Weekly raves, “If anyone’s writing better police thrillers than George, I don’t know who it is,” while George Pelecanos says, “I look forward to reading anything Kathleen George writes.”