Weeks pass with no word. Then Brad Preston, Charlie’s father, turns up dead. His head has been bashed in by the lug wrench from Charlie’s car. Not surprisingly, her prints are on it. There’s still no sign of Charlie. Now the police are looking for a murder suspect, not a missing person.

Sally can’t bring herself to believe that Charlie had anything to do with the murder. Yes, her father was a sadistic SOB. He frequently tried to beat the devil out of Charlie when she was growing up. Yes, he had her locked in a mental institution, repeatedly. But Charlie had finally escaped. Why would she risk everything by coming back to get revenge?

Sally learns that Charlie’s stepmother, Bea, has set one of her religious fanatic friends on Charlie’s trail. Bea wants to put Charlie back in the mental institution. With the threat of both jail and an insane asylum hanging over Charlie’s head, Sally’s own search intensifies.

Meanwhile, someone is trying to frighten Sally into giving up the hunt. An email warns her to stop or face the consequences. She also receives pictures of herself as she goes about her business. Her boyfriend, Hawk, is convinced that someone is stalking her. He wants her to leave the search for Charlie to the police.

This is a much darker story than the previous book in this series. This story deals with domestic violence, drugs, abuse, and abortion. Although this is a decent book with an exciting climax, I prefer the lighter books.