Despite all her years determining the fates of families, veteran family court judge Hope Willis couldn't save her own. She never saw the car containing her kidnapped daughter, struggling to get out. Now she's frantically grasping at anything that might result in Krissy's rescue. Her husband dead-set against it, she calls Casey Woods, the head of Forensic Instincts, a renegade team of investigators, with a reputation for doing whatever it takes to solve life-or-death crimes.
A behaviorist. A techno-wizard. An intuitive. A former Navy S.E.A.L. A retired FBI Victim Recovery dog. All unconventional operatives. All with unique talents, skills, and personal reasons for being part of Casey's team.
Prologue
Westchester County, New York
Summer, thirty-two years ago
When six-year-old Felicity Akerman went to bed that night, she had no idea that life as she knew it was about to change forever.
She settled under the light cotton blanket and put her head on the pillow, her long blond hair tied back in a ponytail because of the heat. She was wearing her favorite short-sleeve nightshirt with the bright orange soccer balls on it. She had to wear it tonight. It was like a gold star on a perfect spelling test. A prize. A big win.
That's what today's game had been. The doctor hadn't been too sure about letting her play. Neither had her mom and dad. But she'd talked them into it, and gotten the okay she was holding her breath for. No one understood how miserable she'd been, sitting on the sidelines all summer long since she broke her arm. But it was better now. No more cast. No more pain. No reason to wait.